Minecraft:Happy Ghast

A happy ghast is a Minecraft:passive counterpart of Minecraft:ghasts that can be Minecraft:harnessed and ridden by up to four Minecraft:players at once as a flying mount. It can also be used in conjunction with Minecraft:leads to airlift and transport Minecraft:boats and leashable Minecraft:mobs.

Spawning

Happy ghasts can be spawned by Minecraft:waterlogging a Minecraft:dried ghast for about 20 minutes. The block will transform into a ghastling. The ghastling cannot be harnessed or ridden until fully grown. Feeding it Minecraft:snowballs accelerates its growth. Unlike most other mobs that can be fed, happy ghasts cannot be bred.

Drops

Happy ghasts drop their equipped harness on death, if any, plus Template:Xp Minecraft:experience orbs when killed by a Minecraft:player or tamed Minecraft:wolf. Killing a ghastling yields no experience.

Behavior

Home location

Happy ghasts are bound to a home. This home is initially set as the location where it spawns, and is updated to its current location whenever any of the following events happen:

• A Minecraft:harness is equipped on or removed from it.
• A Minecraft:lead is detached from it.
• It is dismounted.
• It is no longer tempted by a Minecraft:player with a Minecraft:snowball or a harness.
  • This can happen by the player switching to a different item, or leaving the radius where the happy ghast can be tempted.
• The ghastling stops following a mob (see Template:Slink).

Unharnessed happy ghasts roam within a 64-block radius of their home, while harnessed happy ghasts and ghastlings roam within a 32-block radius of their home.

Healing

When not at full health, happy ghasts regenerate at a rate of Template:Hp every 30 seconds. However, if they are between Minecraft:Y-levels 187 and 196 in the Overworld (corresponding to the Minecraft:cloud level), or if it is Minecraft:raining or Minecraft:snowing, they regenerate at a rate of Template:Hp per second.

Ghastling

right|thumb|200px|A ghastling A baby happy ghast is called a ghastling. After spawning from a hydrated dried ghast block, ghastlings require Template:Convert to grow up into adult happy ghasts. This process can be sped up Template:Control Minecraft:snowballs. Template:IN, it takes 10 snowballs for a newly-spawned ghastling to become a happy ghast; Template:In, each snowball fed to a ghastling reduces its remaining growth time by 10%.

Ghastlings occasionally follow nearby players or specific mobs within a range of 16 blocks. They move toward their target with a slight speed boost (× 1.1) and stop once they are within 5 blocks of it. They prioritize players but can also follow the mobs listed below, provided they are not Minecraft:babies:

Ghastlings do not follow ambient mobs such as Minecraft:bats, Minecraft:aquatic-based mobs, Minecraft:monsters other than skeleton horses, golems, Minecraft:allays, Minecraft:mooshrooms, as well as Minecraft:wandering traders and their llamas.

Ghastlings, unlike adults, do not Minecraft:drown when submerged underwater.

They can be spawned specifically using Minecraft:commands or by Template:Ctrl a happy ghast spawn egg while looking at a happy ghast or ghastling in reach, like other baby mobs. Template:IN, happy ghast Minecraft:spawn eggs have a 5% chance to spawn a ghastling.

Happy ghast

Happy ghasts fly around aimlessly and are passive to players and other Minecraft:mobs. Unlike most Minecraft:passive mobs, they do not panic when damaged.

They follow Minecraft:players holding Minecraft:snowballs. They also follow players holding a Minecraft:harness, if they do not have one already equipped. They can also be leashed, and the lead can stretch a maximum of 16 blocks, instead of 12 blocks like other mobs.

Unlike regular Minecraft:ghasts, happy ghasts are not immune to fire and lava damage, and cannot shoot Minecraft:fireballs.

Happy ghasts are unaffected by Minecraft:Speed.<ref>Template:Bug</ref>

Riding

File:Steve Riding Happy Ghast.gif

A happy ghast being ridden by Steve

A happy ghast can be ridden and piloted by the player when equipped with a Minecraft:harness. Only adult happy ghasts can be equipped with a harness and ridden. The harness can be taken off using Minecraft:shears to retrieve the item.

Up to four players can ride a happy ghast. The first player who mounts a happy ghast controls it, sitting in the front just above its face. Players who mount after the piloting player sit in a spot on the remaining sides, starting clockwise from the first player. When one of the players dismounts, the next players are rotated counter-clockwise, filling in the empty seat. While the happy ghast is being ridden, its goggles lower to cover its eyes.

When riding, the player can fly both horizontally and vertically, allowing for more precise movement in the air. A happy ghast is controlled with the standard Template:Control; pressing Template:Control moves the happy ghast in the direction the player is looking. Pressing Template:Control moves the happy ghast straight upward. There is no dedicated control to move downward; in order to do so, the player should look down and press Template:Control, or look up and press backward. To move the happy ghast in a way that doesn't increase nor decrease height, move sideways.

