Using this skill on an identified item on the ground creates an Animated Guardian that moves and attacks similar to a zombie. Similar to Spectres and unlike other minions, a Guardian stays with you even after logging off and on. If you unequip the skill gem, the Guardian disappears until you equip the gem again, at which point the same Guardian (retaining all its equipment) reappears after casting the spell again. This also holds true when swapping a different AG gem in. Socketing the gem in a weapon or shield slot allows you to recall the Guardian at will by switching weapon sets (default hotkey: X).

You can only have one Guardian at a time. It can be equipped with a helmet, body armour, pair of gloves, pair of boots, a shield, and melee weapons. Ranged weapons cannot be animated, similar to Animate Weapon. Items can be of any rarity, but must be identified and on the ground to be used. Animated items are consumed by the spell and cannot be recovered. Items containing skill gems cannot be animated, so the Guardian cannot use trigger gems.

Items that have modifiers like +x to Maximum life or +x% increased Attack Speed, and even corrupted implicits, apply to the Guardian the same way they apply to player characters; so animating magic or rare equipment can potentially give you a very powerful minion. Unique items can also be used, giving guardians powerful abilities not found elsewhere in the game. Be careful when using valuable items—anything you give to your guardian is gone forever.