Line #115 Main/SkullForAHead


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8	->''At first glance, Slugtongue could be mistaken for a death-devil, for his head is little more than a leering, bovine skull...''
9	-->-- ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''
10
11	A character has a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin skull for a head]]. This may be because the character is a supernatural being, or due to some disfigurement that makes that character’s head ''look'' like a skull. Occasionally used to make a robot look menacing, with a skull instead of a head -- see SkeleBot9000, although this also covers robots whose whole bodies look like skeletons. Fully human characters may paint their faces to look like skulls; done right, this can appear almost as terrifying as the real thing, or [[UncannyValley arguably even more so]].
12
13	In all cases of this trope, the ''rest'' of the body is relatively normal (i.e., not an [[DemBones animated skeleton]].)
14
15	A subtrope of SkeletalAppendage. See also DemBones, FlamingSkulls, FlyingFace, ScarySkeleton, and SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset. Supertrope to SinisterDeerSkull when said skull is a head, usually connotes a connection to nature. Often overlaps with ObviouslyEvil.
16	Depending on if it moves, it could possibly be an ExpressiveSkull. If the rest of their body is attractive, this could be an extreme case of {{Butterface}}.
17	----
18	!!Examples:
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
23	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': Enya's Justice is a giant, fanged skull floating as a FogOfDoom.
24	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'': The final piece for the [[DismantledMacGuffin Holy Corpse]] is its own skull.
25	* In ''Manga/SazanEyes'', after Amara is revived from a single seed he spends the rest of the manga regenerating and thus is stuck with a fleshless skull-like visage. Subverted in that while he's cold and aloof, he's not a bad guy by any stretch.
26	* Captain Terror ([[http://www.thiel-a-vision.com/images/speedracer/speed006.jpg Pic 1]], [[http://www.thiel-a-vision.com/images/speedracer/speed059.jpg pic 2]]) from ''Anime/SpeedRacer'' hides his eyes behind goggles, has an upturned nose exposing his nostrils, and constantly wears an [[SlasherSmile evil grimace]] giving him a skull faced look.
27	* [[BigBad Admiral Perry]] from ''[[Anime/SpaceDandy Space Dandy]]''. He is depicted as a large cloaked being with a crowned skull head with flames and tiny planets orbiting around it. In the last episode of the second season, however, it is revealed that [[spoiler: this depiction is actually a hologram to disguise Perry's true form: [[TheManBehindTheCurtain a middle-aged human man in a business suit.]]]] Doesn't make him any less threatening, though.
28	* Elias Ainsworth from ''Manga/TheAncientMagusBride'' has a skull that's a cross between a dog's and an antelope's for a head, signifying his non-human nature.
29	* Honda-san from ''Manga/SkullFaceBooksellerHondaSan'' has a skull for a head, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as you might expect from the title]].
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Art]]
33	* In Creator/WilliamAdolpheBouguereau's ''Art/DanteAndVirgilInHell'', the background devil's head appears to just be a black skull. It almost look like TheGrimReaper, which adds another layer to its presence in a scene of [[HumansAreBastards two men brutalizing each other]].
34	* In Creator/EdvardMunch's ''Art/{{The Scream\|Munch}}'', the lack of hair, nose and ears, thin face and pale skin give this impression to the androgynous figure. In fact, art historian Robert Rosenblum has suggested the face may be inspired on a similar mummy from the Peruvian Chachapoya people, since Edvard might have seen its exposition in the Ethnographic Museum while he studied in Paris.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Card Games]]
38	* The ''TabletopGame/{{Pachimon}}'' trading cards from the 1970s have a few monsters with skull-like heads. Notably the most iconic of the bunch, Galtan, who had a [[http://www.toybotstudios.com/2007/02/vintage-pachimon-cards-inspire-exohead.html short toyline dedicated to it]].
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Comic Books]]
42	* ComicBook/{{Deadman}} is sometimes depicted as just having a skull instead of his daredevil mask, as he was in ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''.
43	* Mr. Bones from ''ComicBook/InfinityInc'', ''ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}'', and other comics in Franchise/TheDCU. Due to having invisible skin and flesh, he basically looks like a skeleton who can fill out a suit.
44	* Mrs. Pruneface (pictured [[http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_large/0/3125/1547879-odt1.jpg here]], and [[https://img1.etsystatic.com/055/1/9585219/il_570xN.770122789_njob.jpg here]]) from ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' seemingly has empty black sockets for eyes, nose holes, and tends to grimace showing her teeth, and [[FangsAreEvil fangs]].
45	* ComicBook/GhostRider has one that's [[FlamingSkulls on fire]]. However, it can vary from Rider to Rider as to whether it's just the skull, or if it's [[DemBones the whole skeleton]].
46	** [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Dormammu]], also from the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, has a {{Flaming Skull\|s}} head as well, albeit his isn't quite as skull-like and is harder to make out because the flames totally engulf it.
47	* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'':
48	** Judge Mortis has a cow skull for a head, representing [[HorsemenOfTheApocalypse the Horseman Famine]].
49	** Brit-Cit Inspector Jericho Strange, head of the Endangered Species Squad, has a sheep skull for a head after looking into ''The Black Mirror''.
50	** Fink Angel has lost his lips and most of his nose, which makes his face look eerily similar to a skull.
51	* ''ComicBook/TheGrievousJourneyOfIchabodAzrael'': There is a demon who commands [[TheFerryman Charon]], and also has a cow's skull for a head.
52	* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
53	** Bludgeon tends to have this; in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'' it's just the face of his Pretender shell, but the [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries movie]] version has this as his main robot head. His Pretender compatriot Skullgrin also has a skull-like head on his Pretender shell, though his resembles a demonic bull rather than a human skull.
54	** [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Megadeath_(G1) Megadeath]], a [[ToylessToylineCharacter comic book only]] Decepticon.
