Shulker Box

This article is about the storage block. For the hostile End city mob, see Shulker. For the item that drops from the mob, see Shulker Shell.

Shulker Box

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Renewable	No‌[until JE 1.17] Yes‌[upcoming: JE 1.17]
Stackable	No
Tool
Blast resistance	6
Hardness	2
Luminant	No
Transparent	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

A shulker box is a block that can store and transport items.

Obtaining

Breaking

Shulker boxes can be mined with any tool or by hand, but using a pickaxe is the most effective. Shulker boxes drop themselves when mined. Unlike other containers, the contents of shulker boxes are stored within the dropped item, and not dropped separately. When instantly mined in Creative mode, shulker boxes drop as an item if there are items stored within, unless /gamerule doTileDrops is set to "false".

Block	Shulker Box
Hardness	2
Tool
Breaking time
Default	3
Wooden	1.5
Stone	0.75
Iron	0.5
Diamond	0.4
Netherite	0.35
Golden	0.25

Crafting

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Shulker Box	Shulker Shell + Chest
Shulker Box	Any Shulker Box + Matching Dye		The shulker box retains its contents. If it is renamed on an anvil, it also retains its contents.

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Any Shulker Box + Bone Meal or Lapis Lazuli or Cocoa Beans or Ink Sac		‌[Bedrock and Education editions only]

Usage

A shulker box has 27 inventory slots, the same as a chest.

Shulker boxes are portable chests: they keep their items when broken, which can be retrieved when placed again. This is different from other containers, which drop their contained items as item entities when broken. A shulker box drops itself as an item if pushed by pistons or destroyed by an explosion. When a shulker box with items inside is held or in a container's inventory, the items are listed as properties.

File:Item propertiesofficial.png

Items inside the shulker box are listed below the block type properties.

A shulker box's items can be fed or removed by a hopper.

Shulker boxes can be stored in all containers except for other shulker boxes and bundles.

When placed on a wall or ceiling, shulker boxes face and open sideways or upside-down, respectively. Shulker boxes cannot be opened if a solid opaque block is on their top surface, similar to a chest. For example, if a shulker box is facing upside-down and a solid opaque block is below it, the shulker box cannot be opened. A shulker box can also be placed using dispensers.

Like a chest, a shulker box requires a transparent area above to be opened, and it opens only if the hitbox of the top of the open shulker box does not intersect with another hitbox. This way, a shulker box can be opened with an upside-down slab or an upper trapdoor on top of it. It is also unique in that when opened, its hitbox expands to 1.5 blocks high/wide, physically pushing entities where it is facing.

By default, the GUI of a shulker box is labeled "Shulker Box", which can be changed by naming it in an anvil or by changing the CustomName tag using the /data command‌^{[Java Edition only]}.

Undyeing

Dyed shulker boxes can be undyed using a cauldron. To do this, use a dyed shulker box on a cauldron that has water in it. This causes the cauldron's water level to decrease by 1, and the shulker box loses its dye color.

Piglins

Piglins become hostile toward players who open or mine shulker boxes.

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitle	Source	Description	Namespaced ID	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
File:Stone dig1.oggFile:Stone dig2.oggFile:Stone dig3.oggFile:Stone dig4.ogg	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.stone.break	subtitles.block.generic.break	1.0	0.8	16
File:Stone hit1.oggFile:Stone hit2.oggFile:Stone hit3.oggFile:Stone hit4.oggFile:Stone hit5.oggFile:Stone hit6.ogg	None	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.stone.fall	None	0.5	0.75	16
File:Stone hit1.oggFile:Stone hit2.oggFile:Stone hit3.oggFile:Stone hit4.oggFile:Stone hit5.oggFile:Stone hit6.ogg	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.stone.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit	0.25	0.5	16
File:Stone dig1.oggFile:Stone dig2.oggFile:Stone dig3.oggFile:Stone dig4.ogg	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.stone.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	1.0	0.8	16
File:Stone hit1.oggFile:Stone hit2.oggFile:Stone hit3.oggFile:Stone hit4.oggFile:Stone hit5.oggFile:Stone hit6.ogg	Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	block.stone.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Namespaced ID	Volume	Pitch
File:Stone dig1.oggFile:Stone dig2.oggFile:Stone dig3.oggFile:Stone dig4.ogg	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.stone	1.0	0.8
File:Stone hit1.oggFile:Stone hit2.oggFile:Stone hit3.oggFile:Stone hit4.oggFile:Stone hit5.oggFile:Stone hit6.ogg	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.stone	0.4	1.0
File:Stone hit1.oggFile:Stone hit2.oggFile:Stone hit3.oggFile:Stone hit4.oggFile:Stone hit5.oggFile:Stone hit6.ogg	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.stone	0.37	0.5
?	Blocks	Jumping from the block	jump.stone	0.12	1.0
?	Blocks	Falling on the block without fall damage	land.stone	0.22	1.0
File:Stone hit1.oggFile:Stone hit2.oggFile:Stone hit3.oggFile:Stone hit4.oggFile:Stone hit5.oggFile:Stone hit6.ogg	Blocks	Walking on the block	step.stone	0.3	1.0
File:Stone dig1.oggFile:Stone dig2.oggFile:Stone dig3.oggFile:Stone dig4.ogg	Blocks	When the block is placed	use.stone	1.0	0.8

Unique

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitle	Source	Description	Namespaced ID	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
File:Shulker box close.ogg	Shulker closes	?	?	block.shulker_box.close	subtitles.block.shulker_box.close	?	?	16
File:Shulker box open.ogg	Shulker opens	?	?	block.shulker_box.open	subtitles.block.shulker_box.open	?	?	16

