Summary
Skeletons appear in all kinds of movies, from stop-motion beginnings in classics likeJason and the Argonautsto bad-to-the-bone villains such as in action-adventure or superhero genres. However, skeletons aren’t always morally bad, with some characters following the path to redemption as heroes or those intending to do good deeds in a misguided way. Either way, they are often just plain cool with a fantastic and memorable on-screen presence.
Skeletons are often movie protagonists or in primary casting roles, with many creative and sometimes even futuristic depictions of the typical human skeleton form. However, some movie skeletons are undeniably more memorable and iconic than others.
Updated July 14, 2025 by Gemma Johnson:Famous skeletons in movies have grabbed audiences' attention for decades, from the days of early cinema and stop-motion animation to modern CGI technology today. Many of the mostfamous skeletonson-screen also appear across various facets of the morality spectrum, from funny skeletons to evil villains and everything in between. Some of the most memorable movies with skeletons also include those from other areas of pop culture, like video games, as well as characters that play supporting roles as well as protagonists.
Skeletons in movies also don’t have to be spooky or scary and can provide audiences with memorable moments for many reasons. Whether it’s a laugh-out-loud moment or pulling on an audience’s heartstrings, skeletons on-screen have made their presence known throughout history. In no particular order, this list updates the existing entries and adds two new entries.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Movie Appearances:
Dry Bones is an iconic supporting character from Nintendo’sSuper Mariofranchise and is a skeletal variant from Bowser’s Koopa Troopas. Already iconic in video games, Dry Bones appeared in 2023’sThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, where Luigi is chased by a swarm of Dry Bones enemies in the Dark Lands. The movie makes its Dry Bones antagonists super creepy, appearing as skeletons with yellow eyes that switch to bright red in a second, bust out of the ground, and relentlessly chase a terrified Luigi.
The movie’s stunning visuals bring these famous skeletons to life brilliantly in a humorous scene that also has some fun nods to the way players defeat them inclassicSuper Mariovideo games. For instance, Luigi accidentally shatters one to pieces when bumping into a tree, only for it to resurrect moments later. Dry Bones also appeared inThe Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3cartoon and theSuper Mario WorldTV series.
Corpse Bride
Tim Burton’sCorpse Bridefollows protagonist Victor Van Dort, who must choose between two brides, one of the living and another of the dead. It features numerous skeleton characters, including Victor’s deceased dog named Scraps, the singing Bonejangles, and Grandfather Everglot, to name a few examples. LikeThe Nightmare Before Christmas, 2005’sCorpse Bridecontains perhaps some of the most famous skeletons on screen in Burton’s renowned stop-animation and musical style, as well as a host of vocal talents like Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, and more.
One stand-out moment is Bonejangles' ‘Remains of the Day’ song in the Land of the Dead, which tells corpse bride Emily’s tragic tale. This jazzy musical scene showcases many skeletons alongside the widely beloved reanimated corpse of Emily herself.
Jason And The Argonauts
One of the most iconic and famous skeletons in movies that may come to mind for many audiences is the skeleton army in Don Chaffey’s 1963 movieJason and the Argonauts. In the movie, King Aeëtes summons a group of skeleton warriors to fight Jason and his companions. The skeletons are cleverly brought to life on screen using stop-motion animation.
The pre-battle tension builds as seven skeletons individually burst from the ground in battle-ready form with swords and shields, moving with genuinely creepy impact for their time, building up to a terrifying scream before an iconic and entertaining fight scene.
Disney’s The Black Cauldron
The Horned King is the primary antagonist of the 1985 animated movie The Black Cauldron, which tells the story of a young man named Taran tasked with protecting a magical pig from the evil Horned King, who seeks the location of the Black Cauldron to summon an army of immortals.
Although The Black Cauldron is one of Disney’s less popular and perhaps less widely known movies, the famous skeleton character of the Horned King is perhaps more known as one ofDisney’s most ruthless and evil animated villainsand altogether, gruesome-looking characters, stopping at nothing to get the Cauldron by any means necessary.
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Movie appearances:
Played by actor Julian Glover, Walter Donovan is the main villain inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeas a character who seeks the Holy Grail, one of themost powerfulIndiana Jonesartifacts. Towards the end of the movie in the Grail temple, Donovan famously drinks from the wrong cup, causing him to temporarily turn into a skeleton as the mysterious cup ages him into a fast and early death, with his bones soon shattering to dust.
As one of the most iconic movie franchises of all time, many fans will also recall a similar transformation with Nazi baddie Toht inRaiders of the Lost Ark, as an honorable mention, whose face gruesomely melts before he explodes. Both scenes are memorable presentations of skeletal-like transformations on screen.
Disney’s Coco
Disney’sCocointroduced viewers to many endearing and often funny animated skeleton characters with heartwarming moments, as protagonist Miguel seeks to become a musician against his family’s wishes. Set in the festive holiday of Día de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead),Coco’s skeletons bridge the gap between life and death as the characters recall and reflect on their previous lives in the Land of the Living.
While there are too many skeleton characters in the movie to list, some stand-out characters include the charismatic Hector, Mama Coco, and Ernesto de la Cruz, to name a few.
Army Of Darkness
Some of the funniest famous skeletons in movies have to include the Deadites in the 1992horror comedy movieArmy of Darknesswhich stars Bruce Campbell as the infamous Ash Williams. Deadites are considered demonic spirits that can reanimate the dead or even possess the living, with the movie full of reanimated corpses and skeletons.
While viewers encounter Deadites across the franchise, some stand-out moments inArmy of Darknessinclude the March of the Dead fight scene, including the slapstick horror comedy the movies are known for.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
One of the most iconic and widely recognized characters that many viewers think of when it comes to on-screen skeletons has to be Jack Skellington fromThe Nightmare Before Christmas, one of the most celebrated andbest Tim Burton characters. Jack sings many well-loved songs in this widely adored stop-motion animation movie, from “What’s this?” as he discovers the delights of Christmas Town or the moonlit “Jack’s Lament.”
The Nightmare Before Christmasis enjoyed by many throughout Halloween, Thanksgiving, or the Christmas Holidays. Although Jack the Pumpkin King makes some mistakes, he realizes the error of his ways and becomes thankful for all he has and is, showing that he’s also a skeleton with meat on his bones with a moral message about gratitude.
The Terminator Movies
While there have been various Terminator models over the years, the original T-800 is theterrifying sci-fi robotfrom the classic 1984 movieThe Terminator, a metal skeleton underneath material designed to replicate living human tissue. The T-800, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton. Its mission is to terminate Sarah before she can give birth to John Connor, the future leader of the resistance against the Skynet machines.
The T-800 is the ultimate, iconic, and relentless killing machine with an incredible on-screen presence as the cybernetic organism, in both endoskeleton and “human” form when played by Schwarzenegger.
10Baron Samedi
Live And Let Die
Geoffrey Holder plays perhaps one of the most widely known portrayals of the iconic witch doctor Baron Samedi in the 1973 James Bond movieLive and Let Die, starring Sir Roger Moore as Bond. InLive and Let Die, Baron Samedi is a villainous character who wears the widely recognized skeleton face paint and a top hat and has mystical powers.
The character of Baron Samedi has Haitian-Vodou origins and appears in many different movies, TV series, and video games. Baron Samedi even appears as a playable character inSmiteand as aplayable multiplayer character inGoldeneye 007,such as with its Egyptian level.
