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?

Question

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?

In: Other

Answer 1

To talk about the trope of arrows punching through medieval plate armor -It doesn’t happen. Plate armor was effectively invulnerable to arrow fire.

Knights in plate armor were semi-invulnerable to many weapons (arrows, spears), but vulnerable to warhammers (designed to stun the armoured opponent) and specific anti-armour weapons. The normal way to kill an armored knight was to bring him to his knees and then swarm them before they could get up. Once pinned to the ground by superior numbers the helmet could be gotten off or weapons could be used at joints in the armor.

But here is a historian whose specialty covers a this subject talking about plate armor versus arrows (and swords and spears and axes).

[https://acoup.blog/2019/06/21/collections-punching-through-some-armor-myths/](https://acoup.blog/2019/06/21/collections-punching-through-some-armor-myths/)