[[ComicBook/FantasticFour http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/invisible-woman.jpg]]

->'''Dark Cure Mint:''' The difference between me and you is that your powers only protect you!
->''(later, when Dark Mint is killed)''
->'''Cure Mint:''' The difference between me and you is that I was protected.
->-''[[YesPrecure5 Yes! Precure 5]]'' TheMovie, re: Mint's first-season powers, which were limited to shields.

The BarrierWarrior is a character with the MagicAndPowers necessary to create DeflectorShields or {{Beehive Barrier}}s to protect themselves and sometimes others. The Barrier Warrior fights enemies with an emphasis not on [[TheDarkSide destruction,]] but on [[TheForce protecting]], and [[PersonalityPowers their personality reflects this]] by being kind and caring, with ActualPacifist tendencies and sometimes HealingHands to go with their defensive abilities.It should come as no surprise that characters with this ability as their main or only power are, you guessed it, heroes. Usually, they're TheChick, a SquishyWizard or TheSmartGuy. In video games they specialize in protecting and aiding team mates, or [[StatusBuff "buffing"]], rather than damaging enemies.

Despite these good intentions and potent abilities, they'll pretty much suck at actually ''doing'' stuff, like beating enemies and worse, ''protecting their allies!'' The problem is that their transferable NighInvulnerability and ease resisting attacks that CouldHaveBeenMessy makes them the perfect target for TheWorfEffect. As soon as [[SortingAlgorithmOfEvil a new bad guy shows up,]] their shields will [[NoSell pose all the resistance of wet tissue paper]] to their weakest [[PureEnergy Energy Blasts.]]

Less commonly, the Barrier Warrior will be a fierce fighter on an equal footing with other more aggressively powered cast members. This is done either by cleverly using his shield to trick or outmaneuver enemies, help teammates, or using it in conjunction with other fighting skills and abilities to actually beat up enemies. A barrier could also be sent forward to attack enemies - if it can stop bullets, [[RammingAlwaysWorks it's going to hurt if it runs into your face]]. The more deadly form of this would be to crush someone with the impenetrable shield. But who ever heard of a [[GoodPowersBadPeople villain with barrier powers?]]

As a power, generating DeflectorShields is much like {{Flight}}; in theory it's an awesome power that anyone would like, but like Flight it has become [[StockSuperpowers a dime a dozen]] and [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway pretty lame]]. Most shows give every character this ability as a secondary power/skillset from a characters' main abilities (such as a pyrokinetic creating walls of fire, or a cryokinetic making ice walls). It's made even more useless since it's easy to deflect KiAttacks with other KiAttacks, and techniques like DeadlyDodging are around to avoid most attacks.

On the flip side, writers who notice this have used RePower to make these characters incredibly versatile and lethal as well, since it functions very similarly to a GreenLanternRing.

Frequently their barriers manifest depending on their morality (and may even change appearance if they [[FaceHeelTurn change]] [[HeelFaceTurn sides]]. It's either as beautiful (and deadly) PetalPower or [[PowerGlows gently glowing]] spheres, or black barriers that crackle ominously.

Not to be confused with BarrierMaiden, though the two can overlap if the Maiden's method of [[SealedEvilInACan containment]] is via forcefield.

Compare StoneWall or MagicKnight.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime ]]

* Komachi/Cure Mint in ''[[YesPrecure5 Yes! Precure 5]]''. In theory, somewhat limited in usage compared to other forcefielders, since she can only produce Mint Protection and Mint Shield around herself rather than just anywhere. In practice, they're strong enough to make Mint [[TheWorfEffect the team Worf]], can provide pathways for her teammates' powers, and have no apparent limit on range, and the Mint Shield in particular does damage on contact and has been used as a massive KamehameHadoken. In season two, though, she loses these abilities, which are replaced with the more traditional attack Emerald Saucer... which turns out to ''also'' work as a shield, making her still a BarrierWarrior in spirit if not in practice.
