History Main / SkeletalAppendage

* In ''Literature/TheDarkProfitSaga'' [[spoiler:Jynn's first attempt at channeling solamancy in decades sears the flesh from his hand, leaving a skeletal hand that he animates with noctomancy. His liche father tries to invoke it for a NotSoDifferentRemark.]]

* In ''Literature/APracticalGuideToEvil'' Hakram loses a hand in a fight with the Lone Swordsman, but the Warlock animates a skeletal appendage as a replacement. This earns Hakram the moniker Death-Hand (and apparently makes him a hit with the orkish ladies).
* In ''Literature/TheWanderingInn'': [[spoiler:After losing the skin on her hand, Ceria find she cans still move it and use it to cast magic. ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'': Marie's back has no skin and thus exposes her ribs and spine. This is likely because this is where the Skullheart is as it usually imbeds itself within the current Skullgirl.

* ''Film/TotalRecall1990'': A borderline case: the Martian cabdriver who befriends Quaid turns out to be a mutant: one of his arms is grossly deformed, twice the normal length and skeletally thin so it looks like just skin over bones.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Literature/HarrowTheNinth'': When [[spoiler:Ianthe]]'s transplanted arm proves to be incompatible with her magic, Harrowhark cuts it off and grows a skeletal replacement out of [[spoiler:Ianthe]]'s own bone, with the bare minimum of nerves and tendons necessary to move it. She leaves the flesh off because [[BadWithTheBone bone magic]] is her preferred discipline of {{Necromanc|er}}y, whereas she finds flesh magic crass. [[spoiler:Ianthe]] immediately finds it far more responsive than her old transplant, and later gets the bones plated with gold.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'': Regina's wing was stripped to the bone in her first fight with Dan, and she periodically re-strips it when it regenerates because she likes the look.
* There's a short comic on ''Webcomic/JohnnyWander'' called [[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-1 "Girl with the Skeleton Hand"]] about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a woman with one skeletal hand]]. She used to have a regular hand, but a little accident on a blind date with the physical incarnation of death stripped away the flesh and tendons from her right hand. She doesn't appear to mind, and in the [[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-2-1 sequel]] she discovers that her skeleton hand allows her to [[TouchTheIntangible interact with ghosts]] the way her psychopomp date (and now partner) does.

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'': Prince Keldor's left arm from the forearm down was eroded down to the bone when he was cursed with the power of [[TheDarkSide Havoc]]. After fully embracing Havoc and becoming Skeletor, he keeps the bony left hand and also gets a SkullForAHead.

** In the prequel trilogy, Anakin Skywalker gets a mechanical replacement for most of an arm. It's first seen as a golden skeletal hand, but he usually covers it with a leather glove.
** In the sequel trilogy, Luke Skywalker's mechanical hand that he got in the original trilogy looks somewhat skeletal, because the fake-skin covering has been worn off over time.

* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'': After the T-800 cuts away the skin and muscle on his arm to prove his origins, what's left is a skeletal armature made of metal "bones". In-universe this gives the sight a double punch: "my god, it's just bones but it still works!" followed instantly by "my god, it's a robot underneath!"

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': in the sequel trilogy, Luke Skywalker's mechanical hand looks somewhat skeletal, because the fake-skin covering has been worn off over time.

* There's a short comic on ''Webcomic/JohnnyWander'' called [[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-1 "Girl with the Skeleton Hand"]] about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a woman with one skeletal hand]]. She used to have a regular hand, but a little accident on a blind date with the physical incarnation of death stripped away the flesh and tendons from her right hand. She doesn't appear to mind, and in the [[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-2-1 sequel]] she discovers that her skeleton hand allows her to interact with ghosts the way her psychopomp date (and now partner) does.

* ''Literature/HarrowTheNinth'': When [[spoiler:Ianthe]]'s transplanted arm proves to be incompatible with her magic, Harrowhark cuts it off and grows a skeletal replacement out of [[spoiler:Ianthe]]'s own bone. She leaves the flesh off because [[BadWithTheBone bone magic]] is her preferred discipline of {{Necromanc|er}}y, whereas she finds flesh magic crass.

* In ''Literature/TheDarkProfitSaga'' [[spoiler: Jynn's first attempt at channeling solamancy in decades sears the flesh from his hand, leaving a skeletal hand that he animates with noctomancy. His liche father tries to invoke it for a NotSoDifferentRemark.]]

* In ''Literature/TheWanderingInn'': [[spoiler: After losing the skin on her hand, Ceria find she cans still move it and use it to cast magic. ]]

* There's a short comic on ''Webcomic/JohnnyWander'' called "[[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-1 Girl with the Skeleton Hand]]" about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a woman with one skeletal hand]]. She used to have a regular hand, but a little accident on a blind date with the physical incarnation of death stripped away the flesh and tendons from her right hand. She doesn't appear to mind, and in the [[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-2-1 sequel]] she discovers that her skeleton hand allows her to interact with ghosts the way her psychopomp date (and now partner) does.

* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'': Skeletor now sports one of these as his left hand, in addition to his traditional skull head. This resulted from foolishing reaching into a column of Having Energy to retrieve the sceptre he thought was the icon of the Power of Grayskull. It actually looks pretty good.

* In ''Literature/TheDarkProfitSaga'' [[spoiler: Jynn's first attempt at channeling solamancy in decades sears the flesh from his hand, leaving a skeletal hand that he animates with noctomancy. His liche father tries to invoke it for a NotSoDifferent speech.]]

A bit medically improbable, so usually indicates magic or super-science. Compare DemBones, supertrope of SkullForAHead. A common trait of {{Necromancer}}s. Often Overlaps with RedRightHand.

* In ''Literature/TheWanderingInn''
[[spoiler: After losing the skin on her hand, Ceria find she cans still move it and use it to cast magic. ]]

[/folder]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Undead grafts in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' can include skeleton arms, and the Pale Master prestige class includes one.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Undead grafts in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' can include skeleton arms, and the Pale Master prestige class includes one.
[[/folder]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/skeleton_hand_1.JPG]]
Sure, skeletons are scary, especially if they're still walking around. But, you want a real gross out factor? Try a living person (not undead) whose skeleton is partially visible. While a corpse, animate or not, showing bones is a natural sign of decay, a living body showing its' skeleton is decidedly ''unnatural''.

[[AC:Film-Animated]]

[[AC: Literature]]

[[AC: Tabletop Games]]

[[AC: Video Games]]

[[AC: Webcomics]]

* There's a short comic on Webcomic/JohnnyWander called ''[[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-1 Girl with the Skeleton Hand]]'' about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a woman with one skeletal hand]]. She used to have a regular hand, but a little accident on a blind date with the physical incarnation of death stripped away the flesh and tendons from her right hand. She doesn't appear to mind, and in the [[http://www.johnnywander.com/comic/girl-with-the-skeleton-hand-2-1 sequel]] she discovers that her skeleton hand allows her to interact with ghosts the way her psychopomp date (and now partner) does.

[[AC: Western Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In the first segment of "Treehouse of Horror XIV", Homer's right arm turns skeletal (and gains the TouchOfDeath) when he becomes the new Grim Reaper.