Invisible Woman prevents a hail of bullets with an invisible barrier.

 

Some are invisible, most are made of energy. Many powers allow users to generate forcefields. They may be nearly any shape or size and may be created from energy, plasma, or some type of particles. Many magic-users create forcefields to protect themselves from incoming attack. Forcefields are not impenetrable, usually requiring an energy drain or extreme weight to be broken. Some users may be able to throw shields away from themselves or to catch things with them. Other users may be able to mold them into any shape.

Applications:

- Create forcefields for protection from physical attacks
- Create specific forcefields to prevent things from leaving/entering
- Generate forcefields around an object and levitate it in a telekinetic manner
- Create forcefields inside an object or person, and expand the forcefield so that the object or person explodes
- Create flat forcefields to use as platforms
- Surround their fists in forcefields to send a powerful punch
- Limited flight by using a forcefield and levitating it
- Create an area for breathing where doing so can be dangerous, allowing navigation through toxic gas or vacuum
- Bind a shield into a small shape and throw it at an opponent
- Trap a target in a shield

It should be noted that any type of defense field that does not actually block anything from entering but merely detects it (such as En in Hunter X Hunter) is not usually considered a forcefield.

Examples of characters and entities that can create forcefields:

- Invisible Woman, Magneto and many other characters from Marvel Comics.
- Green lanterns and many other characters from DC Comics.
- Various technologies (usually spaceships) in the Star Trek, Star Wars, Starcraft, Warhammer 40,000, Heroic Age, Doctor Who, Futurama, Culture, and Xeelee universes, among many others (the concept of forcefields originated in science fiction, and is a staple of the genre).
- Several characters from Dragon Ball, such as Babidi.
- Bastard!! characters originally made use of forcefields (called spell bounds), but they were eventually replaced by the much more powerful and advanced Dispell Bounds.
- Negima! Magister Negi Magi makes use of magic forcefields, mainly in two types: Barriers that are on for an extended period of time (such as Fate's), or barriers that are erected just for an instant to block or deflect an attack.
- Various Pokemon, mostly Psychic types.
- Some Naruto characters can create forcefield - type barriers, such as the one used to surround Sarutobi and Orochimaru while they were fighting.
- In Kekkaishi barriers such as "Kekkai" can be used for either defense or offense and are commonly used to dispatch enemies.
- In Flame of Recca, one of Recca's dragons, Madoka, gives him the power to create "flame barriers" around himself or others.
- Several characters in Inuyasha, notably Naraku, make use of forcefield - like barriers that can either block, absorb, or even deflect attacks.
- Magical forcefields for defense are a standard technique in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.
- AT Fields in Evangelion are a type of forcefield.
- Slayers has several forcefield - like abilities, such as the one Lina uses when she is preparing a spell.
- A few characters in Yu Yu Hakusho, such as Yomi, can create forcefields.
- Several Zoids can create forcefields such as Blade Liger, Deathsaurer, Genobreaker etc.
- The Protego charm in Harry Potter acts as a (rather weak) temporary forcefield, with varying durations ranging from the temporary to long-term.
- In the Illium/Olympos duology, Zeus has a forcefield called the Aegis that surrounds Olympus Mons and is immune to continued bombardment from multimegaton - level weapons over a period of months. It was once mentioned that Zeus could destroy the earth with the Aegis, but it was never elaborated on or explained how it would do so.
- Most Touhou characters use them, several characters like Reimu and Yukari are specialists in them.
- Ayeka and several others from Tenchi Muyo! and Tenchi Universe. In addition, the Light Hawk Wings can serve this function.
- Hyper Metal Sonic from Sonic The Hedgehog OVA
- Tahu and any Toa or Makuta that wears the mask of shielding (Kanohi Hau) from Bionicle.
- All Playable characters from the Super Smash Bros. series, (Yoshi makes an egg)