How To Break Bedrock In Minecraft Guide 2023

Preparations You Need to Make to Break Bedrock

We have personally tested this method in Minecraft Java edition, and it works perfectly if your timing is right. But before moving to the actual process, let’s look at the list of items we need for this method. There can be numerous ways to do it, but our method is inspired by the YouTuber Mysticat. To break bedrock, you need the following items:
Not to be mistaken with the Bedrock edition of the game, the bedrock block is the strongest in-game block present at the bottom of your Minecraft world. You can find bedrock covering the entire roof of the Nether dimension. This block is unobtainable and unbreakable by any tool or effect in-game, including the most powerful explosions, like the ones created by end crystals, due to its high blast resistance.

2 TNT Blocks 1 Obsidian Block 2 Pistons 1 Lever 1 Wooden Trapdoor Any other block like Cobblestone

Note: Although these are the minimum resources you need, you should bring extras of every listed item. This is because breaking bedrock is a glitch, and it doesn’t work perfectly every single time. Bring more of each of the required items listed above, plus extra obsidian, flint & steel. These supplies will help you make an additional Nether portal if you get stuck on the roof.

1. TNT Blocks

To craft a single TNT block, you will need 5 pieces of gunpowder and 4 blocks of sand. Feel free to check out our guide on how to make TNT for more details.

2. Lever

To create a lever you will only need one cobblestone block and a wooden stick. Place the stick above the cobblestone block in your inventory’s grid or the crafting table block.

3. Trapdoors

For crafting trapdoors, you need six wooden planks of the same type. Using them, fill any two rows of the crafting area completely. Make sure the rows you choose are adjacent, and your trapdoor will be ready. You will get two trapdoors with this crafting recipe.

4. Piston

Finally, you need 4 cobblestone blocks, 3 wooden planks, 1 iron ingot, and Redstone dust to create a piston. You can use our Minecraft ore distribution guide to easily find iron and redstone.
For crafting, you need to place the iron ingot in the center of the crafting area, with the redstone dust just below it. Then, place the wooden planks in the top row of the table. To finish, fill the remaining cells on the sides of the middle column with cobblestone blocks. And that’s it!

5. Obsidian

You can make and mine obsidian with a diamond pickaxe. We created a full dedicated guide on how to make obsidian, so check it out if you need help.

How to Break Bedrock in Minecraft

With all the items available at your disposal, you now simply need to reach the bedrock layer before getting started. So let’s see how to do that.

Step 1: Reach the Bedrock Layer

Whether you are in the Nether dimension or the Overworld, the easiest way to reach the bedrock layer is by digging straight down. And thanks to the large and deep cave systems, it’s not difficult to do so. But that’s not the only location where bedrock exists. You can even cross the seemingly unreachable roof of the Nether dimension. Here’s how.

Step 2: Start Breaking Bedrock

Now that you have successfully made it to the Nether roof, follow the step-by-step guide below to break bedrock blocks in Minecraft.

Step 3: Exploit Piston’s Obsidian Glitch

With our setup ready, it’s time to break Bedrock. Our aim is to use the lever to activate the TNT and the piston at the same time. Once the TNT destroys the piston, we need to replace it with another piston that can glitch out the obsidian block. Also, make sure to wear armor, as the TNT explosions will kill you otherwise. This method solely relies on the piston glitching away the bedrock. Usually, when a piston is activated, it can displace any block from its location. But it doesn’t get activated when the block we are trying to move is a bedrock block. So, our only aim with this method is to activate a piston placed on top of a Bedrock block. The way it works is by a pure chance of timing.
Once our lever is activated, the piston placed earlier gets activated alongside two TNT blocks. As soon as TNT destroys the piston, we place another piston facing downwards. Being in swimming mode and facing upwards helps us in placing the pistons.
If replacement is fast enough, the game treats both pistons the same way and activates the new piston that displaces our bedrock block. As you might expect, this machine can have multiple variations involving redstone, but the core principle would remain the same.
Whether it is to access the void or to build on top of the Nether roof, you now know how to break bedrock in Minecraft. Now, keep in mind that you won’t be able to collect the broken bedrock block, but you can replace it with any other block. With that said, don’t forget to share any other method to break bedrock in the comment section.
How to Place the Second Piston Quickly? If you are unable to press the default secondary key (usually, right-click key) quickly, you can bind that particular action to another key on your keyboard. So, when it’s time, you can press and hold that key to automatically place the second piston.
Piston was Placed, But Bedrock Didn’t Break. How to Fix? For most players, this method won’t work on their first try. You need to repeat it multiple times until the timing is just right. In most cases, an upwards-facing second piston is a sign that it worked.
How to Avoid TNT Damage in Minecraft? If you are trying this method in survival mode, wearing enchanted armor can help avoid damage caused by TNT. But you can also create a Potion of Healing to avoid dying.