* [[TheHero Mai]] from ''{{Mai-HiME}}'' can use her Element to create short-range forcefields for herself and her friends. [[TheRival Natsuki]] also gets this ability in the manga version (hers is ice to counteract Mai's fire).
** Though considering Mai's power mainly consists of pyrokinetic and summoning a giant dragon with its very own WaveMotionGun, her shield does not really make her a BarrierWarrior.
* The main characters of ''{{Kekkaishi}}''. Comes with the handy bonus that they can make the barriers implode, destroying whatever they made it surround.
** They also use some particularly brilliant extensions of standard barrier skills, like ''a barrier that eats away at anything and everything except the user''. And it's implied there are far more powerful barrier techniques out there...
*** Or they can use their barriers for more mundane but still very useful combat purposes. For example, if an enemy is too fast to be captured by a full-sized barrier, simply make a smaller, faster one around a piece of their body or even their vitals. If that's not an option, a skilled kekkaishi can instead generate long, narrow barriers that skewer enemies like spears.
**** It's worth pointing out that Kekkaishi translated literally means 'barrier master'... making this example the prime epitome of the trope.
* [[TheChick Orihime]] [[TheMedic Inoue]] from ''{{Bleach}}''. Her powers manifest as six fairies: three generate the shield, which is ''extremely powerful'', two for the healing shield, which [[spoiler:can ''resurrect the dead'']], and one for attack, which is really, really weak. It's explained that her attack power is related to the strength of her heart, and [[TechnicalPacifist she doesn't have any will to fight aggressively]], so if she ever did get serious, ''really'' serious -- [[BewareTheNiceOnes watch out]].
** Subverted in a later episode when said attacking fairy was almost destroyed by Arrancar.
*** Played straight again, when [[spoiler: she uses her defensive shields to protect Ichigo from none other than ''Ulquiorra'']] and later, [[spoiler: to bring Ichigo's almost lifeless body down without further harm]]
** Also, Hachigen "Hachi" Ushoda from the Vaizards, whose speciality is the casting of binding spells. [[spoiler: And yes, he "heals/repairs" Orihime's aforementioned attacking fairy, Tsubaki.]]
** ''Possibly'', Choujiro Sasakibe from the Shinigami. [[spoiler: He's the one who guarded the barrier over Karakura and later opened it to let the Vaizards pull their BigDamnHeroes.]]
* [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] in ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Each Eva and major villain fight through the use of [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic "absolute terror"]] fields, powerful forcefields that can deflect bullets and even nuclear weapons, and can only be reliably disabled through a stronger "absolute terror" field or through [[WaveMotionGun ridiculously big guns]]. Rather than being pacifistic team players, though, the Eva are frighteningly violent, and the strength of the absolute terror field comes from the desire for isolation.
* [[BadassBookworm Yuuno Scrya]] of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' doesn't have a [[MagicWand magic-boosting Device]] like the other mages in the cast, and barrier powers are a dime-a-dozen in the series... but apparently, he's ''just that good with them''. Good enough to hold his own against an ancient warrior-mage equipped with a powerful [[EmpathicWeapon Armed Device]], who had just soundly defeated the titular [[AcePilot Ace]] of the series. And he does this ''while'' simultaneously working to crack the imprisoning barrier his team was trapped inside. Yuuno is also [[TheMedic one of the few heroes]] with HealingHands. Unfortunately, despite being so powerful ''and'' the RomanticRunnerUp for the aforementioned titular [[AcePilot Ace]], he's a male in a PinkBishoujoGhetto, and the StraightOption in a series with a strong Yuri fanbase. With each following series, he is further DemotedToExtra.
** Arf and Zaphira are also {{Shapeshifting}}, BigBadassWolf {{Non Human Sidekick}}s who serve as Barrier Warriors -- they have better physical combat ability than Yuuno, but his magical skills are more powerful and much more diverse.
