Minecraft wiki entry for Defeating_the_ender_dragon, associated text: It is quicker and safer to use ender pearls than building up. One trick to measure your ender pearl shot is to fully charge your bow or crossbow and shoot an arrow just over the top edge of the cage. Throwing an ender pearl at the exact same angle can strike one block below the arrow's trajectory, teleporting you to the side of the cage. Break into the cage with your pickaxe, and wait for the dragon to fly away, since it cannot break the iron bars. If you have strong enough armor and are affected by Absorption, hit the caged crystal with your sword. Otherwise, build a few blocks away from the crystal and shoot it with your bow or crossbow.