In most video games, movies, etc. helmets/body armor don’t appear to be very effective at all, especially helmets, with the protagonist blasting through them with ease. Is it that easy to puncture in real life? If so, why use such poor equipment?
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Body armor has to balance many purposes. Let’s look at modern ballistic armor, since armor has obviously changed a lot over the eras.
To stop a bullet, you need a reasonably thick sheet of metal and/or ceramic. Thick enough that covering your whole body would be well beyond too heavy to walk around. If we instead cover only the center of the body, we can have this thickness of armor without limiting mobility *too much*. It still can’t be thick enough to stop a heavy or purpose-built AP round, but it can stop a standard rifle round. This is modern ballistic body armor.
As for helmets, thirty pounds of metal sitting on your head would seriously hinder movement. You couldn’t turn your head very efficiently or balance well – that’s a huge hindrance. Instead, we use less material. It will deflect smaller bullets or glancing shots, but a direct hit will pass through. This protection is far better than nothing.
Additionally, while it can’t stop a direct hit from a bullet, it can help a lot with debris and shrapnel. Falling rocks, dirt, concrete, or steel could concuss you, and shrapnel could kill you. Helmets protect against these fates.
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