The Nether has never been known as a welcoming place, but thanks to the 1.16 update for Minecraft, it now has a bunch of new cool features. One of those additions is the Hoglin, a mob that's fairly big in size and found in abundance in the mesmerizingly red crimson forest biome. However, approach these hostile warthogs with caution, as they can be quite vicious.
Hoglins are a fantastic source of food in the Nether, where previously players could only survive on the rotten flesh of Zombie Pigmen. But not just that, they're a pretty interesting and fascinating mob to farm and observe, as they have their own habits that make them truly unique, just like the Piglins and Striders.
10 They Can Be Bred
Despite being hostile towards the player by default the Hoglins can actually be bred by the player. It's typically recommended that they're first confined safely into a pen so the player doesn't get harmed or flung in the process.
Hoglins are a great mob to farm, not just for food but also for experience points. They're an excellent source of leather as well, but it all really depends on how efficiently and quickly the player can build a farm for these hostile pigs by the time they arrive into the Nether.
9 They Can Attack Through Fences And Walls
The reason why the Hoglins are quite fearsome is due to their ability to throw the player backwards for a short distance and even send them into air for a bit. It's not quite the kick the Ender Dragon has, but it's definitely scary in the Nether where the terrain is uneven and unpredictable.
Moreover, they're even known to be able to do damage over walls and fences, which makes them a pain to farm long term unless the player is properly prepared and geared up for the task.
8 They Have Several Fears
Despite seeming like a fearless and ferocious creature, the Hoglins do have things that they're terribly afraid of. One main subject of their fear is the Warped Mushroom, which they will try to escape from if they see one.
They're also extremely scared of respawn anchors and Nether Portals, for now logical explanation. It's possible that this is simply to ensure that Hoglins don't spawn around them and result in the player dying instantly.
7 They Love Crimson Fungi
While the lava-walking Striders absolutely adore Warped Fungi, the Hoglins are a big fan of the red mushroom found in the crimson forest, known as Crimson Fungi. In order to breed a bunch of Hoglins, it's a good idea to gather as much of these mushrooms as possible.
The Crimson Fungi is the main way to breed the Hoglins, but it's important to ensure there are no Warped Fungi or portals or respawn anchors around to scare the Hoglin. Otherwise, it's impossible to feed them any mushrooms.
6 Their Babies Are Also Hostile
Baby mobs rarely behave like their adult versions, with the exception of baby drowned zombies and baby zombies. The Hoglin, too, is an exception to this rule, making a trek through a crimson forest biome ten times more annoying for a player who's unprepared for the challenge.
Baby Hoglins will attack the player just like their adult counterparts and they'll also deal a fair amount of damage. Never underestimate a tiny Hoglin when seeing one, because a baby usually means its parents are around nearby as well.
5 They Zombify Outside Of The Nether
Just like the Piglins, Hoglins won't stay the same for very long when they're brought out of their comfort zone into the Overworld or even the End. It's just something about it not being the Nether that doesn't quite sit well with them, but most likely this was done to ensure players could only interact with them in the Nether.
Hoglins have a similar animation to Piglins when they zombify. They'll shake for a few seconds before turning into a zombie version of themselves, inspired by the classic Zombie Pigman design. At death, they drop rotten flesh.
4 Their Babies Can Be Ridden By Piglins
Piglins and Hoglins have a strange relationship. Piglins won't always be hostile towards Hoglins, but they'll sometimes randomly decide to attack a Hoglin for no reason and even celebrate with a dance if they emerge victorious.
The baby Piglins will also interact with baby Hoglins by riding them like a jockey. Multiple Piglins can stack on top of one another, up to three Piglins, which is quite a funny and impressive sight to witness.
3 They Take Fire Damage
Most Nether creatures are highly durable and accustomed to their environment, which is why it's a bit strange and surprising to know that Hoglins actually don't like fire. Much like normal mobs, the Hoglin will take fire damage.
This means they can be ignited with a flint and steel or even walked into a pool of lava for a quick and efficient kill. Unfortunately, the result won't be cooked porkchop unless the player uses a Fire Aspect enchanted sword.
2 They Can Bump A Player Through A Shield
The main difficulty and threat with Hoglins is their ability to boop players with their front horns. They'll often charge quickly after a player when detecting them and smack the player backwards dealing substantial amounts of damage.
The best defense against this is a shield, but even then it's possible for the player to sometimes get bumped backwards by the Hoglin. It's especially important to check the player isn't on a ledge when this happens.
1 They're Better Than Cows For Farming
All in all, the Hoglins are great creatures because of how much experience points they grant to the player and also their loot. They drop more food than cows, and roughly a similar amount of leather, which makes them a really solid source of resources when stuck in the Nether.
Moreover, the experience points from farming Hoglins are substantial compared to cows. Each adult Hoglin will drop 5 experience points, while cows tend to drop between 1 and 3. As such, this really might be the new, best way to farm food efficiently, if the player is prepared to wander into the Nether and take a few risks.