Line #121 Main/BeehiveBarrier


1	[[quoteright:257:[[VideoGame/Halo3 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BubbleShield.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:257:It was the ''[[WorldOfPun buzz]]'' of the internet!]]
3
4	A specific and often striking type of {{Deflector Shield\|s}}, often made out of PureEnergy, that takes the form of geometric shapes which connect to form the overall shield -- often [[HighTechHexagons hexagons]], as they tessellate conveniently well. It's not mathematically possible to create a sphere-like shape from regular hexagons alone, but one can come close by throwing in a few pentagons (twelve, for a complete sphere), and some objects in the real world (like fullerene molecules and soccer balls) have such structures. Named after the hexagonal wax cells of honeycombs.
5
6	In older games or computer animation, this may have been because an object composed of hexagons was much easier to convincingly render than a sphere; it now mainly owes its existence to RuleOfCool. A favorite of the BarrierWarrior. This design actually has a veneer of plausibility, since two-dimensional hexagons and pentagons can be used to enclose a three-dimensional volume without leaving cracks, and with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_dome excellent distribution of stress]].
7
8	SubTrope of DeflectorShields and HighTechHexagons. For shields [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant made out of]] actual [[BeeBeeGun bees]], see OrbitingParticleShield.
9
10	''[[TropeCo/BeehiveBarrier This item]] is available in the TropeCo/TropeCo catalog.''
11	----
12	!!Examples:
13	[[foldercontrol]]
14
15	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
16	* The Mental Models of ''Manga/ArpeggioOfBlueSteel'' can generate and [[BarrierWarrior use them as weapons]].
17	* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Nanao creates a wall-shaped barrier after a smoother version is destroyed. However, this is actually said to make the barrier weaker, with the intention of baiting the enemy into a trap that is never seen because they see right through the ploy.
18	* ''Manga/BusoRenkin'': While it is a solid barrier rather than a force field, [[TheGoodCaptain Captain Bravo's]] jacket buso renkin, the Silver Skin, is made up of tiny, NighInvulnerable hexagons that become viable when it is struck, and can regenerate extremely quickly if something does manage to break through. Due to these abilities, the Silver Skin is considered the best defensive capabilities of any buso renkin.
19	* ''Manga/CodeBreaker'': The Angels are totally unaffected by the destruction caused by Toki lobbing iron beams with their hexagon shields defending them while Saechika brings an entire building down on them.
20	* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch's personal Knightmare frame, the Shinkirou, uses a nearly impenetrable defense field made out of hexagons. The barrier isn't a complete sphere, but the individual pieces can be manipulated in any fashion; however, doing so requires a very quick mind, playing to Lelouch's strengths.
21	* ''Manga/EdensZero'' has force fields in this form called a Protection Matrix.
22	* In ''Manga/FrierenBeyondJourneysEnd'', the basic defensive spell creates a field of hexagons. Since defense consumes a lot of mana, practitioners tend to avoid forming a full dome, instead casting the minimal tiles needed to block the incoming attack.
23	* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
24	** The Devil Gundam can generate one in ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'', matching up with the hexagonal pattern of its DG Cells. In the same series, the battle arenas of the Gundam Fight finals are enclosed by a hexagonal-patterned shield, mainly to protect spectators from the Gundams' attacks.
25	** The Lightwave Barrier in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed'', as used by the asteroid fortress Artemis.
26	* ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'': Cure Sunshine's Sunflower Aegis is a Beehive Barrier shaped like a sunflower. Holds up just as well.
27	* The hedron shields of ''Anime/HeroicAge'' were a multipurpose psionic tool created by the Golden Tribe. In addition to functioning as a shield, it can also create [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]], repair and even create spaceships out of nothing, and create a region of livable atmosphere and temperature.