* In ''KonjikiNoGashBell,'' Tio specializes in protective and healing spells (and has only a single weak offensive spell [[spoiler:until volume 20, anyway]]).
** There's also Danny, an early character whose only shown ability is to heal himself. Despite this, he comes awfully close to being a BadassNormal, taking out guys with guns without even using a spell. Eventually, he does get shot, but it only takes a first-level spell to get him up again, hinting that had he survived, he'd be nigh invincible. However, he gets his book burned not in battle, but in protecting a museum artifact. Fans speculate that had this not happened, Danny may have made it to the end, although this is somewhat balanced by having his book reader be a little old man. [[spoiler: In the manga, when Gash's book first glows gold giving him the ability to use other demon's spells, it is Danny that saves him with his one and only spell, completely healing the thrashing that Gash received at the hands of Clear Note.]]
* ''SuzumiyaHaruhi:'' Yuki Nagato tends to fight by slamming people with forcefields, although this may be due to the fact that both times we see her fight, she's also protecting [[NonActionGuy noncombatants]]. This is in contrast to her EvilCounterpart [[spoiler:[[YouShouldKnowThisAlready Ryouko]]]], who prefers various means of stabbing the hell out of people (spears thrown with telekinesis, [[KnifeNut regular ol' knives]], whatever.)
* The [[DeflectorShields Distortion Fields]] on ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'' are also useful for offense (and like most Aestivalis weaponry, are an {{Homage}} to ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'', above, albeit not as creepy). The most generally powerful attack the HumongousMecha pilots use involves angling their Distortion Field to a point and ramming the enemy with it, a technique named "[[{{Gekiganger3}} Gekigan Flare]]" as a reference to ''Nadesico'''s ShowWithinAShow. When Aestivalis appear in SuperRobotWars, the Gekigan Flare (or combination attacks involving it) is usually the Aestivalis's LimitBreak. Gekiganger fanboys Akito and Gai usually have the Double Gekigan Flare as a CombinationAttack. Given that Gai usually survives much longer in a Super Robot Wars game than he did in his own series, you have a surprising amount of opportunities to use it. (It never did get used by Akito and Gai in the series, because they hadn't seen the ShortAnimeMovie that introduced it yet.)
* The [[BlackBox LambdaDriver]]-equipped Arm Slaves in ''FullMetalPanic'' are another example of mecha using force fields offensively, although they verge on variable-shape EnergyWeapons.
* The [[SuperDimensionFortressMacross SDF-1]] was given a barrier early on: the only problem is that they didn't have the energy reserves to power it up enough to cover more than a tiny circle of the ship. The solution was to create a series of 'pinpoint barriers' controlled by ''trackballs'' handled by the BridgeBunnies (not ''the'' principal Bridge team, but other three girls specially trained for this purpose). The NumberTwo then came up with the Daedalus Maneuver, which involved putting all the shields around the Daedalus (which was originally [[MilitaryMashupMachine a sea-going carrier]] acting as both a fist and a docking bay) so it could punch through the enemy's hull, then open up and unload a large quantity of missiles ''inside'' the enemy's guts.
** Later models of the fighter craft mecha also were given Pinpoint Barriers, and could execute a powerful punch in much the same manner.
*** Likewise, later models of the Macross-class warships. The original Daedalus Attack was thus renamed to Macross Attack.
** Halfway through the original series, the SDF Macross engineers found a way to produce an omnidirectional barrier that could spread outwards, like a sphere, to cover the entire ship. Unfortunately, the feedback from enemy attacks caused it to overload and [[SphereOfDestruction explode violently]], destroying a sizable chunk of Ontario and resulting in the Macross being forbidden from entering Earth's atmosphere again. By the FinalBattle, however, it had been perfected into a fully-functional shield.
* Nozomi Daichi from ''The Daichis: Earth Defense Family'' uses an [[ParasolOfPain umbrella]] that generates force fields.
* Although they don't do it often, high-level warriors in ''DragonBall Z'' can generate shields with their [[BattleAura ki]] to deflect or nullify enemy attacks.