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Namespaced ID	Block tags (JE)	Form	Translation key
Shulker Box	shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.shulker_box
White Shulker Box	white_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.white_shulker_box
Orange Shulker Box	orange_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.orange_shulker_box
Magenta Shulker Box	magenta_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.magenta_shulker_box
Light Blue Shulker Box	light_blue_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.light_blue_shulker_box
Yellow Shulker Box	yellow_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.yellow_shulker_box
Lime Shulker Box	lime_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.lime_shulker_box
Pink Shulker Box	pink_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.pink_shulker_box
Gray Shulker Box	gray_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.gray_shulker_box
Light Gray Shulker Box	light_gray_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.light_gray_shulker_box
Cyan Shulker Box	cyan_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.cyan_shulker_box
Purple Shulker Box	purple_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.purple_shulker_box
Blue Shulker Box	blue_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.blue_shulker_box
Brown Shulker Box	brown_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.brown_shulker_box
Green Shulker Box	green_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.green_shulker_box
Red Shulker Box	red_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.red_shulker_box
Black Shulker Box	black_shulker_box	guarded_by_piglins shulker_boxes	Block & Item	block.minecraft.black_shulker_box

Name	Namespaced ID
Block entity	shulker_box

Bedrock Edition:

Shulker Box	Namespaced ID	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Undyed	undyed_shulker_box	205	Block & Item	tile.shulkerBox.name
Dyed	shulker_box	218	Block & Item	tile.shulkerBoxWhite.name tile.shulkerBoxOrange.name tile.shulkerBoxMagenta.name tile.shulkerBoxLightBlue.name tile.shulkerBoxYellow.name tile.shulkerBoxLime.name tile.shulkerBoxPink.name tile.shulkerBoxGray.name tile.shulkerBoxSilver.name tile.shulkerBoxCyan.name tile.shulkerBoxPurple.name tile.shulkerBoxBlue.name tile.shulkerBoxBrown.name tile.shulkerBoxGreen.name tile.shulkerBoxRed.name tile.shulkerBoxBlack.name

Name	Savegame ID
Block entity	ShulkerBox

Metadata

See also: Data values

In Bedrock Edition, dyed shulker boxes use the following data values:

Block states

See also: Block states

Block data

See also: Block entity format

A shulker box has a block entity associated with it that identifies its contents.

Item data

Shulker boxes, as items, use an NBT tag BlockEntityTag to indicate the contents and details of the box when it is placed.

The following NBT structure is provided to show how the BlockEntityTag tag is organized, and is not comprehensive above the tag tag. The full NBT for an item can be found here.

• Template:Nbt Entity data
  • Template:Nbt: The item
    • Template:Nbt: Additional information about the item. This tag is optional for most items.
      • Template:Nbt: The details of the shulker box.
        • All block data, except tags common to all block entities.

History

File:Shulker Box MC-203562.gif

A shulker box disguised as a shulker in 20w45a.

This section is missing information about Jeb (or someone else) mentioned plans to add a specific undyed shulker box after the 1.12 change was reverted and before 1.13. 

Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.

Java Edition
1.11		16w39a			30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px Added shulker boxes.
		16w39c			"Silver Shulker Boxes" have been now renamed to "Light Gray Shulker Boxes", in keeping with naming consistencies across dyed blocks.
1.12		17w16a			30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px Shulker boxes have been recolored.
		17w17a			30px The color of purple shulker boxes has been reverted.
1.13		17w47a			The ID has been changed from silver_shulker_box to light_gray_shulker_box.
					Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 219 through 234.
		18w10b			30px Added a default shulker box.
					30px The purple shulker box texture has been changed to the one used in 17w16a.
		18w10d			Shulker boxes can now be undyed in a cauldron.
1.14.2		Pre-Release 1			Empty shulker boxes no longer drop themselves when destroyed in Creative mode.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.17		20w45a			Due to a bug, when Template:EntityLinks run their "peeking" animation, shulker boxes make a "peeking" animation too, including the inventory item in the players hand, and in its dropped item form.
		20w46a			Shulker boxes no longer have a "peeking" animation.
		20w51a			Shulker boxes now drop their contents when destroyed as an item entity.
Pocket Edition
1.1.0		alpha 1.1.0.0			30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px Added shulker boxes.
		alpha 1.1.0.9			30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px The color palette for shulker boxes has been updated.
Unknown
?					Shulker boxes no longer use the wood sound.
Bedrock Edition
1.2.0		beta 1.2.0.2			30px Added a default shulker box.
					30px The purple shulker box color has been changed to the new palette.
1.8.0		beta 1.8.0.13			A recipe for undyed shulker boxes has been added.
1.16.0		beta 1.16.0.51			Shulker boxes can now be undyed in a cauldron.
Legacy Console Edition
TU53	CU43	1.49	Patch 23	1.0.3	30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px Added shulker boxes.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
1.9.19					30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px 30px Added shulker boxes.

Issues

Issues relating to "Shulker Box" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

• With 37 shulker boxes in a player's inventory, hotbar, and off-hand slot, 999 stacks of up to 64 items (up to 63,936 total items; 63,973 if counting shulker boxes themselves) can be held. With 37 shulker boxes and an ender chest with 27 shulker boxes in one of the shulker box slots, 1,727 stacks (up to 110,528 items; 1,728 stacks with up to 110,592 items if counting stacked ender chests) can be held.
  • With strength value 5 llamas, each caravan of 10 llamas with inventories full of shulker boxes can carry up to 4,050 stacks (up to 259,200 items).
• When the camera is far enough from a shulker box, the shulker box is invisible, even though it is still within the render distance, this is because the shulker box is still considered a mob.