Axolotls are the real star of the latest Minecraft update

Do you know axolotls, those salamander-like creatures that live in the water and sometimes have no eyes? They’re in Minecraft now, and the blocky little creatures have set fan communities ablaze with their adorableness.

The creatures were part of the Caves and Cliffs update launched on the Bedrock version of Minecraft on June 8. The update was a hefty one — it brought news blocks, powder snow, and glowing lichen. However, it seems that all the other improvements pale in comparison to the newly added axolotls.

The glittering image of prime evolution, axolotls are amphibians identifiable by their unique external gills that look like feathery appendages on their heads. The Minecraft ones come in all sorts of colors, with some shades and combinations rarer than others. They have blocky heads and small, beady eyes.

The Minecraft axolotls eat other animals and will attack them. However, you can tame them and keep them as pets. Because of this, people are already posting tutorials on how to do fun stuff with your pets — including building things for them. A user named minecraftbuilds.gail posted a video showing how to build an axolotl aquarium and proudly display your cuties. This is design has over 1.2 million views on TikTok.

The same user also made a tutorial on how to build an axolotl-themed home. The house itself is shaped like a giant axolotl and has a built-in aquarium so you get to sleep each night with your pets close to you.

People have made all kinds of creations and fan art to celebrate them.

Or here’s a knit one. It looks a little wonky, but you’ve gotta love it if grandma made it!

Oh, and an important thing to note about them: You can put them in a bucket.

Even simple videos on TikTok just pointing out the mere existence of them are garnering millions of views. This video from user @makka_pakka_playz shows a video of a player jumping off a tall pillar only to land and place an axolotl. The video is simple, but it already has roughly 6.1 million views.

This other video from beastfitsmagee has around 3.4 million views and shows a player picking an axolotl up, and heading home, only to return to a room swarming with the creatures.

The critter has even caught the eye of big-name streamers and YouTubers. Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg took one with him on a perilous journey to the Nether. Then, Minecraft streamer George “GeogeNotFound” Davidson — a member of the popular Dream SMP server — made a video about befriending one.

Minecraft updates always have a mix of new mechanics and creatures. Sometimes the creatures steal the show, even though they’re not as technically impressive as copper or spyglasses.