Enchanted Sword (NPC)

Skeletron Prime

 Classic

 Expert

 Master

Statistics

Type	Boss
AI Type	Skeletron Prime Head AI
Damage	47 94 (while spinning)
Max Life	28000
Defense	24 48 (while spinning)
KB Resist	10000%

Drops

Coins	12

• Item (Quantity)Rate
• Soul of Fright (20-40)
  100%
• Greater Healing Potion (5-15)
  100%
• Hallowed Bar (15-35)
  100%
• Skeletron Prime Mask
  14.29%Template:Pc icon
• Skeletron Prime Trophy
  10%

• Internal NPC ID: 127

For strategies on defeating Skeletron Prime, see Guide:Skeletron Prime strategies

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"You feel the air getting colder around you..."

Skeletron Prime is a Hardmode Mechanical Boss which is a much harder version of Skeletron. He is summoned with the Mechanical Skull at night. Players have until dawn to kill him. He can also randomly spawn at dusk in Hardmode if he has not yet been defeated, in this case signaling his approach via the chat message, "You feel the air getting colder around you" or "The air is getting colder around you".

Attacks

Skeletron Prime has four limbs which are all immune to the Poisoned and On Fire! debuffs:

• Prime Cannon fires flashing bombs that do not destroy blocks, usually up into the air rather than directly at the player.
• Prime Laser shoots Death Lasers similar to those of Retinazer and The Destroyer, and is always pointed at a player.
• Prime Saw and the Prime Vice swipe around dealing hefty amounts of damage on contact.

Skeletron Prime will occasionally enter into a "Rage Mode," in which his attacks become more aggressive:

• Skeletron's Head will grow spikes and start spinning towards the player slowly. Damage and defense is doubled.
• Prime Cannon will aim at the player directly and fire rapidly.
• Prime Laser will fire more frequently.
• Prime Saw will begin homing directly towards the player's location.
• Prime Vice becomes more aggressive and frequently lunges towards the player.

Prime himself is much more mobile than his predecessor, and will regularly move off-screen, which can make him difficult to hit reliably with ranged weapons.

Like Skeletron, if he is not dead by dawn he will begin to dish out instant kills and will take only 1 damage from attacks (2 for critical hits).

Arms

Prime Cannon  Classic  Expert  Master Statistics Type Enemy AI Type Prime Cannon AI Damage 40 grenade 30 melee Max Life 7000 Defense 23 Internal NPC ID: 128	Prime Laser  Classic  Expert  Master Statistics Type Enemy AI Type Prime Laser AI Damage 25 death laser 29 melee Max Life 6000 Defense 20 Internal NPC ID: 131
Prime Vice  Classic  Expert  Master Statistics Type Enemy AI Type Prime Vice AI Damage 52 Max Life 9000 Defense 34 Internal NPC ID: 130	Prime Saw  Classic  Expert  Master Statistics Type Enemy AI Type Prime Saw AI Damage 56 Max Life 9000 Defense 38 Internal NPC ID: 129

Notes

• While it is possible to continue the fight during the day without dying, Skeletron Prime will continually headspin and barely take any damage (1 damage per hit and 2 damage per crit), while killing players instantly. Due to the similarities, he is sometimes referred to as Dungeon Guardian Prime. He will do this indefinitely, even if the next night comes before he's gone.
• The bombs fired by the Prime Cannon will only detonate if they hit solid blocks (they will not destroy blocks). They pass through platforms without detonating.
• If the player is deep enough underground, Skeletron Prime will not spawn randomly, even when the chat message indicates he's coming.
• Using a Mechanical Skull while Skeletron Prime is already spawned can cause it to headspin continuously as if dawn has arrived, instantly killing players.
• In the mobile version, each limb is treated as if it was a boss on it's own, but does not have its own summoning message. When you defeat a limb, it says (name of limb) has been defeated! Also will drop hearts and Greater Healing Potions.
• If (in singleplayer) the player dies, Skeletron Prime will not come back.
• Unlike the Skeletron, Skeletron Prime defense raises when it is spinning.

Tips

• Standing on platforms far from blocks can mostly nullify the effects of the Prime Cannon, as its projectiles only detonate on blocks, while passing through platforms harmlessly.
• Skeletron Prime can be the most profitable boss in the game, as the Souls of Fright can be crafted into Naughty Present to summon the Frost Moon, netting large amounts of money per 5 souls.
• In multiplayer, the Prime Cannon and the Prime Laser will point at the player Skeletron Prime is attacking.
• Skeletron Prime can be debuffed by the Golden Shower which can make destroying the limbs easier
• Focus mostly on taking out his melee limbs, then his head.

Trivia

• The boss Cortez, from "Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door" may have influenced Skeletron Prime, as Cortez's final form is a floating skull surrounded by four different levitating weapons, all of different attack powers and methods.
• His name may have been inspired by Optimus Prime, a robotic character from the Transformers franchise.

Bugs

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History

 Mobile version

• Mobile 1.1.5536: Introduced.

For changes that affect all the mechanical bosses, see Mechanical_Bosses#History.

• 1.2.3: Increased health, damage and defense of most parts. May now drop Skeletron Prime Mask. Fixed bug where you can respawn skeletron prime if you kill its prime cannon hand and not skeletron prime himself.

• 1.2:
  • Now has a chance to spawn during hardmode with the message: "You feel the air getting colder around you...".
  • Will now drop 20-40 Souls of Fright, instead of 20-30. Also has a chance to drop Skeletron Prime Trophy.
  • Health, damage and defense of all parts and head reduced.

• 1.1: Introduced.