* Mage-type characters in CLAMP works are typically capable of this. Most notable:
** The Shield Card in ''CardCaptorSakura'', which can deflect anything.
** Master Clef in ''MagicKnightRayearth'', who once threw up a shield around an entire castle to defend it from an interstellar warship's [[EnergyWeapons gigantic plasma beam]].
** Fuu Hououji, also from ''MagicKnightRayearth'', whose Winds of Protection are capable of stopping any attack (as well as [[TheMedic healing diverse injuries]]), if she's prepared for it. Otherwise, her shields eventually buckle and suffer TheWorfEffect.
** Since he started using magic again, Fai Flourite from TsubasaReservoirChronicle is also this. Notably, in a recent chapter of the manga he threw up a barrier and held it again an all out onslaught of magic from ''two'' other characters.
* The Shinkirou, Lelouch's MidSeasonUpgrade in ''CodeGeass R2'', is equipped with a battleship-class BeehiveBarrier in order to better suit his combat role as head tactician/strategist - and to cover his mediocre-at-best piloting skills. Of course, it's also got a rather powerful ChestBlaster as its primary weapon.
* Megumi Kurogane of ''GateKeepers'' is of the versatile variety, creating giant walls to block enemy attacks, as well as using said walls to crush them. [[spoiler:This power is inverted into a piercing ability after her FaceHeelTurn]].
* Ayeka from ''TenchiMuyo'' can generate force fields, and also can summon floating wooden blocks that encircle a person and restrain them. Ayeka uses her shields as an offensive weapon by flying towards the enemy. When properly motivated, her shields are large and powerful enough to shatter an entire corridor.
** Her EvilCounterpart {{Expy}}, Romio, uses this in ''[[PrettySammy Magical Project S]]''.
** Katsuhito - Tenchi's grandfather, has similar shields, but he only uses them for defense, prefering the [[CoolSword Tenchi-ken]] for offense.
** Tenchi has similar powers, but do to his lack of training he rarely uses them. The only time we see him use them in the original series was wrapped around a fist to attempt a killer blow against Kagato while parrying his sword. However, Tenchi's ultimate power - the Light Hawk Wings - are massive shields that can block nearly anything. After unleashing them he fights with the Light Hawk Sword, which is really just one of the shields shaped like a sword.
** All of the Royal families [[OrganicTechnology Tree Ships]] also have the light hawk wings. Ayeka's has three, but the Grand Ship Tsunami (who is also their goddess) can form a full 10 wings which is powerful enough to stop an EarthShatteringKaboom.
* In ''MahouSenseiNegima'', the previous generation group Ala Rubra had a character (possibly named Filius Zect) who acted as the group's BarrierWarrior. The current generation group Ala Alba has Asuna (though main lead Negi does tend to do this to protect his students) who has the [[AntiMagic ability to cancel magic]] a {{BFS}} that serves as a powerful shield.
** Haruna also sometimes uses her ArtInitiatesLife artifact to create shields.
** Also, most mages have a personal shield active all the time. By chapter 141, Asuna has learned to attack in teams: She [[PaperFanOfDoom blows]] the shield away right before Negi or Kuu Fei hits.
* [[ScrappedPrincess Raquel Casull's]] barrier spells demonstrate that sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Though she does employ standard offensive magic as well, both for attacking and [[MundaneUtility cooking.]]
* Acao from ''JinkiExtend'' can crush metal with her fields.
* In ''[=~D.Gray-Man~=]'', Miranda Lotto is the only Exorcist with a purely defensive Innocence. However, it's ''really, really'' powerful; she can basically reverse and suspend time within an area around her. In practice, this means that within that area, anyone she wants will have wounds disappear as soon as they're made, and she can reverse damage to objects just as easily. The two big limitations are that it only lasts as long as she has the strength to keep it in place and that every bit of damage reappears as soon as she stops invoking.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* Susan Storm aka The Invisible Woman in the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', who was given force fields because mere invisibility isn't all that super when your kid brother Johnny can lob fireballs.