A ridden happy ghast moves at about 3.6 m/s when going in the direction the pilot is looking.

While riding a happy ghast, the player gains an increased vertical range for picking up dropped items on the ground below. This range is about the entire perimeter of the happy ghast near the bottom of its body. This allows for items close to any side of the happy ghast to be picked up by the player. The player's Minecraft:third-person view camera also appears farther (8 blocks) from the player than the usual 4 blocks.

Template:Control a happy ghast places the player on top of it. Players can stand on top of a happy ghast (both harnessed and unharnessed) in the air as if it were a Minecraft:solid block. While players are standing on it, the happy ghast becomes stationary and aligns to one of the cardinal directions, making it easier to mount and dismount and to build structures high above the ground. Reloading the chunks causes the happy ghast to realign and face south. Other entities (such as other mobs and items) also sit on top of the stationary happy ghast, and mobs make little to no attempt to Minecraft:pathfind while standing on it. When there are no longer any players standing on the happy ghast, it becomes mobile again and loses this collision. Any entities left on it are flung off, which can indirectly cause mobs to fall to their Minecraft:death.

Because happy ghasts can behave like solid blocks, it is possible to teleport onto one using an Minecraft:ender pearl.

Carrying leashed entities

File:Happy ghast carrying a boat.png

A happy ghast carrying a boat on a lead

Happy ghasts can also be used to carry and transport entities in the air using Minecraft:leads.

The player can attach a leashed Minecraft:boat, Minecraft:boat with chest, or specific leash-able mobs too large to fit in boats (Minecraft:horses, Minecraft:donkeys, Minecraft:mules, Minecraft:skeleton horses, Minecraft:zombie horses, Minecraft:camels, Minecraft:camel husks, and Minecraft:sniffers) to a happy ghast (both harnessed and unharnessed). Although only one lead is required to suspend an entity from a happy ghast, the carried entity appears to be hanging from four leads. If the happy ghast is harnessed, it also gains a unique visual design of ropes fastened to it.

Any other leashable entity not listed above can also be leashed to the happy ghast, but they do not gain the 4-lead design, instead using only one lead.

While the player is Minecraft:sneaking and holding an entity's leash, pressing the Template:Control key on a happy ghast attaches the leashed entity underneath it. This secures the carried entity for safe transport while flying. Multiple entities can be attached this way at once, with there being no limit to how many. The leash can be removed later by using Minecraft:shears on either the happy ghast or the carried entity, separating them. Using shears on the happy ghast while carrying multiple entities cuts all leads simultaneously.

While most mobs can safely sit in a boat or boat with chest while it is being carried, players cannot. When a player enters the boat, it becomes immovable by the happy ghast, eventually resulting in the lead snapping. However, a player can be carried while riding a pig or unsaddled horse attached to a happy ghast.

Sounds

Adult

Despite being a solid surface, walking on happy ghasts is completely silent and does not produce footstep sounds.<ref>Template:Bug</ref>

Template:JE: Template:SoundTable

Template:BE: Template:SoundTable

Ghastling

Template:JE: Template:SoundTable

Template:BE: Template:SoundTable

Data values

ID

Template:JE: Template:ID table Template:BE: Template:ID table

Entity data

Happy Ghast have entity data associated with them that contain various properties.

Template:JE: Template:Main

<section begin="entity data" />

• Template:Nbt Entity data
  • Template:Nbt inherit/breedable
  • Template:Nbt inherit/entity
  • Template:Nbt inherit/mob
  • Template:Nbt: Prevents the Happy Ghast from moving when greater than 0. Set to 10 when a player is less than 2 blocks above and decreases by 1 per tick otherwise. Movement resumes when it reaches 0.

