Shields (Star Wars)
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A shield (also known as deflector shield) in Star Wars in an invisible force of energy that is generated by shield generators. These generators are placed on planets, droids, starships and individual buildings. The primary purpose of the shield is to block or deflect projectiles and to keep energy bolts from hitting the object being protected. They also protect against radiation.
The Gungans in The Phantom Menace use "theatre shields" to protect large numbers of infantry. While these dome-shaped shields were capable of blocking even heavy blaster bolts for a very long period of time, they were unable to block slow-moving battle droids. Some of the Trade Federation droids, namely Droidekas, are equipped with shields, making them nearly invincible in infantry combat. Humans cannot carry personal shield generators because of the large amounts of radiation generated.
Shields used on board starships can handle massive amounts of energy. However, it is possible to penetrate the shield by attacking one spot with lots of energy at one time, which is shown multiple times in the Expanded Universe "X-wing" series of novels. Shield generators on star ships project both "ray" and "particle" shields. Ray shields block energy and particle shields block projectiles, but both are typically maintained by the same projector, so energy weapons or projectiles will both weaken the entire shield. However, it is possible to build a projector that only creates one type of shield, as seen on the first Death Star. Although the exhaust port was ray shielded, it was not particle shielded.
Deflector shields are usually projected very close to a ship's hull - sometimes within a few atoms' distance - however, extremely powerful "bubble shields" can be projected around objects from enormous dish-shaped shield projectors.
