What do the skulls over the main protagonist's head mean in Dead Cells? Dead Cells Guide

Last update: 17 August 2018

When playing Dead Cells players are bound to notice small skulls displayed over the main protagonist's head. The game does not explain in any way what do they mean and why do they appear at all. In our guide, you can find out more information on what does the skull icon over the main protagonist's head mean.

The grey skull informs you how many opponents does the main character have to kill in order to lift the Curse that has been put on him - in the illustration above this limit equals 25 monsters.

Just for the reminder - the main reasons for the main character to become cursed include smashing the gold door (instead of paying for opening them) and opening the cursed chest. Depending on the "weight" of the curse you can be forced to kill from several to up to several hundred monsters. Should the protagonist be hit by a monster or come in contact with an environmental trap (toxic containers, spikes, etc.) before the curse is lifted, he dies immediately.

The red skull tells you that your character is now receiving increased damage. This might be caused by using an item with an unusual stat - the example of such a rare object can be seen in the screenshot 2.

Some weapons allow you to mount stronger attacks, HOWEVER, this happens at the cost of receiving increased damage. You always have to make the decision whether it is worth the risk. Using such items can cause a meager axe to inflict a lot of damage. Make sure always to read items' descriptions before you place them in your inventory - unusual weapon stats are marked in the description with a special icon. If you want your character to receive normal damage again, remove a given item from your inventory or select different modifiers at random when visiting a smith (in a safe zone).