Music Discs: Minecraft's Trickiest Item | Deep Dive

The music discs are a challenging thing to understand from a lore perspective. But I have put it off long enough - it's time to see what secrets they hold!
Since I forgot to mention it in the video, this refers to Java edition.
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Music by RetroGamingNow:
"Disc Overture"
"The Depths" - • "The Depths" - Music b...
"A Secret Mission (Outro Theme)" - • "A Secret Mission (Out...

[@Basegud]

Imagine Star Wars where during a battle the camera cuts to an orchestra playing off to the side and then back to the battle. That would be hilarious

[@WobblesandBean]

You mean like in Blazing Saddles?

[@basmus]

Would love to see that in the scenes of the attack on the death star

[@Basegud]

@AnteriorGrain9 yep

[@Minalkra]

... I'm pretty sure something like that happened in Space Balls.

[@grogpoptart]

@@Minalkra yes

[@alba6953]

Fun facts: Discs don't have subtitles unlike every other diagetic sound in the game.

[@damienfinnegan8272]

it's probably just a developer oversight

[@yoshi6584]

@@damienfinnegan8272 oversight

[@lukesyluke289]

I don’t think a Minecart has subtitles but only if you’re NOT in it

[@eggl_rd]

i mean, they kinda do? that rainbow text that flashes when a disc is put in a jukebox

[@TheKnewGreg]

Continuous sounds in Minecraft don't have subtitles because the game doesn't have systems for checking if a sound is playing, only that the sound event has occurred. This is why sounds made by mobs don't follow the mobs. As soon as the sound starts playing, the game has no way of knowing if it's still playing (for the most part anyway) jukeboxes don't really need subtitles because if they did, you'd only be able to see them for the first few seconds of the song And since you can edit/replace the music disc audio with resource packs, the game can't consistently keep track of how long the song should be, which is also why (in the java edition at least) there are no systems for detecting if a jukebox is currently "Playing" music, only if it has a disc in it

[@metrophidon]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the fact that parrots dance when a music disc is played.

[@fyroboi2053]

Cuz they just vibe on the beat on it , and not think of any lore behind it XD

[@flaminup]

@@fyroboi2053 no but the parrots are proof that the discs can be heard by other mobs meaning they are diagenic

[@fyroboi2053]

@@flaminup I'm just joking

[@hedgehog3180]

@@flaminup You're right but also you rarely ever need to prove whether or not sound is diegetic. The distinction is a tool for analysis not something that matters for the lore of a story, it originates from film theory and the point is to distinguish between the sound that's meant to inform the mood of a scene vs the sound that's meant to be part of a story. This is so that when analyzing a scene we can better understand what the purpose of the soundtrack was, like a swelling orchestra is probably meant to reinforce an emotion to the audience that is relevant to the scene. Meanwhile a car horn is meant to be part of the story and might be important to the plot.

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

@@flaminup *diegetic

[@mf6610]

“Don’t make a theory more interesting than the facts suggest” Matpat: I’m gonna pretend I didn’t see that

[@jackpijjin4088]

"MUSIC DISCS is SANS FNAF???!"

[@teeniekat4865]

Accurate lol

[@niftylittlename]

Well, he makes them interesting so good for him. And without MatPat i probably would've never watched this channel

[@niftylittlename]

@@mf6610 i am aware, are you aware that he makes the absurd theories for fun and openly doesnt believe in them?

[@rainpooper7088]

@@niftylittlename For fun and a bit of monetary compensation that is, don’t act like he’s getting nothing out of his videos getting clicked a lot due to a crazy title or him mentioning the brand name in every video. And if by „openly not believing in his theories“, you mean saying stuff like „Mario 100% uses his happy go lucky It’s-a-me demeanor to hide the fact that he’s a gruesome psychopath“ in the actual video and then going „lol it’s just for funsies“ in some off time thing that none of the casual viewers watch, then yeah, sure. Too bad that does nothing to solve the actual problem of children taking his videos as fact and annoying the crap out of everybody by spreading misconceptions that can be easily debunked by actually playing the damn games for more than the five seconds he took out of context to support his foregone conclusions. This last part is why people mock him so much, not because they think he actually believes in all the bs he‘s spread across the internet in his time.

[@blueorion4404]

C418 said that he imagines it as C418 in the game being a monster that runs around and records music My theory is that the c418 monster can make a wide variety of sounds with it's mouth thus the weird instrument sounds

[@venomousfrog5546]

The best part is that it would be a good explanation for the creepy disc's (especially the broken one), as it could be the sound equipment having been yoinked, and the persueing force is C418.

[@singletona082]

A twisted and mutated Builder that still retains some knowledge and a love of composing? I could buy it.

[@PeanutbutterHobgoblin]

This theory is very interesting

[@grace1753]

Food for thought, at least. 🤷‍♀️

[@aCrazyGandW]

Link?

[@muscleman125]

If you play 13 and then start 11 as 13 ends, it continues into 11 perfectly. It tells a story of a miner entering a cave, getting lost, trying to find his way out, and being chased by something, at the end he screams help me.

[@finlandball8811]

When i was younger i thought that the Guy chasin in disc 13 was Herobrine but my friend told me Herobrine wasnt known. So he told me it was an Enderman

[@cookiecopter]

@@finlandball8811 Wifies made a video about disc 13 ig few weeks ago

[@finlandball8811]

Ok i havent whatched that

[@owlismyfavouritecolorflame2325]

@@finlandball8811 its actually c418 chasing a dude who stole his music equipment

[@le.banana]

@@owlismyfavouritecolorflame2325 lol

[@bigotis9042]

You're an og if you remember when the disc "wait" was called "where are we now"

[@SniperOnSunday]

I remember that.

[@youdidthistome2650]

hey i remember that, i don't know why they changed it

[@reneablackheart9563]

That one used to be my favorite besides cat

[@butterflyexists]

did they change it, or was it just the xbox edition?

[@bigotis9042]

@@butterflyexists I think they changed it

[@hunter_does_art]

"I'm not going to create a theory more interesting than the facts suggest." And this is why we watch RGN instead of Game Theory

[@h-bitgraphics3858]

I watch both though-

[@jacobwilks9204]

I'm just sitting thinking about the part where RGN asked if Pigstep was a work song. It makes me think of an Ancient Builder putting Pigstep in a jukebox in front of a bunch of Piglins and just dancing along with it just saying, "Oh yeah!", and, "Isn't this good?", in an attempt to get the Piglins to work, and after a minute, him just saying, "Doesn't this make you want to work in the mines?", while the whole time, the Piglins just stare at him.

