It's not always memorable masked slashers or petrifying paranormal activities serving up the fights in movies and TV. Sometimes, it's the use of spooky scary skeletons that adds just the right amount of creepy to any show or film, whether it's horror or not.
From some Disney classics to a few frightening masks to a Hallowentime icon, some skeleton characters are forever remembered for their singing, their dancing, and their recognizable skull heads.
Dancing Skeletons ('The Skeleton Dance')
The Skeleton Dance was an animated short part of Walt Disney's Silly Symphony series that premiered in 1929 in select theaters across the country.
While these skeletons only dance around a graveyard without speaking roles or even names, they and their short film have become a popular Halloweentime classic from the Disney vault.
Skull Mask ('Halloween III: Season Of The Witch')
Halloween III: Season of the Witch came out in 1982 and may not have starred Michael Myers and his iconic white mask, but it did feature three memorable masks, one of which was a big, creepy skull.
This skull mask may have been just as forgotten as its film in the 80s, but it did garner a second life thanks to its appearance in 2021's Halloween Kills as an Easter egg for mega Halloween fans.
Ernesto De La Cruz ('Coco')
Pixar's Coco is full of spooky and loveable skeletons when Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead, but even the skeleton of Sid from Toy Story isn't as offputting as Ernesto de la Cruz.
While the character appears as a good guy throughout most of the film, Miguel learns of his guitar hero's misdoings from his new skeleton pal Hector, who reveals Ernesto is the one who killed him.
Skeletor ('He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe')
Throwing it back to the 80s, the Masters of the Universe franchise served as the creation of not only the superhero He-Man, but his arch enemy Skeletor.
Skeletor appears as a grim reaper of sorts, with a purple hood over his skull that easily depicts him as the antagonist he is in both the films and the comic books from the 80s all the way up to Netflix's 2021 reboot Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
Colorful Skeleton ('Hocus Pocus')
A lesser-known but just as important skeleton in film is the one that appears for all of five seconds in the Halloweentime classic Hocus Pocus.
While this is one character that didn't come back for the sequel, this skeleton decoration acts as a minor jumpscare on Halloween night, standing out for its colorful, pastel paint job in a movie full of evil witches and dark cemeteries.
Grim ('The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy')
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy was an animated series that aired on Cartoon Network for six seasons for every millennial who would endlessly watch cartoon after cartoon on the beloved channel.
The show starred Grim in what acted as a darker take on The Fairly OddParents when the literal grim reaper is enslaved in a permanent friendship with kids Billy and Mandy, who he fantasizes about killing on multiple occasions before finally growing to love the children.
Johnny Lawrence ('The Karate Kid')
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Johnny Lawrence isn't just one of the antagonists in 1984's The Karate Kid, but he also appears as a memorable skeleton during one unforgettable part of the movie.
When Daniel arrives at the school Halloween dance dressed as a bathtub, he eventually winds up being chased out of the school by Johnny and his Cobra Kai friends, who are all dressed in black skeleton jumpsuits with painted skull faces as they beat up Daniel and unsuccessfully take on Mr. Miyagi.
Benny ('Halloweentown')
Halloweentown may be a spooky time DCOM full of loveable characters like Marnie, Grandma Agie and Sophie, but no character is as remembered as the dad joke-telling, taxi-driving skeleton named Benny.
Benny is the hilarious taxi driver in Halloweentown, who befriends the Piper children before being hypnotized by the evil Kalabar, his facial bones turning into a scowl when he kidnaps the children on Kalabar's orders.
Endoskeleton ('The Terminator')
The Terminator came out in 1984 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger in the titular role of a cyborg assassin from the future who arrives in the year 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, but inadvertently befriends her son John in the process.
While The Terminator takes the human form of Schwarzenegger for the majority of the film, the cyborg's true form is eventually revealed to be a shiny, silver endoskeleton that is much scarier than Schwarzenegger's handsome face.
Jack Skellington ('The Nightmare Before Christmas')
The year 1993 gave the world two iconic Halloween movies: Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion musical about a skeleton who discovers the magic of Christmas by creator of all things creepy, Tim Burton.
Jack Skellington is arguably the most well-known skeleton character, from his big, white skull to his childlike wonder for Christmastime to his supercouple relationship with Sally that's so cute it's scary.