28	* ''Anime/IriaZeiramTheAnimation'' overuses this kind of barrier for everything. Besides military use, it is excellent as an umbrella, a roof for your car, a window for your house, or as a prison cell. Finally, it can even be used for a weapon that can cut anything if it's activated so it intersects the target's body, while at the same time imprisoning it.
29	* ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'':
30	** Rarely used, but Vita's DeflectorShields do take this form during her first battle against a newly upgraded Nanoha in ''A's''.
31	** Precia's energy shield is shown to consist of hexagonal bits when [[spoiler:Arf, in response to Precia [[AbusiveParents abusing Fate one too many times]], flipped out and attacked her]].
32	* In ''Manga/{{MAR}}'', Phantom, one of the three main baddies, uses a beehive barrier to defend from ranged attacks, and once even fires it at his opponent afterwards.
33	* The ''Anime/MazingerZ'' series already used the trope in TheSeventies:
34	** The Photonic Research Institute uses a Beehive Barrier to protect the facility when under attack.
35	** And so did The Fortress of Science from ''Anime/GreatMazinger''.
36	** Since ''Anime/{{Mazinkaiser}}'' is a reimagination of the original series, it includes this trope.
37	** And in the ''Manga/ShinMazingerZero'' manga, [[{{Fembot}} Minerva X]] used a Beehive Barrier to protect Kouji Kabuto and Mazinger Z.
38	* In ''Anime/MyHime'', Yukino's element takes the form of several hexagonal mirrors, which are used for defense.
39	* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' has them as AT fields: a series of hexagons originally located in a fractal shape but the ''Rebuild'' series has them either in an irregular formation or lots of layers sandwiched together (take a look at Zeruel, for example). It is established knowledge that AT-fields are all but impenetrable and can only be brought down by either destroying the power source or using your own to partially cancel it out. Once it is weak enough, Evas can usually breach them (either literally tearing them apart like paper or, as ''Rebuild 2.0'' show us, shatter it like glass).
40	** They can also be broken by excessive force (mostly the [[{{BFG}} Positron Rifle]]) or the [[ForgottenSuperweapon Lance of Longinus]].
41	* ''Phantom of M?'' uses a Beehive Barrier in the form of a flat wall, rather than a dome or bubble.
42	* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
43	** In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearl'', Ash and the others enter a beehive. One of the walls, a barrier between the heroes and Vespiquen, is made out of Combee, ''literal'' beehive barrier.
44	** In a later episode, the move Light Screen is [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/File:Ricky_Elgyem_Light_Screen.png depicted]] as a more usual version of this trope.
45	* ''Anime/{{Rahxephon}}'' uses these as part of its shielding.
46	* These show up whenever a barrier, literal or figurative, is called for in ''Manga/SgtFrog''. Knowing the series, it could well be an extended parody/homage of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
47	* Used by Xellos in one early episode of ''Literature/{{Slayers}} NEXT''. In fact it looked uncannily like an AT field, too.
48	* One of the characters in ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' had a shield entirely too similar to Evangelion's AT fields to be anything but a deliberate homage.
49	* In ''Anime/{{Vandread}}'', the ''Nirvana'', Jura's ''Dread'', Gascogne's service vehicle, and some others are surrounded by a Beehive Barrier -- the only time we ever see a barrier that ISN'T of this form is when Jura's ''Vandread'' utilizes its planetary shield. The individual panels shrink and expand when under stress, too -- adding a additional visual element.
50	* In ''Franchise/{{Zoids}}'', buildings and certain Zoids were equipped with this.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Comic Books]]
54	* Guardian Angel in ''ComicBook/PS238'' has one, as seen in [[http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/ps238/comics/index.php?date=2007-08-17 this strip]].
55	* Depending on the artist, ComicBook/IronMan's shields [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/d/dc/Anthony_Stark_%28Earth-616%29_with_Space_Armor_MK_III_from_Iron_Man_Vol_5_6_005.jpg can have a beehive pattern]].