[@cherenmertens]

I like em both either way

[@RossLemon]

MatPat seriously jumps to conclusions, makes massive assumptions, and reaches very far when it comes to some of his theory videos.

[@masterdeetectiv9520]

@@jacobwilks9204 pigstep causes the rise of the proletariat

[@noahryan1988]

What if creepers were secretly spies and their discs were just intel they recorded while out on missions. It would also explain why they explode when you get to close to them, as it could compromise their organization/faction. Even further, it would explain their green coat and they'd need grassy-looking camouflage to remain undetached. Food for thought. Edit: This would also explain why they travel under the cover of darkness even though they don't burn up in sunlight like many of the other hostile mobs as they don't want to be seen by enemy forces and have their mission compromised.

[@gamorandgamorellemcgamey3197]

Oh yeah.......

[@heathermoyer99]

Love this logic

[@deepthoughtswithpaul604]

Yes, and only skeletons are allowed to access the intel. They (skeletons) do seem to be the smartest common mob. This seems to fit with discs 11 and 13, but doesn't make as much sense for the other musical disks.

[@tuccig0813]

That’s good

[@SeatbeltSam69]

I’m an international…. SUPER SPYYYYY!!!

[@joelcolegrove]

Since all skeletons use bows they must have been trained as skilled archers and hunters during life. Maybe they know how to kill creepers without destroying the valuable treasure inside them?

[@user-mk9zp3xs8r]

They never actually aim for the creepers, but player makes creeper stand between them and skeleton

[@prediculous8059]

@@user-mk9zp3xs8r Maybe it's just a nod than it is a literal thing. Maybe in life, they were able to shoot creepers without completely destroying it, so the same goes for when they are dead

[@Awesomeflame16]

Meh I think that's just a game thing. Not all skeletons should have bows so I think Mojang should make it so they don't

[@GMYSTERYICTNF]

When a skeleton fires an arrow we can't pick it up When a player fires an arrow we can pick it up Does this mean that Skeltons changes the type of arrow when they fire it? I mean Wither Skeltons do, they turn arrows into fire arrows when equipped with a bow. And Strays all fire Slowness arrows(i know they drop slowness arrows but they also drop normal arrows, which either means they have it and don't use it or it means they convert normal arrows into slowness arrows)

[@prediculous8059]

@@GMYSTERYICTNF I just thought of it as a game mechanic. If they were able to farm Arrows without killing the middleman, that would be a lot. Though it's weird how Wither Skeletons and Strays have different Effects on arrows. The Stray makes some sense because of the cold, but Wither Skeletons don't, since normal skeletons spawn in the Nether and they don't have flaming arrows

[@TheOGSB817]

so appearently in bedrock u can find "mellohi" and "wait" in buried treasure.

[@beyondobscure]

that's never mentioned and i hate it. mellohi and wait are in treasure though and they're some of my favorites.

[@amaahda]

@@beyondobscure the video might refer to just java, like his old videos say. plus, he said that he only talks about things that are in both versions, and that if you have to talk about one version over the other, it doesnt matter.

[@jacobwilks9204]

@@beyondobscure stal and ward are my favorites

[@urmom-mt1xr]

I can say as a bedrock player that this is true.

[@masterdeetectiv9520]

Thats so random lol, why just those discs Sometimes the parity differences between the versions just make no sense Scratch that, not sometimes, many times

[@Aziara86]

What if creepers were made to be mobile jukeboxes? They see you, think you look like the old Builders... but they've so old they blow up when they try to play the disc for you. The skeleton *was* a Builder, and so maybe they have a very specific way of firing the arrow that the player doesn't use. A particular way of disabling a malfunctioning mobile jukebox without damaging the music.

[@mylescarley32]

The music editing to this is as fantastic as the music discs themselves.

[@LFCfan94]

Shuut ithoooik Asamyles pCarlpee

[@LFCfan94]

myleyesneedbleach carpee

[@paste11z64]

@@RetroGamingNow One theory i have about the creepers and skeletons is that skeletons and creepers spawn together in groups a lot more than any other mob group. And it is a reach, but what if, because of them spawning together, they have some sort of connection. A way they could be connected is NOT their souls or experience power. Every mob has both, but due to to skeletons and creepers spawn together, they are connected at a higher level from where they come from. So when a creeper is killed by a skeleton, it triggers something in the creeper to drop a music disk. Another theory I have is creepers are in fact man made. For what reason, maybe for easier mining or destroying. Or something else. But they are man made due to its biological anatomy from Mojang, showing it has tnt inside it. And as we know, tnt is man made as well. Abd this connects my first theory as the music disks were put in creepers for some reason by the master builders. But it can only be obtained now by a certain way, something has to be triggered. And being killed by a skeleton so happens to be that trigger. Obviously these are kind of a stretch, and I have to do more research, but ya!

[@chasethemaster3440]

Facts

[@n77y93]

I think Minecraft’s lore is connected to the real world and even acknowledges it’s a fictional universe in a semi-paradoxical way. I think it’s lore could be connected to even its creators, the device it’s running on, and even you the player.

[@ROVERLORDD_]

@@SlyStallion12 me too please !

[@jq_8673]

@@SlyStallion12 I'd also want to see this

[@alvarmarcosrusinol2654]

@@SlyStallion12 me too please!

