Echo shards are a unique item that was added in Minecraft’s The Wild Update in June 2022. That update introduced the Deep Dark biome, a creepy underground area where Ancient Cities can be found.

If you explore these cities, you might come across chests that contain echo shards. These little items might not seem like much at first, but they are actually used to craft something really useful called the Recovery Compass. This special compass points you to the spot where you last died, which is a huge help if you need to recover your items.

In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know regarding echo shards in Minecraft.

Finding Echo Shards

Step 1: Find the Deep Dark Biome

The Deep Dark is a rare biome that generates far underground in the Overworld. It usually forms in areas with low erosion, so it only shows up beneath specific types of terrain. The biome is extremely dark, with very little natural light. Most of the light comes from sculk catalysts and the occasional lava pool.

You will have the best chance of finding the Deep Dark underneath:

Jagged peaks
Stony peaks
Frozen peaks
Snowy slopes
Groves and cherry groves
Meadows
Savanna plateaus

The Deep Dark never generates beneath the following areas:

Oceans
Rivers
Swamps
Deserts

A clear sign that you have entered the Deep Dark is the presence of sculk blocks. These blocks have a dark bluish green color with faint glowing patterns.

Be careful as you move through the area. Making too much noise can trigger sculk shriekers, which may summon the Warden, a powerful and dangerous mob that is very hard to defeat.

Step 2: Locating an Ancient City

Ancient Cities only generate at very low depths, usually around Y level -51. To find one, you will need to mine deep underground or explore the lowest parts of large cave systems. If you are playing on Java Edition, press F3 to open the debug screen and check your current Y level.

Keep in mind that not every Deep Dark biome will have an Ancient City. They are extremely rare, so finding one takes patience and plenty of exploration.

A good sign that you are getting close is the appearance of deepslate bricks, which are used in the city’s structures.

Step 3: Looting Echo Shards

Once you find an Ancient City, keep an eye out for chests scattered throughout the area. These chests can contain all kinds of loot, but the main item you are looking for is the echo shard. You will need eight echo shards and one compass to craft a Recovery Compass.

Each chest in the city has about a 29% chance of containing echo shards.

If you are having trouble finding chests, try heading toward the large structure in the center of the city that resembles the Warden. That area usually has more loot and a better chance of finding what you need.

Move carefully while exploring. The Warden can still be summoned here, and unless you are fully geared and ready for a serious fight, it is best to stay quiet and avoid making too much noise.

Creating a Recovery Compass

After exploring the Ancient City and collecting eight echo shards, you are ready to craft a Recovery Compass. You will also need one regular compass, so make sure you have that in your inventory.

The Recovery Compass is a unique item that points to the location where you last died. It only works if you are in the same dimension where the death occurred. If you have not died yet or are in a different dimension, the compass will spin randomly.

To craft it, open your crafting table, then place the items in the following layout:

Once crafted, the Recovery Compass will help guide you back to your lost items if you ever die while exploring.

Using Commands

If you have commands or cheats enabled in your world and want to make things easier, you can use a few helpful in-game commands.

Locating the Deep Dark

/locate biome deep_dark

This command will display the coordinates of the nearest Deep Dark biome in your chat.
Click the coordinates and press Enter to teleport there instantly.

Finding an Ancient City

/locate strcutre ancient_city

This will show you the location of the closest Ancient City. Click on the coordinates in chat and press Enter to teleport there quickly.

Using the Give Command

/give [your_player_name] minecraft:echo_shard [amount]

This command gives the specified player a set number of echo shards. Make sure to replace [your_player_name] with the actual Minecraft username of the player you're giving the shards to.

Example: /give Steve minecraft:echo_shard 8

This command will give the player named Steve eight echo shards.

Changing Your Gamemode

/gamemode creative

Then open your inventory, search for echo shard, and drag it into your hotbar. This is a quick way to collect items or explore without limitations.

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