Few players realize this undead sea creature can be brought under control. With the right bait, timing, and trickery, the Zombie Nautilus can become a loyal underwater ally-or your worst mistake.
Nonetheless, the Zombie Nautilus shares similar behaviour to its regular version and can be tamed and ridden as well. So, if you come across the Zombie Nautilus in Minecraft, here is an easy way to tame and ride the mob.
Where to Find Zombie Nautilus in Minecraft
Zombie Nautilus can usually be found in deep ocean biomes, especially around underwater ruins or near coral reefs at night. They tend to spawn in darker areas, often near drowned mobs, making them easier to locate if you explore these spots with night vision or underwater breathing potions. Some players report higher spawn rates during storms or around full moons, so timing your search can increase your chances of encountering one.
Unlike neutral mobs in Minecraft, the Zombie Nautilus doesn’t spawn individually and is tied to the Drowned spawn rates. So, if a Drowned spawns with a Trident in any Ocean biome, there is a 50% chance that it will be riding a Zombie Nautilus.
While riding the Zombie Nautilus, the Drowned has full control over this aquatic mob. This makes the Zombie Nautilus jockey hostile towards the players. So, expect them to dash toward you at full speed with deadly attacks from the trident.
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However, once the Drowned is killed, the Zombie Nautilus will become neutral towards players and won’t try to hit you if you don’t try to mess with it. Maybe, the Chicken Jockey will be back, but the Zombie Nautilus could be the next cute and deadly addition to the Minecraft 2 movie.
How to Tame Zombie Nautilus in Minecraft
Zombie Nautilus cannot be tamed through normal Minecraft methods, but players can create a similar effect using custom commands or mods. Summoning one with commands allows you to adjust its behavior and make it follow or defend a player. Some modpacks include taming mechanics that require special items, such as enchanted shells or rare fish, to gain its trust. Once customized, the Zombie Nautilus can serve as a loyal underwater ally or unique companion during ocean adventures.
The first step to tame a Zombie Nautilus is to defeat the Drowned riding it. Next, ensure you obtain pufferfish by fishing or by using a water bucket.
Then, follow the steps below to tame a Zombie Nautilus:
- Equip the pufferfish in your hand and move close to the Zombie Nautilus.
- Right-click on the mob, and you will see some black sparks around it. This means you need to feed more Pufferfish to it.
- A couple more fish later, red hearts will appear around the Pufferfish, and it will be tamed.
How to Defeat a Drowned Riding a Zombie Nautilus
Taming a Zombie Nautilus is a piece of cake if you’re able to defeat the Drowned. Since these hostile mobs spawn with a trident, they can deal massive damage worth 8-9 hearts. So, here are a few tips you can try to defeat them:
- Use a bow or a crossbow with enchantments to hit the Drowned from a safe range.
- Considering that you’re not riding a regular Nautilus while hunting the Zombie Nautilus Jockey, you can use a Water Breathing potion for a steady battle.
- However, if you’re riding a Nautilus while fighting the Drowned, the best weapon to use is the new Spear in Minecraft. This way, you can use the dash ability of Nautilus and Spear’s Charge Attack to kill the Drowned easily.
How to Ride a Zombie Nautilus in Minecraft
Once tamed, approach the zombie nautilus from behind while holding a lead. Right-click to attach the lead and mount it like a pig or strider. Steer with the standard WASD keys or mouse, and boost speed by feeding it raw cod during underwater travel. Dismount by pressing shift, but watch for sudden dives in deep oceans. Practice in calm waters first to master its buoyant turns.
Having tamed a Zombie Nautilus, get ready to explore sea structures on the back of this mob. All you need is a saddle and a Nautilus armor for some additional protection. Now, follow the steps below to ride a Zombie Nautilus in Minecraft:
- Hold the saddle in your hand and right-click on the Zombie Nautilus.
- The mob will now equip the saddle, and you can ride it by right-clicking on the mob again.
- You will now be able to control the mob’s movements with your direction keys.
By holding the spacebar or the jump key, you can charge up its dash meter. Release the key to dash towards the direction you’re facing.
You can also make the Zombie Nautilus wear armor of any tier. The lowest is copper armor, and the highest is the Netherite armor, providing maximum protection. All Zombie Nautiluses take damage when exposed to sunlight above the water surface. But with armor equipped, it will no longer burn in daylight.
Where do Zombie Nautilus spawn in Minecraft
Zombie Nautilus spawns exclusively in ocean biomes as jockeys ridden by Trident-wielding Drowned, making them rare and hostile until the rider is defeated.
Primary Spawn Conditions
They appear below light level 7, typically between Y levels 38-58 in flowing or source water blocks.
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Require Drowned spawns (Java: 6.25% trident chance; Bedrock: 15%), with 50% of those riding a Zombie Nautilus.
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Do not spawn in rivers, frozen rivers, or on Peaceful difficulty; Drowned in oceans have under 1% spawn weight.
Biome Variants
Normal Zombie Nautiluses generate in cold, frozen, lukewarm, deep, and standard ocean biomes.
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Coral Zombie Nautiluses are exclusive to warm oceans, identifiable by coral reefs near deserts or badlands.
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Some reports note rare appearances in dripstone caves, though oceans remain primary.
Best Hunting Spots
Ocean ruins act as “Drowned villages,” spawning 0-4 per structure (clusters up to 8 small ruins); clear them as they don’t respawn.
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Brew Water Breathing potions for extended searches below Y=58, avoiding surface trips.
Spawn chances by ocean biome and depth level
Zombie Nautilus spawns as jockeys ridden by Trident-wielding Drowned in various ocean biomes, with rates tied to Drowned spawn chances rather than unique probabilities per biome.
Drowned Spawn Baseline
Trident Drowned have a 6.25% spawn rate among ocean Drowned (Java Edition) or 15% (Bedrock), with a 50% chance of those riding a Zombie Nautilus, below light level 7 and between Y=38-58.
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Overall spawn weight remains low (<1% for Drowned in oceans), making jockeys rare across all variants.
Biome Breakdown
No exact per-biome percentages exist for Zombie Nautilus, but Drowned spawning is uniform in oceans except frozen types (where it aligns with cold oceans).
| Biome Type | Drowned Spawn Chance | Zombie Nautilus Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean/Lukewarm/Deep | Standard Drowned rate | Common jockey sites; Y=38-58 focus |
| Cold/Deep Cold | Matches standard | Frequent in ruins; gravel floors |
| Frozen/Deep Frozen | Matches cold | Ice surface limits access |
| Warm/Deep Warm | Standard Drowned rate | Coral variant only; reef-adjacent |
Depth Influence
Spawns favor deeper waters (below Y=50 ideal for water blocks), with ocean ruins boosting packs of 0-4 Drowned (up to 8 in clusters).
