Wondering how to get a player head in Minecraft Education Edition? Player heads are unique blocks modeled after the head of a player (Steve by default), offering exciting customization options for your Minecraft worlds.
Unfortunately, the Education Edition differs significantly from the consumer version, making the traditional player head commands challenging to implement. The advanced command syntax and certain commands simply don’t work in this version. However, we’ve discovered that as of Minecraft 1.21, there is a new command specifically designed for getting custom player heads in your Education Edition worlds.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of obtaining player heads in Minecraft Education Edition. Whether you’re looking to use these minecraft skulls for decoration or to add personality to your builds, we’ve got you covered with the exact commands and techniques that work specifically for the Education Edition.
What Are Player Heads and Why Use Them
Player heads are unique blocks that replicate the appearance of a player’s face and head. Unlike regular blocks, these special items add personality and character to Minecraft worlds. By default, player heads display Steve’s appearance, but they can be customized to show different skins.
Overview of player head minecraft block
Player heads are versatile blocks with distinct placement properties. When placed on top of another block, they can be oriented in 16 different directions, offering exceptional flexibility for builders. Additionally, when placed on the sides of blocks, they can face in 4 different directions, similar to signs.
One notable feature of player heads is their wearability. Players can equip these blocks similarly to helmets or pumpkins, which overlays the second layer of the player’s skin. Furthermore, dispensers can automatically equip these heads on players, mobs, or armor stands with empty helmet slots.
In Minecraft Java Edition, player heads can receive specific enchantments through an anvil, including:
- Curse of Binding (Level I)
- Curse of Vanishing (Level I)
Common uses: decoration, identity, fun
The practical applications of player heads extend far beyond mere collectibles. Essentially, they serve as versatile decoration elements that add character to builds and environments. Many players utilize them to create detailed furniture, unique decorative pieces, or themed displays.
Player heads are particularly valuable for identity expression in multiplayer environments. They allow players to mark their builds, create signatures, or establish ownership of areas within shared worlds.
Creative builders often incorporate player heads to add realistic details to structures. From themed restaurants with food-shaped heads to museums with character displays, the possibilities are virtually endless.
Minecraft heads can also function as mini-blocks, offering textures and details otherwise unavailable in the game. This makes them excellent for creating custom furniture, decorative objects, and unique building elements without requiring mods.
The versatility of player heads makes them essential items for creative builders who want to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Minecraft Education Edition.
Limitations of Minecraft Education Edition
Unlike the Java Edition, Minecraft Education Edition comes with several technical limitations that affect how players can obtain and use custom heads. These restrictions are often frustrating for educators and students who want to unlock the full creative potential of player heads.
No support for NBT or SkullOwner tags
The most significant limitation of Minecraft Education Edition is its lack of support for NBT (Named Binary Tag) data. NBT tags are crucial for customizing items in Java Edition, including the all-important {SkullOwner:””} tag used for custom player heads. Without this functionality, traditional methods for obtaining customized player heads simply fail to work.
In Education Edition, you’re initially restricted to just six default heads:
- Steve (default player)
- Creeper
- Zombie
- Skeleton
- Wither Skeleton
- Dragon
This restriction severely limits creativity compared to Java Edition, where thousands of custom heads are available. NBT use in Education Edition (and Bedrock, which it’s based on) is “extremely limited” according to developer comments. Therefore, commands that rely on these tags will either produce error messages or fail silently when attempted.
Why Java commands don’t work here
Minecraft Education Edition is built on the Bedrock codebase rather than Java, resulting in fundamental differences in how commands function. While both versions share similar command structures, the syntax and implementation vary considerably between platforms.
As stated in official Minecraft Education support: “The education versions differs from the consumer version. Advanced command syntax and certain commands don’t work”. Consequently, commands that function perfectly in Java Edition often require substantial modification or simply cannot be executed in Education Edition.
Moreover, the /execute command and other advanced functions have different formatting requirements. This means that tutorials and guides created for Java Edition rarely transfer directly to Education Edition environments. Although commands are “equivalent to Bedrock vs Java for the most part,” these subtle differences create significant barriers when attempting to use player head commands.
Nevertheless, despite these limitations, there are alternative methods for obtaining custom heads in Education Edition, which we’ll explore in the upcoming sections.
Step-by-Step: How to Get a Head in Minecraft Education Edition
Getting custom player heads in Minecraft Education Edition requires a different approach than in Java Edition. Since Education Edition lacks support for NBT tags, we need to use alternative methods to add these decorative elements to our builds.
Upload your image to a hosting site
The first step involves finding a place to host your custom head image online. Education Edition can access images from specific web locations:
- Prepare a square PNG image that will become your head texture
- Upload your image to education.minecraft.net, which is an officially supported hosting site
- After uploading, copy the full URL to your image – it should look something like: https://education.minecraft.net/wp-content/uploads/yourimage.png
This step is crucial since the command we’ll generate in the next step needs to reference this online location. Education Edition cannot access local files on your computer, hence the need for web hosting.
