How To Get Player Heads In Minecraft

Player heads are decorative items that can be placed on walls, used in redstone contraptions, or displayed as trophies. While they look like any other skull, they carry the skin of a specific player, which makes them a popular collectible for builders and map makers. This guide explains the official ways to obtain player heads, the requirements for each method, and tips for using them effectively.

Understanding the Different Types of Heads

In Minecraft there are three main categories of skull items:

Skeleton, Wither Skeleton, and Zombie heads – dropped by their respective mobs.
Creeper heads – obtained when a charged creeper explodes a player.
Player heads – a special type of skull that records a player’s skin.

Only player heads can display a custom skin, and they require a different acquisition process than the generic mob heads.

Method 1: Using Commands (Creative Mode or Cheats Enabled)

If you have access to commands, the simplest way to get a player head is to use the /give command. This works in Creative mode, on a server with cheats enabled, or in a single‑player world where cheats are turned on.

Open the chat window (default T key).
Enter the command in one of the following formats:
/give @p minecraft:player_head{SkullOwner:"PlayerName"} – Replaces PlayerName with the exact username whose skin you want.
Press Enter. The head will appear in your inventory.

When the command is executed, the game looks up the skin associated with the specified username from the official skin database. If the name is valid, the head will display that player’s current skin. If the name does not exist, the command still creates a head, but it will show the default Steve texture.

Tip: You can also give a head to another player by replacing @p with their name or selector, e.g., /give Notch minecraft:player_head{SkullOwner:"Notch"}.

Method 2: Using a Player’s Death Drop (Survival Mode)

In Survival mode, a player head can drop when a player dies under specific conditions. This method does not require any commands, but it does rely on chance and certain game rules.

Make sure the doMobSpawning gamerule is set to true (default). The drop chance is controlled by the playerHeadDropChance gamerule, which is 0.05 (5 %) by default.
Kill a player with a weapon that has the Looting enchantment. Each level of Looting increases the drop chance by roughly 1 %.
If the drop occurs, the head will appear on the ground alongside other loot.

Because the drop is random, many players choose to increase the chance by using a high‑level Looting sword and repeatedly killing the target in a controlled environment (e.g., a small arena). However, this method can be time‑consuming and may be considered griefing on public servers, so always respect server rules.

Method 3: Using a Charged Creeper Explosion

When a charged creeper detonates a player, the player’s head can be harvested as a drop. This technique is popular for obtaining heads of well‑known streamers or friends without using commands.

Charge a creeper by striking it with a lightning bolt (use a trident enchanted with Channeling during a thunderstorm, or summon lightning with /summon lightning_bolt if commands are allowed).
Lead the charged creeper near the target player and wait for the explosion.
After the blast, collect the head that appears among the usual loot.

The drop chance for a player head from a charged creeper is higher than a normal death, but it still remains a random event. The method also requires careful timing to avoid destroying the head with the explosion.

Method 4: Using the Wither Boss

The Wither can drop a player head when it kills a player, but only if the Wither itself was summoned using a player head in its crafting recipe. This indirect method is rarely used, yet it demonstrates the game’s internal logic for head drops.

Obtain a player head by any of the previous methods.
Place three player heads in a “T” shape on the ground and add four soul sand blocks beneath them to summon the Wither.
When the Wither defeats a player, it may drop the head used in its construction.

Because the Wither’s drops are also random, this technique is more of a curiosity than a reliable source.