What "Reset Pose" Means and When You Need It

Reset pose in Blender returns all bones in an armature to their default position and rotation — the state they were in before you moved them. This is useful when you have rotated or positioned bones during animation or modeling and want to start fresh, or when you want to undo a series of bone movements at once without stepping back through each individual change.

The reset does not delete your armature or undo your entire project. It only affects the current pose frame. If you have keyframed poses on other frames, those remain unchanged. If you reset the pose and then move to a different frame, your previous work on that frame is still there.

Key Takeaways

  • Reset pose returns all bones to their rest position by pressing Alt + R with bones selected in Pose mode.
  • You can reset only the bones you have selected, or reset all bones at once by selecting all with A first.
  • Resetting a pose does not affect keyframes on other timeline frames — only the current frame changes.
  • If you reset by mistake, press Ctrl + Z when ready to undo, because reset pose cannot be undone after you move to a different frame.

Entering Pose Mode and Selecting Bones

Before you can reset a pose, you must be in Pose mode with your armature selected. In the 3D viewport, click on your armature to select it, then press Tab to enter Pose mode. The bones will turn blue, and you will see small circles at each joint.

Next, select the bones you want to reset. Click on a single bone to select it, or hold Shift and click to add more bones to your selection. If you want to reset every bone in the armature at once, press A to select all. The selected bones will turn lighter blue or white depending on your theme.

If you want to reset only part of a chain — for example, just the arm but not the hand — select only those bones. Blender will reset only what you have selected.

Resetting Selected Bones with the Keyboard Shortcut

With your bones selected in Pose mode, press Alt + R. A menu will appear with reset options. The most common choice is All Transforms, which resets rotation, location, and scale all at once. This is the fastest way to return bones to their rest position.

If you want to reset only rotation (and keep the bone's position), choose Rotation from the menu. If you want to reset only the location or scale, those options are also available. For most work, All Transforms is what you need.

After you press Alt + R and choose your option, the bones snap back to their rest position when ready. There is no confirmation dialog — the change happens right away.

Resetting Pose Through the Menu

If you prefer not to use the keyboard shortcut, you can reset pose through the menu. With bones selected in Pose mode, go to the Pose menu at the top of the 3D viewport. Click Clear Transform, then choose from the submenu: All Transforms, Rotation, Location, or Scale.

This method takes more clicks than the keyboard shortcut, but the result is identical. Use whichever method feels more natural to you.

Undoing a Reset Pose Mistake

If you reset a pose by mistake, press Ctrl + Z when ready while you are still on the same frame. The undo will restore your bones to their previous position. However, if you move to a different timeline frame or perform another action, you cannot undo the reset — Blender's undo history will have moved on.

This is why it is a good habit to save your file before making large changes to a pose. If you have already moved to another frame and cannot undo, you will need to manually reposition the bones or reload from a saved version.

Resetting Pose on Keyframed Animations

When you reset a pose on a frame that has keyframes, only that frame changes. The keyframes themselves are not deleted. If you move to frame 10 and reset the pose, frame 10 now shows the rest position, but frame 15 (if it has a keyframe) will still show whatever pose you keyframed there.

If you want to remove all keyframes from a bone and return it to rest position across your entire animation, you need to delete the keyframes instead. Select the bone, then press Alt + I to open the keyframe menu and choose Delete Keyframes. This removes all keyframes for that bone on all frames, not just the current one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One common mistake is forgetting to enter Pose mode before trying to reset. If you press Alt + R in Object mode, Blender will reset the entire object's rotation instead of the pose. Always press Tab first to enter Pose mode, and check that your bones are blue.

Another mistake is resetting all bones when you only meant to reset one. If this happens, undo when ready with Ctrl + Z. To avoid this, always select only the bones you want to change before pressing Alt + R. If you want to reset everything, select all with A first so you know what you are about to change.

A third mistake is resetting a pose and then saving without checking the result. Always look at your armature after a reset to make sure it looks the way you expected. If you have already saved, you will need to manually fix the pose or reload an older save file.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between reset pose and undo?

Reset pose returns bones to their rest position in one action, while undo steps back through your change history one step at a time. If you have made ten bone movements and want to undo all of them at once, reset pose is faster. If you want to undo only the last movement, use undo.

Can I reset pose on just one bone?

Yes. Click on a single bone to select it, then press Alt + R and choose your reset option. Only that bone will return to its rest position. All other bones stay where they are.

Does reset pose affect my keyframes?

Reset pose only changes the current frame. If you have keyframes on other frames, they are not affected. The keyframe on the current frame will now show the rest position instead of the pose you had before.

What if I reset pose and then realize I made a mistake?

Press Ctrl + Z right away to undo. If you have already moved to a different frame or saved the file, you cannot undo. You will need to manually reposition the bones or reload from a saved version.

Can I reset only rotation, not location?

Yes. Press Alt + R and choose Rotation from the menu instead of All Transforms. The bone will return to its rest rotation but keep its current position. You can also choose Location or Scale alone if you need to reset only one type of transform.