55	* While the original character was just a guy in a omni-present skull mask, some versions of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's ArchEnemy the [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]] qualify:
56	** After having his consciousness transferred into a cloned duplicate of Captain America's body, the original Red Skull accidentally inhaled a dose of his own "Dust of Death" -- a chemical similar in effect to [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker Joker Venom]]. Ordinarily, the Red Skull's dust kills its victim, while also transforming the head into a red skull. In this case, due to his cloned body's Super-Soldier Serum, the Skull didn't die, but merely gained an ''actual'' red skull for a face.
57	** The Red Skull's daughter, Sin, suffered a similar fate, but her face looks like a red skull due to relatively "normal" disfigurement -- an explosion and severe burn damage.
58	** His ComicBook/{{Ultimate\|Marvel}} counterpart is Captain America's sociopathic son who skinned his head because of his resemblance to his father.
59	* Franklin Richards in ''ComicBook/MarvelComics2'' gets a dose of cosmic rays, giving him new energy powers that burn the flesh off his head and require him to wear a mask.
60	* ''ComicBook/DeathsHeadMarvelComics'': The titular [[InsistentTerminology freelance peacekeeping agent]] has one, though it's more robotic and alien than most examples.
61	* Borderline example: the ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' archvillain the Brain is a BrainInAJar perched atop a chess piece-like pedestal. The upper portion of the pedestal is designed to look like a skull.
62	* The ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' villain the Black Mask originally just wore an obsidian mask. But Cameron Stewart, artist of ''ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}'' 14 drew him with a blackened skull which [[http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/2750230.html later writers picked up on]].
63	* In the ''ComicBook/{{BPRD}}''-verse, a Nazi supervillain known as The Black Flame had a skull wreathed in black fire. Decades later, one Mr. Pope from Zinco Enterprises takes up the mantle of The Black Flame; he wears a skull-shaped helmet.
64	* The Blue Knight of ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' wears a helmet that projects a holographic skull, giving this effect. InUniverse there's debate as to whether it's [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane actually a projection or not]], though what the readers see of him suggests that it is.
65	* One ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' story showed a world where ComicBook/CaptainAmerica came into being during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar when Native American magic gave skinny Union soldier Steve Rogers a body to match his heart. His racist commander "Bucky" Barnes was likewise affected by the spell, turning his head into a fleshless skull and causing him to become the villain White Skull.
66	* Skully/Cranicola of Brazilian comic ''[[ComicBook/MonicasGang Monica's Bug-a-booo]]'' is an extreme case: he's a skull that lost its body and lies atop a rock.
67	* The ''ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm'' villain Helspont has a [[FlamingSkulls flaming]] [[HornedHumanoid horned skull for a head]] due to his [[DemonicPossession possession]] of Acuran host.
68	* The Atomic Skull (Joe Martin and Albert Michaels) from ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''. Both of the men have [[FlamingSkulls skull wreathed in atomic fire]], but very different powers. The former has superhuman strength, agility and endurance which he can further empower with the same energy that he shoots from his hands and [[BreathWeapon mouth]]. The latter has superhuman strength and stamina, but his main power is using his own bio-electricity to shoot beams of atomic energy from his visor with his radium-powered brain implant.
69	* The ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' foe Doctor Destiny started out wearing a mask that conveyed this image. After a lengthy stay in [[BedlamHouse Arkham Asylum]], in which the doctors decided to curtail his dream powers by making him unable to dream (and consequently sleep, not that the doctors cared), he reappears in ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'' as an emaciated ghoul with a similar motif.
70	* Creator/FletcherHanks' "Mystery Woman of the Jungle" Fantomah transformed into a skull-faced (but still blonde-haired) figure when using her powers.
71	* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth'': Deimos and Phobos accompany their father Ares on the battlefield manifested as giant dogs with their skulls exposed.
72	* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': Taskmaster wears a skull-like mask, though DependingOnTheArtist, it's only somewhat skull like to fully resembling one.
73	* The ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'' version of ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} features no skin on his face, exposing his skull -- outside of the top of it, where it's missing, exposing his brain. The normal human face shape when he wears his mask is the result of a dome over his head.
74	* ''ComicBook/BigBangComics'': Dr. Doomkopf, ArchEnemy of Super-Frankenstein, was formerly a top scientist for a hostile foreign power. He was testing an invisibility serum but only succeeded in making the skin, flesh and hair on his head invisible.
75	* The [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian moon god]] Khonshu from the ''ComicBook/MoonKnight'' franchise is depicted as a humanoid with a skeletal bird head.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Fan Works]]
79	* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX Monster X]], in their [[IconicAttributeAdoptionMoment final form]], has a facial resemblance to their [[Film/GodzillaFinalWars Toho movie portrayal]], which had an exoskeletal head that made him look like he was wearing a giant monster skull as a helm.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
83	* The mechanical Cat Beast from ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'' has an actual cat's skull incorporated into its head.
84	* Cruella De Vil from ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', with her sunken cheeks, pushed-up nose and ashen complexion, has the appearance of having a skull for a face.
85	* The Horned King from ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron'' is a horned variation. While he's an [[OurLichesAreDifferent undead evil sorcerer]], the rest of his body looks quite normal compared to his positively skull-like head. That this appears to be his actual is a change from the book, where the Horned King was only described wearing a mask resembling a skull with stag antlers grafted to it.
86	* Vinz from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mutafukaz}}'' has an actual ''burning skull'' for a head. This is lampshaded in one of the films several FourthWall breaks, when Angelino questions how Vinz manages to stay alive.
87	* When casting his spell on Prince Naveen in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', Dr. Facillier has his face painted to look like a skull.
88	* A plot twist in ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': the character of [[spoiler:Turbo]], the protagonist of a racing game and [[spoiler:BigBad of the movie]], has chalk-white skin, sunken eyes, and yellow, grinning teeth.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
92	* The 1946 FilmSerial supervillain ''Film/TheCrimsonGhost'' concealed his identity behind a skull mask. His look became so iconic is was adopted by Music/TheMisfits.