[@randomanimatorandgamer9392]

@@SlyStallion12 yes please

[@comicserif9283]

This is what some people think they're gonna pull with the minecraft movie with the protagonist having been rumored to be a "teenage girl" and all, like it'll be within minecraft but as a virtual environment in story. I have a feeling it will take place in the same canonicity as characters like M.A.R.I.L.L.A (The old computer AI narrator in a Mojang Studios closet from the Top 10 Facts series on the Minecraft youtube channel)

[@RailfoxStudios]

Just a thought: Many zombies are what remains of the ancient builders. What about skeletons? They are obviously powered more by magic rather than fungi, but the skeletons come across as smarter than zombies, at least by a small margin. Skeletons have been using tools long before zombies have, and maybe over time they managed to “teach” them to wield shovels and what-not, but skeletons had bows and arrows since day 1. I can’t help but think the skeletons know something…such as where specifically they can aim to get creepers to drop their discs. The skeletons aren’t on your side obviously. But they seem like they retain memories from their previous existence, even if it’s only in shreds here and there. They don’t remember what it was like to have humanity but they do remember how to use bows and arrows, which is kind of complex for a dead thing to remember. Zombie fingers no doubt struggle to use their own weapons effectively, they obviously have rigor mortis. Skeletons haven’t got stiffening flesh to slow them down, and bows do take some considerable coordination to use. Not to mention they have reasonably good aim. Maybe in that moment, when a creeper ends up in their line of fire, something about the sight reminds the skeleton of more hidden knowledge. “If I shoot this creeper in this spot, it will die and drop a disc.” The skeleton has no idea what a disc is or why it knows this specific piece of info. But, curiosity strikes in that split second, and they are generally compelled to do this strange thing and see what happens. In that moment, they are acting on one part instinct and one part forgotten secrets known only to the ancient builders.

[@ladybugscanswim]

I like this explanation

[@andrewoutcalt7625]

If skeletons are reanimated Builders who remember the nature of Creepers perhaps Creepers are ancient constructs like the Guardians? Desert temples have Creeper faces on them and TNT...

[@masterdeetectiv9520]

Skeletons are definitely smarter than zombies. They actively try to avoid sunlight and have god like strafes However i disagree with the ‘compelled to shoot’ thing. All skeleton shots hit on a creeper are accidental, it doesnt change its behaviour when it happens

[@RailfoxStudios]

@@masterdeetectiv9520 I know, but it’s the only explanation I can think of for why the creeper only drops a disc if shot by a skeleton.

[@Max.7199]

ZOMBIES ARE JUST SKELETONS COVERED IN GUACOMOLE

[@FogzArt]

And now there are two new ones… and the deep dark disc is DEFINITELY lore heavy

[@Milkthatsock]

The part about “not everything is thumbnail ready hype” really solidifies you as a great theorist we can get behind, you’re willing to let people down when there isn’t much there, for the sake of tegridy in your work, huge respect

[@janemoffet7406]

I agree with this not everything need to be perfectly explained. It be nice but if it cant be done or it can only be done unreasonably then don't.

[@samurexatlas7373]

Disc 11 is someone hunted, and 13 is a graveyard with rattling chains they sound.

[@captainsprinkles6557]

I believe that they’re connected

[@omen4s976]

and both played at the same time is disc 12

[@fncinder1415]

I see your opinion, however the music itself is from retuned cave sounds. There were 13 cave sounds at the time, hence the name.

[@Natural_Power]

They both have cuts where the other fits It's just a guy going mining kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYrKZZ2japtpn7s

[@diamondcubey8464]

Retro made a video and 13s ringing sound is a unused cave noise, so maybe 13 is the cave noise heard when the 11 character is running

[@lasercraft32]

Strangely enough, if a Wither Skeleton somehow kills a Creeper it will also drop a music disc. All types of Skeletons work, even though you would never feasibly be able to get a Wither Skeleton to kill a Creeper unless you spawned one in artificially holding a bow.

[@gg.1739]

It's not possible under normal circumstances because wither skeletons (and all mobs that can pick up a bow besides a normal skeleton) can't shoot a bow if they pick it up; they'll use the bow as if it was a melee because wither skeletons, zombies, etc are designed as melee enemies. Drowned are also able to throw tridents, but skeletons can't throw tridents

[@lasercraft32]

@@gg.1739 Wither Skeletons can shoot a bow if they are holding it. You're thinking of _crossbows_ (which neither Skeletons or Wither Skeletons can use). If you summon a Wither Skeleton holding a bow with commands they can fire it because they have almost the same exact coding as normal skeletons (if you give a normal skeleton a sword they will melee attack like a Wither Skeleton). Its zombies that can't use bows when picked up. This is why its important to fact check. You are _almost_ correct, but not quite.

[@TheZombiesAreComing]

a Wither skeleton is still a skeleton, but with a different NBT tag

[@darianleyer5777]

"When all logical solutions fail, try an illogical one." - 'Deny Existence', a card form Magic: The Gathering

[@SniperOnSunday]

On the other hand: "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

[@darianleyer5777]

@@SniperOnSunday Tru.

[@aromanticfranziskavonkarma]

in other words, "time for planning has passed, it's time to bullshit"

[@jacobwilks9204]

@@aromanticfranziskavonkarma - Curly Bug 2021 (or 2022 idk) Either way, xD bro.

[@ignacioescandon5537]

Literally every time these come out I’m excited to watch them

[@ignacioescandon5537]

My night has been made RTG liked my comment *dances in subwoofer lullaby*

[@zakem]

Me too

[@geekie9532]

You literally spoke my thoughts!

[@ieiri7766]

i get creeped out but i still wanna watch lmao

[@Lancerious]

I’m thinking that with the whole “skeleton/stray shoot creeper for music disk” issue, we could go back to an earlier Minecraft lore video of yours and say that skeletons/strays are the Ancient Builders. Maybe the Ancient Builders have the knowledge to know to shoot a creeper to give a music disk to the player. My thought is that the creepers are somewhat mechanical, having the ability to explode and store a random music disk. Maybe the Ancient Builders created the creepers to store their music disks? There could be a mechanism that had the creepers drop music disks when a skeleton/stray kills them. And maybe most if the disks are “false trails” of sorts, distracting the player with some tune. The only “legitimate” disk the creepers drop is Disk 11, which could hint as some greater threat to the Minecraft universe. Same with Disk 13. Put together, Disks 11 and 13 create some type of story that could point at something greater. This is just my basic theory and it needs a fair amount of work, but it’s an idea :P

[@themelonman4303]

@Lancerious In bedrock edition the discs Mellohi and Wait both can be found in buried treasure chests. This suggests that the ancient builders created them, but it definitely confirms that they possessed them at one point and thought they had value.

[@thesecondsomeone]

i think for the Disks 11 and 13 its about an recording of Ancient Builder made when run away from the Apocalypse and they store it in the creeper that they grab with, but if thats the thing, how come disc 13 can be found in the Mansion?

