Can zombie Pigmen Pick Up Items?
Normal and Hard Difficulties: Exceptional Behavior
In both Normal and Hard difficulties, zombie Piglins behave exceptionally when it comes to picking up items. Surprisingly, only up to 55% ( JE only ) of zombified piglins pick up any armor pieces and swords better than their golden ones. This anomaly is interesting, as they always drop the better gear when they’re killed. The logic behind this strange behavior will be explored in this article.
General Behavior in Main and Overworld Worlds
Zombie Piglins are typically passive mobs but become hostile upon being attacked. They inhabit the Nether, which is distinct from the Main and Overworld worlds. In most cases, you won’t find them wandering around casually. However, when an unfortunate pig in the Nether is struck by lightning, it triggers the spontaneous zombification of any nearby pig. This usually results in more zombie piglins for the party. In these worlds, hostile actions elicit instant fury, and zombified piglins become uncooperative mobs.
Items of Preference: Enthusiasm for Gold Gear
When examining the table below, a peculiar preference for golden gear becomes readily apparent.
| Item | |
|---|---|
| All Armor | ⚣️ |
| Swords | |
| Golden gear | (only) ⚟️ |
Zombie piglins display an extreme preference for golding gear than any other weapon or item.
While zombie Piglins in both cases demonstrate an impressive affinity towards gold gear, the overall effectiveness of golden gear could lead to intriguing situations: In Normal difficulty, most zombie Piglins remain unaware of anything better unless dropped item inspection is successful, and those who succeed at picking them up still won’t inspect them after grabbing the best gear to start with; however in Hard difficulty they always inspect the gold gear while in the drop.
Zombified Pigs’ Reactions on Dropping and Picking Up Items
The situation unfolds as follows:
✴️ Drop Item ➜ Zombie piglins pick up their dropped Golden Gear.
✴️ Inspect Better Gear ❗️ (Only upon being attacked): zombified Piglin starts droppings gear better suited to their character.
Note that zombie piglins can pick up any uncollected loot dropped to an inventory that only holds this single item they pick back up.
Here’s How They Behave When the Drop Happens:
zombie Pi
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