To scale against a player. A vex is tiny, and that is half the problem: three of them at once are three small targets moving faster than you can turn.
The mob you gain nothing from
Most hostile mobs pay you for the risk. A vex does not. It has no loot table whatsoever, so no item, no sword and no chance roll is waiting at the end of the fight. What you get is three experience on Java, five on Bedrock, and the swarm stopping.
That changes how you should think about the encounter. Every second you spend chasing a vex is a second bought with nothing, while the evoker behind it keeps producing more of them. The correct answer to a vex is almost never to fight it.
Four numbers that change between editions
For a mob with barely a handful of statistics, the vex disagrees with itself more than most. It hits for 4 on Java and 3 on Bedrock. It moves at 0.7 on Java and a flat 1 on Bedrock. It is worth 3 experience against 5. And on Bedrock it is fire immune, which quietly removes lava and flame arrows from your options.
BedrockThe speed is the one that matters in the room. A speed of 1 is more than four times a zombie. On Bedrock a vex reaches you the instant it decides to, whatever you are standing behind.
The fight, step by step
Pillar up off the floor
Vexes fly and phase through blocks, so cover does nothing. Stand on a 2-block pillar to thin how many can stack on you at once and to read the swarm.
Sweep with a sharpness sword
Vexes have only 14 HP. A Sharpness IV diamond/netherite sword two-shots them and Sweeping Edge clips several mid-cluster. Wide horizontal swings beat single jabs.
Splash Harming on the cluster
A Splash Potion of Harming II deals 12 instant damage in an area, near-killing a whole pack of vexes in one throw since they bunch up around you.
Lock onto the evoker
Vexes despawn on their own but the evoker keeps spawning 3 more every few seconds. Ignore the swarm, sprint the evoker down, and break line of sight when it casts fangs.
Burst the source down
The evoker has 24 HP and no melee. Close fast and combo it: a critical Sharpness hit plus one follow-up kills it, ending the wave instantly.
Turn the swarm into one target
The vex fight is really an evoker fight. Three vexes spawn at a time, each with 14 HP, and they pass through any block to reach you, so building a box only traps you with them. The play is movement plus area damage: keep circling so the swarm bunches behind you, then sweep or splash the whole cluster instead of chasing single targets. Meanwhile the evoker (24 HP, no melee) keeps refilling the swarm and casts fangs that lock you in place, so it is always the real objective. Sprint it down, eat the chip damage, and end the encounter at the source.
Gear, timing, and common mistakes
- Do not build a shelter. Blocks are not an obstacle to a vex, so a box only limits where you can move.
- Do not try to outrun one. At 0.7, and 1 on Bedrock, it is faster than anything you can do on foot.
- Do not count on fire. On Bedrock it is immune, so lava traps and flame arrows are wasted preparation.
- Do not farm them. There is no drop, so a vex farm produces experience and nothing else.
- Do kill the caster. Fourteen health times three, refilled every few seconds, against twenty four health once.
Frequently asked questions
How much health does a vex have?
A vex has 14 HP (7 hearts). A Sharpness IV sword critical kills it in one hit; a flat swing kills in two.
Why do vexes go through walls?
Vexes can phase through solid blocks to reach you, so walls and doors give zero protection. Only killing the evoker or waiting out their lifespan stops them.
Do vexes despawn on their own?
Yes. Each vex has a lifespan and takes damage over time once it expires, so if you survive and kill the evoker, the remaining vexes die off.
Is a vex different on Bedrock?
Unusually so for a mob with this few numbers. It hits for 3 there instead of 4, it moves at 1 instead of 0.7, it is worth 5 experience instead of 3, and it is fire immune, so lava and flame do nothing. Weaker per hit, considerably faster, and harder to burn.
What's the fastest way to clear a vex swarm?
Throw a Splash Potion of Harming II into the cluster for ~12 area damage, then sweep stragglers. Most go down in one throw because they crowd you.
Should I fight the vexes or the evoker?
The evoker. Killing the evoker (24 HP) stops new vexes entirely. Existing vexes will expire, so the source is always the priority target.
Can vexes be blocked with a shield?
A shield blocks a single vex's melee but they swarm from multiple angles and phase behind you, so you'll still take hits. Mobility and AOE beat blocking.
Do vexes drop anything?
Nothing at all. A vex has no loot table, so there is no item, no sword and no chance roll waiting for you. It is worth 3 experience on Java and 5 on Bedrock, and that is the entire reward for the fight.
For the sword, the harming potion and the gear that clears a swarm, look them up in the item database. The mob that summons them has its own guide, how to fight an evoker, and so does the vindicator that patrols the same mansion.
Sources
Checked against Java 26.2 and Bedrock 1.26.30.5, August 2026.
Netherite Sword
Splash Potion
Diamond
Potion
Shield
Target