The Ancient Zombie Massacre | Minecraft Deep Dive 

“Nobody knew how to craft enchanted golden apples except for them.” Old Minecrafters: *Maybe I am an Ancient Builder.*

*Ancient builders* : Enslaved piglens. *Steve* : Enslave Every living thing in Automatic Farms!

Something I just realized that goes along with this theory. When the ancient builders needed gold, they didn't just mine in the nether. They set up massive gold mines in mesas, where gold is plentiful. That's why there is so many mineshafts there, and nowhere else.

Considering the Phantom is an "undead" mob, it's interesting to think what they were like before they were infected.

I always thought that the zombie virus actually came from the builders learning to cast spells for the first time, with the magic actually consuming them, the more they possessed it. I thought of this because of how the Witches and Illagers look like they too are being consumed by the power of magic, as they indulge themselves more in it.

Group of multiple highly advanced people and many endermen: *dies to dragon* Some dude with a few beds: 🧍‍♂️

I would like to see a theory on how spawners came to be. They seem to be quite magical being able to create life.

This video gave me the idea that the ancient builders were the players on old versions - before the nether was discovered, before the endermen came to overworld, before enchanted gapples were uncraftable, before villagers came to be... we've witnessed this story and created it. So we can merge together the "zombies are ancient builders" theory with "zombies are past lives of players" one. (it has issues, like why did we meet zombified piglins before the actual piglins, but i like the self-continuous vibe it gives, like all the versions of minecraft are part of its own history)

"The humans were bringing more than just gold from the nether" Fucking chills

Ancient Builders: "We're awesome." RGN: "No, you guys were just pretty evil and selfish."

A Steve and Alex, and end credits need a theory, feel like the two are connected some how. Like the Gods resurrected a ancient-builder to undo the sins of their ancestors. Would be pretty neat.

Hopefully soon, once 1.19 is released, we'll get a Deep Dive discussing the Warden.

This guy's narrative is awesome AF It made me more excited about this lore than any other movie available right now

You've talked about the ancient builders through out the series but now we're looking at them entirely

Theory: Steve is one of the last ancient builders and the only reason he isn't undead is because the ancient builders started building a tolerance to the virus like how europeans got used to their diseases but the native americans didn't because their bodies weren't used to it.

my theory is that the player was a zombie momements before booting up the game, who was cured by sheer luck, but ina way that now means they're immune,a nd effectivly imortal. As the magic that cured them binds them to the place they were cured

I very much enjoyed the narrative you presented! Super well made and entertaining as usual. Especially the convincing and smooth connection to the creation of the dragon 10/10 would be wiped out again

Personally I thought the pigs turned into piglins because they were eating food from the nether like nether warts and stuff. Maybe that combined with the heat made them turn into piglins.

This is honestly one of the more underrated Deep Dives. I actually really liked this one, and it's one of my favorites that I've seen so far!

Maybe the builders tried to make a powerful beast for digging at extreme rates aka the wither, but the wither turned hostile towards them and killed many builders and rest were infected with wither disease making them into wither skeletons, however some wither skeletons escaped the nether by nether portals and infected everyone in the overworld, however the environment being different made the builders zombies and skeletons

Alt theory: the undead are all the player, or at least the character the player controls; having lived before in an endless cycle, the previous bodies were reanimated, potentially by a lightning strike: pigs struck by lightning become zombie pigmen, after all.

What if steve spawned in because the Illagers and the Enderman had somehow made contact, and the Illagers created steve to help the endermen and free the end? That would explain the steve room in the mansions, but also Steve's immunity to the plague, maybe steve isn't even immune, but whenever he dies they create a new steve. This goes back to the golem video as well, the illagers made a simulated living being, then found a way to cheat death, but maybe the next step after that is the creation of life. And the question asked at the end of the golem video, (are there any golems who have turned on their creators/masters that we have overlooked) maybe the golem who turned on his master was Steve.

I feel that, like many great civilisations, the Ancient Builders were FAR too over extended. By this, I mean they were somewhat like the British Empire, they controlled land in each corner of the 3 realms and due to this great swath of land they weren’t able to properly mobilise a military. They would’ve had to keep garrisons in Bastions and Villages, and wouldn’t have been able to respond to the undead outbreak. I believe that if the Ancient Builders did one of two things they could’ve survived as a species: 1) Not push their boundaries as much. If they expanded slower they would’ve been more secure, an empire is nothing without foundations. 2) Expanded far more in the End and Nether. If they established far greater holds over the Nether and End they might have been able to cut off all contact with the Overworld until a proper “counter attack” and cure could be enacted.

I love these interpretations of the Minecraft lore. I’ve always thought there was some sort of meaning behind the mobs and structures as they seemed bizarre.

