Skeleton

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Well-armored.

As iconic as zombies, animated human skeletons have been featured in all of the Diablo games, and just about every other fantasy RPG ever made. In Diablo 3, plain skeleton warriors are joined Skeletal Summoners, Skeletal Archers, Skeletal Shieldmen, Skeletal Executioners and more. These skeletons spawn in mixed packs and work together with much better AI than they've shown in the previous games in the series.

This "plain" sort of Skeleton with a sword is quite straight forward, and is mostly only dangerous in large packs, or together with other skeletal types. Avoid being surrounded, and kill other high priority targets first. They typically have a somewhat slow movement speed, normal swing speed, and low damage.

Skeletons are Undead monsters.

Skeleton Subtypes

Act I

• Dark Skeletal Archer
• Returned
• Returned Archer
• Returned Executioner
• Returned Shieldman
• Returned Summoner
• Skeletal Archer
• Skeletal Shieldbearer
• Skeleton
• Tomb Guardian
• Tortured Summoner

Act II

• Bone Warrior
• Returned Shieldman
• Skeletal Bowmaster
• Skeletal Raider
• Skeletal Ranger
• Skeletal Sentry
• Skeletal Warrior
• Spine Hewer

Act III

• Blazing Swordwielder
• Dark Skeletal Bowman
• Skeletal Marauder
• Skeletal Raider
• Skeletal Warrior
• Skull Cleaver
• Skull Summoner
• Swift Skull Cleaver

In Alphabetical Order

Blazing Swordwielder

Blazing Swordwielder

• Appears in Act III - The Keep Depths
• Physical melee attack with fire damage

<mob>Blazing Swordwielder</mob>

Bone Warrior

• Appears in Act II - Sewers of Caldeum, Chamber of the Lost Idol, Western Channel, Eastern Channel, Mysterious Cave, Ruined Cistern, Tunnels of the Rockworm, Sirocco Caverns, Cave of the Burrowing Horror, Cave of the Betrayer, The Ruins, Vile Cavern, Vault of the Assassin and The Forgotten Ruins
• Physical melee attack

<mob>Bone Warrior</mob>

Dark Skeletal Archer

• Appears in Act I - Warrior's Rest
• Physical ranged attack with bow

<mob>Dark Skeletal Archer</mob>

Dark Skeletal Bowman

Dark Skeletal Bowman

• Appears in Act III - The Keep Depths and Battlefield Stores
• Physical ranged attack with bow

<mob>Dark Skeletal Bowman</mob>

Returned

• Appears in Act I - Drowned Temple, The Lyceum, Cathedral, Warrior's Rest, Watch Tower, Crypt of the Ancients, Defiled Crypt and The Festering Woods
• Physical melee attack

<mob>Returned</mob>

Returned Archer

• Appears in Act I - Drowned Temple, Watch Tower, Warrior's Rest and The Festering Woods
• Physical ranged attack with bow

<mob>Returned Archer</mob>

Returned Executioner

• Appears in Act I - Defiled Crypt, Watch Tower and The Cursed Hold
• Physical melee attack with a slow one-handed axe

<mob>Returned Executioner</mob>

Returned Shieldman

• Appears in Act I - Watch Tower and Drowned Temple
• Physical melee attack. Blocks your attacks with shield but unblocks to attack. The shield can be destroyed leaving the Shieldman unable to block any further attacks with it.

<mob>Returned Shieldman</mob>

Returned Summoner

• Appear in Act I - Drowned Temple and Crypt of the Ancients
• Attacks with a ranged Arcane Orb. Can summon up to four Retruned at one time.

<mob>Returned Summoner</mob>

Skeletal Archer

• Appears in Act I - The Lyceum, Cathedral, The Royal Crypts and Watch Tower
• Physical ranged attack with bow.

<mob>Skeletal Archer</mob>

Skeletal Bowmaster

• Appears in Act II - The Unknown Depths, The Storm Halls and Hall of Dusk
• Physical ranged attack with bow.

