History Main / DeflectorShields

* Also from the mind of LarryNiven: his ''KnownSpace'' series features a "stasis field" -- though not technically a "deflector", since it was a field in which no time passes -- that can be used for everything from creating a knife (his "variable-sword" is a monofilament cord encased in a stasis field) -- to shielding a ship or spacesuit (see ''World of Ptavvs''). Larry Niven himself once stated that it got to the point where he had to find reasons NOT to use a stasis field as a solution for everything.
* In David Weber's ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series, the "shields" (referred to as "walls" and "bands" in the novels) actually have a logical basis, given the way they are described to work. The ships have gravity drives; the effect of the drives manifests itself on the "top" and the "bottom" of the ships (called "bands" to differentiate them from the other "walls") -- where the effect is impenetrable. All ships above pinnace size also have "sidewalls" -- also areas of focused gravity, though not as strong as the top or bottom walls. A strong enough energy blast can penetrate the sidewalls, though with distortion and a lessening of power -- the bows and sterns of the ships are unshielded. Or at least were, until the protagonist's star nation develops "bow-walls". Tactics involves using enough missiles to get past the defenses of the opposing ships and letting loose with nuclear-bomb-pumped lasers. This is all a complicated rationale to have Napoleonic style fleet battles InSpace.

*** The design of Coruscant's shields were two layers of energy/particle shields composed of hexagonal sections. At any given time both layers would have some number of open hexagons so the constant space traffic could continue while leaving the planet absurdly well protected. The efficacy of this system fluctuates DependingOnTheWriter.

* In the ''{{FEAR}}'' series, the Power Armor and Elite Power Armor units you fight usually use energy shields.

** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny'', the Destiny, Strike Freedom, and Legend Gundams feature arm-mounted beam shield generators on both arms. The Infinite Justice has a single "Beam Carry Shield".

** This was explicitly the defense of Starbrand of Marvel's NewUniverse, but he can control how far out it extends or turn it off, which meant he didn't have any problem getting his hair cut, or need a special costume.

Other issues involve a shield's interaction with the same effects passing ''from inside''[[hottip:*:it would need to either be asymmetric or able to open "windows" for firing weapons and any non-inertialess propulsion, with all problems this entails]] and lower-grade effects[[hottip:*:if it blocks lasers, there would need to somehow be a method to only block radiation above a certain energy level or it would block visible light]].

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' has "unifield shields" that use ArtificialGravity to distort the paths of incoming attacks. Warships invariably use "breacher missiles" that emit a gravity pulse to try and push back. The author [[TheRant expounds at length in a]] FootNote about how shields would realistically be best portrayed[[hottip:*:since they are designed to obstruct energy attacks of all forms, including visible laser light, they should technically obstruct the view of the ships they enclose entirely, leaving battles fought between blobs of darkness where the stars are obscured]], [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20071214.html and how he portrays them with a distinct amount of artistic license.]] He's also suggested that, if he doesn't have time, he would portray them realistically...

*** Shimmershields (Eldar) project a wide-area energy field (sufficient to cover an entire squad) that interferes with melee attacks. Shimmershields offer no protection against ranged attacks, implying that they are only effective against slow-moving weapons.[[hottip:*:Given Eldar mastery of ArtificialGravity, Shimmershields may be generating an effect that locally reduces the effective mass of any object within it with a velocity above a fairly low threshold. This would reduce the effectiveness of melee weapons, which tend to rely on mass to do damage, but would leave fast-moving projectiles, which get the majority of their energy from velocity, largely unaffected.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has a villain called [[http://dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/Repeller Repeller]], who could use his impenetrable force field both offensively and defensively like Sue Storm, with enough force to break titanium. He was defeated when Batman lured him near an active giant turbine; the extremely loud noise caused him to deactivate his suit.[[hottip:*:The suit's nature made it impossible for him to ''cover his ears''.]]

* The "kinetic barriers" from ''MassEffect''. Capable of deflecting small, fast-moving objects (i.e., bullets) but will yield to slower-moving objects ("so the subject can sit down without knocking away their chair"-gametext). These are the game's equivalent to "second chance armor" in the sense that it offers total protection from enemy fire, but only until the barrier's very small amount of power is exhausted and the shield cuts out.

* ''MassEffect'': Heavy-duty force fields, of both [[{{Precursors}} Prothean]] and geth [[spoiler:vis-a-vis Reaper]] origin, pop up throughout the game. An amusing interlude occurs when you first find Liara, who has managed to get herself locked inside a Prothean force-field bubble while trying to avoid a small army of geth and krogan mercenaries.