My theory is the player is an ancient builder. And the "chosen one" of them. Given immortality

It’s finally time! Been waiting for this episode since the start of the series!

Maybe many ender dragons came through that portal, and only one was left because the others were either hunted by both the enderman and builders or they simply all died of age and the sole survivor, Jean, was kept alive by the end crystals. Until the descendant, Steve, comes to the end and slays it once and for all.

A theory I have is that the builders probably try to genetically modify themselves to be immune and create the player but the player didn’t come alive or wake up until centuries later.

I can't believe you do your own music... just amazing!

I genuinely wish Mojang would hire you to write this stuff officially, and even add on to it.

This is a very cool theory. I love the choregraphy and the music that comes with it; it's all so well done! I also like how different it is from MatPat's theory.

I believe the cure for zombification is just the golden apple, I think the potion of weakness is just applied to get the apple into the zombie's mouth without getting bitten

this video got me to realize that assuming the part at the end dragon is true where it was summoned accidentally. in a panicked fit to undo what they had just done they scrambled to construct something similar to what we would call a faraday cage on at least 2 of the pillars. only to find it wasn't having an effect and that magical energy just didn't work like electrical energy

A devoloper: *releases a game with a small unintended feature* RetroGamingNow: So, I will tell you how this extra pixel implies that there is a super multiverse with a lot of aliens! This is just a joke, not hating.

This is a really wholesome channel. If I had kids I'd be happy for them to watch this channel.

The potential portal in the new Deep Dark Cities potentially adds to the theory that the Ancient Builders wanted to find a way out, but there was something back there that made it uninhabitable (Skulk and the Warden) which, as implied by Disc 5, followed through the portal and eventually took over the lower levels of the Minecraft world.

While i dont agree with large important parts of the theory such as there being more then one dragon as evidence by the dragon heads put on end ships or Piglins miraculously appearing rather then slowly evolving from pigs left behind when the ancient builders were already long gone. I love the production of this video very much

RGN: The Ancient Builders tried to make themselves a great and prospering civilization, but in the end, that was there downfall. Roman Empire: welcome to the club

Heres a theory: The endermen actually planned to create the dragon and knew that it would kill the builders but not them.

I personally love the idea that the ancient builders were people playing earlier versions of the game before hostile mobs and things. I know it's a theory with so many plot holes but it feels wonderfully nostalgic and meta to me

This theory is giving me some "Adventure Time" vibes, a vibrant world with magic yet it was the remnant of an old world that is years after an apocalyptic event.

I absolutley love this series! Taking something as basic as Minecraft and connecting the little details to make a cohesive narritive lore is really impressive

This was a very interesting theory. I always thought that the builder's use of magic caused it to corrupt them turning into zombies and skeletons, it also kind of explains why undead mobs drop experience.

Mojang should make a Minecraft series exposing its lore, and they should hire RetroGamingNow to narrate it *change my mind, I dare you*

I love this, but there's a few things I feel poke holes into this otherwise sound theory: Dragon heads. How would the builders and endermen have acquired dragon heads to place onto the end ships before the dragon was summoned? (Edit: I forgot about the part in your endermen video where you mention the dragon continually dies of old age and is reborn from its egg, and so endermen could scavenge the remains while it's dead and temporarily travel to the overworld) Ancient debris. Smelting them produces netherite scraps, and it's implied these are all that remains of netherite, with it having all been harvested. However, the term debris implies it's ejecta from a single catastrophic event. Perhaps an experiment with netherite produced the plague? Again, great theory, but I feel these do poke at it a bit

"join me for a dive benit the waves" That never gets old for this seres arent I right?

I love how much the editing feels like an older campy horror movie. It sets the mood really well.

I like to imagine the illagers were Messing with magic and thats why you suddenly appear, that special room in the mansion with all the colored wool that matches the player, some magical effect put onto it can create the long lost ancient builder, but due to magic not being perfected, you spawn randomly into the world

We’ve always asked who are these ancient builders and where are they now… But when did they first start off…? What is the proper flow of Timeline for Minecraft…?

i want to see a unbiased battle of the theories between game theory and retro gaming now, they're both good and go about things differently and i feel like a comparison should help with ascertaining the lore

I think crying obsidian from the nether portals is just the power of the portal itself "soaked" up in the obsidian, giving it its purple glow.

All of this is very plausible in my opinion. Not too long ago I came up with the same theory, but yours is much more indepth. I explained to my friends that Minecraft is an apocalyptic time line too. Many of my own thoughts were like yours with the over world. But yours extends to all dimensions. Awesome job.