<section end="entity data" />

Achievements

Achievements that apply to all mobs: Template:Collapse

Advancements

Advancements that apply to all mobs: Template:Collapse

History

Trivia

• The first concepts of the happy ghast came from Template:MCL concept art of a flying ghast mount.<ref name="legends-concept"/>
  • A similar concept is used in Template:AMCM, where some Template:AMCMs rode Template:AMCM in a more abusive manner.
  • In an official Minecraft poster created by Mojang, players are depicted riding smiling Minecraft:ghasts in a manner similar to players riding happy ghasts.
• While working on the happy ghast, a Mojang designer compared all existing transportation methods in Minecraft, in order to determine when in the game progression the happy ghast can be obtained, as well as its speed.<ref>Template:Ytl</ref>
• The texture of both adult happy ghasts and regular ghasts is more detailed than the previous ghast texture. However, it's still not consistent with the core texel size (16/m), using half density as the compromise between two tex.<ref>Template:Tweet</ref>
• During Minecraft LIVE, Minecraft:Agnes Larsson advised the community to construct designated "Ghast Stations" at their high-altitude builds, to allow for safe boarding of happy ghasts.
• According to the alt text of [[Minecraft::File:Happy Ghasts floating in sunset.webp|an image]] on a Minecraft:Minecraft.net article, the collective noun for a group of happy ghasts is "a chuckle of happy ghasts".<ref>Template:Mcnet</ref>
• In Minecraft:Java Edition 25w15a, if a happy ghast has a harness and is turned back into a ghastling (by editing NBT data using Template:Cmd), the harness remains visible and even shrinks to fit the ghastling.
  • This can still be done in Template:BE by using Template:Cmd with a repeating command block.
• Ghastlings undergo the largest relative size transition when growing into an adult, increasing their hitbox size by over 4.2x.
• According to Minecraft:Marc Watson, ghastlings are not Template:MCDs from Template:MCD, but instead represent a different stage of the ghast life cycle.<ref>Template:Bluesky</ref><ref>Template:Bluesky</ref>

Gallery

Renders

• A non-moving happy ghast.
  A non-moving happy ghast.
• A non-moving happy ghast with a harness.
  A non-moving happy ghast with a harness.
• A leashed, non-moving happy ghast with a harness.
  A leashed, non-moving happy ghast with a harness.
• A non-moving ghastling.
  A non-moving ghastling.
• A non-moving ghastling without its outer skin (this state cannot be seen normally).
  A non-moving ghastling without its outer skin (this state cannot be seen normally).
• A leashed happy ghast with a blue harness.
  A leashed happy ghast with a blue harness.
• A leashed happy ghast without a harness (this state cannot be seen normally).
  A leashed happy ghast without a harness (this state cannot be seen normally).

All harness colors

• File:Happy Ghast Black Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Blue Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Brown Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Cyan Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Grey Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Green Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Light Blue Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Light Gray Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Lime Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Magenta Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Orange Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Pink Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Purple Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Red Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast White Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Yellow Harness Goggles Up BE1.gif

• File:Happy Ghast Black Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Blue Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Brown Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Cyan Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Grey Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Green Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Light Blue Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Light Gray Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Lime Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Magenta Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Orange Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Pink Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Purple Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Red Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast White Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif
• File:Happy Ghast Yellow Harness Goggles Down BE1.gif

Mojang screenshots

• Happy ghast in a plains.
  Happy ghast in a plains.
• Minecraft:Noor standing on top of a happy ghast.
  Minecraft:Noor standing on top of a happy ghast.
• Dried ghast, ghastling and happy ghast with blue harness.
  Dried ghast, ghastling and happy ghast with blue harness.
• Multiple happy ghasts and players with the Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals shaders enabled.
  Multiple happy ghasts and players with the Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals shaders enabled.
• Steve next to a harnessed happy ghast in a Minecraft:badlands.
  Steve next to a harnessed happy ghast in a Minecraft:badlands.
• A happy ghast flying over Steve in a Minecraft:frozen ocean.
  A happy ghast flying over Steve in a Minecraft:frozen ocean.
• Steve riding a happy ghast in a badlands.
  Steve riding a happy ghast in a badlands.
• Steve riding a happy ghast in a Minecraft:forest.
  Steve riding a happy ghast in a Minecraft:forest.
• Agnes, Felix, and Snifferish riding a happy ghast wearing a red harness, and happy ghasts wearing green, blue, and lime harnesses.
  Agnes, Felix, and Snifferish riding a happy ghast wearing a red harness, and happy ghasts wearing green, blue, and lime harnesses.
• "A chuckle of happy ghasts floating through the air in the sunset"
  "A chuckle of happy ghasts floating through the air in the sunset"
• Minecraft:Ari riding a happy ghast.
  Minecraft:Ari riding a happy ghast.
• Ghastlings following Minecraft:Efe.
  Ghastlings following Minecraft:Efe.
• A ghastling following a Minecraft:chicken.
  A ghastling following a Minecraft:chicken.
• Minecraft:Zuri and Minecraft:Kai riding a happy ghast.
  Minecraft:Zuri and Minecraft:Kai riding a happy ghast.
• Ghastlings following a Minecraft:warm pig.
  Ghastlings following a Minecraft:warm pig.
• Happy ghast carrying a wolf in a boat.
  Happy ghast carrying a wolf in a boat.
• A bunch of leashed ghastlings carrying a cow.
  A bunch of leashed ghastlings carrying a cow.
• Minecraft pigs on a boat being carried by a happy ghast
  Pigs on a boat carried by a happy ghast.
• File:Happyghast-ingame.jpg

Concept artwork

• An animated concept art of a happy ghast carrying Minecraft:villagers in a Minecraft:boat.
  An animated concept art of a happy ghast carrying Minecraft:villagers in a Minecraft:boat.
• Concept art of the Minecraft Legends ghast used as the main inspiration for the happy ghast.
  Concept art of the Minecraft Legends ghast used as the main inspiration for the happy ghast.