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
59	* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDoom'', [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] creates a huge barrier of this shape to stall a solar flare.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
63	* In ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'', the protagonists are unaware that [[spoiler: a beehive barrier force-field has been placed around the area to prevent any kind of escape. When Curt tries to jump the gorge on a motorbike, he finds this out the hard way.]]
64	* In ''Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire'', the arena is enclosed by a beehive barrier force field.
65	%% ZCE * From the looks of it, the pterosaur aviary in ''Film/JurassicWorld''.
66	* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' to an extent. The convergence and interlocking of the Nova Corps in anticipation of air raid prevention.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Literature]]
70	* Zorian eventually becomes skilled at using this type of shield spell in ''Literature/MotherOfLearning''. It's worth noting that the hexagon-style barrier ''isn't'' the gold standard for most serious combat mages; rather, it suits his WeakButSkilled style, using excellent levels of magical control to compensate for limited {{mana}} reserves. The shield has the special property that breaking one cell of the honeycomb will not disrupt the entire shield, reducing the number of times he needs to burn mana to cast it.
71	* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' novels often describe Coruscant's planetary shield as two layers of hexagonal spheres, with missing hexagons allowing ships to enter and exit. In this case the hexagons were invisible, turning the visual trope into a tactical element: only authorized ships could safely navigate the shields and enter or leave the atmosphere. And in case of a battle, those openings would be normally be closed entirely, making it impossible for any lucky shot during an orbital bombardment to bypass the shields. This was also the [[JustifiedTrope justification]] for all the warships in Episode 3 being so close together. Of course, like everything else in ''Franchise/StarWars'' the real reason for that scene was RuleOfCool.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
75	* The Tortoise Fist user Maka in ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'' vs ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'' uses this kind of shield, patterned after a tortoise shell.
76	* In ''Series/TheGifted2017'', Lauren's power is something she describes as "pushing things together", able to use whatever material is around to make what pretty much amounts to force fields, such as her usual technique of condensing the air around her until it's as hard as a wall. When she uses it to its maximum, it looks like a dome or wall of translucent hexagons.
77	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
78	** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E9TheTholianWeb The Tholian Web]]", the Tholians are making a spherical geometric web thing to trap the ''Enterprise''. In this case, the barrier is to keep the ''Enterprise'' in.
79	*** ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' demonstrates a complete version of the barrier: it not only blocks outbound attacks, but crushes the trapped ship. They also demonstrate a flat barrier they use to barricade a space dock, but that is rather easily defeated.
80	** In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Q and [[http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/File:Q_forcefield.jpg the Q-net]] are borderline examples, since they resemble square-ish... spheres?
81	** ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekProdigy'' have taken to depicting Starfleet DeflectorShields as being made of hexagonal energy cells.
82	* In ''Series/{{Viper}}'', the CGI sequence of the Viper Defender's transformation to its armored form consists of hexagonal panels covering the car then morphing into a gray Dodge Viper. (As a bonus, the hexes made the car look like it was covered in snakeskin. Get it?) (In its syndicated form, the effect was simplified, using large rectangles instead of small hexagons.)
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Video Games]]
86	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': Shields that are utilized by enemies, large monsters, and offensive battle mechs, take the form with hexagonal patterns which acts their [[BodyArmorAsHitPoints armor]] that when fully depleted weakens them to more direct attacks.
87	* ''VideoGame/AgentHugoRoboRumble'': [=TEX2000=]'s shield mode makes a barrier made up of triangles cover Hugo whenever he flies over a green tile.
88	* The Inhibitor bloodline of ''VideoGame/BloodlineChampions'' has a Rune Shield ability which does this. It reduces damage taken, but the real best part of it is if it takes enough damage, it will end, exploding - which means it damages and stun enemies around the shielded target.
89	* In ''VideoGame/CrashFever'' damage reduction effects appear this way, gaining more tiles the more potent they are.
90	* ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' uses these in the physical and magical barriers.
