How to Find Ancient Skeletons in Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is full of mysteries to uncover and spoils to plunder. Some, like the mighty Kraken or vicious Ocean Crawlers, are a common nuisance. Others are far scarcer. One of the rarest is the Ancient Skeleton. If you’re here, you’re wondering where to them. 

Even sailors who have spent thousands of hours at sea may have only seen a handful of them. Those who have had the good fortune to find and lay an Ancient Skeleton are handsomely rewarded; defeating one of these boney undead will immediately dump a handful of Ancient Coins into your pockets.

Here is what you need to know about Ancient Skeletons in Sea of Thieves, including what you can do to give yourself the best chance to find them and what to do with them if you do. 

Where to Find Ancient Skeletons

Ancient Skeletons are exceptionally rare. They emerge when and where they want to, with little regard for the interests of you or your crew. In my own time at sea (around 1,000 hours), I’ve come across perhaps a half dozen or so. Your odds of finding one on any given night are slim, but there are things you can do to improve your chances of collecting their Ancient Coins. 

Image via Rare

First, you need to be on dry land. It doesn’t matter if you are on an island or at a fort; there just needs to be solid ground beneath your feet. Ancient Skeletons dig themselves up out of the ground, so there’s no chance they will greet you while aboard your vessel or raiding a Siren Treasury beneath the waves. 

Next, you need to be able to recognize the sight and sound of an Ancient Skeleton. When they appear, there’s a brief musical interlude, unlike any of the standard Sea of Thieves music. Then, you’ll hear the sound of coins jingling to announce the arrival of your skele-friend. A blue-tinted skeleton with a sack on its back will emerge from the ground and make a run for it. 

Once you find an Ancient Skeleton, you need to eliminate it quickly. You only have 20 seconds before it gives up the chase and burrows back below the sand. It won’t have much health and will fall quickly to swords, bullets, and blunderbombs. Kill it, and pick up the sack it leaves behind to claim your coins. The bags come in three sizes:

• Stash (100-200 coins)
• Fortune (200-400 coins)
• Hoard (400-800 coins)

There is a lot of luck involved, but if you can find and slay Ancient Skeletons, you’ll be able to take advantage of one of the only ways to earn free ancient coins. If you want to fill your coffers with more conventional currency, consider our guide to earning gold quickly. Head over to our dedicated Sea of Thieves tips page for that and the latest in Sea of Thieves guides. 

Featured image via Rare.