Are Potions... USELESS?

Potions were one of the biggest additions to Minecraft's full release, back in 2011. For a decade now, one of the most revered end-game items is the potion. The moment a player knows they are reaching the endgame is when they brew their first potion.

But, are potions really all that?

Usage of Potions in General

In order to brew potions, a player must have successfully been in and out of a Nether Fortress, one of the game's rarer and tougher generated structures. The integral ingredient in potion-making is Blaze Powder, which can only be obtained from Blazes. Netherwart, the other key ingredient, is also only found in Nether Fortresses (and rarely Bastions). And then you need to memorise all the ingredients for the potions - each potion has an ingredient.

There are several potions in Minecraft. They include: Speed, Slowness, Strength, Healing, Harming, Jump Boost, Regeneration, Fire Resistance, Water Breathing, Invisibility, Night Vision, Weakness, Poison, and Slow Falling. 

These effects are temporary, lasting at most 8 minutes. Some of the more powerful effects last a lot less time, and the augmented potions last half the time. Considering how difficult these potions can be to obtain, the short length of these time limits render potions largely situational.

It is also worth noting that in 1.16, Fortresses became considerably rarer, and the Nether became a lot harder to traverse. As such, potions have become harder to obtain since 1.16. This may be seen as further limiting their already highly-situational usage, as potions have become even more end-game than they were before.

What I want to do now is review each potion individually, assessing how easy it is to obtain and whether or not they are actually useful in any situation at all.

A Review of Each Potion

Speed (Swiftness)

Me personally, I have never brewed this potion. Sprinting is enough to outrun just about everything, and using valuable blaze powder and netherwart on such a minor buff seems completely counter-intuitive to me. I don't see any situation where this would be useful and worth the resources, and even used in general, I don't see why. By the time you obtain this potion, you'll be more than strong enough to take down most enemies.

VERDICT: USELESS

Slowness

This potion exists only as a counterpart to Swiftness, and it's probably even more useless. As a negative-effect potion, you would make this into a splash potion. And who the hell is going to use this against another mob or player. What is fast enough to need a small bit of slowness which is only a minor debuff anyway?

VERDICT: USELESS

Strength

The thing is, there are so many enchantments that provide the player with additional strength, such as Sharpness, Cleaving, Impaling, and Power. And yes, while this potion DOES stack with these enchantments, there are very few enemies in the game tough enough to warrant the use of this potion. I've only ever used it when fighting the Wither for the first time in a Minecraft world. Other than that, it's essentially useless. Again, by the time you obtain it you probably have very decent gear. It may be used in a Raid or something, but Raids can still be somewhat easily beaten without this Potion if you have decent gear.

VERDICT: ALMOST USELESS

Healing

This potion is good for instant health, which may be useful in PVP settings. Again, as potions are so end-game, by the time you have this you probably already have protection. It may be useful if you are truly overwhelmed to buy you a few extra seconds. But again, I only use this when fighting the Wither. It MAY be useful in a Raid or in a Bastion, but only if you don't have other great gear to make up for it. It can also be used as a splash potion against undead mobs, but when are you ever going to use this?

VERDICT: SLIGHTLY USEFUL IN SOME SETTINGS

Harming

The negative counterpart to Healing, this is only used in PVP settings, really. Seriously when will you actually throw splash potions of harming at enemies in-game?

VERDICT: USELESS

Jump Boost

VERDICT: USELESS

Regeneration

This one IS slightly more useful, but again, only in PVP, emergencies and tough situations such as fighting the Wither or Ender Dragon. There is a common theme here. Most of the potions that have any amount of usefulness are only used in one of the game's two bossfights.

VERDICT: USEFUL IN SOME SETTINGS

Fire Resistance

THIS is a potion that I would actually brew. I NEVER go into the Nether without Fire Resistance once I have it. This is a MUST-HAVE in the Nether, as it can get you out of SO many emergencies, and it can make you resistant to blaze fireballs and fires. You can even use it to swim in lava if you don't have a saddle for a Strider. In fact, I'd almost argue this potion is TOO powerful at times. DO NOT SKIP THIS POTION!!

VERDICT: VERY USEFUL!

Water Breathing

This potion is a must-have for one, and only one, situation: Ocean Monuments. Other than that, it's totally useless.

VERDICT: VERY SITUATIONAL

Invisibility

This is one of the few potions that can be gained early-game, although doing so is incredibly tough and takes a lot of time and patience. While the potion itself does allow you to hide from mobs, and may be useful in some settings like a Bastion, you can also survive mobs by having good gear and being inside. This DOES have more use in certain structures, however.

VERDICT: USEFUL IN SOME SETTINGS

Night Vision

I have never even brewed one of these. In the current game, this potion is totally useless outside of Ocean Monuments. However, this could be about to change. With the addition of Mega Caves coming in 1.18, this could make Night Vision potions actually extremely useful for spotting ores and mobs from far away, and in ceilings of caves. I feel in the coming months, this potion is going to become 10 times more useful.

VERDICT: ALMOST USELESS....... FOR NOW

Weakness

This potion has one legitimate use: curing Zombie Villagers. I applaud a negative potion for HAVING a use in the first place. I personally have never bothered curing a Zombie Villager, but it is something others do from time-to-time I guess.

VERDICT: VERY SITUATIONAL

Poison

Yup.

VERDICT: USELESS

Slow Falling

This is the newest potion in the game, and I must say this potion IS surprisingly useful. This potion saved my arse on multiple occasions in the End and in the Nether. I'd almost say it is a must-have, ESPECIALLY in the End Cities. But also in the Nether, where one of the biggest hazards is fall damage. It can also be used to counter being yeeted by the Ender Dragon, if you can't MLG water bucket. This is a good potion.

VERDICT: USEFUL

Lingering Potions? Tipped Arrows?

VERDICT: USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS

Final Verdict

As you can see here, there are literally only TWO potions that I would consider useful in a lot of situations. I don't think there is ANY potion that will help you out a lot in the Overworld, unless you are entering an Ocean Monument or fighting the Wither.

In my opinion, potions have not aged too well at all. Enchantments, which were added alongside potions, have become the clear winner in usage in-game. This could be because potions are a lot more endgame, and they have been superseded by beacons, as well as enchantments which are basically permanent in the Mending age. 

It is also worth noting that, unlike Enchantments, Potions have seen minimal updates since their addition almost 10 years ago. Only TWO potions have been added in the last 7 years! TWO! The Jump Boost and Slow Falling and-

Oh my gosh I forgot one. It's SO useless I forgot it was even in the game!! Imagine if after 7 years they FINALLY add the much-requested Resistance Potion, but it also gives you Slowness IV! I'm pretty sure that Turtle potion was only added as a joke.

So yeah, Potions? Not aged too well. In their current state, other than Slow Falling and Fire Resistance, they are at best highly situational or mildly useful in some circumstances. But a rather large percentage of them, totally useless.