Skeleton is an enemy in Elden Ring.
Overview[]
Skeletons are found all throughout the Lands Between and come in several different variants employing a myriad of different weapons.
They are vulnerable to Strike damage and most often vulnerable Holy damage. As they are part of Those Who Live in Death they are also very weak to certain holy based attacks such as the Golden Epitaph, Skill: Shared Order, and Holy Water Pot.
All skeletons also carry a trait unique to this enemy type where they do not die immediately upon having their health reduced to zero. Instead, after a few seconds, their remains begin to glow white and they can be finished off with any damage, or else they resurrect after another few seconds, now with full health.
This resurrection mechanics can be skipped by killing them with certain weapons more effective against Those Who Live in Death.
There is also a version of the regular Skeleton variant, found only in Black Knife Catacombs, who cannot be finished off when defeated. Instead, they can only be dealt with permanently by killing one of the nearby Necromancer variant Commoners that otherwise keep them "alive".
Variants[]
Variant Description[]
Skeleton warriors found only on the surface (and within Sage's Cave) they carry a wide variety of weapons and clothes that help distinguish them from each other. They can be found in graveyards all across the Lands Between and many of them are linked to local Tibia Mariners, meaning should certain local Mariner's be felled, then the presence of these skeletons may fade from several nearby graveyards as a result.
Notes[]
These enemies are often encountered in groups, with Grave Wardens and Crossbow Militiamen providing range support while Knights close in from the front while blocking attacks and Bandits use their jump attacks.
Moveset[]
| Move Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
Drops[]
| Item | Drop Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human Bone Shard | 5% | Dropped from all variants |
| Sun Realm Shield | 2% | Knight variant only |
| Grave Scythe | 2% | Grave Warden variant only |
| Bandit's Curved Sword | 2% | Bandit variant only |
| Bolt (x5) | 10% | Militiaman (Crossbow) variant only |
Variant Description[]
Heavily built skeletons wielding greataxes and halberds, they have much greater poise than normal skeletons and will attack sequentially as long a Tarnished remains near.
Moveset[]
| Move Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
Drops[]
| Item | Drop Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human Bone Shard | 5% | All variants |
| Executioner's Greataxe | 4% | Greataxe variant only |
| Glaive | 4% | Halberd variant only |
Variant Description[]
Skeletons with golden bones, they share most of their moveset with the normal counterparts however with the addition of an attack that involves them gliding around the air like a kite while spewing magic gas beneath them. They've also shed most of their frailty against holy damage.
Notes[]
As these are so similar to the base variant of the skeleton, their sudden flight is likely to prove quite a scare when first encountered. Additionally, their existence is largely limited to one graveyard in Altus Plateau that is just east of Hermit Merchant (Capital Outskirts).
| Move Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
Drops[]
| Item | Drop Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human Bone Shard | 5% | Dropped from all variants |
| Sun Realm Shield | 2% | Knight variant only |
| Grave Scythe | 2% | Grave Warden variant only |
| Bandit's Curved Sword | 2% | Bandit variant only |
| Bolt (x5) | 10% | Militiaman (Crossbow) variant only |
Variant Description[]
Same as the normal Skeleton variant, except only encountered in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Moveset[]
| Move Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
Drops[]
| Item | Drop Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human Bone Shard | 5% | Dropped from all variants |
| Sun Realm Shield | 2% | Knight variant only |
| Grave Scythe | 2% | Grave Warden variant only |
| Bandit's Curved Sword | 2% | Bandit variant only |
| Bolt (x5) | 10% | Militiaman (Crossbow) variant only |
Variant Description[]
These skeleton boasts most of the same moveset as their humanoid counterpart, however they have additional fire breath attacks, slightly more resilience to Holy Damage but less resilience to Fire Damage.
Moveset[]
| Move Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
Drops[]
| Item | Drop Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human Bone Shard | 5% | All variants |
| Executioner's Greataxe | 4% | Greataxe variant only |
| Glaive | 4% | Halberd variant only |
Variant Description[]
These skeletons are found exclusively in Catacombs and Hero's Graves. They carry no vestigial remains of clothes or armor of any kind and are generally distinguished from each other purely depending on the weapons they carry.
Moveset[]
| Move Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
| Move Name | ||
| Phase | Damage Type | Can Be Parried/Cannot Be Parried |
| Description of move | ||
Drops[]
| Item | Drop Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scimitar | 2% | Scimitar variant and Shield variant only |
| Grossmesser | 2% | Grossmesser variant only |
| Scripture Wooden Shield | 2% | Shield variant only (even if wielding a metal shield) |
| Longbow | 2% | Bow variant only |
| Arrow (x5) | 10% | Bow variant only |
| Smoldering Butterfly | 8% | Fire Pot variant only |
| Human Bone Shard | 5% | All variants |
Trivia[]
- The catacomb variant greatly resembles the skeletons found in FromSoftwares earlier Dark Souls series.
Strategy Guide Description[]
| Elden Ring Official Strategy Guide Vol 2 - Shards of the Shattering |
|---|
| Skeletons are among the most diverse enemies you'll face throughout your journey, with three secondary subtypes encompassing many individual variants. The first and most common subtype has bleached-white bones and exhibits no special abilities beyond those shared by all Skeletons (i e., reanimating upon death). The second appears at the cemetery in the northern Capital Outskirts, this subtype has gold-colored bones and is capable of a dangerous aerial attack in which they levitate overhead while saturating a wide area with Magic-elemental breath. The third can only be found in Crumbling Farum Azula and resembles the beastmen alongside whom they appear, while the smaller versions of this subtype are purely an aesthetic variation of standard Skeletons and have no unique combat characteristics, the bestial Giant Skeletons can perform a flame breath attack not used by their human counterparts.
The Litany of Proper Death Incantation that can be purchased from D. Hunter of the Dead deals a mild amount of Holy damage to most enemies, but against Those Who Live in Death such as Skeletons, it receives a massive damage boost, and prevents them from reanimating
Catacomb Skeleton (Fire Pot) Unarmed Catacomb Skeletons will typically bombard you with Fire Pots, although in certain dungeons they will throw Rancor Pots instead. They have no melee weapons and are defenseless up close, but will continue throwing ordinance at you even at pointblank range, so time your approach carefully if they're perched in a spot where you can't reach, one or two Holy Water Pots will usually do the trick
|