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Skull ASCII Art

Ascii art skull designs, from the (x_x) face and a small skull to skull and crossbones, drawn with keyboard characters. Tap to copy.

By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · · How we review content

Small skulls

One line, 5 wide · traditional
One line, 3 wide
One line, 5 wide
5 lines, 8 wide

Bigger skulls

7 lines, 12 wide
8 lines, 13 wide
8 lines, 14 wide

Made with our image converter

We drew a simple skull shape and ran it through the image to ASCII converter on this site. Braille pieces pack eight dots into each character, so they look smoother but rely on a font with Braille Patterns.

10 lines, 16 wide
14 lines, 24 wide
6 lines, 10 wide

10 pieces on this page. All are drawn for this site except those marked traditional, which have been shared online for years without a known author. Copy one and paste it into a code block, a terminal or any app that uses a monospace font; in a proportional font the lines drift apart. Make your own with the text to ASCII generator or the image to ASCII converter.

Key facts

  • A skull reads as a skull from three features: big round eye sockets, a small triangular nose and a row of teeth.
  • Crossed eyes (x x) make a cartoon skull, while round sockets such as o o or (O) (O) make it spookier.
  • Crossbones are two diagonal lines through the skull with O at the ends for the knobs of the bones.
  • The small skull is 7 characters wide, so it fits on any screen when pasted in a code block.
  • The skull and crossbones marks poison in real life, so text art should never replace a real safety warning.

How do you draw an ASCII art skull?

A skull reads as a skull because of three features: big round eye sockets, a small triangular nose and a row of teeth. In text that becomes:

Feature Characters
Eye sockets o o x x (O) (O) ( )( )
Nose ^ /\
Teeth vvv `
Jaw \ / narrowing to '---'

What makes a skull cartoonish or spooky?

Crossed eyes (x x) turn a skull into a cartoon; round sockets make it spookier. Crossbones are two diagonal lines through the skull with O at the ends for the knobs of the bones.

For a single skull symbol (💀 ☠), see skull symbols. For pumpkins, ghosts and bats, see Halloween ASCII art. Whichever ascii art skull you copy, keep real warnings in words and use the art for jokes, pirates and Halloween.

Frequently asked questions

Basics

What does (x_x) mean?
It is a face with crosses for eyes, the cartoon sign for being knocked out or dead. People use it for "I'm exhausted" or "that was embarrassing" as often as for anything spooky. Because it is one line, it works almost anywhere you can type text.
Is the skull and crossbones a warning sign?
In real life the skull and crossbones marks poison, and a version of it is a pictogram for acute toxicity. In text art it is used for pirates, Halloween and jokes. Don't use text art in place of a real safety warning.
What features make a skull in text art?
Three things: big round eye sockets such as o o, x x or (O) (O), a small triangular nose drawn as ^ or /, and a row of teeth such as vvv, ||| or |||. The jaw narrows underneath with \ / ending in '---'.

Where it works

Which skull fits in a Discord message?
The small skull is 7 characters wide and fits on any screen. Wrap it in a code block (the Code block button) so the lines stay aligned. Larger skulls are wider, so check the size shown on each card and keep them to code blocks on phones.
Where can I find skull symbols instead of art?
The skull symbols page has single characters such as 💀 and ☠. They are easier to paste into bios and messages, while the pieces here are drawn across several lines and need a code block or monospace font. Use symbols for one-character skulls and art for a bigger picture.
Which skull is right for Halloween posts?
Any of them, and the Halloween ASCII art page adds pumpkins, ghosts, bats and a haunted house to go with the skulls. The small skull is the easiest to post because it fits a code block on any screen. Wrap it in a code block so Discord or Slack keeps the lines aligned.

How it works

How do I draw crossbones in ASCII?
Draw two diagonal lines that cross beneath the skull, one leaning each way, and put an O at each end for the knobs of the bones. Keep the crossing in the middle column so the picture stays symmetrical in a code block.
How do I turn a skull picture into text?
Open the image to ASCII converter, choose a picture with a clear outline against a plain background, and try Braille mode if you want more detail in a small width. The photo is converted in your browser and never uploaded.

Tips & limits

How do I make a skull spookier instead of cartoonish?
Use round sockets such as o o or (O) (O) instead of crossed eyes. Crossed eyes (x x) turn a skull into a cartoon, while round sockets make it look more menacing. Add a row of teeth below the nose to finish it.
Why does my skull's jaw look uneven after pasting?
A proportional font gives spaces and slashes different widths, so the jaw lines no longer match the sockets above. Paste the skull into a code block or monospace editor and the jaw narrows evenly again. Check the jaw first, since it is the narrowest part and shows any drift soonest.

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