To get the When Pigs Fly achievement, you need to saddle a pig, climb on, and ride it off a drop tall enough that the pig takes fall damage. The trick is that the fall damage gets dealt to the pig you're riding, and as long as the pig gets hurt from the fall while you're on its back, the achievement pops. You don't have to die, and the pig doesn't strictly need to die either. It just needs to take fall damage.

This is not available in all Minecraft versions.

What You Need First

There are only two real requirements, and one of them is the part that trips people up.

• A saddle. You can't craft a saddle, so you have to find one. Saddles are found in dungeon chests, which are hidden rooms with monster spawners and loot. They also show up in other generated chests like in Nether fortresses, desert temples, jungle temples, fishing, and bartering with piglins, but dungeon chests are the classic spot.

  • Leatherworker villagers at Expert Level will also sell saddles.

  • Ravagers during raids can drop a saddle when defeated.

• A pig. Easy enough. Pigs spawn in grassy, well-lit overworld areas. Grab some carrots, potatoes, or beetroot to lead it where you want it.

A carrot on a stick is optional but makes life way easier. Craft it from a fishing rod and a carrot, and you can steer the pig by holding it and looking where you want to go. Without it, the pig wanders wherever it wants and you're just along for the ride.

How to Saddle and Ride a Pig

1. Find or lead a pig to where you want it.

2. With the saddle in your hand, right-click the pig to put the saddle on it.

3. Right-click the pig again (empty hand or with the saddle) to climb on its back.

4. If you have a carrot on a stick, hold it and look in the direction you want the pig to walk. Wherever you look, the pig moves in that direction to chase the carrot.

One thing to know: saddling a pig doesn't let you control it by default. The saddle only lets you sit on it. The carrot on a stick is what actually steers it.

How to Make the Pig Take Fall Damage

This is the actual achievement step. You need a drop that hurts the pig.

You need to fall a distance greater than five blocks while riding the pig for the achievement to count. Fall damage in Minecraft starts after three blocks, but to be safe and guarantee the trigger, aim for a drop of at least 5 to 6 blocks. Here's the key detail that makes this work: when you ride a pig off a height, the fall damage is transferred to the pig instead of you.

You've got two easy ways to set this up.

Option 1: Use a Natural Cliff

1. Saddle your pig near the edge of a cliff or steep drop at least 6 blocks tall.

2. Climb on and use the carrot on a stick to steer it off the edge. If you don't have one, position the pig and push it off, then jump on quickly before it falls.

3. The pig takes the fall damage on landing, and the achievement unlocks.

Option 2: Build a Drop Tower

If there's no good cliff nearby, just build one. This is honestly the most reliable method.

1. Fence off a small area so your pig can't wander off and despawn.

2. Build a platform about 6 blocks high with steps or blocks leading up to it.

3. Lead the pig up to the top using food or a carrot on a stick, then break the blocks you climbed up with so the pig stays put.

4. Saddle the pig, hop on, and ride it off the edge with the carrot on a stick.

The drop can be safely simulated by building a small structure to intentionally drop from, so you don't need to risk a huge fall or hunt for the perfect mountain.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

• The drop is too short. If nothing happens, your fall wasn't tall enough. Make it 6 blocks or more so the pig definitely takes damage.

• You fell off the pig mid-fall. You need to still be riding the pig when it gets hurt. Stay mounted the whole way down.

• The pig despawns or wanders away. Keep it in a fenced pen while you set everything up, and use food or a carrot on a stick to control it.

• You took the damage instead of the pig. This usually means you weren't actually mounted. Make sure you're riding it, not standing next to it.

Quick Recap

Find a saddle in a dungeon chest, saddle a pig, ride it off a drop of at least 5 to 6 blocks, and let the pig eat the fall damage. A carrot on a stick makes steering painless, and a quick 6-block tower works just as well as any cliff. Do that and When Pigs Fly is yours.