Use a command generator for Education Edition
Now that your image is hosted online, you need a command generator specifically designed for Education Edition:
First, locate a Minecraft Education Edition command generator (available on several sites). These tools create the special command format that works with Education Edition. During this process, you’ll enter the URL of your hosted image, and the generator will convert it into the appropriate command format.
The generated command will be quite long, containing encoded texture data referencing your online image. This format bypasses the NBT tag restrictions of Education Edition.
Paste and run the command in-game
Finally, with your command generated:
- Copy the entire command (it will look something like: /give @p player_head{SkullOwner:{Id:”be70633c-1162-4ba5-b67d-4576a4ed0b7e”,Properties:{textures:[{Value:”eyJ0ZXh0dXJlcy…”
- Open Minecraft Education Edition and enter a world where you have operator permissions
- Press T to open the chat window and paste your command
- Press Enter to execute the command
Afterward, the custom player head should appear in your inventory, ready for placement in your world.
Tips for Customizing and Using Heads
Once you’ve obtained your player head in Minecraft Education Edition, the fun truly begins with creative applications and displays.
Use armor stands for display
Armor stands serve as perfect mannequins for showcasing player heads in your Minecraft world. These versatile entities can be placed in eight different orientations, offering excellent display flexibility. In Education Edition (based on Bedrock), you can change an armor stand’s pose by sneaking while interacting with it, creating 13 different possible poses. This feature allows for lifelike statues and dynamic displays.
You can place armor stands without base plates or add arms through commands for more natural-looking displays. Especially impressive, armor stands can hold player heads without requiring complex crafting—simply interact with the stand directly as they don’t have a GUI.
Combine with redstone for effects
Certain heads showcase special animations when powered by redstone signals. Dragon heads open and close their mouths repeatedly (twice per second), creating interactive displays. This animation likewise occurs when these heads are worn by moving players, zombies, skeletons, or armor stands.
Dispensers offer additional automation possibilities, as they can equip player heads onto armor stands automatically. This capability enables creating interactive displays or surprising effects in your builds.
Ideas for classroom or creative builds
Player heads excel at adding realistic details to educational environments:
- Create custom furniture using player heads as decorative elements
- Design historical figures for history lessons
- Add security cameras by placing small heads on levers
- Extend walls or fences by half a block using appropriate head textures
- Craft realistic food displays for nutrition education
Conclusion
Player heads stand as one of the most versatile decorative elements in Minecraft Education Edition, offering countless creative possibilities despite the platform’s limitations. Throughout this guide, we’ve explored how these unique blocks can transform educational environments and creative builds alike.
The process might seem complex at first, but with our step-by-step approach, you can now add custom player heads to your Minecraft worlds. Remember, though Java Edition commands won’t work directly, the alternative method we’ve outlined allows for similar customization options.
Additionally, player heads serve fantastic educational purposes. Students can create historical figures, design custom furniture, or build elaborate displays that enhance learning experiences. The ability to combine these elements with redstone mechanisms further expands their functionality, making lessons more interactive and engaging.
Above all, player heads allow for personal expression within Minecraft Education Edition. Whether marking territories in multiplayer worlds or adding detailed finishing touches to builds, these customizable elements bring character and identity to virtual constructions.
We hope this guide helps you unlock new creative possibilities in your Minecraft Education Edition worlds. Player heads might represent a small element of the game, but they certainly make a big difference in bringing your educational builds to life.
Key Takeaways
Master the art of obtaining custom player heads in Minecraft Education Edition with these essential insights for educators and students looking to enhance their creative builds.
• Education Edition requires web-hosted images and special command generators since traditional Java Edition NBT tags don’t work in this platform • Upload your custom head image to education.minecraft.net, then use an Education Edition command generator to create the proper command format • Armor stands provide excellent display options with 13 different poses, while redstone can animate dragon heads for interactive effects • Player heads serve multiple educational purposes: creating historical figures, custom furniture, security cameras, and realistic food displays for lessons • Despite platform limitations, custom heads unlock significant creative potential for classroom projects and collaborative world-building experiences
These decorative blocks transform ordinary Minecraft worlds into engaging educational environments, allowing students to express creativity while learning through interactive gameplay.
FAQs
Q1. How can I get custom player heads in Minecraft Education Edition? To get custom player heads, upload your image to education.minecraft.net, use a command generator specifically for Education Edition, and then paste and run the generated command in-game.
Q2. Are there limitations to using player heads in Minecraft Education Edition? Yes, Education Edition lacks support for NBT tags and SkullOwner commands used in Java Edition. However, alternative methods using specific command generators allow for custom head creation.
Q3. Can I use player heads for educational purposes in Minecraft Education Edition? Absolutely! Player heads can be used to create historical figures, design custom furniture, add security cameras, and craft realistic food displays for various educational lessons and activities.
Q4. How can I display player heads creatively in my Minecraft world? You can use armor stands to showcase player heads in different poses and orientations. Combining them with redstone can create interactive displays, such as dragon heads that open and close their mouths.
Q5. Is it possible to get mods for player heads in Minecraft Education Edition? Minecraft Education Edition doesn’t support traditional mods. However, you can achieve similar customization effects by using the built-in command system and following the steps outlined for creating custom player heads.