** As a veteran superhero, she's gotten quite good at using her powers offensively.
** This editor remembers her threatening to use them to create a brain embolism/aneurysm at one point.
** The Invisible Woman has easily taken out the other members of her team with force fields, as well as knocking out both TheHulk and SheHulk by cutting off their air. This was mocked in an issue of Exiles, implying she brags about the feat often.
** Dr. Doom has stated, on a number of occasions, that Sue is easily the most powerful member of the team. This is backed up by a few of higher end feats, which include killing a Celestial, who are essentially space-roaming gods. She is, to date, the only Earth-based Marvel hero to accomplish this.
** Suffice to say, while her personality is still the mothering/nurturing type, and the original stories featured her as a sometimes-invisible DistressedDamsel, Sue has gone a long way towards subverting this trope when it comes to how her powers are used.
* Melissa Joan Gold aka Songbird from the ''{{Thunderbolts}}'' use her created pink create solid-sound energy constructs quite similar to Sue Storm.
** The resemblance was noted by Sue Storm's son Franklin Richards:
**'''Franklin Storm:''' H-Huh? A '''bubble''' like '''mom's''' bubbles! Except -- I can see it!
* Subverted with CaptainAmerica, whose sole weapon - his iconic indestructible shield - is, when thrown, a great offensive weapon against most people.
* Brainiac 5 of the ''LegionOfSuperHeroes'', who uses his force field and martial arts training to make up for no powers in the comics. In the show, he's a DoAnythingRobot and a TelescopingRobot, whose BeehiveBarrier is the least of what he can do.
* BoosterGold, late of the ''JusticeLeagueOfAmerica,'' is a huge subversion. He's a [[IdiotHero pompous dimwit]] with super strength and a one-track mind, and he rarely even thinks of using his force field in critical situations.
**He's been using it more recently and in more creative ways, such as wiring up his forcefield with his blasters to blast the area in a burst so he wouldn't get mindcontroled. One of the reasons he did't use it so often was because it might weaken his immune system.
* In TheDCU, Argent and the various {{Green Lantern}}s tend to fight like this, especially Hal Jordan and the ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' John Stewart. While their powers are effective Silver and [[GreenLanternRing Green Lantern Rings]], respectively, PlotInducedStupidity tends to leave them as walking walls of light.
* The Samaritan of ''AstroCity'' manipulates the "empyrian field", which is strong enough to repulse a tidal wave.
* Zhantee in ''ElfQuest'' [[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/KOBW/KOBW05/DisplayKOBW05.html?page=13 gains the power]] [[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/KOBW/KOBW05/DisplayKOBW05.html?page=14 to shield his friends from danger]] after [[TouchedByVorlons being exposed to the power of the Palce of the High Ones]].
* In his very first appearance, Magneto created a forcefield around an entire military base to keep the {{X-Men}} away. Occasionally, writers still remember that he can do that.
** The ''{{X-Men}}'' villain Unus the Untouchable is a villainous example of a Barrier Warrior, with the mutant power of being able to project an impenetrable force field around himself. Rather than being kind and caring, Unus acts like a {{Jerkass}} because he thinks his power prevents anyone from being able to stop him. He's generally right...until the superhero he's fighting finds some way to either circumvent the field's protection or comes up with a creative way of shutting it off, at which point he's easy prey. Turns into BlessedWithSuck when he loses control of his field and suffocates to death when it grows so strong it repels ''air.''

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* Since Invisible Woman has this, [[{{Expy}} so does]] ShrinkingViolet [[TheIncredibles Violet Parr]] (though a more limited version). She uses it for trapping mooks, cutting off electrical circuits, and as a super-hamster ball.