93	* In ''Film/TheAbominableDrPhibes'', the title character's head is revealed to be little more than a skull with some scarred flesh clinging to it.
94	* The hybrid alien from ''Film/AlienResurrection'' has what can only be described as a skull face.
95	** Creator/HRGiger designed the original Xenomorph costume with a human skull partially visible underneath that smooth bubble head, though it was only barely visible in the original film due to the opaque materials and lighting. Some of the costumes used in the rest of the ''Alien'' franchise over the years continued that tradition, and a few Xenomorph designs even had the skull showing through more clearly.
96	* The [[BearsAreBadNews mutated bear]] from ''Film/Annihilation2018'' has an exposed skull for a head, and what appears to be part of a ''[[BeastWithAHumanFace human]]'' skull fused to one side of its face.
97	* The main villain of the fantasy-action film, ''Film/DrWaiInTheScriptureWithNoWords'', had [[TwoFaced half a face]] being reduced to a skull after being exposed to the scriptures.
98	* In ''Film/Frankenstein1970'', the monster has a skull for a head as Frankenstein has yet to finish affixing flesh to it.
99	* ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars'': [[Characters/GodzillaTheGhidorahs Monster X]]'s head mostly looks like a bestial, elongated skull with glowing eyes in the sockets.
100	* The Kurgan in ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' wore a big cat skull as a helmet in one of Connor’s flashbacks, to obviously invoke that he is the villain. He ditches after his first encounter with a pre Immortal Connor.
101	* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'': The [[Characters/MonsterVerseSkullIslandKaijuAndOtherCreatures Skullcrawlers]] have bony armor on their heads causing them to resemble this trope. They also have a pair of large sockets in the sides of their snouts, resembling the eye openings of a skull, though their real eyes are located further back (the sockets probably hold sensory organs, or serve to distract enemies from their actual eyes.)
102	* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of the Red Skull in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' had his previously normal face transformed into a literal red skull due to infusing himself with an incomplete Super Soldier Serum.
103	* Unlike most adaptations, ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925'' follows the novel in giving the Phantom a skull-like face with sunken eyes, a nearly lipless mouth, and such oversized nostrils that one character is convinced he has no nose at all, just a hole.
104	* The returning monster, Gabora from ''Film/ShinUltraman'', now has its face depicted in a skull-like visage, hidden behind its head petals, a trait absent in its [[Series/{{Ultraman}} two]] [[Series/UltramanTheUltimateHero previous]] incarnations.
105	* In ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ANewHope'', [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Elis_Helrot Elis Helrot]], a member of the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Givin Givin]] species, can be seen in the cantina scene.
106	* General Kael from ''Film/{{Willow}}'' wears a helmet with a skull-shaped face plate.
107	* In ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' Chato Santana, aka "El Diablo" has his face tattooed to look like a skull.
108	* ''Film/TimeBandits''. Evil's minions include tall humanoid creatures with giant claws for hands and cow skulls for heads. As seen [[http://static.flickr.com/36/77304349_a7537af6e4_o.jpg here]].
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Literature]]
112	* According to Creator/MaryShelley, Creator/JohnWilliamPolidori's original draft for the 1816 ghost writing content was a story about a "skull-headed lady who was so punished for peeping through a keyhole".
113	* General Grievous from the ''Franchise/StarWars'' ExpandedUniverse -- his head/helmet generally resembles a skull.
114	* The Headless Horseman in ''Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow'', albeit briefly.
115	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': In ''Literature/GhostStory'', when Harry and the Lecter Ghosts assault the Nevernever entrance to Corpsetaker's lair, [[spoiler:[[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Evil Bob]]]] takes the form of a Nazi SS officer with a skull for a head.
116	* ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': The titular Phantom's deformed face looks sunken, dried, and yellowed like a centuries-old skull, with no nose or lips, hence why he hides away from society. However, AdaptationalAttractiveness set in hard for many later portrayals.
117	* Thulsa Doom from the ''Literature/{{Kull}}'' stories by Creator/RobertEHoward, the creator of Literature/ConanTheBarbarian (whose movie adaptation appropriated the Thulsa Doom name for a snake-themed wizard much closer to Howard's Thoth-Amon.)
118	* While not truly an example, the trope's imagery is still evoked through the name of a villain in ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Skullface]]. [[MeaningfulName Fittingly, he is the]] [[YouHaveFailedMe first character to die]] [[WeHardlyKnewYe in the entire series]].
119	* Literature/PerryRhodan: The alien race "Hauri" is so skinny that they are permanently likened to deadheads. Not surprisingly, they are the villains of a cycle. (Not all of them, since the series in their later years always tries to avoid alien cliches.)
120	* ''Literature/JohannesCabal'': The demon Ratuth Slabuth appears as an eye-watering mass of AlienGeometries topped with a horse skull, on which he wears a Roman centurion helmet. He's quite insulted when someone mistakes it for a cow skull in [[Literature/TheFallOfTheHouseOfCabal the fifth book]].
121	* ''Literature/TempleOfTerror'': The personal guards of Leesha, the High Priestess of Vatos, are Skeleton Men, lanky humanoid monsters whose faces are helmeted skulls. They're far more cunning and intelligent than the common skeletons in the temple, and puts up a much better fight.
122	* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'': The tomb cultists of the Ninth House wear {{Black Cloak}}s, paint their faces to look like skulls, and are considered creepy even by the standards of a {{Necromanc\|er}}y-worshiping GalacticSuperpower. In ''Literature/GideonTheNinth'', Gideon has to pretend to have taken an oath of silence to avoid giving away that she's more of a LovableJock at heart, which would ruin their image.
123	* The Horned King from ''[[Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain The Book of Three]]'' wears a mask that resembles a human skull with stag antlers grafted to the forehead.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
127	* There is an episode of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', where the gang is in detention and being stalked by a killer who wears a skull mask.
128	* The Master does this in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' finale ''The End of Time''. Due to an accident during his resurrection, he's burning up life-energy faster than he can take it in, which results in his skull showing through his skin. He had a skull-like face earlier, in "The Deadly Assassin," but it applies even more here, because the Tenth Doctor even calls him "Skeletor."
