Rigging & animation · Beginner

Pose mode

The mode for moving and keying a rig’s bones to pose a character

Also called Pose Mode

What is pose mode in Blender?

Pose mode is where you move, rotate and key the bones of an armature to pose a rigged character, leaving the skeleton’s rest shape untouched. In Blender, select the armature and press Ctrl+Tab, or pick Pose Mode from the mode menu. The mesh bound to the bones follows each pose.

Think of it like this

Like posing a wooden artist’s mannequin: you bend the joints into any position, and the mannequin itself keeps the same build.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Animate: Making things move over time.

Rotate each jointForward kinematics: the hand follows the arm
With FK you rotate each joint in turn, from the shoulder down.

How pose mode works

  1. 01Select a rigged armature and switch to Pose Mode.
  2. 02Click a bone and rotate it with R; most bones are rotated rather than moved.
  3. 03The mesh deforms with the bones through its skin weights.
  4. 04Press I to key the pose at the current frame, then change frame and pose again.

Pose mode vs edit mode

PropertyPose modeEdit mode
ChangesThe pose, for this frameThe skeleton’s rest shape
Mesh followsYes, it deforms liveNo, bones move alone
Can animateYes, keyframe the bonesNo
Used byAnimatorsRiggers building the skeleton

Build and fix the skeleton in Edit Mode, then switch to Pose Mode for every pose and animation; moving bones in Edit Mode changes the rig itself.

Where pose mode is used

  • Posing characters for stills, renders and thumbnails
  • Keyframing body animation, bone by bone
  • Testing a rig and its skin weights before animating

Beginner tip

To get back to the rest pose, select all bones and press Alt+R, Alt+G and Alt+S to clear rotation, location and scale. This resets the pose without deleting any keyframes.

Terms related to pose mode

Pose mode FAQ

How do I enter pose mode in Blender?
Select the armature in Object Mode, then press Ctrl+Tab or choose Pose Mode from the mode menu at the top left of the viewport. Pose Mode only appears in that menu when an armature is active.
Why is pose mode not working?
Usually a mesh is selected instead of the armature, so the option does not show. Select the armature in the Outliner first. If bones move but the mesh does not, the mesh is not bound to the armature yet.
How do I clear a pose in Blender?
In Pose Mode, select the bones with A, then press Alt+R to clear rotation, Alt+G for location and Alt+S for scale. The bones return to their rest positions.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms