In Minecraft, end portals are rare structures that generate naturally in the end dimension. They are used to transport players back and forth between the Overworld and the End. End portals consist of 12 portal blocks arranged in a 3×3 square with a missing block in the center. This central block, when filled with an eye of ender, activates the portal and allows it to be used for fast transportation.
What is the probability of finding a 4 eye end portal naturally?
The chance of finding an end portal with 4 eyes of ender already filled is quite low. This is because end portals generate with a random number of eyes in place, from 0 up to 12. The odds of getting exactly 4 eyes is around 3.4%.
To determine the exact probability, we need to look at how end portals generate:
- There are 12 potential eye slots in a standard 3×3 portal
- Each slot has a 10% chance of being filled with an eye of ender
- The chances in each slot are independent of the other slots
Based on this, we can calculate the probability as follows:
P(4 eyes) = Combinations(12 slots, 4 eyes) x (0.1)^4 x (0.9)^(12-4)
= 495 x 0.0001 x 0.387420489 = 0.034 or 3.4% chance
So the odds of finding precisely a 4 eye portal naturally are about 1 in 30. Quite unlikely but still possible!
Factors that influence 4 eye portal chances
There are a few factors that can make a 4 eye portal more or less likely to occur:
World seed
The Minecraft world seed affects the randomization of structures during world generation. Certain seeds may produce more or fewer 4 eye portals by chance.
Number of strongholds
Since end portals generate exclusively in end portal rooms within strongholds, the number of strongholds affects the chances. More strongholds means more chances at a 4 eye portal.
By default there are 3 strongholds per world, but this can be configured. So on servers with more strongholds enabled, a 4 eye portal is slightly more likely.
Mods and plugins
Mods that alter world generation or stronghold spawning can affect the odds. Plugins can also be used to force generate structures with specific attributes, like 4 eyed portals.
World generation settings
Customized world settings can alter stronghold frequency and spacing, impacting 4 eye portal rarity. For example, amplifying worlds make strongholds much more common.
Difficulty setting
Portal eye slots spawn empty more often on Easy versus Normal or Hard difficulty. So a 4 eye portal is marginally more likely on standard difficulty settings.
Strategies for finding a 4 eye end portal
If your goal is to specifically locate a 4 eye portal, here are some strategies to improve your chances:
Search multiple strongholds
Locating and checking multiple strongholds will give you more chances at that lucky 4 eye layout. Throw eyes of ender in the Overworld to find strongholds, write down the locations, then explore each one.
Reset the end dimension
Resetting the end will regenerate the main end island and end gateway portals back in the Overworld. This respawns the original end portal room with a new random eye count.
Clone portal rooms
You can clone existing end portal rooms with commands or structure blocks. Copying multiple rooms multiplies your chances of getting a 4 eye version.
Modify portal generation
With commands you can alter portal generation to force a certain number of eyes to spawn. For example, set the portal structure block to always spawn with 4 eyes filled in.
What can you do with a 4 eye portal?
A 4 eye end portal presents some unique opportunities:
Quick access to the End
You only need to fill in 4 more eyes to activate the portal. This provides fast access to the End dimension early on in survival worlds.
Conserve resources
Activating the portal only costs 4 eyes of ender instead of the usual 12, saving your ender pearls and blaze rods.
Speedrun tactic
Speedrunners can utilize 4 eye portals as a quick route to reaching the End and defeating the dragon to complete the game as fast as possible.
trap players
On multiplayer servers, a 4 eye portal could be used to trick or trap other players. Fill in the last eye when they enter to strand them in the End dimension.
Decoration piece
As a rare oddity, a 4 eye portal can make for an interesting decorative element for builds themed around the End.
Activiating a 4 eye end portal
Activating a 4 eye portal follows normal end portal mechanics in Minecraft:
- Fill each empty portal frame block with an eye of ender, right clicking with the eye as an item in your hand.
- Place eyes of ender in the 4 empty frames to complete the portal.
- The portal will activate and become a swirling purple gateway once all 12 eyes are filled.
- Jump into the portal to be teleported to the End dimension.
Remember, you will need 4 additional eye of ender items to manually activate a 4 eye portal found in a stronghold.
Can a 4 eye portal spawn naturally?
Yes, it is entirely possible for a 4 eye end portal to generate naturally in a stronghold end portal room. As we calculated earlier, the odds of a portal room spawning with precisely 4 eyes is around 3.4%.
This can happen on any regular survival world as long as structures like strongholds are enabled during world creation and left to random chance. No cheats, commands, or edits are required.
The 4 eyes will also spawn placed randomly among the 12 portal blocks, not just in one quadrant.
Statistics on 4 eye portals
Let’s go over some interesting stats related to the chances of getting a 4 eye portal:
- Odds of a 4 eye portal = 3.4%
- Odds of 4+ eyes = 14.3%
- Most likely number of eyes is 2 (22.7% chance)
- Odds of minimal (0-3) eyes = 78.1%
- On average, end portals spawn with 4-5 eyes
So while the odds of a precisely 4 eye portal are low, getting 4 or more eyes isn’t too unlikely. But 0-3 eyes is still the most common outcome by far.
Can you make a 4 eye portal in creative mode?
In creative mode, building a 4 eye end portal is trivial. Follow these steps:
- Place 12 end portal blocks in a complete 3×3 shape
- Right click 4 of the portal blocks with eyes of ender to fill them
- Leave the remaining 8 blocks empty
This will create a 4 eye end portal that is ready to activate by filling in the remaining slots. No commands or structure blocks are required to build one in creative mode.
Conclusion
While rare, a 4 eye end portal can generate naturally or be built manually. The exact probability is around 3.4% per stronghold portal room. With knowledge of how end portals spawn and some useful strategies, locating a 4 eye portal is possible with a bit of luck.
A 4 eye layout presents some unique benefits for quickly reaching the End, conserving eye of ender resources, or simply as an uncommon find for your world. So if you come across one in your Minecraft travels, consider yourself fortunate!
| Number of Eyes | Probability |
|---|---|
| 0 | 10.5% |
| 1 | 22.6% |
| 2 | 22.7% |
| 3 | 18.9% |
| 4 | 3.4% |
| 5 | 7.9% |
| 6 | 5.1% |
| 7 | 3.3% |
| 8 | 1.7% |
| 9 | 0.7% |
| 10 | 0.2% |
| 11 | 0.1% |
| 12 | 0.03% |