129	* Franchise/KamenRider:
130	** Skullma and the Skullmasters from ''Series/KamenRiderBlackRX'' (called Skull Reapers in ''Series/MaskedRider'').
131	** [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Kamen Rider Skull]] from ''Series/KamenRiderDouble''
132	* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': In their Wraith forms, the Dweller and the Ascetic have exposed skulls for faces, while the Nomad merely has a desiccated and wizened but otherwise fleshy appearance.
133	* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. In a sketch about a hospital for overacting, there's a brief animation of actors portraying Hamlet giving his "To be or not to be" speech. At one point they pull the flesh off their heads, leaving them with only their skulls on their shoulders.
134	* Emperor Gruumm from ''Series/PowerRangersSPD''
135	* The ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' have this feature for various {{Big Bad}}s, to emphasize on their "look I'm the ultimate evil" nature.
136	** Black End, the final kaiju from ''Series/UltramanLeo'', and also the most powerful of the Saucer Beasts spawned from the Black Star, has a reptilian-insectoid hybrid body, and a head resembling a draconic skull.
137	** Mensch Heit from ''Series/UltramanNeos'', the overarching villain responsible for the various kaiju outbreak throughout the series, had a skull-like face complete with horns to emphasize its SatanicArchetype nature.
138	** Etelgar the Space-Time Demon from ''Series/UltramanGinga'' (specifically, the BigDamnMovie, ''Film/UltramanGingaSTheMovieShowdownThe10UltraBrothers'') have a skull-like face as well, which he hides with a scarf until Franchise/UltramanZero burns it off.
139	** In the final episode of ''Series/UltramanGeed'', Ultraman Belial, the major villain of the Ultra franchise as a whole, finally gains his ultimate form, as Ultraman Belial '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Atrocious]]''' with his face resembling an exposed Ultraman skull.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Music]]
143	* Mr. Skull of Music/TheResidents would have been a FacelessEye like the rest of the band if his eyeball mask wasn't stolen and defaced.
144	* Sid Wilson of {{Music/Slipknot}} wore multiple skull masks, starting with skull versions of his gas mask during the Iowa album cycle before moving to a more traditional set of skull masks during the Volume 3 album cycle.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
148	* OlderThanPrint: The gods [[Myth/AztecMythology Cihuacoatl and Mictlantecuhtli]], in Aztec artwork, each have a form where they have a skull for a head.
149	* Traditional Welsh [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Lwyd Mari Lwyds]] are built with a horse skull on a wooden stick shrouded under a cloth, giving the impression of an equine creature with one of these.
150	* Baron Samedi, perhaps the best known deity of [[UsefulNotes/{{Voudoun}} North American voodoo]], usually gets portrayed as having a skull face. Countless impersonators have mimicked the look with makeup.
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
154	* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'':
155	** The archetypal 100 ton assault mech, the ''Atlas'', features a head stylized after a human skull. Making it "as ugly and foreboding as conceivable" was explicit part of the design specs. The numerous successor models and derivatives like the ''Akuma'' keep the motif.
156	** The ''Banshee'' is only 5 tons lighter than the ''Atlas'' and also features an angular ''screaming'' [[https://www.sarna.net/wiki/File:Banshee_RGilClan_v17.png skull face]].
157	** This trope plus {{Cephalothorax}} gives us the ''[[http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Ursus Ursus]]'', best described as a HumongousMecha with a skull for a ''torso'' that also happens to look like a giant head with arms and legs.
158	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
159	** The [[http://tinyurl.com/36jr63e Gambado]], introduced back in the 1st Edition ''Field Folio'', is a subversion - its actual head has specialized muscles allowing it to secure and [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset wear another creature's skull as a helmet.]] Then it digs a pit deep enough to rest its skull-wearing head on ground level, to pass itself off as another bit of dungeon detritus until prey approaches. Hence their nickname, "springing skulls of doom."
160	** One of more freakish monsters in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' is "lichling". A 6'' cockroach with human arms and legs and skull-for-a-head, [[EmotionEater feeding on the fear]], [[ImmuneToBullets immune to normal weapons]] and thus [[KillerRabbit hilariously lethal]]. It can slowly grow to 80' long, but is likely to be destroyed sooner. They're spawned by demiliches. In thousands.
161	** Black dragons are sometimes nicknamed "skull dragons" because as they age, their acidic breath degrades the flesh and scales around their face, which combined with their already sunken eyes gives them a distinctly skull-like appearance.
162	** Krenshars are catlike wolf-hyenas with uncanny control over their facial musculature, allowing them to pull back their own skin, exposing their bare skulls and sinew. This combined with a well-timed roar is usually enough to send other creatures running, a trick krenshars use to flush prey into ambushes.
163	** In Module I12 ''Egg of the Phoenix'', the cleric [=MacKurian=]'s dead body has a cow's skull attached to it. It is later changed into a revenant form and occupied by [=MacKurian=]'s spirit, leading to the final confrontation with Doc.
164	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pachimon}}'': Galtan is a {{kaiju}} created by combining [[Series/{{Ultraman}} Baltan's forearms and Antlar's body]] with a ''human'' skull.
165	* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'': Coalition soldiers wear armor with skull-shaped helmets, earning them the nickname, "Dead Boys." The Coalition uses skulls a lot in the designs of their armor and vehicles as a form of psychological warfare.
166	* ''Franchise/{{Warhammer}}'':
167	** ''TabletopGame/{{Necromunda}}'': The 2nd Edition models for [[MagicalNativeAmerican Ratskin]] Renegade Chiefs and Totem Warriors wear the skulls of [[RodentsOfUnusualSize Necromundan Giant Rats]] as helmets to complement their rat pelt capes and to infuse themselves with the rat’s spirit.
