Village! A haven of tranquility and peace, a safe refuge for those weary of the world seeking a moment of respite. Is there any sane being bold enough to disrupt this sanctuary of perfect harmony? Unfortunately, the answer is yes, and they are known as Crossbow Bandits. This group represents one of the most unwelcome and perilous aspects of the “Village and Pillage” update.
However, the true culprits behind this dilemma are Mojang. Why do these developers introduce such troublesome elements? It’s time for the world to face a genuine adversary!
“For many years, villages were seen as serene, peaceful places where anyone could find shelter. The only exception was nightfall when zombies emerged, but that disruption was brief; with dawn, everything returned to normal,” says Cory Schiavone, a developer of Minecraft Java Edition. “There has never been a faction of foes capable of disturbing the peace, invading, and altering the lives of villagers. With each update, they remained untouched, but we felt it was finally time to present them with a new challenge to balance their idyllic lifestyle awaiting them in the near future.”
Villagers have plenty of reasons to be afraid. While Illagers prefer secluded huts or forest mansions, the Bandits tell a different story. They are more active than other characters and seek to explore as much of the world around them as possible. Perhaps this lifestyle suits them well and proves beneficial, but for everyone else, it’s simply dreadful. These enigmatic villains roam the land in small groups within fortified patrols, occasionally raiding poor, defenseless villages.
“We recognize that this mob plays an important role in Minecraft Bedrock, and we want others to realize and accept that too,” explains Cory. “Our goal was to create a mob that would make players feel engaged and demonstrate that the world extends beyond just a small village or nearby areas, showing that life exists outside the player’s immediate view. It’s essential to understand that there are other players out there, and events unfold beyond a single character’s perspective.”
The emergence of Bandits not only added to the Illager family but also introduced a new form of ranged magic. While mobs like the Evoker and Vindicator are deemed cruel and powerful, the new mob takes a different approach. Developers aimed to set it apart from the rest, with Cory responsible for its design.
“I believe that bandits shouldn’t be overly serious. The best option was to make them somewhat silly and quirky. They still harbor anger towards players, but they’re not particularly clever, resulting in their odd expressions. Maybe they don’t even have the largest noses among the Illagers in Minecraft?
This is an early conceptual design of the bandits. Orange is long gone.
While ranged mobs like skeletons strive to avoid player attacks and dodge incoming arrows, bandits are quite the opposite: they are too foolish for that. Once they select a target, they simply stand still and attack, desperately trying to win the battle. This often results in numerous shots fired by the player, ultimately leading to the mob’s demise.
“They keep shooting at each other!” admits Cory. “When arrows hit their mark, bandits exclaim ‘Oops,’ turn to look at the main mob, and then resume attacking the target. When I first saw this happen, I thought, ‘Yes, we’ve created something cool. It makes sense because not every Illager needs to be smart and horrifically unpleasant.’ At least it’s amusing.”
Even though bandits wield crossbows—the latest weapon technology Minecraft Pocket Edition offers—they aren’t particularly skilled with them. Years of practice on local target blocks haven’t significantly improved their proficiency. Yet, this hasn’t stopped them from becoming some of the most dangerous mobs in the Illager family. If they lack skill, they compensate with numbers. How will players defend themselves when an entire horde of bandits descends upon their village!?
“The thought of facing a bunch of bandits armed with crossbows ready to shoot at you can be quite intimidating, but if you weigh the situation carefully, it’s not so bad,” explains Cory. “After they take a shot, you have at least one second to jump back or move closer and start attacking before they can fire again.”
We asked Cory what advice he would give to all players of Minecraft, and here’s his response: “In battling bandits, having a shield can really help. If you don’t have one, a barrage of arrows might take you down. But if you’re lucky enough to have a shield lying around, it can provide significant protection since all arrows will hit it instead of harming you, allowing you to counterattack. So, bandits have both strengths and weaknesses.”
With all these new developments, I feel vulnerable. What if bandits come and raid my little village? And there’s no telling when they’ll strike; no one will ask us when we’re ready for battle!
