I have a Boner to Skeletons

A monument of potassium. A union of bones. They are everywhere: in old tales, in symbols, in contemporary media, as a stock enemy to beat and according to a conspiracy they might be even inside of us! Their main appeal is their strong relation to death, something that gives shivers to our bones. However, I have a bone to pick about them. Like magic, you need to be critical about when using them, as with any other literary device. World building is like bones just fitting the right places in the body, bones that are too long cause you pain. So, let's open up our skulls and fill ourselves with some thought juice.

(We have certainly a lot of bones to pick here) (Source)

Spooky Skeletons

I didn't see skeletons were ever used in a genuine horror settings, other than cheap jump scares. But they are ubiquitous in settings with horror aesthetics, often giving it a metal atmosphere. (As you know, they are full of potassium.) The Reaper, priests or magicians who deal with death, vampires, and unfortunately sometimes Nazis frequently deploy skeleton or skull iconography. But sometimes , they are just.. there, as a mob of enemies to defeat; or as a weapon by the main characters uses. As we got used to them, we have come to accept a lot of frankly ridiculous things.
How skeletons are actually raised? Are people coming up as undead, similar to zombies, or are characters are able to manipulate specifically bones into bodies. How they are able to use swords or bows, let alone walk or even stand in the first place? If they are able to stand due to magic, why they are so easily fall apart by hitting a little? When they are contrasted against zombies or liches, skeletons are depicted as faster and more agile, which doesn't make sense when we consider a less damaged body would be more functional to use.
For the record, I am not complaining because they don't make sense. I can suspend my disbelief pretty easily actually. And when said setting relies heavily on horror, things being unknown often gives a stronger backbone. What I am against is creators relying too much on familiarity of the trope, they just throw it as a bone to the audience. This seems to be the general problem of tropes related magic. They are simultaneously overused and under explored. My nerd bones cannot accept this, I like skeletons and certainly they deserve more care.

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Draugrs in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a decent spin. Taken from Nord mythology, what causes them to awaken is well established, They look skeleton-y enough while having well-enough preserved bodies to function normally, they are even able to speak. They actually do have a scary aura, especially the higher level ones. Unfortunately, like most things in Skyrim, they overstay their welcome and get normalized in the eyes of player.
Thankfully, we are not without a bone of hope. There are certainly ways of making sure audience can feel the skeletons in their bones.

Smiley Skeletons

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Especially in last two decades, people have discovered the real potential in the skeleton's bones,as we seen in comedy or even internet memes. This potential is the fact that skeletons look so darn unique. They have the perfect bland an empty alien look and a friendly grin on their face. Skeletons are just so funny and even relatable. In a way, they look so.. pure, which strangely gives a lot of meaning to their actions, even something so simple as running, or playing trumpet. They are so empty yet packed with so much under their bones, simply beautiful.
This is why we need more friendly skeletons in media. It would be amazing if we were able to play as skeletons and have skeleton character with their own personality. It doesn't have to be human skeletons too: skeleton cats, skeleton cows, skeleton sharks or even exoskeletons can work pretty well. Media was able to get over with damning vampires to evil characters, why not we shouldn't do the same with skeletons, which are much more harmless and much more charismatic.
Hopefully some creators have some skeletons under their bed, with prime examples being Sans and Papyrus from Undertale. Of course, it helps that they have well-written, quirky and humorous personalities. But, let's cut to the bone folks, being skeletons just makes them 206 times better. They fit to their world nicely too, with being their own species just like other monsters, without having any connection to being undead. There isn't single uncreative bone in Undertale but in my opinion having friendly skeletons is one of the small things that makes the game truly shine.

Bone Nuit

Skeletons truly warm my bones. A good body stands on healthy, durable bones, so a creator should think about the elements they add. What's the place of the skeletons in your world, do bones come from graveyard or they have a more different nature, how they relate to death? All these things are important questions to answers. At the very least, it's probably be good to think of something else as basic expendable mobs, even if you don't work to the bone in your setting, just throw a bone or two for your audience sometimes.

Note: All bone is intended.