91	* In ''VideoGame/EndOfNations'', the Patriot class can use the hexagon-layered Asgardian Dome SupportPower to protect affected units from all attacks for a short time.
92	* All bosses from ''VideoGame/GaiaSeedProjectTrap'' has hexagonal force-fields which allows them to deflect your attacks, though they'll dispel them automatically to attack you.
93	* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
94	** ''VideoGame/Halo3'' has the Bubble Shield. The shield will completely stop bullets, plasma bolts, grenades, rockets and explosions of all sorts. This Beehive Barrier doesn't offer complete protection, however -- players and vehicles can pass straight through as if it didn't exist.
95	** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' includes a similar shield with the Drop Shield armor ability, which also incorporates health-restoring properties.
96	** In the later games, a beehive-esque energy shield becomes visible whenever a Sentinel is shot.
97	* They're everywhere in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' games whenever you come across the [[InsurmountableWaistHeightFence border of a particular level]].
98	** Reflect and Dark Shield spells in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' momentarily create a Beehive Barrier around the user. The former follows up with a burst of magic if an enemy attack actually connects with the barrier, making it one of the most dangerous spells in the game once it's been levelled up.
99	** This is Aqua's signature guard ability in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep''. While the boys simply guard, Aqua creates a barrier made of hexagons around her, highlighting her status as a SquishyWizard (though this is only a visual effect, as they both have the same properties). She is seen using it to shield Terra during the Keyblade Graveyard confrontation. By the events of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', she can use it to create an arena-wide border to block Sora, Donald, and Goofy from interfering with her duel against Vanitas.
100	** In ''Kingdom Hearts III'', barrier abilities are available to Riku, Mickey, Aqua, Kairi and a few of Sora's Formchanges. In the the ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIIIReMind Re𝄌Mind]]'' DLC, Mickey, Aqua and Xion collaborate on a massive Reflect shell large enough to shield the whole party.
101	* ''VideoGame/{{METAGAL}}'': If one of Meta's attacks doesn't do damage to an enemy, an energy shield with a honeycomb design will briefly flash in front of it.
102	* ''VideoGame/{{Nelo}}'': The Nightsithe can generate a red sperical shield with a honeycomb pattern on it around their bodies, rendering them impervious to attack,. Luckily, it doesn't stay up permanently.
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Wipeout}} HD'' has this. It was turned into a usable item in ''VideoGame/PlaystationAllStarsBattleRoyale''. It [[SuperArmor prevents interruption]] and can protect against a [[LimitBreak Super Attack]].
104	* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
105	** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'': In ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX7 X7]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX8 X8]]'', if you shoot an enemy when it isn't vulnerable, bits of Beehive Barrier appear to let you know. Zero also projects one when using one of his weapons (a [[PaperFanOfDoom fan]]) in the latter.
106	** Bass.EXE had a geodesic aura protecting him in the first ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' game. (It was spherical in all his later appearances.)
107	* Near the end of ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'', a barrier like this is put up around [[spoiler:Soltis]], forcing the heroes to regroup and try to figure out how to get around the thing. Also, beehive barriers are what "Evasive Action" looks like in ship-to-ship combat.
108	* Used in the semi-unreleased game ''SCARAB'', where your Beehive Barrier has to be rotated or your opponent will simply shoot out one of the hexagons, then shoot '''you''' through the hole. Additionally, when one of them has been hit and no longer stops incoming fire, it also turns opaque, allowing people to see how damaged the shield is, and preventing the victim from seeing where the fire is coming from.
109	* ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' had a green Beehive Barrier appear while blocking attacks.
110	* Certain enemies in ''VideoGame/RogueGalaxy'' are protected by barriers (until broken by a special gun) which are momentarily visible as Beehive Barriers when struck.
111	** And a rainbow-colored one when the ProtectiveCharm is cast.
112	* In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireDragonQuarter'', a Beehive Barrier indicates bosses with "absolute defense."
