Remember the days when Minecraft consisted of only four or five animal mobs? Since its early days over a decade ago, the classic simulation game has expanded its roster of creatures by quite a large margin. Now, it would be hard to go a large stretch of time walking on the surface without finding one.
Each animal in the game provides their own purpose. This could range from becoming your faithful companion to dropping a specific resource. Of course, some mobs are merely just aesthetically pleasing. This is to say that not all animal mobs in Minecraft are created equal.
27 Bat
Not only are Bats completely useless, but they are also rather annoying. Added as a way to add a little extra ambiance to the caves, these tiny creatures fly around constantly and may occasionally stop to rest on a ceiling.
They don't even drop anything or interact with any other part of the environment. The squeaky sounds don't help much.
26 Squid
Look, Squids are rather pointless in this game, especially with the addition of other fish.
They will only drop ink sacs, which can be used as a black dye but don't serve much of a purpose outside of that. The Squids even hurt you when they hit you in recent updates, so they are also just plain rude.
25 Glow Squid
One of the newest mobs to enter the game, the Glow Squid is almost just as unnecessary as the regular version. However, this one gets placed higher for being a lot cooler looking than the other.
Plus, its ink sacs can be used to light up signs and item frames, which is a really cool decorative feature as well.
24 Tropical Fish
The beautiful Tropical Fish that you see swimming in the ocean are only that: beautiful. Outside of bringing some life to the water, these fish drop a food item that only restores one hunger point and can't be cooked.
That said, it is pretty cool that there are over 2,700 different variants of the Tropical Fish that can spawn.
23 Pufferfish
Pufferfish are very cute in their tiny form. Pufferfish in their defensive, bloated form are not cute and are, in fact, rather dangerous.
Sure, they can be used to make very useful water-breathing potions. However, that's in their item form. Since they can poison you, it's better to avoid them altogether and try to fish them up without confrontation instead.
22 Ocelot
When Ocelots were added to the game, you could tame them and turn them into Cats. However, since Cats have become their own separate mobs, Ocelots have no longer a major use in the game other than to add to the wild nature of the jungle biome.
You can still tame an Ocelot to prevent it from running away, but they can't be a companion.
21 Polar Bear
Ice biomes always needed an animal that blended into the environment, and Polar Bears just make sense.
That said, they are not much use for the player and they actually can be hostile upon just approaching them. This could come out of nowhere, but if their baby cub is nearby, it may be understandable that they're trying to defend their little one.
20 Cod/Salmon
It's worth putting both Cod and Salmon together as they both serve a similar purpose: they swim around and are useful meat for the player to snack on.
After fishing either of them up in a bucket or fishing pole, you can cook them up and eat them to restore five to six hunger points per fish. Salmon can be found in rivers, while Cod are found in oceans.
19 Rabbit
Rabbits are among the more harmless critters in the game as they mostly just bounce around looking for someone to feed them carrots.
Despite the cool varieties with the animal, they aren't of much use as they aren't tamable. If you dare to kill one, they could drop meat or rabbit hide, which is useful for getting leather or bundles.
18 Turtle
Beach biomes don't really stand out usually, which is why it's nice to see Turtles hanging out on the shoreline — they just hang out and sometimes decide to go for a swim.
These creatures are also the only ones in the game that lay eggs, which you'll need to be careful not to step on.
17 Panda
Pandas are somewhat similar to Polar Bears, but they are not nearly as aggressive. They will only attack if you attack first, and they will only hit back once.
They tend to hang around forests and you can actively watch them eat bamboo. Occasionally, baby Pandas will scare Adult pandas when they sneeze, which is both hilarious and adorable.
16 Goat
Goats are another new mob in the game and it is safe to say that they are chaotic neutral. Goats that are just hanging out in the mountains can jump super high in the air and also ram players off the side. There's also a rare variant of the Goat that will scream.
Outside of all these aesthetic features, Goats don't really drop anything useful and are not tamable.
15 Fox
While they are another animal that doesn't serve the player that much, Foxes are cool for all their different behavioral patterns. Foxes can hunt down creatures like Chickens and pounce on them with a wild jumping animation. They also curl up and sleep occasionally.
Perhaps most interesting, though, is that Foxes can hold almost any object in their mouth, including a sword.
14 Axolotl
Sick of the annoying hostile mobs underwater? The Axolotl is here to destroy them while looking very cute.
These aquatic animals spawn underwater and kill everything else aquatic except dolphins and turtles. They can be picked up in buckets, so they are, in a way, a weapon to deploy when necessary.
13 Dolphin
In Minecraft, Dolphins are extremely useful when you're trying to swim around the ocean. Get near one while swimming and they may give you a boost that can last until you reach your destination.
That said, you have to avoid hitting them. If you do, every Dolphin nearby will retaliate and destroy you, which is not fun.
12 Bee
Minecraft Bees are rather large, but they are just as useful when it comes to farming. They can harvest pollen from flowers and fly their pollen over crops that will grow a stage once hit with the dust.
Bees will also create honey the moment they return to their hive. Be careful extracting the honey, though, or you'll have some unhappy Bees on your hands.
11 Donkey
Donkeys are the inferior Horses of the game, but they could be more useful, depending on what you need.
Donkeys aren't just used for travel, though, as you can also attach a chest to the animal in order to store a few items. This is a unique way to transfer items from one place to another, or just a nice toolbox to have on any adventures.
10 Llama
Llamas are essentially more stylish Donkeys. These tall-necked mobs don't need to be tamed in order to make use of them.
You can decorate them using different carpets, and you can also add storage to the Llama that goes up to 15 inventory slots. Just don't hit them or they will spit at you.
9 Cat
These furry pals are difficult to tame, but once you do, they are helpful in fending off creatures of the night. Many different Cats can be found in villages. Once they are tamed, they will follow you around and potentially sit on your stuff.
If you want Creepers and Phantoms to stay away, Cats will deter them.
8 Parrot
Parrots are rarer than most animals, but when discovered, can immediately become a nice friend. Coming in a variety of colors, these birds can be tamed using seeds and can sit on your shoulder while traveling around.
Their best feature is the ability to vocally imitate nearby mobs, which is both hilarious and helpful. They also dance to music. Enough said.