<mob>Skeletal Bowmaster</mob>

Skeletal Marauder

Skeletal Marauder

• Appears in Act III - The Keep Depths and Battlefield Stores
• Physical melee attack with sword. Blocks your attacks with a shield but lowers it to attack. The shield can be destroyed leaving the Marauder unable to block any further attacks with it.

<mob>Skeletal Marauder</mob>

Skeletal Raider

• Appears in Act II - The Unknown Depths, The Storm Halls and Halls of Dusk
• Physical melee attack with one-handed axe. Blocks your attacks with a shield but lowers it to attack. The shield can be destroyed leaving the Raider unable to block any further attacks with it.

<mob>Skeletal Raider</mob>

Skeletal Sentry

• Appears in Act II - Sewers of Caldeum, Western Channel, Eastern Channel and Ruined Cistern
• Physical melee attack with one-handed sword. Blocks your attacks with a shield but lowers it to attack. The shield can be destroyed leaving the Raider unable to block any further attacks with it.

<mob>Skeletal Sentry</mob>

Skeletal Shieldbearer

• Appears in Act I - Cathedral, The Lyceum, The Royal Crypts and The Festering Woods
• Physical melee attack with one-handed sword. Blocks your attacks with a shield but lowers it to attack. The shield can be destroyed leaving the Raider unable to block any further attacks with it.

<mob>Skeletal Shieldbearer</mob>

Skeletal Warrior

• Appears in Act II - The Storm Halls, Halls of Dusk and The Unknown Depths
• Appears in Act III - The Keep Depths
• Physical melee attack with sword.

<mob>Skeletal Warrior</mob>

Skeleton

Skeleton

• Appears in Act I - Cathedral, Cemetery of the Forsaken, Chancellor's Tomb, The Royal Crypts, Defiled Crypt, The Weeping Hollowing and the Watch Tower
• Physical attack

<mob acr="5393">Skeleton</mob>

Skull Cleaver

• Appears in Act III - Battlefield Stores
• Physical melee attack with slow two-handed axe.

<mob>Skull Cleaver</mob>

Skull Summoner

• Appears in Act III - Battlefield Stores
• Attacks with a ranged Arcane Orb. Can summon up to four Skeletal Marauders at one time.

<mob>Skull Summoner</mob>

Skull Sword

Sword Skill

• Appears in Act III - Battlefield Stores and The Keep Depths
• Physical melee attack with sword.

<mob>Skull Sword</mob>

Spine Hewer

• Appears in Act II - Chamber of the Lost Idol
• Physical melee attack with slow two-handed axe.

<mob>Spine Hewer</mob>

Swift Skull Cleaver

• Appears in Act III - The Keep Depths
• Physical melee attack with slow two-handed axe. His walking speed is faster than the Skull Cleaver.

<mob>Swift Skull Cleaver</mob>

Tomb Guardian

Tomb Guardian

• Appears in Act I - Cathedral, Cemetery of the Forsaken, Chancellor's Tomb and The Lyceum
• Attacks with a ranged Arcane Orb. Can summon up to four Skeletons at one time. They are very easy to kill so dispense with them first to stop them summoning.

<mob acr="5387">Tomb Guardian</mob>

Tortured Summoner

• Appears in Act I - The Cursed Hold
• Attacks with a ranged Arcane Orb. Can summon up to four Returned Archers at one time.

<mob>Tortured Summoner</mob>

Named Skeletons

• Headcleaver - Leoric's Passage, Act I
• Brother Karel - Drowned Temple, Act I
• Brother Larel - Drowned Temple, Act I
• Brother Moek - Drowned Temple, Act I
• Ezek the Prophet - Drowned Temple, Act I
• Skeleton King - Tristram Cathedral, Act I

Lore

During the last days of King Leoric's reign, even the skeletons of the ancient dead could not rest. They took up their broken armor and weapons once more -- ready to cut down anything that yet drew breath. Though wasted and fragile, these creatures possess a twisted cleverness that makes them quite formidable.

Deckard Cain

Gallery

• 

  King Leoric milling about.

• 

  A Skeletal Summoner showing off.

• 

  The Skeletal Shieldman variant.

• 

  Regular Skeleton.

• 

  Another regular skeleton.

• 

  Unique Headcleaver