An Elytra grants players the flight ability in Survival Minecraft, but the item isn't that easy to get. Well, here's how you can find the rare item.

Elytra are undoubtedly one of the best items players can attain in survival Minecraft. These wings can be equipped as body armor while also granting players the ability to glide and cover large distances very quickly. When paired with firework rockets, Elytras become even better after upgrading from a gliding apparatus to a fully functional set of wings that players can use to fly.

This item can not be crafted, nor can it be obtained by trading. It can only be acquired by finding it in the world, so players should be very careful to avoid losing it or allowing it to break. There is no limit to the number of Elytras that players can find in their world, though players will have to travel farther and farther each time they want a new set.

Unlike other loot in Minecraft, such as saddles or enchanted books, Elytras can not be found in a multitude of different natural structures. Instead, Elytras can only be found in End Ships. End Ships are large floating purpur ships that generate alongside End Cities in the End dimension. Inside the treasure room in these ships, players will find a single item frame holding an Elytra, as well as two loot chests being guarded by Shulkers.

In order to find these End Ships, players will need to first reach the End. This is the fittingly-named dimension where players fight the Enderdragon, the game's final boss. To get there, players will have to acquire Blaze Rods from Blazes in the Nether, as well as Ender Pearls by killing Endermen. The former can be used to create Blaze Powder, which is combined with Ender Pearls to make Ender Eyes. Players can cast these Ender Eyes to locate the portal to the End dimension.

When players throw the Ender Eye into the air, it will lead them toward the stronghold that houses the Ender Portal. Once players reach it, they can dig down toward the stronghold and use their Ender Eyes to fill the Ender Portal, which can then be used to reach the End. Here, players will be met with the Enderdragon, whom they will have to kill.

Players should start by destroying the crystals atop the obsidian pillars, which heal the dragon. After that, players can begin taking potshots at the dragon with a bow and arrow as they wait for her to perch on the center fountain. When she does this, players should get close enough to land some blows on her head with their swords. The exit portal will open upon killing the dragon, and the End is all yours.

After the dragon is defeated, 20 End Gateway Portals will appear in a circle around the main End island. These appear as floating bedrock blobs with a shimmering black End Gateway block in the middle. By throwing an Ender Pearl through this central block, players will be teleported to a distant outer island in that general direction. It's at these outer islands that Chorus Fruit can be found, as well as End Cities.

End Cities appear as massive skyscraping towers with interconnecting bridges and pathways between structures. When these cities generate, every tower has a 50% chance of generating a bridge in each direction. Furthermore, each of these bridges has a 12.5% chance of generating a ship past the end of it. This spawning system means that players may get really unlucky with their city generation and have a city that is only a few structures. But, they could also hit the jackpot and have multiple ships in one.

Once players reach a ship, they should take the lower staircase to look for a room with an obsidian floor. It is the treasure room that is guaranteed to contain a pair of Elytra wings. If players find themselves in a city that does not contain a ship, it's still worth looting, but players should try their luck through one of the other End Gateways.

To get the Elytra wings, simply punch them out of the item frame and fly back home.

Gavin has been freelance guide-writing since 2020, and guide-writing in general since 2015. He began full-game achievement walkthroughs on TrueAchievements, and has since transitioned to shorter guides. He plays a wide range of games, specializing in Gamerscore hunting, having more than 860k to date.