Minecraft Mobestiary/Endermen

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Enderman

Ah, the Endermen. Curious, aren't they? Among the animals and such I've analyzed, this is quite the anomaly. In general, most things from the End are very interesting from a biological standpoint, but the Endermen are quite the highlight.

Physiology

Endermen are tall, humanoid creatures, standing at a staggering three blocks tall, and possess generally elongated features, with their body and limbs nearly twice as long as a person's. Their fingers are also elongated, and their hands possess opposable thumbs, allowing them to grab and hold things such as dirt and stone. Interestingly, their thumbs seem to go the opposite direction ours do, which adds to their peculiarity. Endermen also possess two glowing, purple eyes, as well as a set of sharp teeth, though these are rarely seen in peaceful circumstances.

It's almost impossible to discuss their physiology without mentioning a rather noteworthy ability they possess, that being teleportation. Usually, instead of walking, Endermen will teleport to their desired location, though they still possess the ability to walk if they so desire. This teleportation seems to have no cooldown and limit, though extended use or distances will cause an Enderman to become exhausted, unwilling to teleport until they regain their strength.

Despite being so thin, they possess rather exceptional combat potential. Even against a seasoned adventurer, Endermen can usually disorient their opponent, allowing them to sneak in a couple surprisingly strong strikes. They're no glass Creeper, either; Endermen are surprisingly resilient to damage, making them an exceptionally difficult foe to take down. Adventurers and dungeon crawlers should take care when facing this foe, and never underestimate it.

Behavior

Typically, an Enderman will wander around, occasionally picking up certain things it finds interesting, then placing them down somewhere. I've noticed a few Endermen pick up a flower, and hold onto it for a while, even holding onto it by the time either they left, or I left. Perhaps they have some idea of what beauty is? Are they just enraptured by how different flora is in the Overworld? Maybe they're taking it to a significant other as a gift? Without asking them and understanding their language, these questions will never be answered.

Another thing Endermen will do, if stared at for long enough, is attack the witness, seemingly unprovoked. Curiously, this effect is lost if the witness wears a jack-o-lantern on their head, or if the witness is an understood ally, like another Enderman. Specifically, the former is of note, as it implies that whatever is causing this behavior, a disguise is well enough to stop it entirely. My theory on this is that Endermen perceive such an action as a threat, and as such, attack accordingly. However, the jack-o-lantern is enough to stop it because the Enderman is unable to discern the identity of the wearer, meaning they will just leave them alone.

On the topic of things being left alone, Endermen refuse to go into water, as it seems to damage them. This makes quite a bit of sense, as water is completely absent in their native dimension; even Chorus Fruit are devoid of any water inside of them. The absence of such an important resource is a topic for another day, as both the Nether and the End share this feature.

One thing Endermen refuse to leave alone, however, is the simple Endermite. Both Endermen and Endermites seem to have a hatred for the other, with the Endermite usually losing the battles the two end up in. This is completely separate from the behavior of Infighting exhibited when a Skeleton shoots another mob, as just the presence of the two is required for this to emerge. Rather, it's more similar to Iron Golems, and their fight against Zombies and Illagers. I would put my notes on why the two fight, but it seems like this part has been ruined by the passage of time. And coffee. Mostly coffee, I'd say.

In combat, Endermen typically claw at their foes with their hands, as well as slapping them with considerable force. Thankfully, they aren't able to grab explorers and throw them off steep cliffs. As mentioned earlier, they tend to use their speed to their advantage, relying on frightening their foes to get their damage in, as well as teleporting around to disorient them. They also use their speed to avoid any arrows shot their way, forcing you to get within range of their attacks. Because of their speed, it is nearly impossible to outrun an Enderman, and it becomes actually impossible once uneven terrain gets in the way. Try and get back to your base if you want to escape their wrath, as doors are a considerable issue to them.

Where to Find

Endermen, as their name implies, are commonly found in the End. Aside from that, they can appear anywhere where Zombies and Skeletons can be found in the Overworld, including caves. However, they are quite uncommon, so don't bank on it! For a more reliable and attainable location, Endermen seem to have a fondness for the Warped Forests of the Nether, appearing in quite large amounts there. Their appearance in all three dimensions is quite notable, as they are the only mob to do this. Perhaps they're travellers? Maybe the Overworld Endermen are exiles from their society? Who knows, really.

Spoils of Combat

Aside from a large amount of experience energy, which can be used to enchant your items, Endermen also allow adventures to attain Ender Pearls. From any given Enderman, you'll get either one, two, or no pearls at all. These pearls, which seem to be made of a crystalline material, allow explorers to teleport to a desired location, damaging them in the process.

Another use for the pearls is mixing them with some Blaze Powder, obtained from the Blazes from the Nether Fortresses, which creates Eyes of Ender. These eyes allow one to find and activate the stronghold portals, and get to the End. They can also be used to create Ender Chests, a personal storage that can be accessed from all over the world, or an End Crystal, identical to those seen on top of the obsidian pillars on the central End island. These crystals allow one to summon the Ender Dragon at will, but that's a story for another day.

Myths and Miscellaneous

One common myth is that Endermen are humans who escaped to the End for an unknown reason, and mutated via eating Chorus Fruit. Simply put, this is an utterly baffling theory. For one, while strongholds do seem to be made for the purpose of getting to the End, it's insanity to think that it was an escape option. Besides, at most, evolution from eating a certain food results in a change in appetite, similar to Pandas, so the idea that their teleportation came from Chorus Fruit is illogical. My theory about this is that the people who spread this myth don't really do their own research on these creatures. Hmph.

Another myth is the Farlanders. These are green-eyed Endermen, and supposedly come from the Farlands. Other than that, they are identical to standard Endermen. The Farlands are quite the myth, as there isn't much to prove their existence aside from the tales of a few rambling merchants. However, there are photos of the Farlanders themselves, meaning that at the very least, these green-eyed relatives do have some presence. Actually, I should say did have some presence, as every single photo is before a certain point in time, with the number of photos gradually decreasing the closer you get to that point, meaning that it's very likely that it went extinct, much like whatever left the fossils in the Overworld and Soul Sand Valleys. Truly unfortunate, I do say.

Aside from the myths, I can't offer much else. If I were more well versed in history, I could go on about the End Empire and the End Cities that make them up, but I can't, unfortunately. Perhaps I could get a colleague of mine to assist with that, but that's a bit of a pipe dream. I think I've gone on long enough, however, so I'll leave it off here.

- The Biologist, author of this compendium