** Don't forget "That's my girl" when Violet protects her entire family [[spoiler:when a plane falls on them]].
* A good few scenes with [[TheMatrix Neo]] have him using this power.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* While his personality is a [[TheEveryman total blank]], Ness from ''EarthBound'' has the power set and is arguably an example who is also TheHero. Due to his party's ability setup, Ness is a case where this actually helps him shake off enemy attacks instead of receiving TheWorfEffect.
** Actually, Poo can also use a similar shield setup to Ness as well, and infact a BETTER version which allows him to shield all his allies at once, whereas Ness's shields can only be added to one ally per turn.
** And Paula is furthermore the best example in ''Earthbound'' itself, as her personality seems to be similar to a barrier warrior even though she's also a mix of a [[GlassCannon glass cannon]] and [[SquishyWizard squishy wizard]]. Also, Ness and Poo's shields affect physical damage, and only at best cut it in half (while sometimes deflecting the other half). Paula's shields, are meant to shield from PSI attacks, and they FULLY shield affected characters instead of just reducing damage, and they can also deflect PSI completely. Using PSI Shield Omega in the Starman DX battle plus the Starman DX using PSI Starstorm Alpha = scrapped Starman DX.
** Still more, Lucas possesses half-damage reduction forms of both the Physical and PSI shields [both blocking and deflective] in ''Mother 3'' and a lot of his use in combat relies on him using these shields in the later half of the game.
* In ''CityOfHeroes'' the Defender archetype uses this type of powers, and shares weaker versions of them with the Controller; additionally villains get their own versions in Corruptors and Masterminds. Four of the power sets available work primarily by putting shields of some kind on other characters (or in the case of the Mastermind, a bunch of henchmen!), including Force Fields, Ice Shields, Sonic Barriers and Thermal Radiation Shields. The other Buff/Debuff sets vary widely but several include auxiliary barrier powers. All of these various powers are so potent that a team composed heavily of support characters can truly be NighInvulnerable.
* ''AnarchyOnline'' has this in the Soldier profession, who can not only create DeflectorShields around themselves, but also around others. However, the profession is focused around dealing ranged damage to an enemy.
* [[FrontMission Dr. Akihiko Sakata, I presume?]]
* Guarlions (and similar machines) in ''SuperRobotWars OriginalGeneration'' can generate a forcefield when moving at high speeds. Naturally, one of their strongest attacks [[RammingAlwaysWorks is to ram things hard]]. Similarly, the SuperRobot Giganscudo will also use its fields to slam into the enemy, either when using its massive weight as a weapon, or by grabbing the enemy from a distance and slamming it into its field-shrouded mass.
* In the MMORPG ''{{Flyff}},'' an entire class, the Assist, as well as its higher-level counterpart the Ringmaster, is dedicated to buffing and healing.
* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' has several classes capable of becoming Barrier warriors. Priests can make protective barriers out of an allies' soul, with some priests actually enabling these shields to reflect damage. Paladins go one step further into the Defensive variety, able to make themselves invulnerable to damage, make an ally invulnerable to Physical damage, or Sacrifice themselve to make an ally immune to absolutely everything but removing them from Combat. Finally, Warriors can turn their shields into fully offensive weapons.
** More recently Priests specializing in Discipline have come a full embodiment of this trope. Discipline Priests specialize in creating shields to prevent damage rather than to heal it.
* The ''Golem'' Asgard from the ''[[WildArms Wild ARMs]]'' series specializes in barriers, and is supposedly the defensive, friendly golem. However, since its barriers disintegrate anything that touches them, they're primarily used offensively, sometimes leading to OneHitKill attacks in games where you fight Asgard. Barrier Fist! Barrier Storm!
* Speaking of Golems, the [[SummonMagic Summoned Monster]] Golem from ''FinalFantasyV'', ''FinalFantasyVI'', and ''FinalFantasyTactics'' will stop any incoming physical attack with its huge rock (or metal, in VI) hands for a little while after being summoned. Similarly, [[FinalFantasyVI Shadow's dog Interceptor]] will [[MadeOfIron randomly shield him from damage]], only to come back and savage the enemy in return. And in ''FinalFantasyIX'', the primary duty of the great [[SummonMagic Eidolon]] Alexander is protect the castle, and city of Alexandria, with its gigantic angel wings.
