Striders in Minecraft — Complete Guide (Lava Riding, Saddle, Warped Fungus)

Short answer: Striders are friendly mushroom-like mobs that walk on top of lava in the Nether — the ONLY mob (besides Magma Cubes) that doesn't take damage from lava. Saddle a Strider and ride it across the Nether's lava oceans using a Warped Fungus on a Stick (the lava equivalent of a Carrot on a Stick). Striders are slow but immune to fire damage and lava, making them the best way to traverse the Nether's vast lava seas. They breed with Warped Fungus, take fire damage from rain (they cool down outside the Nether), and shake when cold.

Quick Answer Table

Question	Answer
What do they eat?	Warped Fungus (breeding + Warped Fungus on a Stick for steering)
Where do they spawn?	Nether — lava oceans in any Nether biome
Rideable?	Yes — Saddle + Warped Fungus on a Stick
Drops?	2-5 String, 0-2 String with Looting
Lava damage?	NO — they walk on top of lava, immune to it
Water damage?	YES — water turns them cold and slow, they take damage from rain
Cold form?	Striders outside the Nether shake violently and turn purple-grey

How to Ride a Strider

1. Travel to the Nether and find a Strider on a lava ocean
2. Craft a Saddle — found in Nether Fortress chests, Dungeons, or Bastions
3. Right-click the Strider with the Saddle equipped
4. Craft a Warped Fungus on a Stick — 1 Warped Fungus + 1 Fishing Rod
5. Right-click the Saddled Strider to mount
6. Hold the Warped Fungus on a Stick in your hand — Strider moves toward where you're looking
7. The Fungus has 25 uses (each use moves the Strider in a burst)

Why Bother Riding a Strider?

The Nether's lava oceans cover vast areas. Without a Strider, you cross them by:

• Building Cobblestone bridges across (slow, dangerous, lots of materials)
• Using Ender Pearls to teleport short hops (uses XP per portal trip)
• Risking Fire Resistance potions + swimming (potion expires = death)

With a Strider, you ride across with zero risk — the Strider walks on lava like solid ground. Useful for finding Bastion Remnants, Ancient Debris, and Nether Fortresses scattered far apart.

Breeding Striders

1. Find 2 adult Striders
2. Get Warped Fungus (grows in Warped Forests)
3. Feed each Strider 1 Warped Fungus → love mode → baby Strider
4. Baby Striders are smaller and stand on top of an adult Strider's back
5. Babies take 20 minutes to grow into adults

Cold Form (Outside the Nether)

If you bring a Strider to the Overworld (via Nether portal), it loses its red glow and turns into a shivering cold form. In this state:

• Strider's color turns purple-grey
• It moves at half speed
• Rain damages it heavily
• Stepping back onto lava warms it up instantly

Useful party trick but not practical — Striders are designed for Nether use.

Common Questions

Can Striders be leashed?

Yes — useful for towing them across the Nether on foot, or transferring them between Nether portals.

Why are my Striders walking off the lava?

If your Strider walks onto solid ground, it'll continue walking forward (no auto-pathing back to lava). Steer carefully with the Warped Fungus on a Stick.

Can baby Striders be eaten by frogs?

Pre-1.19.1, frogs would eat baby Striders. This was patched — frogs now ignore Striders entirely.

Do Striders despawn?

Wild Striders can despawn if outside player range. Saddled Striders never despawn — saddling them makes them permanent.

For more Nether guides, see What Do Piglins Eat, Mooshroom Guide, and our circle generator for round Nether base designs.