Minecraft has been in the public eye for over ten years now with consistent update cycles and a lively player base, but many of the coolest mobs and creatures that have been added to the game have come from mods. Minecraft is a game that is designed in a way to be infinitely expanded upon, not only by the developers but by the community too. Mods can change Minecraft in a variety of ways, like adding additional building recipes, new biomes, more items, and exotic creatures. Mobs tend to be one of the more interesting elements of Minecraft because they not only compliment the real world but expand on the lore of the Minecraft world and make it feel more dense and full of life. New mobs also serve as a way to look back at how far the game has come, with Minecraft soon to add the Warden with lasers that shoot from its body. Even though Mojang is continuously adding new mobs to Minecraft, mod makers have also been doing it for years in their own unique ways.
When looking back at Minecraft mods that introduced new creatures into the world, one of the very first ones that resonated with the player base was a mod called, "Mo' Creatures" which was released when Minecraft was still in its alpha stage. This mod introduced over forty new mobs into the world of Minecraft, ranging from horses, birds, wolves, sharks, and werewolves. Horses, birds, and wolves were eventually added to the official Minecraft client by Mojang, though many years later and accompanied by new features.
Looking at more recent mods, a collection of them have been put together to make Minecraft become an Elden Ring clone, adding in even more mobs, items, and dungeons. The creator of Mo' Creatures, Dr. Zhark, actually assisted Mojang with implementing the horse into Minecraft. This mod was among one of the first to include dozens of new creatures into the game, and inspired countless other creature mods from various mod developers, even inspiring Mojang to include some of his creatures into the official client.
Mojang asking mod developers for assistance in implementing mobs into Minecraft went even further, with the company beginning to ask players a few years ago which mobs they want introduced into the game next. Minecraft's mysterious phantom creature was the first mob to be voted into the game, and Mojang has conducted several votes since, with many of these additional mobs being influenced by mods. Since Mo' Creatures was released over a decade ago, many additional large-scale mods dedicated to including a variety of new mobs have been created by other developers, one of the biggest being a mod titled simply, "Additional Mobs" by mod developer slayerzzo.
What Additional Mobs Adds To Minecraft
Additional Mobs includes 24 new creatures and places them in biomes all throughout the game, with many of them having a more creepy theme that would fit in nicely with Halloween, such as vampires, ghosts, and goblins. However, the most unique and creepiest creature of this mod, which can rival Minecraft's upcoming terrifying new Warden mob, is the Tree Stalker, as it pretends to be a normal tree, but when the player gets close, it comes alive and begins to hunt the player through the forest. This creature comes in six different variations to fit with each biome to be able to hide efficiently in each surrounding.
While Additional Mobs also includes other creatures that use mimicry in their surroundings, the Tree Stalker is the creepiest because it is reminiscent of another mob that has been in Minecraft since its beta days - the Enderman. This creature, which itself was inspired by the story of the Slenderman, has a very similar form to the Tree Stalker, being taller than the player and slender in its appearance. Enderman are so mysterious that Minecraft players are making shocking discoveries about its abilities to this day. While the Enderman doesn't mimic itself, it can teleport in order to get the player to become disoriented with their surroundings, while the Tree Stalker uses its surroundings to trick the player into approaching. While the Tree Stalker doesn't drop any item of significance other than a tree log, it does serve as not only a creepy creature but a unique mob that can benefit from the biome that it is in more than many other creatures do.
What Creatures Quark Mods Adds To Minecraft
Another mod that includes many new creature inclusions is one called, "Quark," which adds a number of new features to Minecraft, such as new building recipes, tools, and eight new creatures. One of these new mobs is known as a Wraith, and it spawns exclusively in the Nether, a dangerous place that will make a new Minecraft item useful in finding death markers where the player died last. The Wraith is not only unique in terms of its form, being one of the only transparent mobs in Minecraft, but it also serves an extremely useful function in terms of the item that it drops when killed. If a player is able to kill a Wraith, it drops an item called a Soul Bead, which can be utilized to locate the nearest Nether Fortress. An item like this not only makes a Wraith beneficial in locating, but also in farming, as Nether Fortresses are few and far between, and having an item that leads you to one can become very useful when looking for materials located within the fortresses.
Wraiths also make unique sounds that are lower pitched versions of other mobs, as they serve as the trapped souls of dead creatures, similar to the upcoming scary Warden mob in Minecraft. The wraith's abilities are a mix between a Husk and a Stray, as they interact with the player as if they are a zombie, but cause a slowness effect when attacking the player, similar to how a Stray does. While Wraiths are exclusive to the Nether, they serve as another creepy inclusion to Minecraft while also being highly functional with the item they drop.
Cool Creatures The Alex's Mobs Mod Adds To Minecraft
On the list of Minecraft mods that are based around the inclusion of new creatures, "Alex's Mobs" should take the top spot, as it includes over seventy new creatures to the game of all different backgrounds. One of the most unique and beneficial creatures added in this mod is known as the Cosmaw, and it serves more of a functional and useful role. When a player is traversing the End Islands after battling the Ender Dragon and destroying its End Crystals, which Minecraft's Warden can apparently survive, if they happen to tame a Cosmaw, and then fall off an island into the void below, the Cosmaw will fly down, catch the player, and bring them back to safety. This is extremely beneficial because in the official client, there is no efficient way to save oneself from falling into the void.
The Cosmaw in Minecraft is not only unique in terms of its ability to save the player, but also in its form. It is shaped like a mix between a large bird with wings and a giraffe with an elongated neck and head. They are passive creatures, so the player can approach one and tame it with the proper item. The Cosmaw is the most unique mob on the list as its shape is so distinctive and its function is so advantageous.
Minecraft has had a long history with a consistent update cycle and player feedback, along with doing collaborations with companies like Puma, but the modding community is where much of the extensive growth and outreach of the game is conducted. Mods can not only expand what is included within Minecraft, but they can also influence real additions to the official client and influence features to come in future updates. While Mojang has added many unique creatures to Minecraft over the past few years, mods continue to push the boundary of what is possible in the game and will continue to inspire future creatures to come.
Source: Additional Mobs, Quark, Alex's Mobs