History Main / ArmorIsUseless

* VideoGame/XComEnemyUnknown, the 2012 reboot of X-Com, plays BodyArmorAsHitpoints, and it ''does'' improve your operatives's survivability in battle as long as you take care to avoid getting exposed to flanking attacks, as {{critical hit}}s will still hurt like crazy. In some cases, the armor can even help your operatives avoid being hospitalized in the medical bay for days or even ''weeks'' if the damage they suffered is less than the bonus health provided by the armor. Furthermore, the advanced suits of armor all possess unique abilities that give your operatives other benefits besides protection from weapons fire.

* Played realistically straight in ''7.62 High Caliber''. Combat is extremely lethal and even the weakest pistol in the game can cause fatal damage with two or three shots to the chest. Armor, like in real life, only provides a token amount of damage resistance, enough for several assault rifle rounds at the most; ceramic and titanium plates can be inserted for improved protection in certain vests, but they can be broken completely by enough damage and have to be replaced. Even worse, helmets and bulletproof vests only protect the head and torso respectively, so any shots to those areas get no damage resistance (unless you turn on an option on the difficulty settings). And armor piercing ammo (or powerful cartridges) tend to just slice through that armor anyway, so it'll usually only provide just enough protection to escape immediate death and run for cover. As in real life, the best defense is to not get shot.

* ''Manga/DragonBall'' - Everybody who wore armor either got rid of it or [[KilledOffForReal died for real]]. No exceptions. However, this isn't due to the uselessness of armor (which was used quite often by even the protagonists) but due to the fact that they eventually got to the point that their superpowers outstripped their armor's ability to protect.
** Explained in some of the earlier seasons, as most characters wore armor or clothing that was weighted for training purposes, and after removing it they become much faster.

* In ''[[SamuraiSeven Samurai 7]]'', most of the titular samurai wear no armor, and the armored one is a cyborg. They are shot at fairly frequently, by everything from soldiers to giant mecha.
* Predictably, ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' played with this trope. The armour on the Evangelion units ostensibly protects the pilot, but [[spoiler:has the ultimate purpose of [[RestrainingBolt weakening them and keeping the Evas under control]]]].
** Debatable. Evangelion armour may be as good as humans can possibly manufacture, but the list of damages is incredible. Broken skull-piece (Sachiel, #3), broken arm (ditto), pierced (Shamshel, #4; Armisael, #16), cut (Zeruel, #14), not to mention nearly turning its pilot into Kentucky Fried Shinji (Ramiel, #5; also aversion to ConvectionSchmonvection against Sandalphon, #11). Also, it can do nothing against psychic attacks at all. [[MindRape Poor Asuka ...]]
** The multiple layers of armor covering the Geofront become increasingly less effective as the series progress. Ramiel (#5) takes 24 hours to drill through, while Zeruel (#14) penetrates it with just a few energy blasts.
*** The first encountered angel- Salchiel (#3)- manages to blast through it in two shots- much faster than Zeruel- though he doesn't actually use this hole to his advantage.

** Then there's [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Mandalorian]] battle armour, which, [[DependingOnTheAuthor depending on who's writing]], can be anywhere from slightly more effective than Stormtrooper armour to being [[BeyondTheImpossible virtually impervious to lightsabers]], though considering the Mandalorians' long history of fighting Jedi, that can be justified.
** Fighter DeflectorShields also qualify. Pretty much everywhere except the films, an X-Wing's shields can repel TIE fighter lasers for several seconds. Not so in the movies, where the X-Wing is destroyed if it's hit squarely ''once''.
*** There's a partial justification for this in A New Hope, where they're told to switch their deflectors on "double front". As anyone who played X-Wing or its successors will point out, this dumps all your shields forward, leaving your rear uncovered. The problem is that this explanation falls utterly flat in light of the other films.

** The battlefield behaviour of [[KnightInShiningArmor knights]] tend to [[KnightTemplar confirm]] this. Being neigh impervious to damage and wounds makes one take risks which are suicidal for anyone who is vulnerable. At best, one knight could kick ass of ''hundred'' unarmoured opponents. At worst, invulnerability made them to behave like complete lunatics.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Various characters wear plate armor (samurai, Choza, Choji, the 1st and 3rd Hokage), some wear what appears to be chainmail underarmor (Naruto, Jiraiya, Anko), the vests/jackets most ninja wear is ostensibly suppose to be a form of armor (looking a lot like the type of flak vests used by soldiers before [[BulletproofVest bullet-resistant vests]] were invented). They have only ever been shown to be useful on ''one'' occasion, when one samurai that was consumed in [[HellFire Amaterasu fire]] was saved by having it taken off.
** Two times actually, an earlier time involved a sand jounin surviving a neck shot with a sword because his flack jacket's high collar absorbed the strike...He then counter attacked with a wind blade that slices through armor.

** Somewhat highlighted in the first film, where Han and Luke steal Stormtrooper armor so as to walk the halls of the Death Star undetected. As soon as they free Leia and escape the trash compactor, they immediately dispense with the armor. Once its use as camouflage is rendered irrelevant, so is its use as armor.Presumably they weren't properly trained in its use, which the men guarding the Death Star presumably are.

*** In the Fellowship of the Ring Merry and Pippin take several heavily armored Uruks down by throwing rocks at their heavily armored heads.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' has this rule too, to a certain extent. Nobody wears armor, aside from the crusaders, who are practically the ''RedShirtArmy'' of Spira. Any playable character in the entire game, however, can only equip a weapon and an arm-guard.

