ZOMBIE VILLAGER DISCOUNTS
Curing a zombie villager grants massive permanent price reductions. This is the most powerful trading mechanic in the game and can reduce almost any trade to just 1 emerald.
How Discounts Work
When you cure a zombie villager, they receive a permanent "Hero of the Village"-style discount on all their trades. This reduces prices significantly, often bringing expensive trades down to just 1 emerald.
Java Edition
Curing gives a permanent discount to that specific villager. Curing multiple times in the same village spreads the discount to all villagers nearby through gossip. Each cure stacks the discount further.
Bedrock Edition
Curing gives a permanent discount to ALL villagers in the village, not just the cured one. This makes it even more powerful on Bedrock. Each cure stacks up to 5 times.
How to Cure a Zombie Villager
Find or Create a Zombie Villager
Zombie villagers spawn naturally (5% of zombies) or you can let a zombie kill a regular villager. In Hard difficulty, zombification is guaranteed. In Normal, there's a 50% chance. In Easy, villagers always die instead.
Trap the Zombie Villager
Build a small enclosure and lure or push the zombie villager inside. Make sure it can't despawn (name tag helps) and is protected from sunlight. Boats work well for trapping and transporting them.
Apply Weakness
Throw a Splash Potion of Weakness at the zombie villager. You can also use a Witch (they occasionally throw weakness potions) or a tipped arrow of Weakness. The zombie villager needs the Weakness effect.
Feed a Golden Apple
While the zombie villager has the Weakness effect, right-click it with a Golden Apple (regular, not enchanted). You'll hear a loud hissing sound and the zombie villager will start shaking with red particles.
Wait for the Cure
The curing process takes 3-5 minutes. During this time, keep the zombie villager safe from damage and sunlight. Iron bars and beds nearby can speed up the process slightly.
Enjoy the Discount
Once cured, the villager will have significantly reduced prices on all trades. Assign them a workstation if they don't have one. The discount is permanent and stacks with additional cures.
Example Discount Prices
After curing, many expensive trades become incredibly cheap:
| Trade | Normal Price | After Cure |
|---|---|---|
| Mending Book | 5-64 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
| Name Tag | 20 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
| Diamond Pickaxe (enchanted) | 13-35 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
| Diamond Chestplate (enchanted) | 16-35 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
| Ender Pearl | 5 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
| Bottle o' Enchanting | 3 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
| Bell | 36 Emeralds | 1 Emerald |
Materials Needed
- 1xSplash Potion of Weakness - Brew a Potion of Weakness (water bottle + fermented spider eye) then add gunpowder to make it splash
- 1xGolden Apple - 8 gold ingots + 1 apple at a crafting table. Regular golden apple, NOT the enchanted variant
- optName Tag - To prevent the zombie villager from despawning while you prepare materials
- optIron Bars / Bed - Placing these near the curing zombie villager speeds up the conversion process