[@Lancerious]

Wow, I was not expecting this to blow up at all- this is literally the first comment I've done that got some recognition. It's nice to know people read my comment and took it into account! That's never happened to me before ^^

[@hayushiii]

oh my god, i just typed out a comment and i scrolled down to see if anyone wrote the same thing and u literally even TYPED it the same way as me!! this just makes our theories much more plausible :)

[@Lucknitro]

In one of the Minecraft books we see an X-ray of a creeper and it has a brain and skeleton. Compare that to Guardians who don’t have that and look more machine like. Good theory, but sadly I think it has been disproven.

[@aspendotxyz]

when a skeleton fully extends its bow, it doesn’t do as much damage. my theory for the skeletons being the only way to get discs is simply that skeletons are weaker. they don’t have any muscle after all, so maybe the low damage, frequent shots are keeping the discs intact? just my opinion

[@darianleyer5777]

10:30 Perhaps the Skeletons and Strays just know where to aim to preserve the disc, while none others do. Alternately, Creepers are Illager creations, and Magic happens.

[@kiwiyaya1556]

I’m just gonna write down my random thoughts: 1. Isn’t it interesting that creepers are called “creepers” and not like TNT mob or something? Does that mean they’re creeping on us and the music disc is a hint to the fact that they’re watching us? I mean they sneak up behind you and destroy your build. 2. In one of the discs that sound like a recording there is a creeper face in it and i think you can hear a creeper exploding, so that probably ties to the creeper being able to give you a music disc somehow. 3. Skeleton bones almost make a musical sound, I’m not exactly sure what creepers are made out of (was it moss and gunpowder?) maybe the substances that skeletons and creepers are made out of have to do with the fact they give you music? 4. Is there an order to the music discs? Do their colors have any meaning or any specific order to them? Like rainbow order?

[@hanahani6791]

For the first question I think they are call creeper because they are very sneaky and you dont even notice it . For second question , I think its about a people been chase by a mysterious entities . Then became a creeper . For third question , That the skeleton is ancient people. Have you ever wonder why they have unlimited arrow but their bow are not enchanted . Its mean that the skeleton is not a normal people . And Mojang want a creeper to have camouflage so thats why they are green and maybe the skin is moss since creeper is ancient robot and same with iron and snow golem . For the last one , I have no Idea . Hope this help

[@ninja_tony]

They are called creepers because they creep up on you. It has nothing to do with "watching" you. I'm not sure if there's an order either, but that's a good question.

[@hanahani6791]

@@ninja_tony Thats litellarry the whole things that I tried to explain .

[@pepearown4968]

Stal and 11 are the same color. That’s the only connection that I can think of.

[@sahilonpc9250]

my guy tnt mob is the shittiest name ever using that as an excuse to explain your theory is pretty retarded

[@starrysock]

I doubt Notch had any lore in mind when he made creepers drop discs, really it was probably more of a placeholder than anything else, like how zombies used to drop feathers. Ofc it's still fun to come up with our own theories anyways, but there's always gonna be some pieces that just don't fit into the puzzle, so you can't stress too much about it

[@adakalyoncu1913]

İn disc 13, there is a sound effect of an old Alpha mc arrow shooting sound (the one played in the very old versions where you could spam click arrows) which comes with an echoe meaning that it was far.. there was no multiplayer at the time arrows made that sound. So it should probably be a skeleton. And then straight after that, there is an awkward silence and an explosion sound again fron afar, so unless there is some sort of redstone contraption, it should be a creeper

[@BackSet]

You ever notice how there's a music disc called 13 but when it was first introduced there were only 12 music disks, only being bumped up to 13 with the introduction of Pigstep.

[@QueenSlimeIsHot]

Yeah.

[@iammegan6626]

Interestingly, the Music disc Cat was put into the game about 2 years before Ocelots were added, as one of the first two music discs, the other being 13 (for the newer players, cats used to be tamed Ocelots)

[@Surfboarder4]

this reminds me of when we raved to pigstep

[@RetroGamingNow]

a great memory, but not a copyright-safe memory

[@pubby4155]

@@RetroGamingNow hi noob ;)

[@MinenArbeiterLP]

@@RetroGamingNow Say cheese📸

[@elysium_music]

We still do :)

[@tabegailfrancs1sc05]

@@RetroGamingNow her remember me?

[@KingBoiTheFirst]

Its lore solving time!

[@romeo4764]

Bacon hair , are we homies?

[@k7rize]

seems like it bro

[@swagatosarkar9664]

Mission failed we get em next time!

[@Smordor_Stormcrow]

I almost got jump scared by taco bell while watching this video RIP

[@jessicamortensen9466]

The only weird thing about this is that I found the music disc “wait” in a buried treasure chest

[@funfoxvlad7309]

That only happens in Bedrock edition, still, I don’t think he should ignore bedrock in these theories....

[@StudyingIsFun]

In Bedrock Edition, Mellohi and Wait are obtainable in buried treasure

[@Jadiaz-ev9hm]

​@@funfoxvlad7309you can theorize on Java, or you can theorize on Bedrock, but you can't mix and match them. Why? Microsoft has made them 2 distinct games with to much divergence. Java is the original and most closely aligned with Notch's vision. I'm not saying Bedrock is bad, just different.

[@Smordor_Stormcrow]

We all know that the villagers used to jam out with their Mellotrons every Tuesday night

[@RSCrushed]

It's always a good day when retro gaming uploads a video

[@dcincco]

Yes.

[@christophercallan6038]

You are so right

[@karthvaderkerman6524]

the music might be recorded by the upcoming 'warden' mob which records things by the skulk sensors spread around in the 'deep dark' caves. the guy in disc 11 might be exploring the 'deep dark' part of the caves which happened to had skulk sensors that recorded the fate of the explorer and the recording was later recovered by the ancient people or the 'warden'.

[@karthvaderkerman6524]

@Bert 238 the 'warden' is a mob that will be added in the next 1.18 update

[@karthvaderkerman6524]

@Bert 238 by Christmas probably

[@elenaflores3541]

What about the enderman sound?

[@LucyWest370]

Thats like 20 years of planning ahead. Unlikely.

[@hedgehog3180]

11 has been in the game since Alpha or Beta, not entirely sure which. There's no way those two things are connected.

[@rooploverence]

I know how the sounds of the discs were made! The builders had either lost instruments that could produce those sounds, or they had lost blocks that could make those sounds under a noteblock.

