Skeleton

Skeletons are hostile mobs that shoot arrows with a bow. The skeleton was implemented into the game in 0.3.3. They are one of two mobs (the other being Zombie Pigmen) to hold an item. Skeletons take damage upon sunlight -- just as zombies do.

AI
Unlike other mobs, skeletons will try to circle the player, rather than go straight towards the player, making it harder to get a clean hit on it. As of Update 0.9.0, skeletons move faster. In Update 0.11.0, Spider Jockeys are added, which is a combination of a Skeleton riding a Spider.

Offense
Skeletons attack the player by shooting arrows from a 16 block range. Their arrows can deal two hearts each, although this is lessened when the player wears armor. The player's safest strategy should be to also use a bow and shoot from afar. Another strategy is that the player may hide by blocks then attack and repeat the process until the Skeleton is defeated.

Creative
Before Update 0.9.0, the skeleton was non-existent to Creative Mode. Then, after that, they were obtainable via Spawn Eggs. In Update 0.10.0, they introduced the day/night cycle to Creative. Although, skeletons did not spawn naturally. However, you could spawn them without them burning up. Tthey are also naturally neutral mobs. If hit with a bow, they do not get provoked. The only thing that may be annoying to some players about Skeletons in Creative that the arrows can get in the way of the player, and you can't destroy them apart from digging them to the void, or waiting for them to disappear.

Defense
Because Skeletons can attack from a distance – unlike other mobs – and have unlimited arrows, Skeletons may agitate some players. If the player is attacked by a large group, moving out of their range and using a bow should be easier than attacking with a sword. If the player has sufficient armor, they can go out occasionally to strike. Groups of 1-3 are usually nothing to worry about for a mid- to late-game player, only if their numbers go past that point. You can also try to dodge the skeleton after 3 seconds because they fire at 4. Skeletons are very poor shots, so you should have no problem sniping them from afar.

Trivia

 * It is advised to stay away from zombie-skeleton combo attacks; the player would have a hard time defending themselves from both the immediate zombie threat and the long distance skeleton attack.
 * Skeletons, along with Zombies, do not burn in sunlight if they are in water or in shade.
 * One of the best ways to attack a skeleton without them spotting the player is using a bow and shooting an arrow and shooting it from at least 16 blocks to kill it, preferably when standing behind the skeleton.
 * Some players are occasionally shot from behind by a Skeleton in the night, giving Skeletons an element of surprise.
 * Occasionally, a Skeleton's arrows hit other mobs. This causes them to attack each other Provided they are not attacking you (which they will not do in creative mode)
 * Unlike Zombies, they don't have any armor rating.
 * The arrow came from the skeletons are actually spawning in front of them.