Fun Plugins
Cosmetics, pets, particles and entertaining features.
Citizens
Full-featured NPC plugin. Create human and mob NPCs with custom skins, behaviors, pathfinding and interaction scripts.
MythicMobs
Create custom mobs with unique abilities, drops, spawning conditions and AI behaviors using a powerful YAML configuration system.
HolographicDisplays
Create floating text and item holograms in the world. Supports animations, placeholders and interactive elements.
mcMMO
RPG-style skill and leveling system. Players level up skills like mining, fishing and combat to unlock abilities and bonuses.
ItemsAdder
PremiumAdd custom items, blocks, mobs, GUIs, HUDs and more using resource packs. No mods required on the client.
NPCs with Citizens
Citizens makes player-shaped or mob NPCs. /npc create Guide spawns one, and most other /npc commands act on the NPC you have selected; /npc select picks another. /npc skin sets a skin by player name, /npc lookclose makes it turn toward nearby players and /npc command add runs a command when someone clicks it. For commands a player normally could not run, the Citizens wiki points to /npc command permissions instead of op. There is a Citizens tutorial as well.
Custom mobs and RPG skills
MythicMobs builds mobs, bosses and items from YAML files, with abilities, drop tables, spawners and boss bars. It is on Modrinth and lists 26.2 among its supported versions.
mcMMO adds skills that level up as players mine, fish and fight, unlocking abilities on the way, with parties and leaderboards on top. It changes the pace of a survival server, so settle the XP rates before launch rather than after. See the mcMMO tutorial.
Holograms
Holographic Displays is the classic hologram plugin, but its newest Modrinth release lists 1.21.1 as the highest supported version. For a current server, DecentHolograms and FancyHolograms both list 26.2. FancyHolograms is built on display entities, the text, item and block displays that Java Edition added in 1.19.4.
Custom items without mods
ItemsAdder adds items, blocks, furniture, GUIs and HUDs through a server resource pack, so players need no mods; they only have to accept the pack when they join. It is a paid plugin.