Game Theory: What if THIS Minecraft Mob Existed?

What if different mobs had won the Minecraft mob votes instead of the ones that were actually chosen?

Mobs serve as valuable clues that unlock the game's secrets and mysteries, particularly about the ancient builders and the overworld they left behind.

The Copper Golem was brought back to the game through the Copper Age update after losing the 2021 mob vote, proving that supposedly permanent rejections can be reversed.

The episode will explore three rejected mobs from different years and analyze how their addition would have changed Minecraft's lore and gameplay.

Small creatures found in mineshafts that would play hide-and-seek with players. Finding them three times would reward enchanted items like pickaxes.

• Based on Knockers from Cornish mythology—dwarf-like creatures native to ancient tunnels • Knockers could be helpful or mischievous, leading miners to valuable ores or confusing tunnels • Darker interpretation: Knockers were spirits of fallen miners haunting the mines for eternity

Rascals would have been more than friends—equals to the ancient builders. They could represent the souls of miners who died in the mines, either to dangerous mobs or to the Wither and Warden during their invasion of ancient cities.

Would have fit perfectly in the Trails and Tales update, which focused on excavating a lost civilization and discovering that ancient builders consisted of multiple tribes.

Would fly around caves and tell players when it's dark enough to spawn mobs, primarily through a grumpy expression.

• Based on Moss Folk from German mythology—moss-covered creatures found in forests • Served as guides for travelers, warning people of danger • Required offerings in return: good offerings like bread or porridge earned aid; bad offerings like caraway bread angered them

Players could give the Glare mushroom stew or other items to befriend them. Fed properly, they'd follow through caves, keeping players away from danger and offering healing or positive status effects. Wrong items would make them hostile or aggressive.

Would have been vital for ancient builders fleeing the Wither. The Glare could warn of dangers in the deep dark, and moss found in its company would have provided materials for moss carpets used to quiet footsteps against the Warden.

A large sea creature that would use tentacle-like tongue to pull players and boats down to the bottom of the sea, adding challenge and danger to ocean traversal.

• Based on the Kraken from Nordic folklore—a giant tentacle-wielding monster that destroys ships • Vikings believed the Kraken created huge whirlpools by swimming in circles • Modern science explains these phenomena as results of tectonic plate movement, earthquakes, and underwater volcanic eruptions

The Barnacle would have explained why so many shipwrecks exist in Minecraft's oceans. Ancient builders sailing to find the Heart of the Sea would have encountered the Barnacle, explaining their tragic fate and transformation into the Drowned.

Would have been added during the Aquatic Update, which introduced ocean ruins, underwater chasms, shipwrecks, treasure maps, and the Heart of the Sea. The Barnacle would have provided the missing piece explaining the shipwrecks' existence.

• Sniffer would have been banished, losing decorative plants and visual variety • Would lose evidence that the ancient builders' timeline spans thousands or millions of years • Would lose knowledge of the Nether origin of creatures and the Savannah tribe of healer-builders

• Allay would have been rejected instead of chosen • Would lose the discovery of how Illagers combined Allays to create Vex • Might have lost companion mobs in Minecraft Legends

Phantom would have been rejected, which the theorist notes would actually be beneficial since most players find Phantoms annoying and would prefer the Barnacle.

The Copper Golem's return proves that Mojang can add these rejected mobs retroactively, allowing the game to have both the original winners and the rejected mobs, giving deeper and richer lore.