An Anime shield is a piece of hand-held personal armor used to give passive defense against close-range weapons or projectiles like arrows, as well as defense against shrapnel, projectiles like stones and bricks, Molotov cocktails, and injuries sustained during hand-to-hand fighting. In high-risk circumstances, the SWAT squad, a tactical police unit in the United States, uses it. The Rising of the Shield Hero by Naofumi Iwatani, Maple from BOFURI, Mash Kyrielight, AKA Shielder from Fate/Grand Order, Tor from Absolute Duo, Heathcliff from Sword Art Online, Akemi Homura, and Pearl from One Piece all represent these ancient shields of safety and protection.