Ghast in Minecraft, shown for the Return to Sender advancement (Nether tab) — Ghast in Minecraft, shown here for Return to Sender in the Nether tab. Image: AMCM Ghast riders.png from minecraft.wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

NetherMediumChallenge

Return to Sender

Destroy a Ghast with a fireball

Requirements: When a Ghast shoots a fireball at you.

Return to Sender advancement icon in Minecraft

Challenge Complete!Return to Sender

Overview

Return to Sender is a challenge advancement in the Nether tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Destroy a Ghast with a fireball." It branches directly off Nether, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Nether tab covers advancements for exploring and conquering the Nether dimension, from entering the portal to brewing potions. Return to Sender 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. Because it is flagged as a challenge advancement, completing Return to Sender makes a special toast and a sound play, and its frame in the advancement screen is the magenta challenge style rather than a normal square. Challenges are the hardest tier and usually represent a milestone rather than routine progress. One further advancement, Uneasy Alliance, is gated behind it.

In tree terms, Return to Sender sits first along its line: the full path from the Nether root reads Nether -> Return to Sender. That means 1 advancement must be completed before this one becomes available, and Return to Sender is one of 23 total advancements in the Nether tab. It shares its parent with 7 sibling advancements (Those Were the Days, Hidden in the Depths, A Terrible Fortress, Who is Cutting Onions?, Oh Shiny, This Boat Has Legs, and Subspace Bubble), all of which open from the same point in the tree.

How to Complete Return to Sender

Earning Return to Sender comes down to the following, performed in order:

When a Ghast shoots a fireball at you, hit the fireball back (left-click or shoot an arrow at it) to deflect it.
If the deflected fireball hits and kills the Ghast, you earn this advancement.
Timing is key.

Tips & Fastest Route

Fastest route: Stand in a ghast's line of fire and punch its fireball back so the rebound kills it.
A bow shot or even a snowball can also deflect the fireball back at the ghast.
Soul Sand Valley has open sightlines and high ghast spawns, making clean rebounds easier.
Make sure Nether is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Return to Sender will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
As a challenge advancement this is best saved until you are well-equipped; rushing Return to Sender underprepared is the usual reason attempts fail, so gather everything the steps above require before you commit.

Common Mistakes

Killing the ghast with a normal arrow does not count; the fireball it shot must be what destroys it.
Remember that Return to Sender will not appear as available until Nether is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.

Reward & What It Unlocks

Completing Return to Sender grants 50 experience points, reflecting its status as a challenge, and challenge advancements pay out far more XP than ordinary tasks. The XP drops at your position the moment the advancement fires.

Earning it unlocks Uneasy Alliance, which becomes the next step along this branch of the tree.

Details

Advancement ID: minecraft:nether/return_to_sender
Icon Item: Fire Charge
Category: Nether
Difficulty: Medium
XP Reward: 50 XP
Version Added: 1.12

Advancement Tree

Parent Advancement

Nether

Bring summer clothes

Child Advancements (1)

Uneasy Alliance

Challenge

Rescue a Ghast from the Nether, bring it safely home to the Overworld... and then kill it

Related Resources

Items Database Mobs Database Biomes Database Structures Database

Return to Sender Advancement FAQ

What unlocks Return to Sender?

Stand in a ghast's line of fire and punch its fireball back so the rebound kills it. Return to Sender is earned at that moment, with no second condition.

Why is Return to Sender a challenge?

Challenge, one of 7 in the Nether tab. For Return to Sender that means 50 XP and a different frame.

Which dimension for Return to Sender?

The Nether. Return to Sender cannot fire in the Overworld, so a portal comes before Return to Sender.

Return to Sender stuck: why?

Killing the ghast with a normal arrow does not count; the fireball it shot must be what destroys it. That is why Return to Sender stays grey.

Anything parallel to Return to Sender?

Besides Return to Sender there are 7, including Those Were the Days and Hidden in the Depths, on the Nether fork.

Any trick for Return to Sender?

A bow shot or even a snowball can also deflect the fireball back at the ghast.

What does Return to Sender need first?

Nether first. Then Return to Sender: when a Ghast shoots a fireball at you, hit the fireball back (left-click or shoot an arrow at it) to deflect it.

Where is Return to Sender listed?

Nether tab holds Return to Sender at position 2. Its ID is minecraft:nether/return_to_sender.

How much experience does Return to Sender give?

Return to Sender awards 50 XP, the challenge rate rather than 10.

How hard is Return to Sender?

We rate Return to Sender Medium. 9 of 23 in the Nether tab match Return to Sender. Return to Sender is flagged a challenge, the hardest kind.

Return to Sender: since when?

Since Java Edition 1.12. 54 of the 126 here, Return to Sender included, arrived together and are still present.

What does Return to Sender unlock?

Return to Sender feeds into Uneasy Alliance, worth 100 XP.

Every figure here is Return to Sender: minecraft:nether/return_to_sender, 50 XP, 1.12.