The Skull Staff replaced the Havoc Staff as Skeletor's signature weapon in the 1989 He-Man toyline and the 1990 The New Adventures of He-Man cartoon series. It prominently featured the shape of a human skull rather than that of a goat, just like the different versions of Skeletor's armor were decorated with skull motifs.
Mattel released a 'live sized' role playing version of the toy as part of the third wave of He-Man toys in 1991. This version was three feet long and featured a variety of button- and motion-activated sound effects and lights powered by a 9V battery. Swinging the staff around triggered whoosh noises as well as sounds of rumbling thunder and explosions.
Another sound effect featured was Skeletor's sinsiter laugh. The jaw on the skull was loosely jointed, causing it to snap open and close when the staff was swung. The eyes on the skull had light-up red lights in them.