[@enderkiwi]

I think the discs could be explained in game without being an easter egg. Skeletons shooting creepers could have some magical touch and leave its disc unbroken. It could have some sort of undead seal that somehow unlocks the creeper or something. You can't pick up their arrows (and their arrows are infinite), so you know there is definitely something different about them. For the running part, maybe it was being recorded from the same room, but not being held. There are clear echos and as they run you can hear they quickly fade out. Maybe the enderman you heard in the disc was holding the recording device? The world of Minecraft is magical and you can never really rule anything out.

[@musasithole7783]

I'm here never miss this for a second

[@panir4235]

105 likes and I'm the first comment HOW .

[@DragonicYT]

Why Creepers Drop Music Discs: Music Discs were used to program/bring to life the artificially created creeper. Creepers were probably artificially constructed by the ancient builders in the desert temple since desert temples have creeper symbols on the chiseled sandstone in them. The music discs were created with the intention to program/bring to life these creepers, it might have just so happened that the music sounded nice (most of the time). On the music discs, they were used to program and animate the creeper. The code on the disc told them what to do (programmed to run from cats, how to walk, etc..) The skeleton is a descendant of the ancient builder so they still can access the music disc in the creeper if they accidentally kill them. Zombies in theory should be able to do the same thing. Zombies basically never attack the creeper though. (Probably the most logical sounding theory but there are a lot of assumptions)

[@dancemantra.]

Just saw your vid and now here lol

[@muchask2260]

_This._ So many people in the comments have suggested the "skeletons were the ancient builders, and thus built the creepers and/or know where to shoot" hypothesis but you, you went one step further and made sense of _why_ there would be discs in the creepers in the first place. The discs being their hard drives, is, I´d say, a great possibility. Your comment deserves more recognition

[@mikethegoo]

I think the skeletons have a lost technique to access the disks, which would tie into this really well, as well as zombies either probably being blown up if they attack a creeper, thus not doing it, or you needed to specifically use a bow to do it. This would also make it maybe semi-magic or some kind of physics thing in the game itself. The creepers being powered by sound, which means the disks internally spin to keep the creeper going. I also saw someone suggest that the disk instead stores valuable information that the builders wanted to keep out of the hands of others, and the creeped goes into a defense mode when confronting a player, destroying the disk when killed, but not caring for a "mindless" skeleton, thus just letting it have the disk, despite a player being around... I think that is flawed if the creeper gets killed from behind though, since it would need to know what killed it to react accordingly... That and I just thought of the volatile nature of the creeper. Why pill an Osama if you can also run away and explode as a last resort? BTW, this technique being lost also would explain why the player can't seem to get a disk. The technique needs to be learned or taught, since it's so complicated. The skeletons made it second nature by the time they died, but it's too hard to just do when you see it, or maybe even so subtle that you can't see it, maybe not even if you know what you're looking for. So the player can't even do it when watching a skeleton do it. That also explains why you can't just use their bow and arrow to do it... It's not about the kind of tool, but about the way you use it. Anyone CAN do it, but they just don't know HOW. The skeleton would either know how to do it because of their teachings, by accident, by the fact that they may have some difference in their vision or even their anatomy, which may make slightly different movements because of the fact they lack flesh and bones compared to the player.

[@Dante_The_Great]

The achievement/advancement "archer" Is the game telling you the best way to kill a creeper (by an arrow)

[@SamCrafter_]

My theory about creepers dropping discs is that skeletons used to be the best archers of all the ancient builders. Their shots are so precise that they can get the disc out of the creeper without destroying it.

[@myth4663]

I've compiled a bunch of theories and questions about this series so I'm just going to repost them in one on all these videos to increase the odds of them getting answered or maybe even made into videos 1. Do you think somewhere in the minecraft world there's a lost disk called disk 12? 2. something I want to know is what a respawn anchor is supposed to be because respawning is not something that actually happens in universe but with the bed its obvious that the actual in universe use is just for sleeping but the respawn anchor only sets a spawn point so what's it actually doing in the context of the world? 3. What are the differences between different forms of undeath? We see Zombies, husks, Zombie villagers, zombie horses, zoglins, zombie pigmen, and drowned who all just have decaying skin. Skeletons, wither skeletons, strays, and skeleton horses who just keep their bones then we see Phantoms who have a more ghost like appearance. Also as an addon to that what is a ghast because I always thought it was a ghost but it isn't so maybe it conveniently evolved like squids or something. 4. Something that I find interesting is that other creatures when inflicted by the zombie virus seem to become mindlessly violent but when horses and piglins become zombified they act mostly normal, with piglins specifically the only differences are they seem to not have the full intelligence of normal piglins because A they don't still trade and B they only spawn with Swords and don't use cross bows. Another weird detail is that zombified piglins are immune to fire which is a huge red flag for a couple of reasons because one normal piglins aren't fire immune but most other undead creatures are particularly weak to fire. Another undead mob that has weird contradictions to most undead mobs are the zombie and skeleton horses which also keep their normal friendliness and seem to be the least far gone of these undead mobs not only being still domesticatable but being even easier to domesticate. I originally assumed that the undead virus only makes humans violent but that is simply not true because Phantoms and the wither are also not friendly. The biggest weird detail in all of this is that other undead mobs seem to still see these creatures as natural allies with skeletons riding skeleton horses and withers never attacking anything that is already undead. 5. I think that the fox is most likely the most intelligent and possibly important mob that's completely a wild animal (meaning it has no building ability, doesn't exist in its own structure, can't trade, and doesn't have the ability to create a full society) I think that because they are one of 6 mobs that sleep (you, villagers, foxes, 3 illigers) which as you established in the Phantoms video is already important they also have the ability to do several other things that very few can do including using totems of undying, enchantments on weapons, and chorus Fruit, and also can sometimes be seen holding emeralds that weren't given to them and seem to care about them a bit more than other non food items which may have even inspired the villagers to hold a similar appreciation for emeralds although that and the rest of this is just speculation I think two possible explanations for this are that they could be some sort of ancestor to either villagers or ancient builders although it's kinda hard to place because they have the emerald connection to villagers but can do other things like defend themselves although it could be a common ancestor for both and then my second idea take a trip even further through speculation town and a bit into the early stages of creepy pasta Avenue with the possibility that they once were villagers or ancient builders (again it's kinda hard to place) who were turned by a magic enemy with the most likely culprit being the illigers but another possibility is that the illigers themselves might have accidentally turned some of there kind into foxes although that's unlikely because foxes are only hostile when something attacks it first and even then tend to prefer running away. Anyway foxes have a ton of weird and specific properties that I'd love to see your interpretations on. So those are all my pitches.

