Why ender pearls do damage in Minecraft
Minecraft has various items that add new gameplay mechanics to the experience, and Ender pearls are one of those items. When thrown, they allow players to teleport wherever the pearl lands — across a ravine, over lava, or up a mountain. However, Mojang Studios ensured that the Ender pearls were not overpowered.
Each use of an ender pearl inflicts damage on the player, which may seem odd to newer players. Why would a game mechanic hurt players when it is being used for the very purpose it was added to Minecraft? The reason behind it is quite interesting, and the fan-made lore is even more intriguing.
Ender pearls in Minecraft cause fall damage
In terms of game mechanics, the damage caused by ender pearls is classified the same as fall damage. That means gear designed to mitigate fall damage can help reduce the effect. Specifically, wearing boots enchanted with Feather Falling can significantly reduce the damage players take when using an ender pearl.
With Feather Falling IV, the strongest level of this enchantment, the damage is reduced so much that players only lose half a heart per teleport, making it a minor inconvenience.
However, the Ender Pearl damage is unique because it is a fixed amount, regardless of the distance travelled. Whether the pearl lands just a few blocks away or across an entire biome, the damage remains the same — about 2.5 hearts without protection.
This is different from actual fall damage, which scales with the height of the fall. So, while it’s categorized as fall damage for the sake of enchantment interaction, the game treats it more like a standard cost of using the item rather than a physics-based injury.
The lore behind the ender pearl damage is more interesting, while fans have come up with theories to explain why teleportation hurts players. One of the most popular ideas is that using an ender pearl involves briefly passing through a “limbo” dimension — a strange space between the overworld and wherever the player is being teleported.
This Minecraft space could be disorienting, and even damaging to the players, and that transition might be what causes the injury. This theory also ties into the endermites, tiny purple mobs that have a rare chance of spawning when a player uses an ender pearl.
The fact that they only spawn via ender pearl use (and occasionally when endermen teleport) adds weightage to the idea that there’s more going on than just instant travel.
From a gameplay perspective, the damage makes the item's utility more challenging. If ender pearls didn’t hurt players at all, they could be spammed endlessly in combat, which would make them overpowered. By requiring players to manage health and gear carefully, the damage mechanic keeps ender pearls useful but not broken.