168	** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
169	*** The skull is the traditional symbol of [[SuperSoldier Astartes]] Chaplains and as such most will have skull-designed helms. Ortan Cassius, the highest ranked Chaplain of the Ultramarines, goes further, although not willingly -- a lot of his actual skull is visible, thanks to a close encounter with Tyranid bio-acid, and it's only thanks to cybernetics that he can even see.
170	*** To add to their sinister nature, and increase the psychological impact of their assaults, the helmets worn by [[SuperiorSuccessor Primaris]] Marine [[TerrorHero Reivers]] are designed to resemble skulls.
171	*** Eversor Assassins wear full-face skull helms to enhance their horrific appearance as it is part of their mission to spread fear through the enemy ranks.
172	*** High ranking officers of Armageddon Steel Legion [[BadassArmy Astra Militarum]] regiments will often have their gasmasks fashioned into the form of a skull to intimidate and unnerve their enemies. The most famous such gasmask is the 8th Edition Relic the Skull Mask of Acheron that strikes fear into the hearts of the superstitious Orks.
173	** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'':
174	*** The Beastman charachter Molokh Slugtongue, an emaciated and withered famine-shaman, has a fleshless head consisting of a fanged skull crowned by twisted horns.
175	*** Incarnate Elementals of Beasts have bestial, tusked and antlered skulls for heads.
176	** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'': One {{muta\|nts}}tion that can be inflicted by {{Chaos\|IsEvil}} exposure liquefies the victim's facial flesh, leaving a bare skull. It's not debilitating but does penalize their Fellowship score.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder:Toys]]
180	* The Knights of Asperity from Boss Fight Studio ''Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S.'' series is a band of menacing [[BlackKnight Black Knights]] with a [[SkullForAHead skull for their heads]], as well as evil [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]]. The skull head can be swapped out for a blood-soaked human head, though.
181	* Shadow Tracker from ''Toys/GIJoe'' (released in 2011) looks like a Predator expy, but is this trope once his mask is removed.
182	* The ''He-Man'' knock-off line ''Combo Warriors'' has Satana, who has skin on the right-side of his face, but the left-side is a skull.
183	[[/folder]]
184
185	[[folder:Video Games]]
186	* Rogath, one of Dage the Evil's Generals from ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds'', has a horned skull for a head.
187	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': The Varanus, an AnimalisticAbomination being kept by The Consortium, has the entirely of its skull fully exposed on the decaying body. [[spoiler:In the final fight, C's OneWingedAngel form as [[DraconicAbomination Nidhogg]] notably has his {{dark\|isevil}}-colored skull entirely viewable]].
188	* Mumbo from ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''. According to his backstory, his head became a skull because he was placed under a magic spell by the evil witch Gruntilda, who was once [[PupilTurnedEvil his student]].
189	* ''VideoGame/BarnyardBlast'' has the skull demon boss in the graveyard, whose head is, you guessed it, just a skull. Despite the rest of his body having visible ''abs'' (he's wearing only a loincloth).
190	* ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'':
191	** ISIC the [[AIIsACrapshoot rogue Magnus]] projects a floating holographic skull for his head.
192	** The Varelsi, [[HordeOfAlienLocusts a legion of extra-dimensional cosmic horrors]], have white skull-like heads upon their dark bodies.
193	* Ruh Kaan, one of ''VideoGame/{{Battlerite}}'''s combatants, has a beast's skull on top of a [[{{Mummy}} bandage-wrapped body]].
194	* ''VideoGame/BlacklightRetribution'' has the "Bonebreaker" helmet, which places a stylized skull faceplate on one of the default helmets.
195	%%* This example, combined with exaggerated FacialHorror, is the result of what happens if Lance can't escape the deadly Beautifier in Vivi's Funeral Salon in ''VideoGame/BrainDead13''.
196	* ''VideoGame/BloodWest'' have you facing multiple undead enemies, those which are humanoid having skulls in place of faces as an indication that they're no longer ''alive''.
197	* ''VideoGame/BoundByBlades'' has the BlobMonster Skullako, whose cranium is a cyclopean skull... somehow.
198	* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'':
199	** The icon for the [[HarderThanHard Veteran difficulty]] in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWorldAtWar'' (helpfully demonstrated with the page image for NightmareFuel.CallOfDuty) is of a soldier whose head was reduced to his skull, possibly as a warning of the sheer hell the player will experience. ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' has [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/callofduty/images/2/2c/Veteran_difficulty_BO.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20120528194440 a similar icon]] where a man stands in front of some flames and is missing a good chunk of his skull.
200	** ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' features Ghost, who wears an iconic skull mask. Ghost was so popular that his mask became the inspiration for the titular unit of ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyGhosts'', who ''all'' wear custom skull masks.
201	* The Cyborg Reaper in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' comes pretty darned close to this. It's essentially a mutated human torso mounted in a spider-like four-legged chassis and armed with missiles and a net launcher. Its head is so disfigured that it almost literally looks like a skull. [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/cnc/images/5/5d/CNCFS_Cyborg_Reaper_Render.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20091222102624 Seen here]]
202	* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
203	** The Taurus Demon is a large minotaur-like monster with a skeletal head.
204	** The Capra Demon appears to have a goat-like skull for a head, but it's ambiguous whether its head is actually a skull or if it's just [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset worn as a helmet]].
205	** The Darkwraiths, the former knights of New Londo succumbed to the Dark. They wore skull masks with a hood that merged with their faces over time.
206	* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'':
207	** [[EldritchAbomination Mephisto]] is depicted as possessing a demonic skull for a head, which isn't out of place given that the rest of his body is a flayed cadaver.
208	** In ''VideoGame/DiabloIV'', the player is periodically stalked by the Bloodied Wolf, a demonic wolf whose head is a bloody skull covered in demonic runes. His true identity is [[spoiler:an avatar of Mephisto]].
209	* Corvo in ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' wears a mechanical steampunk version of a skull to invoke this and keep his identity concealed as he takes his revenge.
210	* Skullmageddon, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'', since he's a walking, talking {{Expy}} of Skeletor.
