Eye of Ender in Minecraft, shown for the Eye Spy advancement (Minecraft tab) — Eye of Ender in Minecraft, shown here for Eye Spy in the Minecraft tab. Image: Enchanted Eye of Ender obtained with commands.png from minecraft.wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

MinecraftMedium

Eye Spy

Follow an Eye of Ender

Requirements: Craft an Eye of Ender from an ender pearl and blaze powder, then throw it.

Advancement Made!Eye Spy

Overview

Eye Spy is a task advancement in the Minecraft tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Follow an Eye of Ender." It branches directly off We Need to Go Deeper, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Minecraft tab covers the main story progression tree. Eye Spy was added in Minecraft 1.12 and is still in the 26.2 advancement set.

It is rated Medium difficulty on this site: requires some preparation or specific resources. Part of normal gameplay progression. It uses the standard task frame, meaning it is a normal step in the tree rather than a goal or challenge milestone. One further advancement, The End?, is gated behind it.

In tree terms, Eye Spy sits seventh along its line: the full path from the Minecraft root reads Minecraft -> Stone Age -> Getting an Upgrade -> Acquire Hardware -> Hot Stuff -> Ice Bucket Challenge -> We Need to Go Deeper -> Eye Spy. That means 7 advancements must be completed before this one becomes available, and Eye Spy is one of 16 total advancements in the Minecraft tab. It shares its parent, We Need to Go Deeper, with one sibling, Zombie Doctor, which unlocks from the same point.

How to Complete Eye Spy

Earning Eye Spy comes down to the following, performed in order:

Craft an Eye of Ender from an ender pearl and blaze powder, then throw it.
Follow where it floats to locate a stronghold.
You need multiple eyes as they can break when thrown.

Tips & Fastest Route

Fastest route: Throw an Eye of Ender and walk in the direction it floats, repeating until you stand over the stronghold.
Eyes shatter about 1 in 5 throws, so craft a stack (blaze powder + ender pearls) before you set out.
Throw, sprint toward it, and only throw again once the previous eye stops moving to conserve them.
Make sure We Need to Go Deeper is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Eye Spy will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
At Medium difficulty, Eye Spy is a routine step once you have the prerequisites in hand; no special grinding is usually needed beyond the items the steps call for.

Common Mistakes

Remember that Eye Spy will not appear as available until We Need to Go Deeper is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.

Reward & What It Unlocks

Eye Spy grants no experience directly; its value is progression rather than a point payout.

Earning it unlocks The End?, which becomes the next step along this branch of the tree.

Details

Advancement ID: minecraft:story/follow_ender_eye
Icon Item: Eye of Ender
Category: Minecraft
Difficulty: Medium
XP Reward: None
Version Added: 1.12

Advancement Tree

Parent Advancement

We Need to Go Deeper

Build, light, and enter a Nether Portal

Child Advancements (1)

The End?

Enter the End Portal

Related Resources

Items Database Mobs Database Biomes Database Structures Database

Eye Spy Advancement FAQ

Which action earns Eye Spy?

Throw an Eye of Ender and walk in the direction it floats, repeating until you stand over the stronghold. Eye Spy is earned at that moment, with no second condition.

Where is Eye Spy listed?

Minecraft tab, as minecraft:story/follow_ender_eye. Eye Spy is number 13 of 16 there.

How much does Eye Spy give you?

None: Eye Spy awards nothing, while the Minecraft tab holds 0 XP in total.

How hard does Eye Spy play?

Eye Spy comes out medium, the rating 4 of 16 in the Minecraft tab carry.

Has Eye Spy always existed?

Java Edition 1.12, when advancements replaced achievements. Eye Spy is one of 54 from that day.

Next after Eye Spy?

One: The End? Eye Spy is what opens it below.

Eye Spy did not trigger?

Usually We Need to Go Deeper. Until that is ticked, Eye Spy records nothing.

Is Eye Spy alone under its parent?

Zombie Doctor, alongside Eye Spy under We Need to Go Deeper. Both open together.

How deep is Eye Spy?

7 steps under Minecraft: Ice Bucket Challenge and We Need to Go Deeper, then Eye Spy.

A shortcut for Eye Spy?

Eyes shatter about 1 in 5 throws, so craft a stack (blaze powder + ender pearls) before you set out.

Which advancement gates Eye Spy?

Only We Need to Go Deeper. After that Eye Spy asks this: craft an Eye of Ender from an ender pearl and blaze powder, then throw it.

Every figure here is Eye Spy: minecraft:story/follow_ender_eye, 0 XP, 1.12.