History Main / HumanShield

* The boss of the 2nd Mission of the arcade game ''VideoGame/GHOSTSquad'' requires you to take him out with a single headshot while he's holding the President of the USA as a human shield.

* ''Film/TheGreenMile'' - a well done adaptation from its entry in 'literature', below. It features Tom Hanks as the guard captain (who also receives a GroinAttack to ensure his aim is spoiled) and David Morse as "Brutal" Howell.

* [[spoiler:Simon Skinner]] from ''Film/HotFuzz'' tries this by grabbing a random child and pointing a gun at his head. The kid promptly bites him on the hand, whereupon Angel jumps him.

** There's a couple of these. [[spoiler:Angel tries taking Danny hostage when the truth about the NWA is revealed, but Danny's father the Chief Inspector calls his bluff. After his FaceHeelTurn the Inspector does the same thing to his son. Angel also doesn't think he'll do it; instead CI Butterman tries to shoot Angel, giving Danny a chance to disarm him.]]

* Used by Basilisx in ''WebAnimation/SuperMarioBrosZ'' episode 8. He uses Luigi, whom he [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] earlier, to stop Hammer Bros. Mario from striking him.

** And done again in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' [[spoiler:, with Miranda's father holding her sister to stop both Miranda and Shepard shooting him. You can talk him down, [[ShootTheHostage shoot Oriana in the leg]], or Oriana will turn the tables, and throw her father and herself out the window, killing them both.[[note]]The last outcome will only occur if Miranda is [[KilledOffForReal dead]] by this point.]][[/note]]

** And done again in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''[[spoiler:, with Miranda's father holding her sister to stop both Miranda and Shepard shooting him. You can talk him down, [[ShootTheHostage shoot Oriana in the leg]], or Oriana will turn the tables, and throw her father and herself out the window, killing them both.[[note]]The last outcome will only occur if Miranda is [[KilledOffForReal dead]] by this point.]][[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' use both the psychological human shield and BulletproofHumanShield, depending on who you capture. In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]]'', attempting to shield yourself with a higher-ranking officer gave you a better chance of success, as the enemies would hesitate for a lot longer - and shielding yourself with a scientist does ''nothing'' and they'll still shoot you freely.
** However, in Portable Ops Plus, they pull out a knife and slash you, freeing their comrade and knocking you down.

* ''VideoGame/SplinterCellPandoraTomorrow'': Sam has to sneak into a [[spoiler:TV studio and capture the terrorist leader ''while he's recording a speech in front of his own goons''. This audacious act causes all the goons to point their guns, but not fire...unless Sam makes the mistake of turning his back on them to see where he's going.]]

* [[SparedByTheAdaptation Tom]] describes himself as one a few times in ''Fanfic/{{Eleutherophobia}}''; the Yeerks used him to get the morphing tech because none of them expected Jake to be willing to ([[ForWantOfANail almost]]) [[KillTheHostBody kill his own brother]].

-->'''Mirage''': Next time you gamble, bet ''your own'' life!

* ''Film/{{Antigang}}'': Happens twice during the BanRobbery. When Kasper and his gang exit the bank, they are using Cindy the receptionist as a human shield; abandoning her when they reach the getaway car. Later, when the gang is forced to split up and attempt to escape on foot, one of them is cornered by Sege and grabs a passerby to use as a shield; causing SergetoShootTheHostageTaker.

* ''Film/Another48Hours'': Jack shoots the bad guy through Reggie.

* What about Lieutenant Sheckil, using Princess Leia as a shield during ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', while she screamed, "Luke, don't, it's a trap!"

* Lampshaded in ''Film/{{Fear is the Key}}'' (1973). The VillainProtagonist is in a parking lot with the woman he's just taken hostage. She gets her hopes up when she sees two policemen checking out the cars. The villain promptly does a FakeoutMakeout, whispering in her ear, "First I'll shoot the fat one. And when the other's trying to figure out how to shoot me without hitting you, I'll shoot him." As a result, she doesn't shout for help.
* Cornelius ends up being one of these in ''Film/TheFifthElement''. He was saved by Korben's ImprobableAimingSkills.
** "Anybody else want to negotiate?"

* In the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfic ''Black Rose Admirer'' the title team arrives at a bank robbery and proceeds to beat the thieves. One is left standing and takes one of the hostages as a shield. Ruby uses her semblance to neutralize the criminal. [[StalkerWithACrush Unfortunately for her this has a downside.]]

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': It's more like "monster shield" actually. Nero can use a demon as a shield. Although since demon {{mook}}s are mindless, they don't care about the "hostage" and still attempt to attack him. ''The demon shield takes the damage instead.''

* In early editions of ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech''s Clan Invasion, [[HumongousMecha BattleMechs]] could carry friendly [[PoweredArmor BattleArmor]] into battle, at the cost of being unable to fire their torso-mounted weapons, and the battlearmor were vulnerable to being shot off. Players quickly realized that you could [[NotTheIntendedUse pile battlearmor onto your mech and use them as free torso armor]] because the mech's torso would take not damage until all the battlearmor were shot off. Rectified in an ObviousRulePatch, which placed a limit on battlearmor carrying capacity.

'''Mal:''' ''[walks in and shoots Dobson in the eye]''
-->-- ''Series/{{Firefly}}''

* ''Series/TheDefenders2017''. Danny Rand confronts the executive board of Midland Circle Financial only to find they are all Hand operatives out to capture him. When a woman puts a silenced pistol to his head, Danny disarms her and holds her as a shield against the others. [[BigBad Alexandra]] informs him that it won't do any good as the others will "cut right through her to get to you." So Danny [[GrievousHarmWithABody throws her at the other mooks]] so his hands will be free for fighting. Shortly after this Luke Cage turns up to rescue Danny, and as he's a literal BulletproofHumanShield Danny ducks behind him when a couple of mooks open up with automatic weapons.

* The Fed at the end of the pilot episode of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' tries this, taking River hostage with one gun, holding his other out, and yelling at the crew on the ship that if anyone moves...well, [[KilledMidSentence he doesn't get to finish his sentence]], because right at that moment, [[BadassLongcoat Mal]] comes aboard, pulls out his heavily-used revolver, and puts a round in the Fed's head without a word. Or breaking stride.