Why is it that in fantasy media, games especially, that the undead creatures generally classified as "zombies" are brainless, slow and feeble while another kind of undead, the skeleton, is usually agile, armed and intelligent enough to use complex weapons like bows or even magic? Sometimes they're even sentient!

What I wanna know is why there's such a big difference between fresh undead (zombies) and older undead stored in a drier place (skeletons)? Did some skeletons start out as zombies and then mature as they decomposed? Are they pulled from their graves by completely different unholy powers? And how do skeletons cackle?

10"my apologies if this post nauseates you"Kan