Eyes of ender: hunt for 12, carry 16
The end portal frame needs 12 eyes, and each throw has a chance to shatter the eye — craft roughly 16 from blaze powder + ender pearls. Throw eyes in the overworld; they fly toward the stronghold. Dig carefully at the landing point: the portal room is usually under a village-adjacent staircase with a lava-fall trap.
Gear that actually matters
An iron set is survivable; diamond is comfortable. Bring a bow with a few stacks of arrows — the dragon spends most of the fight flying and the crystals sit on tall obsidian pillars. A water bucket, slow-falling potions (Phantom Membrane), pumpkin (Endermen cannot see you wearing one), stacks of cobble and a bed are the veteran kit.
Crystals first, always
End crystals on top of the obsidian pillars heal the dragon — shooting them (especially the caged ones, which need a bow and a ladder-and-pickaxe plan) is the whole early fight. Once the last crystal pops, the dragon perches in the middle; hit the head (double damage), dodge the breath, and place your bed trick only if you enjoy explosions.
The egg and the exit
The dragon drops ~12,000 XP and leaves a portal home with the dragon egg on top — push it with a piston or dig beside it, it teleports if you try to mine it directly. The exit portal also becomes the gateway to the outer End cities later.
