Minecraft easter egg

01. 08. 2023

Like many other games, Minecraft has more Easter eggs than just a few for players to enjoy. One of the most interesting is the “Johnny” Easter egg.

The Easter egg is a nod to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's novel “The Shining.” Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, who opens a hotel door using a fire ax to attack his wife (and son)

He makes a hole in the door and then he says, “Here's Johnny!” This was actually an ad-libbed line that Nicholson used to refer to Johnny Carson, late-night talk-show host, who would be introduced on the stage with the same phrase.

Minecraft: What is the Johnny Easter egg?

A player can use a name tag or spawn egg in Minecraft to identify a vindicator, zoglin or “Johnny” and the mob will attack any target it comes across.

If applied to a vindicator it will only be passive toward illagers or ghasts and attack every other mob. Due to their use of axes in The Shining's final act, Zoglins were and are likely to have been chosen as vindicators and Zoglins.

Players can also create a tag called “Johnny” for Minecraft and place it on a mob. If they set the tag at 1B, the Easter egg will also kick-in.

Multiple Johnny namings can be combined, so that two Johnny vindicators can attack each other with their axes. This somewhat circumvents the natural effect of an Easter egg, which prevents vindicators from attacking other illagers.

Minecraft has many Easter eggs, and this mention to The Shining is just one. This Easter egg can create some interesting dynamics in the game.

One player created their own version a illager fight club using the naming trick. There are many other ways to use the Jack Torrance-referencing Easter egg.

Take it for a spin and discover what you can create in your Minecraft world.