Skeletons are a hostile Hostile Mob that can be found in two dimensions in Minecraft and they are known to drop valuable loot upon death. In this Minecraft Skeleton guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about how to find a Skeleton, how to defeat a Skeleton, quick tips and facts that you may not have known, as well as their available loot drops.
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Looking for something specific about Skeletons? Click the links below to jump to...
- What Is a Skeleton and What Do They Do in Minecraft
- How to Find a Skeleton
- Skeleton Variants
- Skeleton Horseman
- How to find Skeleton Horsemans
- Wither Skeleton
- How to find Wither Skeletons
- Spider Jockey
- How to Defeat a Skeleton
- Quick Tips and Facts
- All Skeleton Loot
- All Wither Loot
What Is a Skeleton and What Do They Do in Minecraft
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Skeletons are primarily a range-based hostile mob that shoots players and Iron Golems with a Bow and Arrow, but if you get too close they will melee you. If an arrow does hit another mob, said mob will attack the skeleton and the two will begin fighting. Skeletons are known to take damage in the sun but can survive under specific conditions. Listed below are all the ways a skeleton can survive sunlight.
- If the skeleton is below a solid block.
- A skeleton can survive being in the sun if it’s in the water.
- A skeleton can survive sunlight if it’s in a poorly lit area by the sun.
- If a skeleton is standing in Soul Sand.
- A skeleton that has Fire Resistance will survive in the sun.
- If a skeleton is standing in a cobweb.
- If a skeleton is wearing a helmet it’ll live. But the helmet will break down after a few days.
Listed below is how much damage a skeleton can do based on the difficulty you’re playing on, for both Bedrock and Java.
Melee
- Easy: 2 Hearts
- Normal: 2.5 Hearts
- Hard: 3 Hearts
Range for Bedrock
- Easy: 1-4 Hearts (Depending on how far the skeleton is)
- Normal: 1-4 Hearts (Depending on how far the skeleton is)
- Hard: 1-5 Hearts (Depending on how far the skeleton is)
Range for Java
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- Easy: 2-5 Hearts (Depending on how far the skeleton is)
- Normal: 2-5 Hearts (Depending on how far the skeleton is)
- Hard: 3-5 Hearts (Depending on how far the skeleton is)
How to Find a Skeleton
Skeletons are a unique mob because they can be found in two different dimensions. In the Overworld, they are known to spawn in poorly lit areas. Listed below are the biomes you can find a Skeleton in both dimensions.
Overworld
- Caves
- Near a Spawner (typically found in caves)
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- Nether Fortress
- Soul Sand Valley
To learn more about the different types of Biomes that are available to find across Minecraft, be sure to check out our Biomes guide for more details.
Skeleton Variants
There are three types of Skeleton mobs in Minecraft. All three of them are hostile mobs and two of them rarely spawn. Listed below are all the Skeleton Variants.
- Skeleton Horseman
- Wither Skeleton
- Spider Jockey
Skeleton Horseman
The Skeleton Horseman is a variant that rides in on a skeleton horse. They're considered a rare spawn because they only spawn when lighting strikes on a Skeleton Trap. Listed below are the chances of them spawning.
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- Easy: 1.5-4%
- Normal: 2.25-6.75%
- Hard: N/A
When the Skeleton is killed the Skeleton Horse becomes passive and won't attack the player. You'll be able to ride the horse without a saddle too.
Wither Skeleton
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Wither Skeletons only spawn in a specific biome in Minecraft. They stand out from all the other variants because of their color. Wither Skeletons can often be found carrying around a stone sword that has a Wither Effect on it. Listed below is how much damage they do.
- Easy: 5 Hearts
- Normal: 8 Hearts
- Hard: 12 Hearts
Below you'll see how long the Wither Effect lasts and what it does.
- The Wither Effect last for 10 seconds
- The Wither Effect inflicts additional damage over time
Spider Jockey
Spider Jockey is Skeleton that spawns riding a spider and is a rare occurrence in-game. If you're on Java there's a 1% chance of a skeleton spawning and a .8% chance of a wither and stray spawning.
But if you're playing on Bedrock there' an 80% chance of them spawning if the spider is in the Nether with a Wither riding the spider. Whenever a Spider Jockey is killed it'll drop the same items it would have if it wasn't on a spider.
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How to Defeat a Skeleton
Defeating a skeleton can get annoying at times. Mainly because when you find yourself fighting one, there are usually other mobs trying to kill you. And every time an arrow hits you, you’re sent flying back. A great tip when fighting skeletons is to always be moving, never stand in one spot while fighting them. Another good tip is to try to get the skeleton to hit another mob to help you out in combat. Listed below are all the recommended items when fighting a skeleton for both playstyles.
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If you don’t have a full set of Iron Armor, that’s okay as long as you’re wearing something in this fight. Shields will become your best friends too because you can use them to bounce arrows off. But if you prefer to fight them at range, you can easily fight them with a Bow and Arrows.
Quick Tips and Facts
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- Skeletons are known to spawn with Armor on.
- If a skeleton is in powder snow for more than seven seconds it’ll turn into a Stray.
- If a player is killed by a skeleton it’ll pick up its Armor and weapons.
- A skeleton will melee the player with whatever weapon it picked up.
- Skeletons can ride Spiders.
- There’s a 1% chance of Skeletons spawning riding a spider.
- Skeletons can’t drown but do sink in water.
All Skeleton Loot
When a skeleton is killed by a player or a tamed wolf, they drop five XP orbs. Listed below are all the items a skeleton is known to drop upon death.
All Wither Loot
Listed below is all the loot a Wither drops when it dies.
- Bones: 0-2
- Coal (1/3 chance of dropping)
- Wither Skull (2.5% chance of dropping)
- 5 XP Orbs when killed by a player or tamed wolf (Additional 1-3 XP orb if it's wearing armor)
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