211	* Pyromancer Xan from ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' has a skull for a head.
212	* Concept art for Commander Rimanah in ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' gave him a golden, grinning skull helmet, though his in-game appearance uses a serene face mask.
213	* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'': The Rust Devils gang builds combat robots from spare parts and they put an actual human skull on their heads.
214	* The lowest-ranking humanoid mooks in ''VideoGame/GoldenForce'' have skulls in place of heads, despite their bodies appearing to be organic.
215	* ''VideoGame/Heidelberg1693'': The Moon King has a horse skull in place for a head, while the rest of his body is human.
216	* ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'': Necrodeus has a horned skull for a head, as well as a clown-like nose on it.
217	* ''VideoGame/LethalCompany'': The Jester, a living ScaryJackInTheBox, has a skull and organic innards popping out when it ends its jingle.
218	* In ''VideoGame/LittleKingsStory'', Cow Bones of the Cemetery, one of the [=UMA=] Guardians. Its skull comes off sometimes.
219	* The Atlas battlemech in the ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' series, like its [[TabletopGame/BattleTech source material]], is an assault-class HumongousMecha with a skull-shaped cockpit, often painted bone-white. Depending on the game, it can have a [[EyeBeams laser mount in one of the eyes]] or GlowingMechanicalEyes.
220	* ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'':
221	** Doc Robot in ''VideoGame/MegaMan3''. His Japanese name is Dokurobotto, which is actually a PunnyName based on the Japanese words 'dokuro' (skull) and 'robotto' (robot).
222	** Like his name suggests, Skull Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan4''.
223	* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', Raiden is introduced wearing a full-face rebreather/helmet that resembles a skull. The complete sneaking suit is even referred to as a "Skull Suit". In addition, during the end section of the game, [[spoiler:the Colonel Campbell who Raiden is taking orders from is revealed to be an impostor. It is actually an AI created by [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness the Patriots]] called GW. GW's identity is revealed when it is hit with a major computer virus that causes a number of malfunctions. While most of these malfunctions are PlayedForLaughs, one seriously creepy effect of the virus is to cause GlamorFailure and reveal GW's true head: a skull. Once GW is outed, Raiden can still talk to it, but the malfunction will make it flash between its Campbell disguise and its skull-head form while being much more antagonistic]].
224	* At the end of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', [[spoiler:the FinalBoss Dark Samus looks like this. Due to Samus defeating her and causing her to blow up on two separate occasions earlier in the game, along with [[BackStory logbook scans]] noting that her form was unstable to begin with (hence her HorrorHunger throughout the game), she has not had time to properly repair herself before her final chance to confront you. Thus, when she makes [[TakingYouWithMe one last-ditch effort to kill Samus]], her armor is transparent, revealing a mouth-less skull underneath the helmet vaguely resembling the face of her original self of the Metroid Prime's core form, showing that she has a partially-human-looking form underneath the armor from absorbing Samus's DNA.]]
225	* Murray from ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland''. However, his skull is all that's left of him after Guybrush destroyed his boat.
226	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
227	** Some incarnations of Scorpion depict him as having a skull for a head that's sometimes [[FlamingSkulls on fire]]. It's never made clear whether this is a supernatural power of his or if that ''is'' his actual head now.
228	** Scorpion's fellow undead Noob Saibot has an alternate costume in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4'' that gives him one, too. Along with his shadow powers and SinisterScythe, it makes him look a ''lot'' like TheGrimReaper.
229	* The Skullmonkeys from ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood''. Klogg wears one of their heads to look like this trope in the game's [[VideoGame/{{Skullmonkeys}} sequel]].
230	* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Ryuji's mask makes the upper portion of his head resemble a jawless skull. His GuardianEntity is similarly a skeletal pirate with a skinless skull wearing a pirate hat for a head.
231	* Zephetto in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2NewGenesis'' uses the eye sockets and nasal bridge of a skull to represent himself when talking with Manon. [[spoiler:What makes this creepier is when he is defeated, his face plate breaks away and reveals an ''actual crystal skull'' beneath it. What keeps him from being ObviouslyEvil is that while his methods were ghastly, his motives were anything but, and ultimately justified when the Starless he prepared for actually came back.]]
232	* ''Videogame/PlanetSide 2'': The Lumifiber Skulls introduced in Halloween 2015 completely remove the user's head and replace it with a glowing holographic skull in either red, blue, or purple depending on the player's empire.
233	* The Hermit from ''VideoGame/{{Putrefaction}} 2'' begins as a sentient green skull shrouded in flames, but when he reveals his OneWingedAngel form as a gigantic demon, he has a humanoid body with a horned skull for a head.
234	* Duskull from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. One can make a case for Marowak too: in its pre-evolutionary form as Cubone, it wears its mom's skull as a helmet. After it evolves, the skull's become ''[[NightmareFuel fused to its head]]''.
235	* In ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', the normal form of the Mahjarrat is this when they haven't been rejuvenated for a while.
236	* Reapers from ''VideoGame/{{Scathe}}'' are ghoul-like humanoid creatures whose bodies still have flesh, except their heads which are mere human skulls.
237	* The "Trueform" creatures in ''VideoGame/ShadowMan'' that serve as vessels for these immortal entities are creepily depicted as having this, with a distinctly non-human skull head sitting atop a muscular, skinless body.
238	* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei:'' While not a hard-and-fast rule, most demons of the Fiend race appear as this to signify their status as avatars of Death. The most famous of these demons include the HorsemenOfTheApocalypse, the Trumpeter, and Mother Harlot, all figures from the [[Literature/TheBible Book of Revelation]].
239	* The Graven in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'' are prominent figures in the Blue Kingdom, usually working as administrators and judges in several Courts. All the skin of their head and neck have been thoroughly peeled off leaving a bare skull that had been encrusted with countless gemstones. It had been mentioned that they can abandon their status, which will have them grow their faces back.
