Step 1: Determine the UTF-8 encoding bit layout
The character ☠ has the Unicode code point U+2620. In UTF-8, it is encoded using 3 bytes because its codepoint is in the range of
0x0800to0xffff.
Therefore we know that the UTF-8 encoding will be done over 16 bits within the final 24 bits and that it will have the format:1110xxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx
Where thexare the payload bits.UTF-8 Encoding bit layout by codepoint range Codepoint Range Bytes Bit pattern Payload length U+0000 - U+007F 1 0xxxxxxx 7 bits U+0080 - U+07FF 2 110xxxxx 10xxxxxx 11 bits U+0800 - U+FFFF 3 1110xxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 16 bits U+10000 - U+10FFFF 4 11110xxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 21 bits Step 2: Obtain the payload bits:
Convert the hexadecimal code point U+2620 to binary:
00100110 00100000. Those are the payload bits.Step 3: Fill in the bits to match the bit pattern:
Obtain the final bytes by arranging the paylod bits to match the bit layout:
11100010 10011000 10100000
SKULL AND CROSSBONES·U+2620
☠
Character Information
Code Point
U+2620
HEX
2620
Unicode Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane
Category
Other Symbol
Character Representations
Click elements to copy| Encoding | Hex | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| UTF8 | E2 98 A0 | 11100010 10011000 10100000 |
| UTF16 (big Endian) | 26 20 | 00100110 00100000 |
| UTF16 (little Endian) | 20 26 | 00100000 00100110 |
| UTF32 (big Endian) | 00 00 26 20 | 00000000 00000000 00100110 00100000 |
| UTF32 (little Endian) | 20 26 00 00 | 00100000 00100110 00000000 00000000 |
HTML Entity
☠
URI Encoded
%E2%98%A0
Description
The Unicode character U+2620, known as the Skull and Crossbones symbol, is a widely recognized glyph that holds significant cultural and linguistic importance in digital text. This symbol, also referred to as a "pirate flag" or "Jolly Roger," is traditionally associated with piracy and maritime criminality due to its historical usage by sea-faring outlaws during the 17th and 18th centuries. In contemporary digital communication, it often serves as an emblem of danger, warning, or prohibition, and can be found in various applications like text messaging, social media platforms, and website content. The Skull and Crossbones symbol has also been adopted by some subcultures and specific industries, such as the music industry (particularly heavy metal bands) and cybersecurity firms, to convey an edgy or rebellious image. Despite its menacing appearance, this character is actually a part of Unicode's rich cultural heritage, contributing to diverse typographical expression in the digital world.
How to type the ☠ symbol on Windows
Hold Alt and type 9760 on the numpad. Or use Character Map.