[MCPE-228173] Unloading the Wither during its second phase can result in an invisible projectile shield

The Wither’s shield can become invisible when the boss becomes unloaded and then reloaded while retaining its intended purpose to block projectiles, which can confuse players, especially new players.

Steps to Reproduce:

Spawn the Wither.
Damage it until it reaches half-health.
Have it become unloaded and wait.
Move back toward the Wither to reload it.

Expected Result:

The Wither's shield remains visible.

Actual Result:

The Wither's shield becomes invisible.

Note: This bug is inconsistent and may not always be triggered by the steps above, implying that it's triggered under more specific circumstances I've yet to uncover.

Linked issues

duplicates 1

MCPE-187724 The wither will do its spawn animation every time a world is reloaded or when it is rendered when approaching it. Open

Attachments

Comments 2

GoldenHelmet 2025-09-20T18:36:56Z

We can only track one issue per report. I have removed the information about the other wither bug you described from this report.

GoldenHelmet 2025-09-23T01:13:58Z

What is actually happening, is that when the the wither is re-rendered after being un-rendered the client plays its spawn animation. After the spawn animation, the shield disappears. We are tracking this issue at (MCPE-187724).