* Averted in the multiplayer online game WorldOfTanks, that is all about armor. Highly armored vehicles take little or no damage when shot by much weaker vehicles. There are weaker spots in hulls or turrets, but that's relative to the overall endurance of the vehicles, and only an appropriately powerful gun can truly exploit them. For example, a Tier IV Russian light tank like the A-20 could empty his ammo rack on a Tier IX Heavy like the IS-4, without causing serious damage.

*** Also consider the relative calibers of weapons involved. Han Solo readily mows down stormtroopers with his pistol, but said pistol is a HandCannon by GFFA standards. The Rebels tend to prefer such heavy blaster pistols for exactly that reason. As for lightsabers, they go through basically anything that isn't [[{{Unobtainium}} cortosis, phrik, Mandalorian Iron]], or another lightsaber.

*** It does get double subverted on the highest difficulty, and against the most powerful enemies. Basically, they're going to kill you in either 1 or 2 hits, and no armor you wear will help with that. Worse, if they make you slower then lighter equipment. On the vice versa, your offensive capacity ALSO skyrockets so everyone is basically a Glass Cannon.

** Skyrim Armor also depends on the level of smithing and which skill tree you invested in. If you are a master smith, alchemist, and trained in the use of light armor, it's very well that a set of simple reinforced leather is actually ''stronger'' for you than something made from dragon bone or volcanic glass reinforced with demon hearts.

* In ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', the Jedi wade into battle wearing ordinary fabric (and sometimes quite [[MsFanservice revealing, in the cases of Aayla and Ahsoka]]) clothing, while the Mooks under their command have full body armor and armor. The latter get mown down by the dozen; the former only get killed for [[RuleofDrama drama's]] sake. Though Obi Wan wears some of the clone trooper armor that he's first seen wearing in [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars the previous Clone Wars cartoon]].

* DoubleSubverted in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Normally armor does a pretty good job reducing damage. Then you go to [[DownloadableContent Point Lookout]], where the weapons automatically get a certain amount of free damage in. This means that a player who easily mows through Enclave soldiers and Super Mutants can get pwned by mutated rednecks with shotguns. The tricksy bit is, [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard said armor-ignoring effect only happens when they're fired at YOU]].

* At the end of the ''UltimateAvengers'' movie, when the team fights [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk The Hulk]], guess who appears to be doing the least well in the fight? ComicBook/IronMan. That's right, the only dude wearing any kind of outfit that would seem useful when fighting something that can rip a tank apart, is the one who seemingly does the least. This becomes somewhat ridicoulous when you realize that CaptainAmerica (who has enhanced strength and speed but is otherwise entirely human) [[MadeOfIron receives direct hits multiple times and is still conscious at the end of the fight]]. Clearly, Cap knows how to roll with a punch.
* In ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', the Jedi wade into battle wearing ordinary fabric (and sometimes quite [[MsFanservice revealing, in the cases of Aayla and Ahsoka]]) clothing, while the Mooks under their command have full body armor and armor. The latter get mown down by the dozen; the former only get kiled for [[RuleofDrama drama's]] sake. Though Obi Wan wears some of the clone trooper armor that he's first seen wearing in [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars the previous Clone Wars cartoon]].

* In ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'', the Jedi wade into battle wearing ordinary fabric (and sometimes quite [[MsFanservice revealing, in the cases of Aayla and Ahsoka]]) clothing, while the Mooks under their command have full body armor and armor. The latter get mown down by the dozen; the former only get kiled for [[RuleofDrama drama's]] sake. Though Obi Wan does seem to sport some kind of light armor.

** Bomb-disposal technicians have to weigh the odds that protective armor suits will actually shield them from injury against the degree to which it may impede their vision and movement. If an explosive device is deemed sufficiently powerful that armor can't possibly help, and robots aren't an option, a brave technician may forego armor to free up their hands to work (and allow them to run like hell if the attempt to deactivate it proves futile).

This trope probably stems from the fact that armor -- especially [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic helmets]] -- in movies, games, and other media often serves not to protect characters but to render them [[FacelessGoons faceless and anonymous]], dehumanizing them so they make excellent RedShirt and {{Mooks}}. Related to this, quality armor (such as the plate suit that stamps someone as "medieval warrior" on sight) ought to be quite expensive; mooks might be looked at as issued cheap protection that only looks like elite armor. The UnspokenPlanGuarantee may also be connected; the armor represents a plan to be invulnerable, which, once presented to the audience, has to fail or it'd be boringly predictable. (This helps explain why ''hidden'' {{Bulletproof Vest}}s usually work.)

* Played straight (at least after you become a Jedi) in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', where the main character wearing armor actually makes Force powers unusable, making it necessary to downgrade from heavy combat vests to the simple robes of a Jedi.

* Mostly {{Averted}} in the DresdenFiles. Armor, especially [[ColdIron iron]] and spelled armor like Harry's many trenchcoats, are extremely useful and Harry and co wear them even when it's extremely uncomfortable - and it saves their lives many times over.

*** The Giant Rats in Broc Flower Cave, with their saber-like gnawing teeth, especially on higher difficulties, hit hard enough to kill a Courier in two hits at the level where they may first find the cave, regardless of the armor they have procured.