240	* The inhabitants of Tostarena in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' have heads themed on the Mexican decorated sugar skulls associated with the Día de los Muertos celebration. Unlike most other examples of this trope, however, they are absolutely not threatening at all and are a very friendly, energetic people. The Chinchos, on the other hand, are zombie-like enemies that closely resemble Tostarenans and are hostile and dangerous.
241	* The Demon Monkeys from ''VideoGame/TempleRun'' have skulls for faces, though it's unclear if they're only wearing them or if it's their actual head.
242	* ''VideoGame/{{Tharsis}}'' has this as unlockable skins for characters after they have died a certain number of times. They even come in gold if you die enough!
243	* The one part of the demon FHTNG TH§ ¿NSP§KBL?/Fred from ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds'' that's not just a floating black mass is a four-eyed, horned skull for a head.
244	* ''VideoGame/UnboundSaga'' have those skinny, naked deformed mutant mooks whose heads are gigantic skulls as enemies in the sewer level.
245	* In ''VideoGame/VSTabiExBoyfriend'', Tabi has a goat skull on his head.
246	* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': Following his sacrifice in "The New War" to allow the Tenno passage to Ballas, the Sentient Erra has a ram skull grafted onto his neck, transforming him into Archon Pazuul, the new leader of the Narmer cult following Ballas's demise. Adding a level of FridgeHorror to the situation is that during some Archon Hunts, there are hints that Erra's conscious is still active within Pazuul.
247	* ''VideoGame/WarMetal'' has a character appropriately called Skullkeeper who fits this trope.
248	* Downplayed with Caleb Weaver from ''VideoGame/{{Wick}},'' a ghost child who was murdered by being BuriedAlive and travels by digging underground. He's the most heavily decayed ghost in the game, having all the flesh forward of his ears rotted, eaten, or worn away, leaving his ears and scalp intact.
249	%%* Harpies and Medusa in ''VideoGame/WillRock''.
250	* TheJerseyDevil in ''Videogame/TheWolfAmongUs'' is depicted as having a horse's skull for a head when he takes on his true form.
251	* Horace in ''Videogame/TheWorldNextDoor'' has a horned skull head and eyes of embers.
252	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft: Shadowlands'' introduced the Death Chimaeras, as both wild mobs inhabiting Maldraxxus and flight/player-controlled mounts (and they ended up de facto {{Mascot}}s of the ExpansionPack). They have bodies similar to the Rylaks of Draenor (long necks, two heads, bat-like wings), only with skulls as heads.
253	[[/folder]]
254
255	[[folder:Web Animation]]
256	* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Jenna's Skull Snake is a giant snake with one of these.
257	* The titular character of ''WebAnimation/InfernoCop''.
258	* The ghost of ''WebAnimation/MysterySkullsAnimated'' has a floating stylized skull for a head, and is also notably lacking in the jawbone department.
259	[[/folder]]
260
261	[[folder:Web Comics]]
262	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
263	** [[BigBad Lord English]] has a green skull for a head.
264	** [[OracularUrchin Calliope]] and [[AxCrazy Caliborn]] have the same thing going on, being [[spoiler:Lord English's sister and younger self]], respectively.
265	** Liches, enemies occasionally seen during the kids' adventures in the Medium, have horned, nonhuman craniums for heads.
266	* ''Webcomic/CogaSuro 2'': Various characters adopt this look when activating their Immortal-given powers -- their skin turns grey, their hair white, and their head into a grey skull that glows from within.
267	%%* ''Webcomic/MonsterPulse'': Edward, since his face turned into a monster.
268	* ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'': Sithrak is a huge god with a [[FlamingSkulls burning skull]] for a head and nails driven into his eye sockets with enough force to crack the surrounding bone. The Doomsayers of the Blind Gibberer believe his is an angry, hateful god whose holy book was written with the blood of his enemies on the skin of his friends, but really that was his angry teenage poetry. They still believe that he's playing another trick on them.
269	* ''Webcomic/TheStrangeTalesOfOscarZahn'': A defining trait for the titular paranormal investigator, though to many he appears as a regular (if a bit eccentric) human instead. His skull is also host to an ectoplasm-devouring EldritchAbomination named Zon and is apparently responsible for Oscar being the way he is.
270	* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': A couple of the [[NotUsingTheZWord plods]] in Grenzlan are otherwise mostly intact with their heads entirely or close to entirely defleshed. They're on fire too.
271	* ''Webcomic/TheWorldInDeeperInspection'': Alcott Grimsley has an equine skull, devoid of eyes, for a head.
272	[[/folder]]
273
274	[[folder:Web Originals]]
275	* ''Literature/{{Reasoning}}'' has the Architect, a seemingly humanoid entity whose head is composed of nothing but bones and two horns.
276	* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', the supervillain Grue uses a black skull wreathed in the darkness he generates as his first CoolMask. When he is later [[spoiler:captured by Bonesaw]], she discusses [[spoiler:making his face like that permanently]].
277	* From the ''Website/SCPFoundation'' comes [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1471 SCP-1471]], AKA "[=MalO=]" (sic). It's a freeware mobile app that when downloaded, causes you to see a huge creature appear in your peripheral vision through windows and mirrors, which looks like a giant humanoid monster covered in shaggy black fur and a canine skull for a head with glowing white eyes. The image that inspired the SCP is actually a picture of a [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom furry]] wearing a skullsuit. Note that, despite her appearance, [=MalO=] herself is a NonMaliciousMonster who is only interested in platonic companionship.
278	* The Twitter art series [[https://twitter.com/chatsvoid?lang=en Chats with the Void]] features animals getting philosophical with ghostly animals that have skulls for heads. The comic is "about perspective, existentialism, and how cool animal skulls look".
279	* This is how WebVideo/MattMcMuscles is depicted in his ''Monday Night Muscle Madness'' and ''The Worst Fighting Game'' videos, being shown with a muscular body benefitting a fighting game protagonist but still keeping his usual skull face.
