Game Theory: The Tragic Story of Minecraft's Zombie Pigmen (Piglins)

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Zombie Pigmen are described as one of the strangest parts of the Minecraft universe, combining being bipedal pigs, zombified, living in the Nether, carrying gold swords, and having no non-zombified versions left anywhere.

• Human-like pigs have been an unused idea in Minecraft since the beginning • A Minecraft user first came up with the Pigman idea in 2010 • Notch almost used them as the game's villagers a year later • Creepers were also born from awkwardly tall pig monsters as a coding accident

The host aims to fit Zombie Pigmen into the established lore of Minecraft, connecting them to the ancient civilization of builders.

The host admits this started as having no idea how to explain it, but research led to a solid case.

When lightning strikes within four blocks of a pig in the Overworld, a Zombie Pigman spawns, indicating pigs and Zombie Pigmen are somehow connected.

• Attacking one Zombie Pigman causes all others within a massive radius to become aggressive and converge on the player • This connection is not based on sound, as aggression occurs even in sealed boxes • The immediacy and aggression of their response suggests they are linked in some way

Zombie Pigmen do not begin hostile; they only turn hostile when attacked, suggesting they have nothing against the player until provoked.

These loose threads needed to be tied together with anchor evidence to craft a complete theory.

At Minecon, the Nether Update 1.16 introduced Piglins, replacing Zombie Pigmen with a new civilization in the Nether.

Piglins are hostile towards the player and do not like Wither Skeletons, revealing relationship tensions between mobs.

Wither Skeletons are the remains of the ancient builders, making the Piglin hostility towards them crucial to understanding the story.

The hostility between Piglins and Wither Skeletons indicates something happened long ago between these two civilizations that has not been forgotten.

The ancient builders created portals to the Nether and explored it, as evidenced by chests and fortresses found there.

• Before the new Piglins update, the Nether had no reliable food source • The builders likely brought pigs into the Nether as a stable food source for long journeys • Pigs were left in the Nether, where they remained for centuries

The builders may have tested the Nether portal on pigs before going through themselves, using pigs as test subjects in a scientific experiment.

Whether brought for food or sacrifice, the pigs would have reason to hold a grudge against the builders, explaining their later hostility to Wither Skeletons and descendants like the player.

Pigs brought to the Nether could not eat regular crops because water cannot be placed in the Nether, leaving only Netherwart as food.

• Ancient builder fortresses contain bridges, lava wells, and purposely grown Netherwart gardens • These gardens were harvested to feed the builders and their animals • This confirms the builders were intentionally growing Netherwart in the Nether

In the Minecraft universe, 'you are what you eat' - mushroom cows in mushroom fields demonstrate how diet transforms animals into hybrid creatures.

• Netherwart behaves like a fungus, not a typical plant • It grows through four stages resembling a mushroom lifecycle • It is called 'nether stalk' in the code and is compared to real-world puffball fungus • Netherwart does not need sunlight and thrives in the warm, dark Nether environment

• Most of a fungus is made up of super thin threads called mycelium • These threads can extend for dozens of feet, connecting multiple plants and fungi • Researchers call this an underground Internet, or a fungal network sharing information across plants • It is also called the 'wood wide web'

Pigs eating Netherwart fungus could slowly become interconnected through a mycelial network, explaining the psychic link and mass aggression behavior of Zombie Pigmen.

Fungal networks boost their host plants' immune systems, making them more resistant to diseases and magical effects.

• Netherwart is the essential ingredient for awkward potions, the base for 90% of the game's magical abilities • Potions grant magical properties including fire resistance • Zombie Pigmen are immune to fire and lava damage, matching the fire resistance potions

When the ancient builders' civilization collapsed, no new pigs were brought to the Nether, meaning the Zombie Pigmen seen today have been there for centuries.

• Netherwart's key uses include making healing potions • The magical properties could allow Pigmen to survive indefinitely without natural death • Wither Skeletons similarly walk back to life due to strange soul-saving properties in the Nether

• Nether fortress chests only contain gold swords as weapons • These were supplies brought by the ancient builders and stored in the fortresses • Pigs have no crafting ability, so iron ingots and diamonds are useless to them

The only weapons Zombie Pigmen can use are the gold swords left behind by the builders in their natural environment.

• How pigs got into the Nether - brought by ancient builders as food or test subjects • Why they are hostile to Wither Skeletons - conflict from their past • Complicated feelings towards the player - player is a descendant of the builders • Why Netherwart is grown in fortresses - intentionally harvested as food • Psychic link between all Pigmen - result of mycelial fungal network • Fire resistance - caused by consuming magical Netherwart and glowstone • Only carrying gold swords - only weapons left in the fortresses

The only unexplained aspect is why Zombie Pigmen stand on two legs, possibly due to evolution or learning to walk upright to use hands for defense.

At Minecon, the Nether Wart Forest biome preview showed Zombie Pigmen wandering through the forest and Netherwart, suggesting they belong amongst the food and landscape that made them what they are.

A pig ripped from its comfortable life in the Overworld, brought to the Nether by ancient people, transformed through fungus into a rival civilization, and then turned into zombies.

The host uses the signature Game Theory closing: 'But hey, that's just a theory. Game Theory.'

Viewers are reminded to wave their diamond pickaxe over the subscribe button as more Minecraft theories are on the way.

• Next theory planned about villagers and illagers • Underwater fortresses are also of interest to the host

The host promises to return with something different next week.