** In nearly all of his incarnations, the Carbuncle summon is the magical counterpart to Golem, projecting a reflect shield over your party to deflect most magic spells.
* One of [[TheLegendOfZelda Princess Zelda]]'s moves in the ''SuperSmashBros'' games is Nayru's Love, which generates a crystal-shaped force field around her for a few seconds to deflect other attacks.
* Several rings in ''[[GaiaOnline zOMG!]]'' are shield based, but the closest thing to an outright barrier warrior is the Chef (yes, chef) Ring Set. In addition to receiving a natural armor bonus, the Chef also has access to Teflon Spray (one of the most useful Armor Buffs in the game), Pot Lid (which can deflect ranged attacks with ease), and Meat (which can nearly double your maximum health). Due to the [[TheForce energy based]] nature of all ''zOMG!'' skills, it could be said that the Chef set is actually summoning G'hi Shields to protect his/herself and his/her allies. Or, you could pretend that he/she is really spraying Teflon all over themselves. It's that kind of game.
** Unfortunately, a recent update that rebalanced the rings and ring sets removes some of this: the Chef set trades Teflon Spray for Hack (an attack ring), and its bonus is now to Dodge rather than Armor. However, apparently it is now considered the new "best" set to have. Plus Dodge controls whether you're hit in the first place, so that can be even better than the best defense.
* {{Kirby}} has ''three'' different BarrierWarrior powers that he can absorb. The [[TakenForGranite Stone]] power allows him to change into an invincible rock that can [[RocksFallEveryoneDies fall onto people]], the [[BeehiveBarrier Mirror]] power can spray harmful crystals that reflect enemies' attacks back on them, and the [[ImprobableWeaponUser Umbrella]] power shields against DeathFromAbove and has a hefty swat.
* Some {{Pokemon}} moves work as barriers, such as Protect and Detect, which prevent all damage, but usually tend to fail when used two turns in a row. However, against the Pokemon Slaking, which is extremely powerful but can only attack every other turn, such a Pokemon is NighInvulnerable. There's also Reflect and Light Screen, which temporarily halve the damage dealt by physical and special moves, respectively. However, there are certain moves that can break through these barriers. The move Feint will hit a Pokemon that is using Protect or Detect ([[UselessUsefulSpell but won't hit a foe that]] ''[[UselessUsefulSpell isn't]]''), and Brick Break and Defog will get rid of Reflect and Light Screen. Defog also gets rid of Safeguard (protects against status conditions) and Mist (protects against stat lowering).
* Woodman, Skullman, Starman, Plantman, Junkman, Jewelman, and Enker from the ''MegaMan'' series. Jewelman's is [[GameBreaker the best]]. The Mirror Buster, as Megaman uses it, is actually ''better'' than Enker's version, as it has a 180 degree angle of reflection and doesn't damage Megaman when it's used.
* In ''The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' the [[strike:demi]]god Vivec's main job is maintaining magical barriers that hold back the blight. He doesn't particularly like his job, but [[strike:has no choice particularly since he was one of the ones responsible for creating the problem in the first place]] cares a lot for his people and feels responsibility towards those believing in him.
* In Mass Effect, all combat armor uses "kinetic barriers" known colloquially as "shields" to intercept bullets. Most characters get the Shield Boost ability, which rapidly recharges shields in combat. Tech based characters get omni-tools and the Electronics talent, which add to shields (especially Electronics). But the biotic characters get the Barrier talent, which generates temporary shields from their own bodies. Maxed out, Barrier grants nearly twice the shielding as any other character and lasts nearly as long as it takes to cast it again. However, the three biotic classes can also get an ability Barrier Specilization, which dramatically lengthens the ability's duration and shields, while providing constant regeneration. The end result is that a SquishyWizard style character can take as much dakka as the game cares to throw at him, with only a handful of attacks posing any kind of threat even at the highest difficulty levels.