113	* In the ''Franchise/DotHack'' games, Data Bug monsters are covered with green hexagons.
114	* Square-Enix's ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' features Beehive Barriers (simply called "walls") as part of the Reaper's Game. Every day has the Reapers limiting players limited to a given region, and trying to travel to any inaccessible section leads to a characters running into SomeKindOfForceField (occasionally with a cutscene. Some can be lifted, usually by meeting the conditions of a nearby [[InTheHood Support Reaper]].
115	* The Auger in the ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}'' series can project one of this as secondary fire, it's an oval wall rather than a full circle as most of them, but the look stays, the Wrath does one as well in Resi 2.
116	* As one can tell from ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', Hideo Kojima sees the world in sheets of electrified hexagons. "That is what technology looks like, damn it."
117	* In ''VideoGame/TooHuman'', named/boss-styled Goblins have a glowing red Beehive Barrier that needs to be knocked down before Baldur can start eating away at their actual HP.
118	* Pretty common in ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games as well.
119	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', one will appear if you get physically attacked with the Protect spell active.
120	** The WhiteMage merit spell Shellra V in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' forms very much like a Beehive Barrier when cast.
121	*** [[spoiler:Eald'narche]] has a wall of Exoplates surrounding him when you fight him at the end of the Rise of the Zilart expansion, as well.
122	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance 2'', some classes, among them Paladins, have the ability to set up a Guard-buff. This is represented by a hexagonal mark that flashes under the casting of the spell.
123	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' there is a RunningGag where each time [[spoiler:Galenth Dysley]] appears in human form, [[IdiotHero Snow Villiers]] runs up and attacks only to be violently thwarted by one of these each time. Time Gates in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' also exhibit these when someone they're not meant for tries to enter them, [[CallBack as Snow helpfully demonstrates]].
124	** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Firion's]] "Shield Bash" ability shows up as an energy beehive shield when he uses it in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth's]] "Scintilla" produces one too.
125	*** When you cause a Defense Crush[[note]] This occurs anytime an ArmorPiercingAttack hits a character whose attempting to block it.[[/note]] to your opponent, pieces of a Beehive Barrier can be seen shattering.
126	*** The moment characters have been Wall Rushed into the [[InvisibleWall invisible barriers]] of some stages in ''Dissidia'', the section they slam into briefly becomes visible, showing us 7 glowing hexagons.
127	*** [[NonindicativeName Despite its name]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Laguna's]] Electroshield is a small, spherical Beehive Barrier, not a [[ElementalBarrier shield made of]] [[ShockAndAwe electricity]].
128	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the protect spell causes a ring shaped barrier to appear. Portions of it will appear again when you take damage until the spell wears off.
129	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'', this appears to be a power of the [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Kings of Lucis]]. King Regis uses it to protect the entire Crown City, and the members of the [[Anime/KingsglaiveFinalFantasyXV Kingsglaive]] gain the power to erect them from him. Alas, despite drawing his powers from the same royal bloodline, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen this power is never extended to the player character, Prince Noctis]].
130	* In the console ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, starting from ''XD: Gale of Darkness'', the moves which raise defense take this form.
131	** In a more literal sense, Vespiquen's Defend Order.
132	** The animation for Aegislash's signature protecting move, "King's Shield," looks like this.
133	** In the PlayerVersusPlayer mode of ''VideoGame/PokemonGO'' you can use up to 2 protect shields that looks like this.
134	* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', the Barrier spell and the shield protecting the Garuda monster are Beehive Barriers.
135	* In ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'', [[spoiler: Valus Tlu'urn projects one at the end of the Shield Brothers strike.]]
136	* Several rings in ''[[Website/GaiaOnline zOMG!]]'' summon Beehive Barriers. Improbability Sphere summons one around an ally as a general, while Turtle Summons one around yourself as a "OH SHI-!" shield.
137	* Some of the wards in ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant'' appear with a beehive pattern in front of the target.
