Published: June 24, 2025 | Minecraft Tips & Guides Desk
Deep within the fiery depths of Minecraft’s Nether lies a hidden gem—the Happy Ghast. Unlike its aggressive, fireball-hurling cousin, this rare mob is peaceful, rideable, and perfect for adventurers looking to add a unique flying companion to their game.
But taming a Happy Ghast isn’t as simple as tossing bones to a wolf or fish to a cat. This mysterious mob has its own lore, behavior, and transformation process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know—from finding a Dried Ghast to riding your very own Happy Ghast through the skies.
🧱 Step 1: Finding a Dried Ghast in the Nether
To begin your journey, you must first locate a Dried Ghast—the inactive form of a Happy Ghast. These strange gray blocks resemble crying Ghast faces and are usually found in the Soul Sand Valley biome, especially near bone block structures.
- How to collect: Mine the Dried Ghast by hand or with any tool. It will drop as an item.
- Appearance: Looks like a sad-faced block, small and slightly animated.
- Tip: Use a Potion of Night Vision and explore at night to help spot the faint glow around the block.
🔄 Alternative Method: Craft a Dried Ghast
Can’t find one in the wild? Try crafting:
- Crafting Recipe:
- 1x Soul Sand
- 8x Ghast Tears
Place them in a crafting table with Soul Sand at the center and Ghast Tears surrounding it. This method requires you to defeat hostile Ghasts first—or trade with Piglins, who occasionally barter Dried Ghasts for Gold Ingots (though it’s a rare trade).
💧 Step 2: Transforming a Dried Ghast into a Ghastling
Once you’ve secured a Dried Ghast, it’s time to bring it to life. This part is all about patience and timing.
💦 Rehydration Process:
- Place the Dried Ghast block in water—either in the Overworld or a waterlogged area in the Nether (using a cauldron or ice).
- Over 20 real-time minutes, the Dried Ghast will go through visible changes:
- Expression shifts from sad ➝ neutral ➝ happy.
- Color brightens and eyes begin to glow.
- At the end of the cycle, it transforms into a Ghastling—a baby form of the Happy Ghast.
⚠️ Important: If you remove the water early or break the block mid-process, the transformation reverses and you’ll receive the Dried Ghast back. Be patient!
🍼 Step 3: Taming and Growing Your Ghastling
Taming a Ghastling isn’t like domesticating wolves or cats. Instead, the Ghastling bonds with the closest player when it spawns.
💡 Taming Tips:
- Be within 5 blocks of the transformation site when the Ghastling emerges.
- On multiplayer servers, make sure you’re the nearest player or it may bond with someone else.
🍡 Feeding for Faster Growth:
- Feed your Ghastling Snowballs to accelerate growth.
- Each Snowball shortens its maturing time by ~2 minutes.
- After 10 Snowballs, the Ghastling will evolve into a Happy Ghast almost instantly.
Otherwise, it takes another 20 minutes to grow naturally.
😄 Step 4: Meet Your Happy Ghast
Congratulations! You now have a Happy Ghast—a floating, smiling companion who follows you around like a loyal friend.
❤️ Behavior:
- Stays within 32 blocks if harnessed (see below).
- Wanders within 64 blocks if unharnessed.
- Can hover mid-air indefinitely and supports players standing on it.
🪢 Step 5: Crafting a Harness to Ride Your Happy Ghast
The Happy Ghast isn’t just cute—it’s a functional flying mount that supports up to four players!
🧵 Harness Crafting Recipe:
- 3x Leather
- 2x Glass Blocks
- 1x Wool Block (color determines harness style)
Once crafted, right-click your Happy Ghast with the harness in hand to equip it. Now you’re ready to ride!
🧭 Riding Features:
- First player to mount controls flight direction.
- Up to 4 players can ride together.
- Ghast will hover and hold position when idle or with players standing on top.
- Players can dismount and stand on the Ghast mid-air—perfect for sky builds or mid-flight exploration.
💡 Tips for Using Happy Ghasts Effectively
Whether you’re building megastructures or flying with friends, Happy Ghasts offer new possibilities in Minecraft.
🚀 Transport:
- Ideal for group travel—safer and more stable than Elytra for long trips.
- Leash them to carry animals, villagers, or even storage chests via Minecart trickery.
🏗️ Construction Tool:
- Their ability to hover mid-air makes them perfect for building tall towers, bridges, or sky bases.
- No scaffolding needed—just ride and build from above.
🔥 Safety Considerations:
- Vulnerable to fire, lava, and hostile Ghasts.
- Avoid combat zones or shield your Ghast with fire resistance potions.
- Do not enter the End with a Happy Ghast—they may despawn or act unpredictably.
🧭 Happy Ghast vs. Elytra: Which Is Better?
| Feature | Happy Ghast | Elytra |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Moderate | Fast |
| Group Travel | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| Mid-Air Hover | ✔️ Yes | ❌ No |
| Control | Easy | Skill-based |
| Terrain Navigation | Excellent | Limited without rockets |
| Ideal For | Builders, explorers | Speedrunners, adventurers |
Happy Ghasts offer a more relaxed, creative-friendly flying experience, while Elytra is best suited for fast travel.
🧙 In Summary: Why Tame a Happy Ghast?
Taming a Happy Ghast isn’t just a fun side quest—it opens up an entirely new way to explore, build, and travel in Minecraft.
- Discover hidden areas without risking fall damage.
- Create epic sky builds with ease.
- Bring your friends along for the ride.
In a game defined by creativity and exploration, the Happy Ghast is a perfect companion for builders, adventurers, and dreamers alike.
✨ Quick Recap: Taming Steps
- Find or craft a Dried Ghast
- Hydrate it in water to spawn a Ghastling
- Be nearby to tame it automatically
- Feed it Snowballs to grow it faster
- Craft a harness and start riding!