[@JRexRegis]

for 2, the respawn anchor, I have a theory. So passive mobs like pigs and cows spawn on grass, but only during the day, as opposed to hostile mobs, which spawn in the dark. Personally, I'd include the Player in the passive class of mob, since we don't get attacked by iron golems, villagers don't flee our presence and other hostile mobs attack us. Additionally, every player intially spawns at dawn, the first moment of light touching the world. Ruined Portals contain crying obsidian, which drips and is run through by veins of purple energy of the same hue as a nether portal - in some way, if a portal goes unmaintained for too long, the frame blocks begin to decay and absorb the portal's energy, eventually cutting the connection entirely. It may even be caused by some form of spatial expansion, like what is happening to our own universe, causing two linked portals to stretch further and further apart, until the connection snaps. Therefore, my theory is that the respawn anchor uses this portal-charged obsidian in conjunction with the light submitted by the glowstone blocks fed into it to form a small portal on its surface - but this portal does not transmit matter, instead, it transmits the concept of light spawning passive entities, and as it has only ever seen the player who has touched it, it transmits the concept of the player spawning in light. Then, when they die, they respawn atop it, the block having consumed one charge.

[@proamazingmk3747]

Where I am, he always uploads at night so I always really get the "History channel at 2am" vibe. (well its 8:30 but still)

[@Doriuswithnomi]

it's actually 2am where i am xD

[@proamazingmk3747]

@@Doriuswithnomi Omg rlly? lol

[@ansarali78]

I feel like the skeletons are the anicinet builders right. The ancient builders may have experimented using creepers and found out they could store sound. They programmed them in a fail safe so that only an arrow shot by one of them will save the disc. But then the argument still stands. Why would they be hiding the discs in the first place.

[@hashimfarrukh4670]

I believe villagers and players are the same Humans Humans used to be the ancient builders They were one of the three intelligent species Humans piglins endermen Yes A disease killed humans and spread Turning em into zombies lol Old zombies are skeletons

[@ansarali78]

@@hashimfarrukh4670 yes let's say the normal villager were like the native Americans when the Europeans came. Too advanced for their time. The ancient builders were humans but a different race than us.

[@Gabriel-hp9io]

Maybe creeper are just spy military drones , they get the sound the ancient builders kill them , and if they get caught they destroy all evidence

[@bingalowkie8029]

Retro, I want to know your thoughts on Minecraft Dungeons, how do you think they’re connect if they could be in anyway possible? The endermen in MC:D have been known to speak (or perhaps that was the Heart of Ender speaking) so if they are connected, they appear to be more intelligent and capable of speech then when your character is around as if they have grown. It also appears that it takes place either in the future or in the past, however I don’t know how this would work as Piglins appear more advanced at this time, along with the end and villagers/pillagers, as if they evolved over time, and it also seems as if the Ancient builders came back or the character somehow created more people If it did take place in the past, some sort of multi-dimensional collapse would need to of take place, causing life in all 3 dimensions to collapse and become a more primitive version of itself. However it seems unlikely Something that I like to think proves MC:D takes place in the future are statues of the dragon in the Highblock Halls level, as if Steve slayed the dragon, and recorded his progress and after that? He most likely told the other builders that to respawn it you must recreate end crystals, allowing for more documentation of the Dragon and its likely extinction and outlaw of its resurrection

[@kelpyg4915]

My opinion: The discs do in fact exist in-game as tangible items. Just because you understood an allusion to the real world, doesn't mean that Steve does (or even the in-game composer for that matter). I think they show up in creepers, dungeons and the nether primarily for gaming purposes. Additionally however, I believe this displays how much this mystery composer got around. Their placement merely representative of the composer's potential popularity, ability to get around or even implying that there were/are multiple composers. As far as I'm concerned, these details are left out intentionally, so that the player may speculate whatever head-cannon they desire. Edit: I'd also like to point out that the disc titles are a grey sub-text under the greater blue heading *Music Disc*. Implying Steve only sees this as a music disc. Other examples include weapon damage and (debatably) durability bars. Steve could guess at these values but we as the player are given exacts.

[@Qball__]

Okay, hear me out. Maybe the skeletons only know the way to hit a creeper just right is because they used to be ancient builders who likely placed the discs inside the creepers (for safekeeping or something idk) and so this goes along with the fact that when a charged creeper kills a skeleton or zombie they drop a head because creepers likely don’t want to hurt the ancient builders so the explosion doesn’t damage them to the point of complete incineration. But, because they are charged they can’t control the explosion as well as when they are uncharged.

[@yahyaawan8175]

The 11 disc sounds like if someone is traped inside a cave with an enderman chasing him

[@uncletoast7288]

could be anything, doesn't need to be an enderman Pretty much most obvious sign that still couldn't come from the pursuer is barking like noises

[@shaneroberttate7270]

Now I want to hear your take on the end credits sequence

[@silasjones9253]

in bedrock, you can also find 'wait, and 'mellohi' in berried treasure.

[@Healthandwealth9422]

“Is it [pigstep] a work song?” *soviet anthem intensifies*

[@cooldownboi3890]

Piglins: go to war with hoglins *Army of the people plays*

[@SniperOnSunday]

I mean, Pigstep is red and yellow, just like the USSR flag.

[@pepearown4968]

@@cooldownboi3890 They’re not “enemies”. It’s a predator vs prey situation.

[@be_my_clementine]

Love the videos dude. I've been a fan since your very first iceberg video, and it's been so cool to watch you grow since September. I'm vouching for a 1 Mil play button in 2022, never give up!

[@lombradinh0]

Please make a deep dive about the discs 5,11 and 13 all together! I'm sure they're tying to tell us a story!

[@BrownFoxWarrior]

Admitting you didn't have a super cool answer instead of trying to play it up is honestly just as satisfying if not more, because it makes the whole video feel genuine instead of a KZbin-revenue grab.

[@Ashes024]

I think discs 11 ad 13 have lore and the ones you find in chests.