280	[[/folder]]
281
282	[[folder:Western Animation]]
283	* The appropriately-named Mr. Skullhead in ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'', though he's depicted very simply, having an oval-shaped head with circles for eyes, two dots for nostrils and a toothy oval for a mouth.
284	* [[ScaryScarecrows The Scarecrow]] from the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' revamp (''The New Batman Adventures'') has a shriveled zombie-like face with the skin seemingly shrunk to the bone -- if it's a mask or not is still up for debate.
285	* Derek Powers as "Blight" in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' after being exposed to strong radiation.
286	* ''Franchise/Ben10'': Once Ghostfreak's original consciousness, [[Characters/Ben10VillainsOriginalSeries Zs'Skayr]], escapes from the Omnitrix and reveals his cadaverous-looking true form, his head is an upside-down alien skull.
287	* Stampede of ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'' has a demonic bull's skull for a head.
288	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Centaurworld}}'': [[spoiler:The Nowhere King]]'s head is a fleshless deer skull [[GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath with green lights in its eye sockets]].
289	* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': In Seasons 2 and 3, the [[Characters/FinalSpaceCelestialEntities Titan Oreskis]] appears to be wearing a mask modeled after a skull.
290	* The Slim Slime Man in ''WesternAnimation/{{Grossology}}'' was a bitter old sewer worker who abnormally fused with a living slime mold while working in the sewers one day, becoming a strange giant slime creature with a ghoulish skull-like head seen inside.
291	* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'': A few of the background demons in the pilot have skulls for heads.
292	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Invincible\|2021}}'': Omnipotus's head naturally resembles a spiky skinless skull.
293	* In ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuestTheRealAdventures'', Ezekiel Rage usually gets the "Phantom of the Opera" motif, what with his face badly burned and him having to wear a white mask. His Questworld avatar, though (which we see in "The Edge of Yesterday"), actually has a skull for a head.
294	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'':
295	** In "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E5And6OnlyADream Only a Dream]]", Dr. Destiny uses his powers of illusion to achieve this look. He reverts to a normal appearance when recovering from a punch to the face, and when he is finally defeated.
296	** Atomic Skull also has a skull wrapped in green fire, which he can fire energy blasts from.
297	* Skullossus from ''WesternAnimation/LeagueOfSuperEvil'' has a floating [[ExpressiveMask expressive]] [[BrainInAJar skull in a jar]] for a head.
298	* ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'':
299	** Skeletor in ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' and [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 its reboot]]. In the earlier continuity, he was simply a guy whose head looked like a skull; in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfHeMan'' we even see that he has some hair up top. In the 2002 series, however, Keldor's face was melted off by a vial of acid -- his life was saved by Hordak, but at the cost of his head now being a skull floating above his shoulders. He also loses his face in [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021 the 2021 series]] due to [[TheDarkSide the power of Havoc]].
300	** ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': Hordak doesn't ''quite'' have a skull for a head, but his face is clearly designed to evoke one. His head is mostly white, but the white portion narrows under his eyes and leaves his cheeks grey, giving his face a skull-like outline. Additionally, he has an inverted V for a nose and his chin has some FacialMarkings that are faintly reminiscent of a skull's teeth, and his [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] are surrounded by darkness... although since that's [[ExcessiveEvilEyeshadow eye makeup]], it can only be assumed that Hordak gets up in the morning, looks at his reflection, and decides that if he's going to look like a necromancer's in-tray ''anyway'' he may as well accentuate it.
301	* ''WesternAnimation/MightyMax'':
302	** [[BigBad Skull Master]] has this going for him. He's also twice as big as the next largest character, voiced by Creator/TimCurry, and utterly terrifying.
303	** From the same series is Cyber-Skull, though he's actually a computer nerd who digitized himself to take over the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Company]] that screwed him over on a game. In his second appearance, he tries to return to the physical world in a giant robotic body styled after his avatar, complete with skull for a head.
304	* King from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' is a dog-like creature of unknown species whose face looks like he is wearing a canine skull mask without a lower jaw. It apparently is part of his head as he never takes the "mask" off and he still has it even when he [[spoiler:was still in an egg]]. The titan trappers also have this appearance. [[spoiler:It turns out that the titan trappers are not King's species, but are actually cultists who hunt titans and [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset wear their skulls as part of their costumes]], and King is a titan.]]
305	* The Spooky Space Kook from season 1 of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' is a hulking dark blue space suit capped with a shrieking, giggling, glowing skull. It's one of the more truly frightening Scooby-Doo villains, despite the name.
306	* While the titular ''WesternAnimation/SkeletonWarriors'' might not might not strictly count given they're full skeletons, the heroic [[TheAtoner Grim Skull]] only does have a decidedly skull looking head... and a fabulous head of hair to boot.
307	* The Groaner from ''WesternAnimation/SuperMansion'', a more sympathetic [[PracticallyJoker parody of the Joker]]. Once just a party clown for hire, an incident during a party at a chemical and genetic company somehow turned his head into a skull, leaving only his hair behind.
308	* ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperForceGo'' has the main villain, Skeleton King, who has a fanged skull for a head and his costume has white parts that resemble bones and even what appear to be organs on the stomach.
309	* Slade from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' has this while acting as [[GodOfEvil Trigon]]'s undead servant, because in life he was burned to death by lava. As he keeps it hidden behind his mask, however, it's only glimpsed a couple of times near the climax of that storyline.
310	* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' has a few of these.
311	** In "[[Recap/TheVentureBrosS1E6GhostsOfTheSargasso Ghosts of the Sargasso]]", Dr. Venture's "metasonic locator" inadvertently resurrects a dead test pilot. The ghost has a flight suit, a skull for a head, and glowing, flaming eyes.
312	** The villain Red Death has a skull for a head, being a lookalike of [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull the Red Skull]].
313	[[/folder]]
314
315	[[folder:Other]]
316	* In the UsefulNotes/FurryFandom, there are many fursonas with animal skulls for faces. These characters are known as skulldogs or skullies or skullsonas and fursuits with a skull face are called skullsuits.
317	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SkullForAHead