**** And STO does explain why it hadn't been done sooner too. Namely, PSGs require a ton of energy and the options during the TNG era was either "disposable" shields [[AwesomeYetInpractical that wouldn't last more than a hit]] or wearing a giant backpack around that would be so unwieldly that it would be more practical to not even bother. This was solved just before the Hobus Supernova after Starfleet R&D got to study the [[StarTrekVoyager Doctor's mobile emitter]] and retrofitted it's battery to make the new PSGs (which are worn on the belt).

* ArmoredCore 4 and for Answer features DeflectorShield protecting your [[HumongousMecha Armored Core]] called Primal Armor. In for Answer, your shield can even be weaponized, turning it into an explosive blast of energy that deals massive damage and completely strips other Primal Armor in the vicinity thanks to violent reaction between both. Note that this shield doesn't deflect as much as reduce impact with solid weapons due to the forcefield slowing the velocity of incoming projectiles. Bolts of laser penetrates it, plasma plays merry havoc with it, getting hit repeatedly, getting hit with something with faster-than-supersonic speeds, get hit up close either with a laserblade or a super-dense pilebunker will ruin the forcefield. On top of that, engaging extra boosters in your mech consumes the forcefield, ''and'' it's made from a highly toxic particles. Despite all that though, getting hit without it reduces your mech into a fiery wreck very, very fast, so it is useful to a degree.

* The energy shields in ''KurauPhantomMemory'' are specifically tailored for deflecting and containing Rynax-energy. They don't usually form much of an obstacle for the protagonist though.

** [[spoiler:It is eventually revealed that AT Fields are actually an extension of the soul, and that human generates them too, but since humans lacks the unlimited power that angles are capable of generating, they are far too weak to affect the physical world.]]

** [[spoiler:It turns out that humans also generate AT Fields, but these are far too weak to affect the physical world.

* The eponymous {{Perimeter}} is a dome-like force field players can raise over parts of their bases (or whole bases). It's virtually impenetrable to attacks and incinerates everything that trying to pass through but has a very high energy cost. It also has a unique ability to steal enemy buildings - erect a field-generator close to them, raise the field - vois la!

* Some of the aliens in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}: Mothership Zeta'' have these, which don't necessarily deflect, but greatly increase their damage resistance.

* In the ''{{Mazinger}}'' series, the ''[[Anime/MazingerZ Photon Atomic Power Research Institute]]'' and the ''[[Anime/GreatMazinger Fortress of Science]]'' {{Home Base}}s were equipped with deflective, energy barriers that surrounded the whole building to repel the strikes of the MonsterOfTheWeek and raids of enemy ships and airships. Unfortunately, a strong enough {{Robeast}} could shatter the barrier by employing enough brute force, and {{Dangerously Savvy Villain}}s were smart enough to try to spot and blow up the devices that made the barrier working.

* In the {{Mazinger}} series, the ''[[Anime/MazingerZ Photon Atomic Power Research Institute]]'' and the ''[[Anime/GreatMazinger Fortress of Science]]'' {{Home Base}}s were equipped with deflective, energy barriers that surrounded the whole building to repel the strikes of the MonsterOfTheWeek and raids of enemy ships and airships. Unfortunately, a strong enough {{Robeast}} could shatter the barrier by employing enough brute force, and DangerouslySavvyVillains were smart enough to try to spot and blow up the devices that made the barrier working.

* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion,'' the angels are protected by "AT Fields". They turn out to have quite a bit more relevance to the plot than your run-of-the-mill plot device.

* ''SuperDimensionFortressMacross'': The ''Macross'' gained a force field early in its mission. Atypically, for most of its journey, the field could not cover the entire ship, so crewmembers had to move three small shields around the ship to intercept enemy fire. Later, an "omnidirectional barrier" was invented, which overloaded when hit by too much fire, destroying an unnamed large city in Ontario. ''Macross'' also uses focused pinpoint barriers to penetrate said shields, as a justification for space melee combat by kilometer tall HumongousMecha punching each other.

* In ''BarbieAndTheDiamondCastle'', the stones that Liana and Alexa wear around their necks create a visible barrier that shields them from the [[VainSorceress villain]]'s [[MagicMusic evil spells]]. Later, they're able to use the instruments in the [[MacGuffinLocation title castle]] to create a similar barrier that not only guards them, but reflects the spells back on the villain.

* In the 1984 ''{{Dune}}'' movie, the entire complex at Arrakeen is protected by a single enormous wall-shaped Shield. Gotta wonder how vulnerable that made the complex to lasgun fire.

* Subverted in ''StarWreck: In the Pirkining''; the "P-Fleet" ships have shields, but for some reason, they're completely useless in the "Babcom 5" universe.