Screenshots

• Zuri riding a happy ghast.
  Zuri riding a happy ghast.
• Kai and Noor leading a chuckle.
  Kai and Noor leading a chuckle.
• A ghastling on a Minecraft:beach.
  A ghastling on a Minecraft:beach.
• A player feeding a ghastling with Minecraft:snowballs in the Minecraft:frozen ocean biome.
  A player feeding a ghastling with Minecraft:snowballs in the Minecraft:frozen ocean biome.
• A ghastling next to a player in a beach.
  A ghastling next to a player in a beach.
• A ghastling leashed to a harnessed happy ghast.
  A ghastling leashed to a harnessed happy ghast.
• A ghastling with the leashed texture. This is only possible in-game with commands.
  A ghastling with the leashed texture. This is only possible in-game with commands.
• A harnessed ghastling. This is only possible in-game with commands.
  A harnessed ghastling. This is only possible in-game with commands.
• A video showing a player harnessing and riding a happy ghast on a touchscreen.
  A video showing a player harnessing and riding a happy ghast on a touchscreen.

Textures

• Happy ghast texture file.
  Happy ghast texture file.
• Ghastling texture file.
  Ghastling texture file.
• Black happy ghast harness texture file.
  Black happy ghast harness texture file.
• Blue happy ghast harness texture file.
  Blue happy ghast harness texture file.
• Brown happy ghast harness texture file.
  Brown happy ghast harness texture file.
• Cyan happy ghast harness texture file.
  Cyan happy ghast harness texture file.
• Gray happy ghast harness texture file.
  Gray happy ghast harness texture file.
• Green happy ghast harness texture file.
  Green happy ghast harness texture file.
• Light blue happy ghast harness texture file.
  Light blue happy ghast harness texture file.
• Light gray happy ghast harness texture file.
  Light gray happy ghast harness texture file.
• Lime happy ghast harness texture file.
  Lime happy ghast harness texture file.
• Magenta happy ghast harness texture file.
  Magenta happy ghast harness texture file.
• Orange happy ghast harness texture file.
  Orange happy ghast harness texture file.
• Pink happy ghast harness texture file.
  Pink happy ghast harness texture file.
• Purple happy ghast harness texture file.
  Purple happy ghast harness texture file.
• Red happy ghast harness texture file.
  Red happy ghast harness texture file.
• White happy ghast harness texture file.
  White happy ghast harness texture file.
• Yellow happy ghast harness texture file.
  Yellow happy ghast harness texture file.
• Texture for leash ropes on a happy ghast.
  Texture for leash ropes on a happy ghast.

Official artwork

• Ghastling pixel art.
  Ghastling pixel art.
• Happy ghast with the Minecraft:Tiny trio.
  Happy ghast with the Minecraft:Tiny trio.
• Ghastling idle animation.
  Ghastling idle animation.
• Happy ghast idle animation.
  Happy ghast idle animation.
• Cutout of the stylized happy ghast.
  Cutout of the stylized happy ghast.
• Cutout of the ghastling pixel art.
  Cutout of the ghastling pixel art.
• File:Mm-happyghast-header.jpg

In other media

• File:Chase the Skies Key Art.jpg
• File:ChaseTheSkies Announce HeaderTiles.webp
• A Grow' A' Ghast Product
  A Grow' A' Ghast Product
• A happy ghast coloring the world with real paint.
  A happy ghast coloring the world with real paint.
• Dried ghast with “not getting invited” text next to ghastling with “getting invited and not going” text
  Dried ghast and ghastling.
• Happy ghast carrying a sign that showcases giveaway items
  A happy ghast carrying a giveaway flag, showcasing igloo coolers and thermos.
• A ghastling as it appears in Minecraft:Shape Your World: A Minecraft Story.
  A ghastling as it appears in Minecraft:Shape Your World: A Minecraft Story.
• The ghastling's point of view.
  The ghastling's point of view.
• A happy ghast as it appears in the film.
  A happy ghast as it appears in the film.
• Ditto.
  Ditto.
• File:Chase the Skies Community Challenge-1 Happy Ghast.jpg
• File:Take on Ghastastic Challenges.jpeg
• File:Overworld Adventures stamps.png
• File:Summer Gift 2025 ghast collectible.jpeg
• A Minecraft:copper golem holding up a sign promoting Minecraft LIVE with a happy ghast in the background.
  A Minecraft:copper golem holding up a sign promoting Minecraft LIVE with a happy ghast in the background.
• Happy ghast photo in a yearbook.
  Happy ghast photo in a yearbook.
• An inflatable ghastling at Minecraft:TwitchCon.
  An inflatable ghastling at Minecraft:TwitchCon.
• Happy Ghast plush.
  Happy Ghast plush.