* Cole from InFamous eventually gains an impenetrable shield ability, and can even get an upgrade that lets him absorb energy from deflected attacks.
* A skilled [[FinalFantasyV Exdeath]] player in [[DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]] will suffer many attacks and actually be hit by none of them, on account of his excessive amount of guard and reflect skills. His basic attack actually throws up a shield for a split second before it fires off. A skilled Exdeath player versus a skilled Exdeath player is... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrNXjE0BeS0 silly.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

*Young Anja Donlan of ''GunnerkriggCourt'' had the ability to create spherical purple shields. Later, she combines this power with an [[{{Magitek}} etheric computer]] (designed by her and her husband, Donald), expanding its usefulness: using it, Donald gains the ability to create shields, and Anja is able to bind demons.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Prior to the TimeSkip, Gwen of ''{{Ben 10}}'' had [[RealityWarper luck powers]] and various ElementalPowers over water and wind that often didn't work very well. Post TimeSkip, Gwen stops using all of those and instead just creates pink forcefields for shields and bludgeoning.
** Not too surprising since ''{{Ben 10 Alien Force}}'' is written by the same guys who did {{Justice League Unlimited}}
** No wonder she seemed to come across as the "Pink Lantern"
* In ''TheSpectacularSpiderMan,'' Shocker's [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman costume]] generates DeflectorShields as a secondary power, allowing him to survive a building's collapse.
* Arguably, Ratchet from ''TransformersAnimated''. His main ability comes from his wrist-mounted magnetic field generators, which he often uses to create shields against enemy attacks. They're a bit more malleable than the average DeflectorShields, though, and they can can just as easily toss enemies around or push objects into them.
** In the original ''{{Transformers}}'', Trailbreaker also had force field powers.
* [[{{Bionicle}} Toa Tahu]] wears the [[MaskPower Mask of Shielding]], which protects him against attack by creating a bubble shield (which is covered in InstantRunes in the Flash animations but not in the movies) capable of protecting him from a ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome waterfall of lava]]''. When he becomes a [[PlotRelevantAgeUp Toa Nuva]], the mask gains the ability to protect others as well. However, it does not protect against attacks that the wearer is unaware of, and sometimes you can get around it by doing something that would not be interpreted as an attack - for example, Nuhvok-Kal managed to reach through the shield with the power of his [[ImprobableWeaponUser gravity weapon]] and cause Tahu to faceplant, bringing the shield down.
** Tahu's also a subversion as far as personality is concerned, as he's as HotBlooded as they come and not prone to running and hiding behind cover (though he's mellowed a bit in that regard).
* Eric the Cavalier from the animated ''Series/DungeonsAndDragons'' is issued a shield that projects an invulnerable force field.
* Maguro of SushiPack can use her psychic powers to create a force field that's large enough to shield the whole group, and strong enough to keep anyone under it from being crushed, even by beings much, much larger than she is.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Roleplaying Games ]]

* The Monk class from third edition DungeonsAndDragons has good defenses and various other abilities that let him protect, heal, or immunize himself from harm - but is capable of doing very little else that would actually be ''useful'' in an adventuring party (moderate offense, poor scouting abilities due to lack of stealth, mediocre damage and mostly ineffective debuffs). This is the subject of frequent flame wars on certain message boards.
** Three words: [[GameBreaker Vow of Poverty]]
** A better example is the Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil PrestigeClass, which lets a wizard surround himself in multiple layers of different-coloured barriers, each of which blocks a different form of attack and has different effects on anyone who tries to pass through it. At higher levels they can shape the barriers into walls and bubbles.
* Both the swordmage and the wizard classes from 4e D&D have shielding capabilities. The shielding swordmage effectively absors one enemy's dealt damage every turn. The staff wizard, on the other hand, can use shielding type spells to boost his defenses in order to make attacks straight up miss him.

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