Skull and crossbones (☠) is the Unicode character at U+2620 in Miscellaneous Symbols. Official name: SKULL AND CROSSBONES. It is a classic hazard / danger mark — also used for pirate themes and Halloween-style content.
Remember
Character ☠
Unicode U+2620
Hex entity ☠
Decimal ☠
CSS escape \2620
Named entity (none)
Not the same 💀 · ⚰
Prefer typing ☠ in UTF-8 when your file is encoded correctly, or use numeric entities when encoding must be explicit. For critical warnings, always include clear text beside the symbol.
Using Hex Code: ☠ Danger
Using HTML Code: ☠ Hazard
Using CSS Entity: ☠
Typed directly: ☠
☠ Keep Out
How It Works
1. Hex:U+2620 → ☠ in HTML. The browser turns it into ☠.
2. Decimal: same code point as 9760 → ☠. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \2620 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ☠ after the paragraph text.
4. Typed / a11y: paste ☠ in UTF-8. For meaningful icons, add role="img" and an aria-label, plus plain text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with skull and crossbones.
Named?
No named entity
HTML5 does not define a name for U+2620. Use ☠ or ☠.
Emoji
Not the skull emoji
💀 is U+1F480. Skull and crossbones is U+2620 — different characters and often different glyphs.
A11y
Do not rely on the icon alone
Critical warnings need readable text. Add an aria-label when the symbol carries meaning.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2620 belongs in CSS strings. ☠ / ☠ belong in HTML.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ☠, not ☠.
Fonts
Symbol coverage varies
Some fonts render ☠ poorly or as emoji-style. Test on target devices for warning UI.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Skull and crossbones (U+2620) and its numeric entity forms (☠, ☠, CSS \\2620) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Miscellaneous Symbols / emoji font coverage.
✓ Universal support
Skull and Crossbones (☠)
Encode with hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the character — same code point everywhere encoding is supported.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+2620 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer ☠ or ☠ in HTML when encoding must be explicit, and \\2620 only inside CSS content. Pair with clear warning text for safety messaging.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: skull and crossbones is U+2620 (decimal 9760) — glyph ☠.
HTML: use ☠ or ☠ — there is no named entity.
CSS: use \2620 inside content for generated text.
Meaning:☠ = hazard mark — not emoji 💀, and not a substitute for warning text.
One line:U+2620 → ☠ / ☠ / CSS \2620 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ☠ (hex), ☠ (decimal), type ☠ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \2620 in content. There is no named HTML entity.
U+2620 (SKULL AND CROSSBONES). Hex 2620, decimal 9760. It belongs to the Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this symbol. Use numeric forms ☠ or ☠ when you need an entity.
No. ☠ is U+2620 (skull and crossbones). The skull emoji is U+1F480 — a different character in the Emoji range.
Use it for hazard/warning labels, pirate or Halloween themes, and decorative danger icons. Always pair critical warnings with clear text — never rely on the symbol alone.
HTML entities (☠ or ☠) go in markup. The CSS escape \2620 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).
🤔
Did you know?
Skull and crossbones is Unicode U+2620 (decimal 9760) — glyph ☠ in Miscellaneous Symbols. HTML5 has no named entity for it — use ☠ or ☠. It is not the skull emoji U+1F480 (💀).