138	%% Needs Context * Several protective spells in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' look like this.
139	* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', one of the abilities creates a single hexagon barrier in a likely homage to this trope.
140	** In VideoGame/MassEffect2, ''all'' the barriers display a beehive shape when first forming: Geth, Collector, Tech Armour, Krogan fortification, you name it. Not biotic barriers, though; they're always smooth surfaces, which makes them more visually distinct from tech-based shields.
141	** This continues into ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', with the Leviathan artifact in the DLC of the same name being secured within a cylindrical shape made of hexagons [[spoiler:to prevent it from sending out mind control waves]].
142	* The Age of Jalak Dador in ''VideoGame/UruAgesBeyondMyst'' has a force field you can toggle with your KI, which helps since the thing it protects is a giant stone game board that you're able to adjust to rather staggering heights.
143	* In ''VideoGame/{{Rez}}'', the third boss (the Venus (Tera) security system) is protected by one of these, and you have to shoot out each individual cell when it flips over to fire its lasers at you.
144	* Not surprisingly, ''VideoGame/WildArms4'' and ''VideoGame/WildArms5'' feature this, given the HEX battle system.
145	* In the Wii version of ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'', the bomb from [[OpenHeartDentistry the bomb defusal mission]] is surrounded by a solid field of hexagonal plates that [[NauseaFuel rotate about the place in 3D]].
146	%%* Appears when guarding in ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos''.
147	* The Leviathans in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' protect themselves with glowing blue barriers composed of interlocking hexagons. As does Samus herself with the Hazard Suit upgrade.
148	* The [[TankGoodness A-gear]] of ''VideoGame/AceOnline'' [[http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l302/Chris_Lv255/catBarrier.jpg gets one of these]], perfect for negating all missile damage for a bit.
149	* ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'':
150	** The tutorial missions begin with a section of Millennium City enclosed by a Beehive barrier by the Qularr aliens. However, the hexagons aren't exactly perfect, and sort of float through the barrier as you watch.
151	** Also a partial, shield-shaped Beehive barrier is an optional block power in the Power Armour powerset.
152	* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', this is called Shell Shield, a powerful ability that reduces all damage taken by 50%. This is mitigated by the fact that the only ones who can actually use it are turtles.
153	* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'', you have the Nanoswarm, which fades away towards the top, but is still present. It functions as a sort of domed room with no exit, with stuff going in but not coming out until it dissipates. Great for waiting out a Soviet [[strike: nuke]] Vacuum Implosion device.
154	* ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon FEAR 2]]'' has this for Enemy [[http://fear.wikia.com/wiki/Elite_Powered_Armor elite]] PowerArmour. Curiously, they player's version is missing this particular feature-which is remedied in the third game.
155	* The Protoss immortals from ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' have special hardened shields that take this form to distinguish them from the normal plasma shields.
156	** The early development version of ''Starcraft II'' had a Protoss air unit called the Tempest which had a special energy shield made of tessellating hexagons. It was stronger than normal shields, but only worked against attacks from ground units.
157	* Cover Shield ability for Engineers in ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline''. Not a full sphere, but very hexagonal. Some of the defense grids around planets in missions are of this type as well.
158	* Justified in ''VideoGame/HomeworldCataclysm'', as the protective shells are created by surrounding the core ship with several dozen minute Sentry drones that serve as the apices of the prospective force-field polyhedron.
159	* The Class 9 and 10 shields in ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' have this effect when the ships using them are attacked. Specifically the shield is normally invisible and is more or less form fitting, but when struck it will become partially visible, revealing tessellated hexagons.
160	* In ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}'', hexagons are used in several parts of the Nanosuit design. Especially in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTcMv_9zs6E Armor mode]].
161	* ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden]]'' has the AEGIS System, a series of shield satellites set up around the Earth to protect it from the gravity wave unleashed by the death of the BigBad from the previous game. In this case, the shield is powered by the world's [[SuperRobot Super Robots]] from a power station set up on the Moon (intended to be the precursor to ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]''[='s=] Satellite System).