Minecraft was already an unnerving "liminal space," but this makes it even creepier. Great Theory

Alright, I’ve watched all the other theories on this channel, I’m ready

Personally, I always thought that the sickness might've been because of the builders' travels through dimensions, similar to how piglins turn to zombie piglins, because the overworld's air became toxic to them over time. If that were true, i believe the builders might've gone to too many different worlds at a time which might've turned them into zombies, or perhaps a mix of different components from the 3 dimensions made them sick over time, and when they all discovered it, there was no time to stop it anymore

This is a tale of tragedy. Their ambitions were their righteous downfall and the player is treated as evil by the piglins and enderman

When the world needed him most he came back

I adore the editing, commentary, and music choice in this series. Really sets the tone and immediately grabs my attention and interests. Great work as always

Just binged every single Minecraft lore video from your channel! They were excellent and well-researched. The overbearing mystery of the game has always been mystifying, and you seem to have the most thorough and thought-provoking theories on what the deepest MC lore could actually be. Thanks so much for working so tirelessly on these awesome theories.

I always felt like the Zombies and the skeletons were supposed to signify two different kingdoms that at one point were at war with each other, and perhaps, that war was the catalyst, or part of one, that caused the zombie outbreak. It would make sense and explain why it's possible to get them to fight eachother when a skeleton shoots a zombie when trying to attack you. The impact jostles the Zombies brain and causes them to remember who their true and ancient foe is.

This would be complete if in the future they added a new aether dimension made using obsidian and materials you can only find after fighting the Ender Dragon and Wither

Wow! I didn’t know you were also responsible for making the music until now! I should say, they fit the atmosphere. Nice work!

I think the player’s character is the creation of the ancient builders. Like how can you not die from a 22 meter fall? And so how can you “remember” a craftibg recipie even if you have just only one of the elements of the item? I think they died somehow but before, we’re just left in the world. Or somehow our character can’t die? Anyways I love your stuff man, keep up the great work!:)

This feels a lot more plausible than matpat’s theory and inspired me to think about what else happened.

I always wondered a thing in these theories regarding the End Portal… Ender pearls has a chance to drop from endermen once they are *killed* So, nine endermen had to sacrife themselves to return to the End? Or the pearl is more like an object endermen carry with them?

Finally we got to know why I expected it this episode to be early in the Minecraft Lore but I can see why it was difficult

This is an AMAZING theory. A lot of it makes sense!! I have a personal head cannon that the builders, excited at meeting possible allies in the Piglins, wanted to share the overworks with them and brought a bunch over. After the Piglins emerged into the toxic atmosphere though, they started attacking people, scared and in pain as they deteriorated. The builders pushed them back through the portal as quickly as possible, but the damage was done. Pushing them back into the nether just spread it more, though the disease couldn't thrive there in the heat. This scare escalated into the builders and piglins hating each other, only associating to trade. The builders, (eventually) went extinct from the deadly virus combined with the dangers of the nether. Feel free to add on and present your own head cannons!

I'd like to think that the villagers are what became of the last remaining builders. A fitting end to a group of such hubris, to eventually become unable to even move blocks or wield any weapons, their craftsmanship the only remnant of a glorious past.

Also, for some reason, that newcomer is immune to the zombie plague, since they do not turn upon death by a zombie in-game.

Wow. That was the best deep dive I have ever watched. I loved how it all Stiched all the deep dives together into one big timeline. I also have one theory to add to it. The overworld became so enriched with the zombie virus that anyone would turn into undead if exposed to the overworld, as we see when piglins and hoglibs enter. Some of the piglins are able to survive in the less-undead inhabited nether, though there are still zombie piglins.

It would be cool to add the warden somewhere to this lore theory. I’ve really enjoyed these theories, and think they make quite a bit of sense, given what we know. Maybe the big structure in the middle of the ancient city was a failed portal, the redstone under it were experiments, and the warden was a golem-like thing kinda like the guardians. Or maybe the skulk and warden was like mold and it overtook the city, forcing the inhabitants to abandon it and move on.

You're an amazing storyteller and I am absolutely in love with the scoring in the backgroudn. It's really helped set the mood and feel the urgency in the story

Endermen don't teleport using pearls, otherwise they wouldn't randomly teleport at will. The pearls they drop are probably something their bodies generate similar to bones and teeth in our bodies.

"The Builders" remind me a lot of The Forerunners from Halo. Was that one of your influences? They're both ancient civilizations that were affected by a virus/parasite at the height of their power that ultimately led to their downfall despite their best efforts

Really love this narrative! Though I wish Steve arriving wasn't portrayed so "Game-y", since I thought there would be a way to tie them into the lore aswell. It kinda pulls you out when it was soo good, if you get me - but that's relatively minor tbh, the whole thing was great!

I've just started watching your Minecraft videos, and I really love how you put them together and edit them. Keep up the great work.

I love your videos, I love seeing people theory’s on what happened before we went on the minecraft world!

I feel that the vast amount of gold in the nether has something to do with the transformation of pig into piglins, as gold has healing properties within food, just an idea.

