Skeleton

Firelink Catacombs Skeleton Location Firelink Shrine Drops Scimitar Falchion Red & White Round Shield Health NG 184 NG+ 402 Souls NG 50 NG+ 200 Skeleton Location The Catacombs Drops Scimitar Falchion Red & White Round Shield Short Bow Health NG 196 (sword) 153 (bow) NG+ 396 (sword) 310 (bow) Souls NG 100 NG+ 400

For the Dark Souls II variant, see Skeleton (Dark Souls II).

For the Dark Souls III variant, see Skeleton (Dark Souls III).

Skeletons are enemies in Dark Souls.

Location

These foes are found in the graveyard area of Firelink Shrine, The Catacombs and at the end of the Tomb of the Giants, during the Gravelord Nito boss fight.

Description

Skeletons appear either as a patch of scattered bones that assemble when approached or already assembled and ready to fight. Their eye sockets glow with a white light, which make them easier to locate in darkened areas.

They wield either a Scimitar and Warrior's Round Shield, a Falchion and no shield, or a Longbow. Skeletons using the Scimitar or Falchion will inflict Bleed buildup with each of their attacks. Unlike many other enemies, skeletons can parry, riposte, and backstab.

In the graveyard at Firelink, their bones are scattered on the ground, and groups of them rise when the player character enters a specific space.

Skeletons in The Catacombs are tied to specific Necromancers and will repeatedly revive until their master dies or if slain with weapons that have a Divine auxiliary effect, such as the Silver Knight Spear, Astora's Straight Sword or weapons ascended down the Divine upgrade path. This is also true for the skeletons encountered during the boss fight with Gravelord Nito, except that they have no associated Necromancer.

Strategies

• Skeletons take extra damage from weapons with the Divine auxiliary effect, which also keeps them from reassembling.
  • All weapons augmented with a Divine Ember have this effect, in addition to Astora's Straight Sword, Crescent Axe, Grant, Greatsword of Artorias (non-cursed version) and the Silver Knight Spear.
• While assembling, skeletons are vulnerable for a couple seconds.
• Inflicting a heavy attack on a skeleton will cause them to disassemble for a few seconds, leaving them exposed to further attacks (this makes for their stagger animations).
  • Weapons that deal Strike damage, such as hammers, will also make them disassemble with each hit.
• If not equipped with a Divine weapon in The Catacombs, the player should find and kill the Necromancers controlling them or the skeletons will continue to reassemble whenever they are shattered apart. If no Necromancers can be found, dispatch skeletons with heavy attacks, shattering them for long enough to be able to escape.

Enemy information

Health and souls

Location	Health		Souls
	NG	NG+	NG	NG+
Firelink Shrine	184	402	50	200
The Catacombs	196 (sword & shield) 153 (bow)	396 (sword & shield) 310 (bow)	100	400

Characteristics

Respawn	Yes
Backstab	Yes
Damage Types	Physical / Bleed
Abilities	Can parry and riposte. Can resurrect.

Attacks

• Archer
• Swordsman
• Sword & Shield

Attack	Damage	Attack Type	Status Effect	Parryable	Tracking	Attack Speed
Arrow Shot	204	Thrust	None	No	Neither	Medium

Attack	Damage	Attack Type	Status Effect	Parryable	Tracking	Attack Speed
Swing	272	Slash	Bleed: 30	Yes	Both	Slow
Two Handed Slash	326	Slash	Bleed: 30	Yes	Both	Slow
Roll	182	Slash	Bleed: 30	No	Both	Fast

Attack	Damage	Attack Type	Status Effect	Parryable	Tracking	Attack Speed
Quick Swing Combo	198	Slash	Bleed: 30	Yes	Both	Medium
Overhead Slice	210	Slash	Bleed: 30	Yes	Both	Medium
Double Slice	214	Slash	Bleed: 30	Yes	Both	Fast
Spin Slash	251	Slash	Bleed: 30	Yes	Both	Medium

Defenses

Location	Physical Defenses				Elemental Defenses			Resistances
Firelink Shrine	247	173	247	309	191	168	255	S	S	S
The Catacombs	264	185	264	330	204	179	284	S	S	S

These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.

Drops

Item	Scimitar	Falchion	Red & White Round Shield	Short Bow
Drop Rate	2% (Sword and Shield Wielder)	2% (Single Swordsman)	1% (Sword and Shield Wielder)	2% (Bowman)

Trivia

• Bonewheel Skeletons are distinct enemies, and can be encountered in the Painted World of Ariamis.
• On rare occasions, when parried by a skeleton, a glitch may occur that sends the player falling through the ground.
• Despite dropping the Red & White Round Shield, skeletons only wield the Warrior's Round Shield.

Gallery

Promotional screenshot