DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A THEORY, NOT AN INFORMATIVE ARTICLE. THE THINGS STATED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED, NOR ARE THEY TO BE HATE BOMBED (unless you're into that kinda stuff, then, go ahead).


Shulkers were added into the 1.9 update, and can be found naturally spawning in end cities. The projectiles they shoot at you give you the levitation effect, making you fly up high, before proceeding to fall down and take damage. Pretty mean creatures, right? Actually...no. The creatures are actually trying to be extremely friendly, they're just really dumb. Let me explain.

So, I started working on this theory when I was looking through the files of the game, and I found the Shulker skin image. Oddly enough, it was titled as "endgolem.png". Now, golems are things that help/protect you. A little strange a hostile mob is referred to as a golem. But think about this: You go into end cities after you've defeated the ender dragon. At this point, the endermen and shulkers have no leader to follow. So, the shulkers attempt to make you their new leader. They launch projectiles to put you in the air, in hopes you'll start flying in the air, like a dragon you might know of! The shulkers want YOU to be their leader! "But Mr. Tuba! You can still go to the end cities without defeating the enderdragon using dem exploits!" You're right, you can. But, once you get to the end city, the residents don't know how you got there, so they assume the ender dragon has been defeated. They have no way of knowing what happened to it, they don't have them iPhones. They don't go and just shoot out a text to Mr. Endy being all like "ey you still alive bro". Sorry that was cringey I know. xD But in conclusion, shulkers are good creatures who want you to rule them. They just don't realize you can't fly.