Personal energy shield / Legends A personal energy shield was a defensive technology that projected a field of energy that protected the user from blaster fire , the elements , or other hazards . Most were small enough to be worn on a belt or arm , or were designed to be held much like a traditional physical shield . When activated , the device protected the wearer with a glowing energy field . Typically , the standard energy shield was only effective against energy attacks , such as blaster bolts . However , other variants created by the Mandalorians and Echani could block melee attacks , while other shields developed by the Arkanians and Verpine , and other cultures , were capable of resisting a variety of different attacks , including electrical , kinetic , cold , heat , and sonic damage . Use . As with most deflector systems , shields required large amounts of energy in the form of energy cells or a portable shield generator . Some models featured rechargeable energy cells . While the generator provided the most efficiency , it was larger and bulkier . The power requirements meant that shields tended to be used only when combat was expected . Another feature of personal shields was " ablation " , that is , the shield weakened as it absorbed damage until it either was deactivated , failed , or recharged . As the shields absorbed energy , they tended to become extremely hot . Due to the limitations of personal deflector shields , they were usually used in tandem with other forms of protection . History . In use as early as the Mandalorian Wars and brought to prominence in the subsequent Jedi Civil War , the technology was rumored to be of Echani origin . There were melee shields , energy shields , and Verpine shields . When Revan began his campaign against the Galactic Republic , his Sith trooper s were issued standard energy shields . This resulted in the Sith armies gaining many bloody battles against Republic troopers armed with standard blasters . After the Republic gained access to copies of the technology , it began to flourish . This led to both sides issuing standard melee weapons , such as vibroblades , and training their soldiers in hand to hand combat . While never widespread during the Jedi Civil War ( usually being issued to small , elite strike teams ) the technology eventually disappeared almost entirely . Little information exists as to why , but Admiral Carth Onasi was heard to speculate that in the future blaster technology might " catch up " to shield technology . As blasters became increasingly effective against shields , producing effective shields would most likely become increasingly difficult and expensive , until it was no longer feasible to build shields for everyday use . By the time of the Battle of Naboo , personal shields that covered an entire being existed , but produced radiation and magnetic fields that were dangerous for sustained use . The Gungan Grand Army of Naboo employed hand - held personal energy shields that projected a thin force field around one and a half meters tall . The commando droids which protected the Separatists ' vital facilities such as the Citadel were also equipped with hand - held personal shields similar to Gungan ' s . The droideka units of the Trade Federation also carried personal energy shields , making them highly effective against clone troopers and Jedi Knights . However , these shields were hazardous to organic lifeforms , generating highly - intense electromagnetic fields and large amounts of radiation . In contrast , however , the Republic used personal shields in much the same way they had been used in the Jedi Civil War , issuing them to their small but skilled clone commando units . According to Imperial doctrine circa 0 BBY , high - ranking Stormtrooper leaders were issued personal energy shields . The Chiss used personal shields with reverse polarity to protect homes against robbers , with the criminals often incinerating themselves . However , this practice was discontinued several decades prior to 27 BBY due to the dangers of both the radiation and of catching innocent bystanders . During the Galactic Civil War through the Yuuzhan Vong War , however , personal shield tech was all but lost . Very few armies equipped their soldiers with personal shielding , due to the craft being lost ( or simply outdated ) for many years . The technology was by then very expensive and mostly limited to extraordinary individuals , such as the mercenary / Jedi Kyle Katarn and his student Jaden Korr , Sate Pestage , Imperial General Bentilais san Sk ' ar , and a Ben Kenobi - impersonating Imperial agent . Behind the scenes . " " depicts Mara Jade as using a personal shield on a number of missions ; however , this shield hasn ' t been mentioned in any other sources , and is generally considered simply a convention of " Mysteries " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s game mechanics .