OPTIFINE IS REQUIRED
Works for 1.13+







Minecraft is a medieval-fantasyesque game yet the default zombie has a modern shirt and shoes. Lore solution? Well everyone knows the society beforehand must of advanced enough to record sound of music discs, yet still used crossbows, bows and swords. So I propose an alternate technology tree timeline with some nations and cities being more advanced than others. Think Sid Meiers civilization or all those fantasy shows and games where peasant farmers exist alongside steampunk megastructures.


Outside of the cities, a technology divide is pretty noticeable the zombies wearing middle ages attire used to live outside the cities in smaller villagers when the undead catalyst came. I suspect they were probably the first to go since the military effort must of been focused on preserving more advanced and bigger areas of the human population.


A combination of 19th century and medieval clothing, despite having the magic or technology to open portals into other dimensions the Human military was never fully developed never advancing beyond iron age technology and tactics, perhaps this was because human society was so peaceful to eachother. The undead invasion must of took a heavy toll when it first occurred, I dont think humans were under threat by monsters beforehand judging by the lack of defensive structures found in the game.


Pre-catalyst humans must of had some religions, judging by the Desert Temples and Ocean Monuments. Priests specialized in magic, those strong enough could create life (Prismarine blocks became guardians, iron golems summoned through magic which the player character also possesses) and perhaps this might of be where the undead horde originated.

People with enough magic in their veins became skeletons, their body muscles and skin being replaced by pure magic with some intellect still present within them able to construct simple bows and use tactics when firing. Skeletons are the most intelligent undead able to ignore villager kind yet will fly into a rage state upon seeing a human or being attacked even accidentally.



Deep underground within the mineshafts, miners either fled to work or were at work when the undead catalyst began. Infected and trapped underground for years their skin began to become covered with dust and grew pale from the darkness. They soon began to adapt after years trapped underground into empty husks of their former selves. The miners are now finally crawling their way to the surface for a taste of flesh and they are so so hungry.

Deep within the deserts, the ruins of a mighty empire lays buried beneath the sand leaving only the charred and burned husks of the walking corpses of the once-proud citizens of the empire, their skin has been hardened and charred from the heat, able to stand under the sun without ill-effect giving them an advantage to their other undead brothers. The Husks can steal your lifeforce from just a single touch seen in-game with the hunger effect.


The Survivors managed to outlive the undead catalyst, witnessing the rise of the villagers and the fall of humans. The survivors are the faction the player character are a part of heading out into the wilderness to rebuild and thrive. However not everyone can survive forever and will eventually be overtaken by the undead hordes. Steve and Alex could become part of this faction if they are not careful.

The drowned are the undead bodies of the people who used to live in the kingdoms and villages that now litter the seafloor. Originally their land was above ground and possessed vast technology able to reanimate stone itself into servents and golems. These people were the pioneers into golem magic and were the first to discover the spells needed to animate iron and snow golems (which the player possess knowledge of) along with prismarine golems (which became the guardians) and other undiscovered technology. They used their magic to construct and mass-produce Hearts of the Seas after the undead began to rise which is why there are so many buried in chests around the world - yet they are still a rare enough find as they did not produce enough in time for their plan. Their plan was to completely flood their lands and submerge it living underwater safe from the thousands of withers that tore apart the mainland. The water did protect most of their structures which is why ruins are most plentiful in oceans. However, due to miscommunication, they drowned in their powerful water spell as a new ocean was born.

If you explore the oceans you'll find wrecked ships torn apart and broken at the bottom of the ocean alongside the ruins of the drowned. These are the remains of the Wither War; after the undead horde broke society and the husks were buried and the water monuments were submerged the remaining military hosted a largescale battle ontop the newly born oceans which is why you can find boats and ruins at the same place despite the timescale. The withers blasted the boats sinking most of them which is also why the shipwrecks were found almost anywhere with extreme damage. The battle raged on for months with the sole purpose of eradicating the many withers that tore across the land. It was not a success and those that did not drown fled the battle to hide underground. This was humanity's final stand before its death.


Phantoms were never alive to begin with, they came from another dimension of undeath and were not around during the initial apocalypse. Post-catalyst survivors say they appeared after civilization had fallen as scavengers to feed on the weakened stragglers trying to live in this now monster-filled world. They are attracted to those who have not slept in over three days as it's now easier to bite the lifeforce from their victims. When the sun rises they either burn in the light or return to their dimension as no phantom as been seen taking shelter in caves or under trees to sleep or avoid the sun. Although it is noted that they cannot teleport only shift between this world and theirs.


Summoned using Wither Skulls, Soul Sand and a reciting a dark forbidden rune, The Withers are the most powerful undead currently known. They are violent creatures who are the personification of death itself. They are driven by hate not hunger and will kill anything that isn't undead already. It is said that the buildings of the old civilizations were blasted away by an army of Withers with survivors hiding underground as to not ever be spotted by the patrolling death. Eventually though this dark era who put to an end by an unknown power and slowly the world has begun to heal with the emergence of Villagers and ocean life coming back to the once sterile oceans. Some say the being that ended the reign of the Wither army resides on the sun and is why undeath dies beneath its light; but not the reflected moonlight