Home Depot has updated its much‑photographed giant skeleton with a high‑tech iteration that adds Bluetooth connectivity, customizable audio and multiple eye variations as part of its fall Halloween collection.
The new 6.5‑foot model, billed by Home Depot as the "Ultra Skelly," can pair with mobile devices for real‑time interactions, offers five preset recordings and accepts up to 30 seconds of a custom recording. The skeleton’s voice can be given an "eerie" modulation and buyers can choose among 18 eye settings. The updated animatronic is priced at $279; the retailer said the original 12‑foot Skelly will remain available at its previous $299 price point.
Home Depot also introduced companion pieces for the season, including a 5‑foot skeleton dog with LCD eyes and a new LED skeleton cat. The company said a previously offered 7‑foot skeleton dog will continue to be sold. Home Depot described the updated figure as a "state‑of‑the‑art animatronic" in promotional materials.
Skelly first appeared in Home Depot’s Halloween assortment in 2020, amid the COVID‑19 pandemic, and quickly became a viral cultural touchstone. The towering skeleton inspired social media posts, photos and fan customizations; users posted images of Skelly dressed up or transported around town. "Nobody could possibly need a 12‑foot skeleton, but everybody wanted a 12‑foot skeleton," Lance Allen, Home Depot’s senior merchant of decorative holiday, said of the reaction.
The original concept for Skelly underwent several design changes during development. The figure was initially planned at roughly 10 feet but was enlarged so it would "be looking down at a basketball hoop," Allen said in 2023. The design team also altered the neck by removing vertebrae after early prototypes produced an unnaturally long neck that testers described as "goofy," Allen said.
Skelly’s return arrives as other national retailers also sell oversized skeleton decorations. Lowe’s markets a 10‑foot poseable skeleton for about $249, while Walmart’s Halloween assortment has included hanging 7‑foot versions for roughly $80 and 5‑foot standing skeletons for about $28. Home Depot’s retooled offering positions itself as a higher‑end animatronic in that market.
The updated Skelly continues a recent retail trend of interactive and animated holiday décor aimed at shoppers seeking experiential or shareable seasonal displays. Home Depot’s expanded lineup combines the larger centerpiece skeleton with smaller companion figures and electronic features intended to broaden its appeal for home displays and social media photo ops.
Home Depot’s Ultra Skelly and the new skeleton pets are part of the retailer’s seasonal collection for 2025 and are available at Home Depot stores and on the company’s website. The company did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment beyond the product descriptions and pricing announced with the rollout.