With the release of Minecraft 1.16, the Nether has transformed into a realm filled with more than just endless lava lakes and uniform landscapes. It now features a variety of bizarre and unique biomes, making exploration an absolute delight.
The primary biome of the Nether has not been removed after all. Instead, it has been enhanced with crimson forests, basalt deltas, warped forests, and the focus of our discussion — the soul sand valley. An eerie silence envelops the landscape of the soul sand valley. Its barren soil is devoid of any vegetation, save for a few sparse clusters of crimson roots struggling to survive in their lonely existence.
Nevertheless, the abundance of valuable minerals scattered throughout the biome indicates that life once thrived in these areas. It is likely that these were beings belonging to a titanic race. “Creating these fossils was quite a challenge,” shares Maria Lemon, a former developer of Minecraft. “The designs that functioned well in the Overworld were not suitable for the Nether. We had to completely redesign and adapt them to fit the new environment. Only then did everything work as intended.”
No matter how massive the remains of these beings were, they have long vanished from the valleys of soul sand. In their place, skeletons, ghasts, and wandering travelers now roam. Interestingly, it’s not uncommon to encounter the Endermen in this area, who likely did not stumble upon these lands by chance; they are probably searching for something. The valleys of soul sand also contain vast reserves of soul sand itself. Furthermore, this is the only location in Minecraft Bedrock where you can find a new block—soul soil. It has numerous uses: creating soul fire by igniting soul soil with flame, crafting basalt, and it serves as a crucial ingredient in making torches and soul campfires. Additionally, one advantage of soul soil is that it does not slow down mobs, and if needed, you can use it to spawn a Wither.
In addition to the soul sand found in the valleys, there are various other minerals: massive basalt columns, lightstone, magma blocks, lava springs, gold ore, quartz ore, and ancient debris. There are also underground fortresses and bastions that pose a threat to your character’s life.
