10 best banner designs in Minecraft

Minecraft introduced the ability to customize banners many updates ago, but the community is still coming up with interesting designs for them to this day. Thanks to the various patterns available, along with color combinations and layering, the possibilities for players to create unique designs are virtually endless. This has all resulted in some truly awe-inspiring creations being shared over the years.

In many ways, a banner pattern is an expression of the player using it in Minecraft. It can be applied both on banners directly and even on shields. Along with the new armor trimming feature introduced in the 1.20 update, banner patterns are one of the surest means of showing off a player’s personal flair.

If Minecraft fans are looking for some great banner patterns to get started with or to use as inspiration, there’s certainly no lack of options.

10 banner patterns worth creating as of Minecraft 1.20

1) Hylian Shield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA6PrT1Eq4U

There are few video game shields more iconic than the Hylian Shield in The Legend of Zelda series, and plenty of players have been able to recreate the design in Minecraft.

By using an assortment of blue and yellow patterns on a blue banner with a red flower charge and gray bordure, the legendary shield of the Hero of Hyrule can be in a player’s hands.

Banner Recipe

1. Blue Banner
2. Red Flower Charge
3. Blue Per Fess
4. Yellow Inverted Chevron
5. Blue Chief
6. Light Gray Bordure Indented

2) Spider

For a less heroic and more sinister approach to a banner pattern, this design featuring a black spider on a red backdrop may fit nicely. With a heavy dose of red and black patterning across multiple layers, this spider banner cuts a very intimidating visage that may just warn off any potential intruders.

Spiders are well-known for lying in wait for their prey to enter their territory, and hostiles that see this banner may very well understand the imagery.

Banner Recipe

1. Red Banner
2. Black Paly
3. Black Skull Charge
4. Black Snout
5. Black Roundel
6. Red Bordure Indented
7. Black Bordure Indented

3) Ice Dragon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rV2lEVnQmA

Dragons have certainly grown to be a sizable part of Minecraft’s mythos, thanks not only to the Ender Dragon but also to many fantasy mods. All in all, the symbolism of dragons is one that inspires respect and ferocity.

Plus, this particular dragon pattern by JONII on YouTube would fit perfectly within a cold weather biome.

Banner Recipe

1. Black Banner
2. White Cross
3. Black Field Masoned
4. Light Blue Flower Charge
5. White Flower Charge
6. Black Inverted Chevron

4) The End

The End is a fairly mysterious dimension inhabited by few besides the Ender Dragon, endermen, and the occasional shulker. However, that hasn’t stopped some players from setting up a home in the space-like location, and adding the right banner can mark a new home within the region.

This pattern leans heavily on the existing black and purple color scheme made popular by the likes of the Ender Dragon, endermen, and even endermites. It’s a design that’s as mysterious as the dimension it takes inspiration from.

Banner Recipe

1. Black Banner
2. Purple Chevron
3. Purple Inverted Chevron
4. Black Saltire
5. Black Cross
6. Purple Flower Charge
7. Black Bordure

5) Fanged Skull

Much like the spider banner pattern, players sometimes need to send an intimidating message. This fanged skull should certainly do the trick in that regard, and it likely pairs perfectly on a shield used in PvP combat.

That isn’t the only application of this design, though, as it can also be ideal for wicked bases or even a well-made pirate ship.

Banner Recipe

1. Black Banner
2. White Flower Charge
3. Black Chevron
4. Black Pale Dexter
5. Black Pale Sinister
6. White Skull Charge
7. Black Chief

6) Creeper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxWaeI5FwDo

The name Minecraft is simply synonymous with the image of the creeper, so much so that Mojang uses the creature heavily in its advertising. Since this is the case, why not continue the creeper’s legacy by emblazoning it on a shield or banner?

Sure, this may not give the banner/shield explosive powers, but the design is as iconic as they come.

Banner Recipe

1. Lime Green Banner
2. Black Creeper Charge

7) Taco

Although there are tons of food items to choose from in vanilla Minecraft, some tasty snacks are still missing.

A taco is just one example, but the good news is that players can at least slap a taco on their banner or shield if they’d like. It won’t fill the hunger bar, but it may just let other players know a fan’s food preference.

Banner Recipe

1. Gray Banner
2. Orange Skull Charge
3. Lime Flower Charge
4. Red Globe
5. Yellow Thing
6. Yellow Roundel
7. Black Per Fess Inverted

8) Pokeball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iUt06yvxUk

Much like the Hyilian Shield, the red/black/white color scheme of a Pokeball from the Pokemon series is incredibly iconic in gaming. The popularity of the franchise has even reached Minecraft in various forms, thanks to mods like Pixelmon.

If players are hoping to bring a little Pocket Monsters flair into the game, this design may be worth using.

Banner Recipe

1. Red Banner
2. White Per Fess Inverted
3. Gray Lozenge
4. Black Pale
5. Red Chief
6. White Base
7. White Roundel

9) Gray Fox

Foxes are quite cunning creatures, both in the real world and in Minecraft. This design takes on the visage of a gray fox, which unfortunately doesn’t exist as a mob in the game yet.

Regardless, this collection of gray banner patterns should show others that the user of this design has a few tricks up their sleeves and the guile to back them up.

Banner Recipe

1. White Banner
2. Black Lozenge
3. Light Gray Bordure Indented
4. Gray Roundel
5. Light Gray Creeper Charge
6. Light Gray Inverted Chevron

10) Sakura Dragon

Cherry/Sakura trees have always had a lasting appeal, which explains why so many mods introduced them over the years. Fortunately, Mojang finally implemented them as a feature in the 1.20 Trails & Tales update, thanks to the introduction of the cherry grove biome.

If players are searching for a banner design that strikes a balance between fitting nicely in a cherry grove and still using a draconic visual, this is certainly one worth crafting.

Banner Recipe

1. Pink Banner
2. Black Cross
3. Black Chevron
4. Pink Flower Charge
5. Black Flower Charge
6. Gray Inverted Chevron
7. Gray Bordure Indented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scj_NNurT9g

This design may not be intimidating in the way that the ice dragon design is, but it can be quite cute and fit the Trails & Tales update magnificently.