[@marisolflor5608]

11 and 13 do have lore. There is a pause in 13 and if you place 11 in it it tells a story about a player who was attacked by a creeper

[@the4tierbridge]

@@marisolflor5608 *C418

[@themelonman4303]

Hey, I’d like to point out that on bedrock edition, Wait, and Mellohi can be found in buried treasure chests. I don’t know if this helps, but it suggests that the ancient builders had access to these discs, and they obviously thought they were valuable if they put them in treasure chests.

[@fabulousainsley5289]

If this was a tv show, It would be my favorite and I wouldn't want to miss an episode.

[@jonnestyronicha497]

"Chirp" is a lot like the soundtrack "Orb of Dreamers" in Little Big Planet

[@leilaholloway347]

exactly what i thought when i first heard it

[@jackpijjin4088]

Both use the Optigan Bossa Nova.

[@averagedelta]

stal plays in the background 😂 im dying

[@TruthShaIIWin]

Got any problem with that? 🤨

[@averagedelta]

@@TruthShaIIWin nah man i love stal

[@averagedelta]

@HAMZA BIN BUDI MAWARDI Moe ok u win

[@TipsySpirit]

Music discs are very well diegetic. The parrot dances on hearing the music and this is the best example.btw love your videos

[@lark7655]

okay heres an idea there is some evidence that the creepers are at least partially artificially constructed, based on the mobeastiary showing a straight up block of tnt inside of them. we also know that trapped and locked chests exist, and that the ancient builders know how to use redstone. music is super meaningful to a lot of people, and if produced diegetically, would have taken a long time. maybe the ancient builders embedded a trapped chest inside the creepers they built to keep the music safe. only they, with a bow and arrow, would be able to hit the very specific mechanism or lock or whatever else that would open the trapped chest and release the disc. and as skeletons, they retain this knowledge. (this is a cobbling together of some other ideas i've seen around in a way that makes sense to me, fyi)

[@user-zs8jg9rr9g]

Considering the fact that music discs aren’t craftable items, it makes the whole story getting more interesting.

[@angelicaespitia7707]

Interesting!

[@aCrazyGandW]

Here's something interesting: In Bedrock Edition, the Music Discs Wait and Mellohi can be found in Buried Treasure

[@SapphicAshley]

Lena Raine WAS a cannon ancient builder and you will not convince me otherwise

[@NickAndriadze]

*13:53* What a noble guy! He wants to make good, realistic assumptions instead of clickbait.

[@mr.wendigo273]

You just made the day after my birthday. Amazing with this upload from you. Thank you.

[@thefancynarwhal3834]

Happy late birthday

[@mr.wendigo273]

@@thefancynarwhal3834 Thank you, you didnt have to say anything

[@thefancynarwhal3834]

@@mr.wendigo273 it's fine, I wanted you to know that I care

[@mr.wendigo273]

@@thefancynarwhal3834 You are a true friend even those we met 10 mins ago

[@mr.wendigo273]

@@RetroGamingNow Omg, Thank you

[@DomiAnimations]

*I bet when Minecraft adds their "Netflix and Chill" update they're gonna remove all the discs*

[@LFCfan94]

SHUT IT

[@slumlord760]

BAHAHAHA

[@maddestruction1]

Boomer moment

[@darianleyer5777]

13:44 ....That actually makes a marginal amount of sense.

[@rubeenasiddiqui4182]

We’re all lost in Minecraft. No one thinks abouts its history, until we watch Retro’s channel. Edit: *Can we just appreciate how much time Retro must have spend on all of these deep dive videos!?* Edit 2: ty for 70+ likes

[@KidPrarchord95]

Not really

[@wantedinnit69420]

dont forget game theory aswell and probably other people

[@grimmsoul3096]

nearer to 80 nowadays (when i made this reply)

[@rubeenasiddiqui4182]

@@grimmsoul3096 thanks bro

[@Scienceboy0]

I really appreciate the ending of this one. Not everything has to work! I'm ready glad you stick to your guns in your method, even when it doesn't lead to the most satisfying conclusions. Please keep going with this!

[@susballmapping9521]

I have a theory, creepers are robots that the ancient builders built. They were originally companions to the ancient builders where music playing was one of there features. Over time moss grew over them and they malfunctioned and they explode whenever they attempt a task as a self destruct sequence. When they first see us they try interacting with us but that causes them to self destruct and explode.

[@antiwire8911]

I believe there is some lore to be found in disc 11. You can clearly hear someone breathing in 11, presumably an ancient builder. But you can also hear an enderman chasing him. The ancient builder places blocks in the way of the enderman but it can get through them by digging through, or teleporting past. Eventually the enderman kills the builder. From end ships we know that endermen and builders co-existed together. Is this suggesting some war between the builders and endermen? Probably not. Just a thought.

[@JohnPCady]

The thing i love about this channel is that every video is so polished and well thought

[@RetroGamingNow]

I appreciate it!

[@averagedelta]

amazing video everytime man

[@omegafalconoriginal]

Ancient builders created the creepers and the music disc are either originally program disc for the creepers or non functional timers were the creepers were designed to play the music then explode and end of song. Skeletons could be the ancient builders and they know perfect spot to hit so that the disc is ejected without exploding. The skeletons are unaware that they are trying to get the records out of the creatures to relay their history.

[@ruki7702]

I love these videos and I hope you keep making them

[@danielbaur5765]

I appreciate that this video was honest and logical about it rather than forcing an illogical explanation

[@dominick9961]

I love that you're honest with your logic. I left game theory because they wouldn't be honest at worst, or just got hyped up by bad conclusions at best. Sometimes there's nothing to tell.

