This Minecraft tutorial explains how to summon a lightning bolt with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
You can summon a lightning bolt whenever you want using a cheat (game command) in Minecraft. This is done using the /summon command. Lightning bolts can be used to turn mobs into witches, zombie pigmen, or charged creepers.
Let's explore how to do this.
The command to summon a lightning bolt is available in the following versions of Minecraft:
* 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.
- Java
- PE
- Xbox
- PS
- Nintendo
- Win10
- Edu
Summon Command in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt [pos]
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.8, 1.9 and 1.10, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon LightningBolt [x] [y] [z]
Definitions
- pos or x y z is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
Summon Command in Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) 1.20, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the lightning bolt.
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the lightning bolt. It will appear as a nametag above the lightning bolt.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Xbox One Edition
In Minecraft Xbox One Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Xbox One Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Xbox One Edition 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the lightning bolt.
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the lightning bolt. It will appear as a nametag above the lightning bolt.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft PS4 Edition
In Minecraft PS4 Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft PS4 Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft PS4 Edition 1.14, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the lightning bolt.
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the lightning bolt. It will appear as a nametag above the lightning bolt.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition
In Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the lightning bolt.
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the lightning bolt. It will appear as a nametag above the lightning bolt.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition
In Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the lightning bolt.
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the lightning bolt. It will appear as a nametag above the lightning bolt.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the lightning bolt is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the lightning bolt will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Education Edition
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.14.31, 1.17.30 and 1.18.32, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt using the /summon command is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon lightning_bolt <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.12, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.4, 1.7 and 1.9, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightning_bolt [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.0, the syntax to summon a lightning bolt is:
/summon lightningbolt [spawnPos]
Definitions
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the lightning bolt should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the lightning bolt will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the lightning bolt.
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the lightning bolt. It will appear as a nametag above the lightning bolt.
- Java
- PE
- Xbox
- PS
- Nintendo
- Win10
- Edu
Example in Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20:
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 3 blocks East and 5 blocks North:
/summon lightning_bolt ~3 ~ ~-5
Example in Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.8, 1.9 and 1.10
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft 1.8, 1.9 and 1.10:
/summon LightningBolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 2 blocks East and 1 block South:
/summon LightningBolt ~2 ~ ~1
Example in Pocket Edition
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft PE 1.1 and higher:
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 3 block West and 2 blocks South:
/summon lightning_bolt ~-3 ~ ~2
Example in Pocket Edition 1.0
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft PE 1.0:
/summon lightningbolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 1 block East and 4 blocks South:
/summon lightningbolt ~1 ~ ~4
Example in Xbox One Edition
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Xbox One Edition:
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 4 blocks West of your current position:
/summon lightning_bolt ~-4 ~ ~
Example in PS4 Edition
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft PS4 Edition:
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt at the coordinates (8, 67, 100):
/summon lightning_bolt 8 67 100
Example in Nintendo Switch Edition
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition:
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt at the coordinates (8, 72, 100):
/summon lightning_bolt 8 72 100
Example in Windows 10 Edition
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.1 and higher
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 5 blocks East and 7 blocks North:
/summon lightning_bolt ~5 ~ ~-7
Example in Windows 10 Edition 1.0
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.0:
/summon lightningbolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 2 blocks West and 1 block South:
/summon lightningbolt ~-2 ~ ~1
Example in Education Edition 1.0.18 and higher
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Education Edition 1.0.18 and higher:
/summon lightning_bolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 8 blocks East and 5 blocks South:
/summon lightning_bolt ~8 ~ ~5
Example in Education Edition 1.0
To summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Education Edition 1.0:
/summon lightningbolt
To summon a lightning bolt that is 3 blocks East and 2 blocks North:
/summon lightningbolt ~3 ~ ~-2
In this example, we are going to summon a lightning bolt in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.20 with the following command:
Type the command in the chat window. As you are typing, you will see the command appear in the lower left corner of the game window. Press the Enter key to run the command.
Once the cheat has been entered, you will hear the sound of thunder and see a flash of light. The lightning bolt will strike the ground and possibly cause a fire where it strikes.
Congratulations, you have summoned a lightning bolt in Minecraft.
If you need help with /summon commands, you can use these tools to automatically generate commands for you: