Skeleton

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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.

Well-armored.

Skeletons are Undead monsters.

Skeleton Subtypes

Act I

• Dark Skeletal Archer
• Returned
• Returned Archer
• Returned Executioner
• Returned Shieldman
• Returned Summoner
• Royal Henchman
• 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

Bone Warrior

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

Dark Skeletal Archer

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

Dark Skeletal Bowman

Dark Skeletal Bowman

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

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

Returned Archer

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

Returned Executioner

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

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.

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.

Royal Henchman

• Appears in Act I - Leoric's Passage
• Physical attack

Skeletal Archer

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

Skeletal Bowmaster

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

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.

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.

Skeletal Ranger

• Appears in Act II - Chamber of the Lost Idol
• Physical ranged attack with bow.

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.

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.

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.

Skeleton

Skeleton

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

Skull Cleaver

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

Skull Summoner

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

Skull Sword

Sword Skill

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

Spine Hewer

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

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.

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.

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.

Named Skeletons

Superunique versions of Skeleton have a chance of spawning in the following areas:

Act I

• Brother Karel - Drowned Temple. Part of The Broken Blade quest
• Brother Larel - Drowned Temple. Part of The Broken Blade quest
• Brother Moek - Drowned Temple. Part of The Broken Blade quest
• Caretaker McCree - Cathedral Garden
• Enmerkar - Fields of Misery. Part of the Last Stand of the Ancients event
• Ezek the Prophet - Drowned Temple. Part of The Broken Blade quest
• Headcleaver - Leoric's Passage. Part of The Legacy of Cain quest
• Lord Brone - Festering Woods. Also target of Bounty Kill Lord Brone
• Merrium Skullthorn - Cathedral, level 2. Also target of Bounty Kill Merrium Skullthorn
• Skeleton King - Tristram Cathedral. End boss of the Reign of the Black King quest
• The Warden - The Cursed Hold. Part of The Imprisoned Angel quest
• Tormented Behemoth - Halls of Agony, level 2. Part of A Stranger in Need event

Act III

• Axegrave the Executioner - The Keep Depths.
• Boneripper - The Keep Depths. Part of Forged in Battle event.

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

• 

  Tormented Behemoth

• 

  King Leoric milling about.

• 

  Caretaker McCree

• 

  A Skeletal Summoner showing off.

• 

  The Skeletal Shieldman variant.

• 

  Regular Skeleton.

• 

  Another regular skeleton.

• 

  Unique Headcleaver

• 

  Merrium Skullthorn