That was actually great. Seeing this culmination to the series of lore videos he's made is super satisfying. He definitely put some very compelling arguments in his other videos that make it all make sense.

Your music choice, combined with your dramatic talking style and the video footage and editing turns this into a top tier documentary.

Good theory but there's a huge flaw: If the Nether contains the plague, then why does it not affect us the player as we play?

Finally, this is what we've all been waiting for since the beginning of deep dive I had chills throughout the video, your narration deserves an oscar!

man these videos are so well connected. I am convinced that this could very well be minecrafts lore. Well done man you‘re awesome! keep going.

I would love to see this continued into the normal game of minecraft just to see this extended because this is such a fun watch! Great job man!

I've never watched this channel before but I'm already in love. The immersion into the Minecraft world is something I've lost more and more in my almost 10 years of playing. Thank you very much for bringing it back! ❤❤❤

Theory: what if the ship wrecks were previous boats which faught the wither but got sank by the wither's power and was also used for transportation for the builders and villagers during the zombie apocalypse (haven't finished the video) Ok last one: the nether fortress was a brewing ground of the ancient builders and also a hide out from the piglins they expiremented on piglins which created the zombie versions and found a cure for the villagers there? Wait one of my theory got deleted lol: What if the builders fled from the overworld to the nether to hide from the wither and other stuff but then the pigs they got for a food source became piglins a aggressive form and took over the nether (maybe that's the reason they are neutral to us until we hit them said zombie version of the piglins) Idk why I like writing these: what if the builders made silverfishes to guard the portal from pillagers and illagers maybe that's why the illagers are trying to make their own to get revenge from the builders (The reason silver fishes attack us maybe because it forgot the face of the builders or it was given instructions not to let anyone else in) One more: what if we were infected our and parents were scientists which tested on us. as we got un infected the zombie plague soon came and took over all of them leaving us by ourselves

This video is absolutely amazing! Better than most movies I've seen. Keep up the great work and thank you for making this series

Wow! This was really good! You made this sound plausible. Hope to see a vid about how the player themselves came to be when they first spawned in the world.

Maybe the Enderman made an agreement that if a builder looks you in the eye, they are hostile. That may be way they attack us when we do

The Zombie virus seems to have some hyper evolving gene, zombies can evolve into Husks, Drowned, and Zombie piglins are fireproof, Even Skeletons can hyper evolve, into Strays and Wither Skeletons Also Skeletons are different from players which is why Music disks drop when they shoot creepers

This was probably one of your deepest videos. It’s so awesome.

Omg you definitely have some sort of background in music. Its so good and matches the video super well i cant believe you make it !

I always imagined that the Endermen are the "Ancient Builders" corrupted by the Ends low gravity, no sun and the End dragon later on, while the zombies and skeletons are just the dead being reanimated

Yeah, this was a rly good video. When I watched it it seemed different to your other's though. There was more of a narrative and it was really interesting seeing how you fit all the pieces together. Although it shows I'm not the greatest theory creator, this is how I like to make my theories. See how all the evidence we have can click together and make it into a story. Great job again Retro, your videos are always high quality!

What a tremendous story. Mostly into this series just for the lore and perspective you add to my experience in Minecraft with every vid

after binging this playlist i sorta agree with this but i think theres more to it. i think the enderman built the fortresses, maybe so they could go back to the end, but the plague affected them too and made them become into wither skeleton. after the enderman and the builders abandoned the fortresses the piglins tried to get some of that netherwart so they can make potions of fire resistance (which they trade to palyers), and hunted alot of wither skeletons in the process. one day they decided to present the skulls they have gathered on a soulsand pedestool, and a disaster struck. the wither was summoned and destroyed the bastions, making them broken down as we can see them today. keep up the good work

another cool thing is that you can fish up things like fishing rods, bows and leather boots showing that there was once civilization.

i was so incredibly excited when i saw RGN upload this video, and i was definitely not disappointed. every time a reference from his old videos came up, for example the piglin, enderman and guardian theories, a wave of excitement just came over me. honestly, the coolest part was the camera shot above the center end island, right before the disaster named the enderdragon appears. how RGN builds up hype is so well done, this was one of my favorite yet

I figured that the zombie virus originated in the overworld. Piglins and Hoglins are not immune, as they get infected as soon as they enter the overworld, implying its airborne. This means that the Villagers and the player are immune to the airborne strain, as we don't get infected immediately. The reason it's not that common in the Nether is because the heat kills the airborne strain. Also, I don't believe that the builders ever discovered a cure, as the weakness potion + enchanted gapple method only works on zombie villagers, not regular zombies. I do like the idea that Endermen are so betrayed by humans that seeing one sends them into a blind rage. That's a pretty cool concept.

I like how you combined all your theories into one. Well done!