162	* ''VideoGame/Mother3'' has this in the form of PK Shield and PK Counter.
163	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' uses this for some shields, such as Morgana's magic-blocking Black Shield or Poppy's unbreachable [[DiplomaticImpunity Diplomatic Immunity]]. In addition, the summoner spell Fortify (before it was discontinued) used to deploy invulnerable, but short-lived shields of this type around every friendly turret.
164	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'':
165	** In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', the Monado Shield art briefly creates one around the party when it's used.
166	** In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', the ability to generate these is a basic common ability of Blades [[spoiler: and Artifices]]. [[spoiler: Malos is also capable of deploying a more distinct and powerful version of it, since he wields a Monado of his own.]]
167	* In ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', whenever an attack is reflected due to game mechanics, a Beehive Barrier of thousands of tiny tesselated hexagons will briefly flash as the inertia of the blow or the magical energy bounces off it and hits the caster.
168	* ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'' has Fernando, Khan, Makoa and Barik use these. Justified for Makoa, given his shell comes out of his back, and his shell is made of those beehive shapes to begin with.
169	* In ''VideoGame/IMissTheSunrise'', [[spoiler:Ral]] seems to create large, physical versions of these using raw mechanical materials in the mission where you fight them. They don't actually use it in combat, though.
170	* In ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', Axton's Sabre turret can, if you've taken the right skill, deploy a bubble shield around itself. Players can walk and shoot through it, enemies can't. ION Loader enemies can project a much larger one, though in this case players ''can'' walk through it -- they'll just get zapped by the loader until dead if they do. Your personal skills have a similar effect.
171	* In ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'', using the Parry skill as a Lord Knight will trigger a beehive barrier hemisphere special effect that will briefly cover the character.
172	* Shields in ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'' are shown as an oblong shell of hexagons around your ship. The hexagons grow brighter and more pronounced with every layer of shielding gained.
173	* In the Facebook game ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'', various characters use this kind of shield, the most notable being BarrierWarrior Recue, who have three different variations, sphere, half sphere and flat.
174	* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'':
175	** The shields generated by Orisa, Reinhardt, and Winston are all beehive barriers, but the transparency makes it hard to notice, unless you're looking at it at an angle. Mei's beekeeper outfit has much a much more obvious one in place of the typical face netting, bringing a [[StealthPun new meaning to the phrase Beehive Barrier]].
176	** With the rework of Symmetra in June 2018, her ultimate ability creates a temporary flat beehive barrier that extends indefinitely.
177	** In addition to the standard barriers, characters that have shields as part of an ability (such as Sigma's Kinetic Grasp) also create a few individual hexagons when they use it.
178	* The various high-tech walls in ''VideoGame/{{Prismata}}'' look like this.
179	* ''VideoGame/TerraTech''[='=]s late-game Havoc shield generator creates one of these.
180	* In ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans'', most Furon shields have this pattern.
181	* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'': The [[{{Cyborg}} MEC Trooper]]'s Absorption Fields ability generates a barrier like this when they're hit.
182	* ''VideoGame/TheSunAtNight'': Laika's shield looks like this when it's activated.
183	* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'': Usually seen in the strongest Aparoids and shield generators. In the intro scene prior to the final mission, the entrance to the Aparoid Homeworld's core gets blocked by a shield like this that blocks the Arwings' laser fire. [[spoiler:Peppy then rams the Great Fox against it to clear the path for Fox and the others to fly inside, apparently sacrificing himself in the process]].
184	* Your dark matter force field in ''VideoGame/ThePersistence'' takes the form of a bunch of blue hexagons that fade and fizzle out when an enemy breaks it.
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Web Animation]]
188	* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'': Agents North and South of ''Project Freelancer'' use the ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'' barriers, once weaponizing it, and North using Theta to open small windows allowing him to fire through the barrier while under full assault.
