Advantages of hard mode in minecraft

The reward is a bit more challenging gameplay:

• Mobs hit for more damage
• Much larger no-cancel radius for creeper explosions
• If your hunger bar depletes, you will die (your health stabilizes on lower levels)
• Zombies break down doors
• Only way to play "hardcore" mode (i.e., you die, your world's deleted)

The only reason to play on Hard mode is for the challenge or sense of danger. The extra difficulty may make the game a more rewarding experience, but it doesn't give any extra loot. The same number of enemies spawn on Hard as on Easy, and they drop the same amount of stuff.

In Hard mode, according to the Minecraft wiki:

• Enemies deal more damage
• Creepers will not cancel their explosion unless you move further away
• You can die from starvation (on Normal difficulty you can only be reduced to half a heart of health from starvation).

In hard mode, there is a higher chance of mobs holding gear like armor and weapons. And a higher chance of them being enchanted items. These items might be dropped on death for you to pick up.