Summon Skeleton Holding a Bow
Spawn an armed skeleton archer
✅ Verified for Java 26.2 · Bedrock 26.32 — checked June 2026Summons a skeleton with a bow forced into its main hand using the modern HandItems format (main hand first, off hand second). Skeletons normally spawn with a bow already, so this mainly matters if you also plan to tweak its equipment. On Bedrock, /summon skeleton spawns an armed archer by default.
/summon skeleton ~ ~ ~ {equipment:{mainhand:{id:"minecraft:bow",count:1}}}74 characters
- Java: yes
- Bedrock: no
- Command block: yes
- Needs cheats / OP: yes
How to use
- Open chat (T on Java).
- Paste the command and press Enter.
- A skeleton archer appears and starts firing arrows.
Related commands
Spawn a zombie equipped with armor
/summon zombie ~ ~ ~ {equipment:{head:{id:"diamond_helmet",count:1}}}
Spawn an armor stand for displaying equipment or decoration
/summon armor_stand ~ ~ ~