189	[[/folder]]
190
191	[[folder:Web Comics]]
192	* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': Sydney's shield features an unusual lattice of [[https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-174-you-got-your-explosion-all-over-my-press-conference/ parallelograms and triangles in a hexagonal-ish pattern]], although the pattern is not always visible unless the shield is actively deflecting something.[[note]]Which could be an art-style choice given how much time she spends in the bubble.[[/note]]
193	* The web comic ''Webcomic/MysticRevolution'' has one, as seen in [[http://www.mysticrev.com/index.php?cid=711 this strip]].
194	[[/folder]]
195
196	[[folder:Western Animation]]
197	* ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'': The Red Lanterns' base, The Shard has one. It takes Mogo's WaveMotionGun undamaged, but wasn't so effective against the Anti-Monitor.
198	* ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes2006'' has Brainiac 5's force field.
199	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The Earth is shielded by one made of plates of some ridiculously named artificial diamond in ''[[TheMovie The Beast with a Billion Backs]]''. Diamondilium! Which beat out Farnsworth's Diamondium after a game of deathball.
200	* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'': Aelita uses her power to create a Beehive Barrier (as a curved wall instead of a sphere, though) for the ''Skidbladnir'' in "Replika".
201	* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': The Castle of Lions shields itself with a dome made of hexagons. Three of the lions were hidden away in similar shields.
202	* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', anyone who wields the Turtle [[TransformationTrinket Miraculous]] can create one of these. So far, the only person who has been seen doing such is [[TotallyRadical Nino Lahiffe]], aka Carapace.
203	* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'': As Steven's [[spoiler:latent Diamond powers]] develop in his teenage years, he adopts as his primary power a basic hexagonal hard light projection, which he can shape into walls, spikes, etc. at will. At one point he creates a hemisphere bubble shield very similar to the one in the trope picture.
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder:Real Life]]
207	* Literal example: In some parts of Africa, farmers use [[http://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/impact/elephants_and_bees fences with beehives]] in order to prevent the elephants from crop-raiding.
208	* May be considered a case of art imitating life, since geodesic domes (buckyballs like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Earth_%28Disney%29 Spaceship Earth]] at Disney's Epcot Center, for example) and other hexagon/pentagon based spheres like soccer balls are much stronger the more individual pieces they have.
209	* Nothing in video games is truly round, unless some game is using real-time-tessellated shapes such as NURBS, Bezier patches, or Catmull-Clark patches. So it's likely this trope became a stylish way of pretending a barrier was spherical back when tessellation was intractable, but [[RuleOfCool looked cool enough]] that it stuck.
210	* The Eden Project, the world's largest greenhouse, is comprised of several domes built from hexagonal segments.
211	* Chobham armour, currently the tank armour used by the US and British, uses ceramic tiles embedded in hardened plates for extra strength. One of the tile shapes used is hexagons, presumably to minimize weak points.
212	* NASA heat shielding (or at least that of the Apollo missions) is made of honeycombed metal, each filled with a special plastic to absorb the heat of reentry.
213	* Chicken wire used for fencing uses hexagonal mesh to spread pressure more evenly.
214	* ''Hexagon Park'', or [[http://www.archdaily.com/101862/new-bursa-stadium-hexagon-park-stadiumconcept/euro_stadium_bursa_birdsview Bursa stadium]].
215	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kikko_(Japanese_armour) Kikko]] is a type of feudal Japanese armor similar in concept to European brigandine, but which uses hexagonal plates of iron or hardened leather attached to a cloth backing. Named for the hexagonal plates on a tortoise shell they resemble, it is possible that this led to a more general association between hexagonal grids and lightweight flexible/curved protection.
216	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene Graphene]], a material that is incredibly durable, has its molecules take the shape of interlinking hexagons.
217	[[/folder]]

Context Main / BeehiveBarrier