Badlands (Mesa) is a striking arid overworld biome defined by towering mounds and plateaus of layered terracotta. The terracotta spans a range of earthy tones — red, orange, yellow, white, light gray, and brown — stacked in visible bands across the terrain. Elevations in the Badlands can climb to mountain heights, where the biome may border stony peaks. Rivers here are typically carved into deep fjord-like channels or broad dry valleys, and in some cases fail to generate entirely.
The Badlands forms under high-temperature, low-erosion conditions, placing it naturally adjacent to desert biomes. Its own eroded and wooded variants border it on certain sides, while savannas, forests, and plains appear near cooler temperature transitions. Beneath the surface, the mountainous terrain frequently gives way to dripstone caves and deep dark biomes. Cactus and dead bushes are common throughout, with some cacti bearing a cactus flower. Sugar cane may appear near water, though rain never falls in the biome — only dry thunderstorms occur, which are still capable of triggering hostile mob spawns.
One of the most notable features of the Badlands is its gold ore generation, which occurs at unusually high rates and at elevations far higher than in most other biomes, making it a particularly worthwhile destination for miners. Mineshafts within the Badlands are built from dark oak rather than standard oak and tend to be partially exposed at the surface.
Found in the Badlands are armadillo spawns, alongside warm animal variants such as the Warm Pig, Warm Chicken, and Warm Cow. Standard hostile mobs including creepers, skeletons, zombies, and endermen also appear after dark.