History Main / CloakOfDefense

* ''Film/SkyHigh'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rGX7itX5w0 The film's alternate opening]] has the Commander using his cape to shield himself from debris caused by the Pacifier exploding.

** Diamante's cape is actually a sheet of high-grade steel. He uses his Devil Fruit, the Billow-Billow Fruit, to cause it to become malleable and flowing as if it's made of cloth when not using it as a shield.

Compare InvisibilityCloak. SubTrope of ArsenalAttire. May be the reason why SuperheroesWearCapes. Is often a BadassCape. Can sometimes overlap with ClothFu.

*** Enchanted elven cloaks camouflage the wearer and reduce the accuracy of incoming attacks from ranged weapons.
*** [[NemeanSkinning White Wolf Cloaks]] render the wearer immune to natural and [[AnIcePerson magical]] cold. As these cloaks are created by a HighPriest of [[WarGod Ulric]] killing a [[SavageWolves white wolf]] bare-handed in single combat, they are a rare privilege.

* ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'': Jade Fox uses a cloak in her first fight, primarily as a distraction and to conceal how she was moving. But it is also [[CombatPragmatist lined with sharpened coins.]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'': The Protect Cloak is worn in the shield slot, and is the only shield in the original version that White Mages or Black Mages can equip. Later versions added the Zephyr Cloak and the Elven Cloak.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': Rubicante is weak to Ice and Water attacks, but wears a cloak that heals him if he is hit by those elements while it is raised.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV:'' The Elven Cloak is worn as an accessory, but otherwise behaves exactly like a shield by stopping physical attacks when it activates.

Capes or cloaks are a good way to make your character look imposing, threatening or regal. Some media give them a more practical purpose by having them be used as a defense against attacks. This clothing will usually be made of a particularly durable (often fictional) material, be doused in a certain chemical or have some kind of enchantment that grants it protection.

This trope also applies to outerwear worn around the upper torso and over shirts such as robes, jackets, coats, shawls and mantles.

* ''ComicBook/{{Trese}}'': Alexandra wears the Cloak of Takipilsm/Cloak of Twilight. It is a magic cloak which protects Alexandra from harm and can take the form of any type of clothing, usually a BadassLongcoat.

** ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'': Ren Akiyama[=/=]Kamen Rider Knight's Guard Vent utilizes Wingwall, a cape which is able to protect him from attacks.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The game has numerous cloaks, robes, mantles and capes which provide certain types of defense and protection. These include:
** The Cloak of Protection, a standard magic item which grants the wearer a +1 bonus to armor class and any saving throws they make to avoid harmful effects.
** The Cloak of Arachnida which gives its wearer properties of a spider, including resistance to poison damage and immunity to being trapped in any kind of webbing.
** The Cloak of Displacement which makes the wearer harder to hit by generating an illusion of them standing a short distance from where they actually are.
** The Firebane Cloak which gives a +3 bonus to saving throws against fire attacks and reduces damage from such attacks.

* ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'': There is a cloak with an unnaturally high enchantment and immunity to elemental based attacks. It is also made of an exceptionally thick and durable material, which protects the wearer from blasts of crystal shards.
* ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'': Dimitri uses his cape to guard from attacks.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': Rubicante is weak to Ice and Water attacks, but wears a cloak which heals him if he is hit by those elements while it is raised.

* ''VideoGame/{{Helherron}}'': Various cloaks and capes increase protection, defense or both.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In "Agony of a Witch", Eda makes Luz a cloak made out of "witch's wool", a material which deflects powerful spells.

Compare InvisibilityCloak. SubTrope of ArsenalAttire. May be the reason why SuperheroesWearCapes. Is often a BadassCape.

* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': The Princess and the Bounty Hunters" has [[AffablyEvil The Gentleman]], a BountyHunter and ProfessionalKiller who throws his cloak at his opponent in combat to confuse them and block their view of him, thus creating a defense against their attacks long enough for him to throw a pair of knives through the cloak at them. Princess Mira warns him that Jack is far too quick and disciplined to fall for such a tactic, and even when attacked by the coordinated efforts of Mira, The Gentleman, and four other bounty hunters [[CurbStompBattle Jack effortlessly parries the knives and cuts down The Gentleman in a single slash]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', "The Gentleman" is a BountyHunter and ProfessionalKiller who throws his cloak at his opponent in combat to confuse them and block their view of him, thus creating a defense against their attacks long enough for him to throw a pair of knives through the cloak at them. Princess Mira warns him that Jack is far too quick and disciplined to fall for such a tactic, and even when attacked by the coordinated efforts of Mira, The Gentleman, and four other bounty hunters [[CurbStompBattle Jack effortlessly parries the knives and cuts down The Gentleman in a single slash]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy1'': The Protect Cloak is worn in the shield slot, and is the only shield in the original version that White Mages or Black Mages can equip. Later versions added the Zephyr Cloak and the Elven Cloak.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': Rubicante is weak to Ice and Water attacks, but wears a cloak which heals him if he is hit by those elements.

* European fencing styles from 16th and 17th Centuries used the cloak to deflect enemy attacks in a duel.

* Note that while using a cloak as a parrying device in RealLife fencing worked, actually ''wearing'' a cloak in combat is a very bad idea as it's all to easy for an opponent to grab hold of it and strangle you with it, entangle you in it or pull you to the floor using it. Though even if that would be very good tactic if your opponent is weaponless or wields only a dagger, it would not work so well against someone skilled with a sword as the fencing manuals covered it. After all, if you were attacked by surprise it is likely you would not be able to throw your cloak away, thus being forced to fight wearing it. That means people had to learn how to do that too.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': In his fight against Hotori and Kotori, Gan Fall uses his cape to protect himself when one of them emits methane gas with a Flavour Dial (Gan Fall thought it was a [[FireBreathingWeapon Fire Dial]]).

* ''VideoGame/ProjectM'': Ganondorf's Neutral Special attack, if performed on the ground, will cause him to swing his cape in front of him, reflecting projectiles back at his opponents.

** Bruce's cape resistant to fire and bullets.

* Note that while using a cloak as a parrying device in RealLife fencing worked, actually ''wearing'' a cloak in combat is a very bad idea as it's all to easy for an opponent to grab hold of it and strangle you with it, entangle you in it or pull you to the floor using it. Though a very good tactic if your opponent is weaponless or wields only a dagger, it would not work against someone with a sword as the fencing manuals covered it. After all, if you were attacked by surprise it is likely you would not be able to throw your cloak away, thus being forced to fight wearing it. That means people had to learn how to do that too.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': The Dark Elf Corsairs wear cloaks made of [[SeaSerpents Sea Dragon]] skin while the Chrace High Elves of the White Lions regiment wear pelts from the beasts that give them their name. Both have varying effects depending on the rulebook edition but always provide good protection.

* ''LightNovel/ReZero'': When she was hired by Roswaal L. Mathers, the assassin Elsa Granheirt was given an enchanted feathered cloak that would protect its wearer from any offensive magical attack. However, the cloak had two drawbacks; Firstly, it only worked once and would dissipate after negating an attack; secondly, it only worked against spells intended to harm her physically and could be bypassed by indirect Shamak magic.

** ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': The Wakandan army wears capes with built-in DeflectorShields. These capes are used again during the battle against Thanos's army in ''Film/AvengersInfinity War''.

** ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': The Wakandan army wears capes with built-in DeflectorShields. These capes are used again during the battle against Thanos's army in ''Film/Infinity War''.

Compare InvisibilityCloak. SubTrope of ArsenalAttire. May be the reason why SuperheroesWearCapes.

Compare InvisibilityCloak. SubTrope of ArsenalAttire. Can overlap with SuperheroesWearCapes.

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