Badlands

The Badlands biome is a rare biome that can require travelling a long way to locate, generated in the Overworld dimension and classed as a warm biome. Its climate is extremely hot and arid, so it never rains here, so the Badlands gets no precipitation at all and stays permanently dry. In technical terms the game tracks it with a temperature value of 2 and the biome ID minecraft:badlands.

Its defining terrain features are terracotta layers, red sand, dead bushes and gold ore at higher elevation. Also known as Mesa. Gold ore generates at any height here. Surface-level mineshafts with dark oak supports are exclusive to this biome. Features colorful terracotta layers.

The Badlands biome was added to Minecraft in 1.7.2 and is still generated in version 1.21. Like all Overworld biomes it is shaped by the surrounding temperature and humidity, so the exact borders of any Badlands you find will shift from world to world.

The Badlands biome only generates in the Overworld. It commonly borders Desert, Eroded Badlands, Wooded Badlands and Savanna, so finding any of those is a good sign you are close.

Search hot, dry regions for banded red-and-orange terracotta hills and red sand.

If cheats or operator permissions are available, the fastest method is the command “/locate biome minecraft:badlands”, which points you to the nearest Badlands and gives its coordinates. Without commands you have to explore for the Badlands on foot: because it is rare, be prepared to cover a lot of ground in search of it, ideally with a fast mount, boat or elytra.

No mobs spawn naturally in the Badlands biome. Passive animals cannot generate here because the terracotta surface is not a valid spawn block for them, and the open, well-lit terrain of the Badlands keeps hostile mobs away too. In practice the only creatures you will meet are those that wander in from Desert, Eroded Badlands, Wooded Badlands and Savanna.

The blocks that give the Badlands biome its character include Terracotta, Red Sand, Red Sandstone, Stained Terracotta, Cactus and Dead Bush. Within the Badlands, Terracotta, Red Sand, Red Sandstone and Stained Terracotta are the most useful to gather early, whether for building, crafting or decoration.

In terms of mining, gold ore generates at any altitude here, far more than anywhere else, making badlands the best place to mine gold.

The Badlands biome can generate a surface-level Abandoned Mineshaft with dark-oak supports, exposed cobwebs and minecart chests.

Finding the Mineshaft (surface) is one of the main reasons to seek out the Badlands biome.