[@calebjones443]

the fact that you contradict yourself in order to find the best way to the truth or theory is why i love watching these videos.. definitely one of my favorite lore youtubers because of it

[@kiwi4502]

Love how you never go too far when there isn’t even close to any evidence leading to it. Great job presenting the facts and not stretching the truth 👌

[@pulakbanerjee8668]

Well I have a theory: He was the one to point out that creepers r probably artificial made by the builders. So what if they were made during maybe a war between two groups to transfer information safely. This explains the green skin they have to camouflage with the tall grasses and also the suicide they perform when a humanoid like us go near them so that the information they r transferring doesn't get leaked. This means that they probably carried these music discs with them. This also explains them being stored safely in dungeons so that enemies can't reach them and don't destroy them as they were important. Next y does it drop only when a skeleton kills it. Well maybe after the ancient builders get extinct we know that the illagers were dominant. We also see that though they r humanoid just like us the hostile mobs don't attack them. This may indicate they might have found the way to communicate with the hostile mobs. This means they might have kind of tamed and trained the hostile mobs. They also might have found that the creepers were artificial and have cameras in place of eyes. So what if they sent the creeper in missions to explore different places like villages and record there conversations, then when they return to the mainson the disc are extracted from them. This explains y the discs are also found in mainsons and also explains y they do not attack villagers bcz they are spies and act as if they are friendly. Now the big problem that y does the creeper drop the discs only when the skeletons kill them. Now according to me the skeletons are stronger than the zombies or the spiders so maybe the illagers have instructed the creeper to only drop the disc when they are shot by a skeleton bcz they feel that if someone tries to take the discs the skeletons will kill them. Now I think there is something like a self destruction button but for the discs so that if any other entity kills them they destroy the discs automatically. This ensures that the data doesn't leak. If I missed anything then maybe edit this a bit and comment ur thoughts

[@TheCookiePup]

The conclusion(s) of this video finally convinced me to subscribe, as well as watching your video explaining how you approach Minecraft Lore. Thank you for continuing to not make up a story and searching for "evidence" to support something entirely baseless, as you brought up in that other video. I find your videos much more educational than many similarly labelled videos.

[@m3gamix20]

I love these deep dive videos

[@ThatCrystalityGuy]

Don't forget that after a mass extinction event all Master Builders were transformed into zombies and... you guessed it, SKELETONS.

[@valentino_0004]

Knowing what diegetic means + both ways to interpret music discs in lore really helps to enphasize the difficulty of this subject. Im sure we can have a conclusive theory and explanation, but for now i will keep this in mind. Thanks once again Retro for the awesome video! (one that many were waiting for, myself included) :D

[@aojae2450]

I'm gonna call this the musical creeper paradox.

[@wildbelugabear5702]

Congrats on 200k

[@aayushshrivastava2072]

I believe that those 10 discs may carry some information that the ancient builders had left behind for any survivors

[@frozenwaffles0114]

I believe the music discs are just the ancient civilization's form of entertainment, just like ours, and the creepers just stole some. 11 is the spawn of Satan or just someone recording their final moments or escape from something, and 13 is a recording of sounds in a cave

[@phobics9498]

My first conclusion was that the skeletons fire the bow differently, which would just, make sense as they are the undead form of the ancient builders who likely put the discs in the creepers. Regarding the instruments used, we could very easily assume that as the builders were pretty advanced, they might have had some tech we now dont. Idk those seem like satisfactory explanations to me

[@cormacdonnelly5560]

Notch once said that the texture of the creeper was crunchy like leaves it could be that the master builders made them to hold their secrets.

[@htspencer9084]

Wait, you're telling me C418 isn't an NPC I just haven't found yet? My decade or so of searching has been in vain!

[@h3x382]

I've been waiting for this!

[@Ruebeabea]

I'm surprised I found this video so fast! great job!

[@asingh7845]

I have an explanation: you see, i believe the creeper was a construction of the builders. The creeper was to act as a servant or bodyguard, and part of that is bringing disks for enjoyment. When a zombie plague struck overworld, victims far too gone turned into skellys. When the creeper sees the skelly shooting at it, it thinks it should bring a disk for the former builder.

[@berryberry8290]

thank you for playing stal at the beginning its my personal favorite

[@-MitMel-]

I haven't seen the entire video yet, so I don't know if He mentions this. But i'm pretty sure it was confirmed that a monster by the name of C418 recorded the discs. I'll try to find the source of this claim later, I'll update if I do.

Hmmm..can you see if discs 11 and 13 are somehow linked?

[@-MitMel-]

@ I'll let you know if I find anything.

[@PRGME7]

@@-MitMel- and pigstep?

[@grace1753]

14:03 That thumbnail is spot on. 😂

[@RownowUlti]

Disclaimer! Extremelylong! Proceed with caution I believe that the discs are made by the ancient builders simple how the music was composed doesn't matter because remember that the builders could use note blocks say much more advanced note blocks than what the player can use like a different version and them being in dungeons is hard to explain because first we need to know what they were used for when the builders were alive and that is hard them being found in illagers mansions is simple it's because they like the player found them in dungeons and strongholds now you might be asking well when did they go raiding and pillaging (pun absolutely intended) well you can see they built woollen versions of end portals to mimic them meaning the must have seen them. I don't think illagers could have created discs cz they're kinda like am advanced magic civilization they know their magic but not much else they don't know good Redstone and still haven't reached the level of sophistication as the ancient builders who travelled between dimensions they're still trying to understand the technology of the builders but they are much more advanced in magic than the builders something they weren't that good at anyways and them being found in structures might be because they would you know listen to it but now they're gone so yep as for why there is no jukebox well it is something that wears out and after who knows a hundred years they must become extremely broken but the discs are in chests and for 11 you can clearly understand someone is running away from something like those diaries written just before disaster struck they must have accidentally left the recorder on. Now them being found in creepers is related to the nature of the creeper itself we know by examining its anatomy in the mobestiary that the creeper is definitely man made I mean what animal has literal tnt in it so them being found when skellys shoot them might be because the skellys were once ancient builders and the creeper recognised it and we are a descendant and have something fundamentally different in our body than our ancestors because remember we haven't seen them or the more plausible explanation is that skelebones shoot in such a way as to not destroy the did inside the creeper something special to it something we cannot replicate or maybe it's just a gameplay mechanic Wooh! This is long

[@somebody_]

Here is what I think about the creeper problem: skeletons are magical (they are literally undead) and creepers sense that magic when hit by them and each hit causes a small bit of bone in the skeleton to go in the creepers body and form a music disk, when the creeper dies before it’s formed the music disc dies with them but if it’s formed and then dies it will drop Reasoning for disc 11: I think that the music disk was formed inside of the creeper 1 hit before the creeper died and it being formed then getting hit again - trying to add another bone to form (the regular-sounding bone - made it snap/break, it broke of the extra bone and a bone that made the disk into musicand then when it dies it’s broken (as seen on the icon for it) and it’s creepy because there was the new bone being added on the final hit at that was the happy/regular-sounding part of the disk, but it didn’t get added on (it snapped off and took the music part of the disk with it) and the disk is creepy, also I said disks die with the creeper if not formed but this disk was formed but just broken after.