Instant Damage in Minecraft

This Minecraft tutorial explains the Instant Damage effect with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

Supported Platforms

The Instant Damage effect is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes
Xbox 360	Yes
Xbox One	Yes
PS3	Yes
PS4	Yes
Wii U	Yes
Nintendo Switch	Yes
Windows 10 Edition	Yes
Education Edition	Yes

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Background

The Instant Damage effect is a status effect that causes instant damage to a player or mob that is living.

However, undead mobs (such as zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, wither bosses, skeleton horses and zombie horses) are healed by the Instant Damage effect.

So if you throw a Splash Potion or Lingering Potion of Instant Damage at an undead mob, you can actually heal that undead mob.

There are levels of Instant Damage such as Instant Damage II, Instant Damage III, Instant Damage IV and so on. The higher the level of Instant Damage, the more damage that is inflicted.

Status Effect	Instant Damage
Type	Harmful Effect (but Helpful to undead mobs)
Description	Causes instant damage to a player or mob that is living. However, undead mobs (such as zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, wither bosses, skeleton horses and zombie horses) are healed by this effect.
Effect Icon	(this icon is only seen if the effect was given using the /effect command)
Particles	Red particles are seen if using a lingering potion or the /effect command
Items that give Effect	Arrow of Harming (Instant Damage) Arrow of Harming (Instant Damage II) Potion of Harming (Instant Damage) Potion of Harming (Instant Damage II) Splash Potion (Instant Damage) Splash Potion (Instant Damage II) Lingering Potion (Instant Damage) Lingering Potion (Instant Damage II)
Game Command	/effect command

Icon and Particle Effects

In normal game play, the Instant Damage effect happens immediately so you will not see an icon, duration and particle effects for this effect.

Using the /effect command

However, if you use the /effect command, you will see the following icon appear in the top right corner of the screen while the effect is active:

instant damage icon

And you will see red particle effects floating around you.

instant damage particles

When the Instant Damage effect wears off, the icon and particle effects will disappear. You will be back to your normal status.

Duration

Normally in the game, there is no duration for Instant Damage because this status effect occurs instantly.

Using the /effect command

However, if you use the /effect command, you can see how much time is remaining for the effect by going to your inventory menu.

instant damage icon

In this example, it says 0:30 under Instant Damage II so this means that there is 30 seconds remaining of the Instant Damage II effect.

Items that give the Instant Damage Effect

The following are items that give the Instant Damage effect in Minecraft:

How to make an Arrow of Harming (Instant Damage)

How to make an Arrow of Harming (Instant Damage II)

How to make a Potion of Harming (Instant Damage)

How to make a Potion of Harming (Instant Damage II)

How to make a Splash Potion of Harming (Instant Damage)

How to make a Splash Potion of Harming (Instant Damage II)

How to make a Lingering Potion of Harming (Instant Damage)

How to make a Lingering Potion of Harming (Instant Damage II)

Effect ID and Name

Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)	7	Java Edition (PC/Mac)

Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)		Pocket Edition (PE)	1.0.5

Minecraft Xbox One

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)		Xbox One	1.4.0

Minecraft PS4

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)		PS4	1.14.0

Minecraft Nintendo Switch

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)		Nintendo Switch	1.5.0

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)		Windows 10 Edition	1.0.5

Minecraft Education Edition

In Minecraft, Instant Damage has the following effect ID and Name values:

Icon	Status Effect (Minecraft ID Name)	ID	Platform	Version
	Instant Damage (minecraft:instant_damage)		Education Edition	1.0.18

Definitions

Icon is the image that will appear when you have this effect.
Status Effect is what the effect is called and (Minecraft ID Name) is the string value used in the /effect command.
ID is the Internal number for the effect.
Platform is the platform that applies.
Version is the Minecraft version number that the effect was introduced for the name and ID that is listed.

See a complete list of Minecraft Effects that is interactive and searchable.

Effect Command for Instant Damage

Effect Command in Minecraft Java Edition (Current)

Instant Damage:

/effect give @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect give @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect give @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect clear @p

Effect Command in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.11 and 1.12

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects:

/effect @p clear

Effect Command in Minecraft Pocket Edition

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect @p clear

Effect Command in Minecraft Xbox One Edition

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect @p clear

Effect Command in Minecraft PS4 Edition

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect @p clear

Effect Command in Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect @p clear

Effect Command in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect @p clear

Effect Command in Minecraft Education Edition

Instant Damage:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999

Instant Damage II:

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 1

Instant Damage (highest level):

/effect @p instant_damage 99999 255

To remove all status effects including Instant Damage, you can either drink milk or use the following /effect command:

/effect @p clear

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