- "I gotta admit...your crummy heat ray...sure hurts. But this ugly hide of mine's taken a lot worse over the years...from joes a whole lot better'n you!! I've taken my lumps from the Silver Surfer...The Hulk!!"
- ― Ben Grimm/The Thing to Umbra (Marvel Comics)
- "Bruise yer knuckles, didja? I been punched out by the best of em!"
- ― The Rhino to Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel Comics)
The power to have innate physical armor for protection. Sub-power of Exoskeleton. Variation of Appendage Generation and Armor Creation.
Also Called[]
- Armored Skin/Hide
- Dense Armor/Scales/Skin/Hide
- Natural/Strong Armor
- Protective Skin/Hide
- Skin/Body Armor
- Toughened Flesh
- Tough/Thick Fur
- Tough Skin/Hide
- Dermal Skin/Hide
Capabilities[]
The users have or can generate an innate armor as a part of their body, which is resistant to attacks, harm or pain, and temperature extremes. The armor varies from obvious, physical defenses, such as scales, thick skin/fur, natural shield, armor or shell, in-organic skin, etc, to bone-nodules below the skin, particularly wide/sturdy rib cage, blubber, or simply dense muscle.
Applications[]
- Bladeproof Durability
- Bulletproof Durability
- Deflection
- Environmental Adaptation
- Enhanced/Supernatural Durability
- Natural Shielding
- Pain Suppression
- Shield Protrusion
Variations[]
- Bone Armor
- Circulatory Armor
- External Invulnerability
- Hide Generation
- Internal Reinforcement
- Fat Armor
- Layered Durability
- Muscle Armor
- Organic Metal Skin
- Organic Rock Skin
- Plating Protrusion
- Rough Armor
- Scale Manifestation
- Shell Formation
- Skin Hardening
Associations[]
- Appendage Generation
- Biological Manipulation
- Body Manipulation
- Defense Powers
- Density Manipulation
- Elemental Mimicry/Elemental Exoskeleton/Elemental Enhanced Durability: the skin may be formed from a strong element (stone, gem, metal, etc.).
- Fur Generation
- Invulnerability
- Shield Protrusion
- Skin Manipulation
- Telekinetic Durability
Limitations[]
- Weak against Deoxygenation.
- Depending on how heavy the armor is, users may sink in water.
- If one were to disrupt the process of "armoring up", the results would be the user losing the ability to armor up for quite a while.
- Selective armoring is rare, in short it is far more often an "all or nothing" principle, either fully armored or not at all.
- May sacrifice speed for durability.
- Reverting back to original form or natural state may be moderately difficult or irreversible.
Known Users[]
Mythology/Folklore
- Nemean Lion (Greek Mythology)
Literature
- Trolls (Discworld)
- Armored Beetles (Geronimo Stilton: The Kingdom of Fantasy)
- Sun Wukong (Journey To The West)
- Derek Marvin (The Young Guardians)
Anime/Manga/Manhwa
- Gai (Angel Tales)
- Users of the Armored Titan's power (Attack on Titan)
- Yuujiro Hanma (Baki the Grappler)
- Arrancar (Bleach); via "Hierro"
- Quincy (Bleach); via "Blut Vene"
- Cang Du (Bleach); via "The Iron"
- Guyver Unit Hosts (Bio-Booster Armor Guyver)
- Sho Fukamachi/Guyver I
- Agito Makishima/Guyver III
- James Ironside (Blood+)
- The Blue (Blue Gender); via adaptation
- G-Junior/Cyborg 005 (Cyborg 009)
- Botamo (Dragon Ball Super); via Botamo Shield
- Tagoma (Dragon Ball Super)
- Taiyo Asano (Mission: Yozakura Family)
- Crimson Riot (My Hero Academia)
- Eijiro Kirishima/Red Riot (My Hero Academia)
- Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu/Real Steel (My Hero Academia)
- Hiryu Rin/Dragon Shroud (My Hero Academia)
- Dauf (Claymore)
- Sendou Ryuuichi (Code: Breaker)
- Ryūichi Sendō (Code: Breaker)
- Skin Bolic (D.Gray-man)
- Motherglare (Fairy Tail)
- Madmole (Fairy Tail)
- Gajeel Redfox (Fairy Tail)
- Metalicana (Fairy Tail)
- Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
- Dogramog (Fairy Tail)
- Rock Dragon (Fairy Tail)
- Greed (Fullmetal Alchemist)
- Ling Yao; when Greed possessed him
- Tōkajin (InuYasha)
- Kuroe Akaishi (Kaiju Girl Caramelise); via kaiju transformation
- Kido Takeshi (Killing Bites)
- Kongoh family (Kongoh Bancho)
- Kakuzu (Naruto); via Earth Release Heart
- Third Raikage (Naruto)
- Hiruko (Naruto Shippuden: Will of Fire); via Steel Release
- Tatsunosuke (Ninja Scroll series)
- Busoshoku/Armament Haki Users (One Piece)
- King Bear (One Piece)
- Jaesong Hyeok (Jungle Juice)
- Jozu (One Piece); via the Kira Kira no Mi
- Tetsuhito Kagiroi (Tenjho Tenge)
- Ghouls (Tokyo Ghoul)
- Mutikapa (Utawarerumono)
Comics[]
- NKVDemon (DC Comics)
- Doomsday (DC Comics)
- Lennox (DC Comics)
- Killer Croc (DC Comics)
- Brick (DC Comics)
- Benjamin Grimm/The Thing (Marvel Comics)
- The Abomination (Marvel Comics)
- Bling! (Marvel Comics)
- Hulk (Marvel Comics)
- Hulkling (Marvel Comics)
- She-Hulk (Marvel Comics)
- Skaar (Marvel Comics)
- Indra (Marvel Comics)
- Luke Cage (Marvel Comics)
- Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Marvel Comics); in the Ultimate Spider-Man universe
- Nemean Lion (Marvel Comics)
Cartoons
- Clone Betty 2 (Atomic Betty)
- Humungosaur (Ben 10); when he increases in size
- Orishans (Ben 10)
- Ultimate Humungosaur (Ben 10)
- Ultimate Kevin (Ben 10: Ultimate Alien)
- Kevin 11 (Ben 10)
- Guilmon (Digimon Tamers)
- Bunga (The Lion Guard)
- Skwydd (Generator Rex)
- Several Dragon Species (How To Train Your Dragon)
- Screaming Death
- Night Furies
- Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)
- Thuma (Kulipari)
- Spyro (Skylanders Academy)
- Goliath Spider (Ultimate Spider-Man 2012)
- Zillo Beast (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
- Ironhide (Transformers Animated)
Television
- The Beast (Angel)
- Skip (Angel)
- Judoon (Doctor Who)
- Some Kamen Riders (Kamen Rider)
- Amazon/Kamen Rider Amazon (Kamen Rider Showa Era)
- Yusuke Godai/Kamen Rider Kuuga (Kamen Rider Kuuga)
- Kamen Riders (Kamen Rider W)
- Amazons (Kamen Rider Amazons)
- Showa/Kamen Rider Gavv (Kamen Rider Gavv)
- Ethan James (Power Rangers Dino Thunder)
- Various villains (Power Rangers)
- Various Ultras (Ultraman series)
- Ultras with Protectors
- Various Kaiju (Ultraman series)
Live Movies
- Laurel Hedare (“Catwoman” 2004) via Beau-Line.
- Iktotchi (Star Wars)
- Saesee Tiin
- Darth Havok
- Rodan (MonsterVerse: Godzilla)
Video Games
- Vladitor (Bakugan The Game)
- Titan (COVEN)
- Armadillos (Crypt of the NecroDancer)
- Sekka (Double Dragon V)
- Harold (Fallout series)
- Kain (Legacy of Kain)
- Lone Wanderer (Fallout); via Barkskin perk
- Delsin Rowe (Infamous: Second Son)
- Ghirahim (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)
- Svalbard (Leyendas Dracomanas)
- Wall-nut (Plants vs. Zombies)
- Tall-nut (Plants vs. Zombies)
- Pumpkin (Plants vs. Zombies)
- Gargantuar (Plants vs. Zombies)
- Pokémon with the ability "Battle Armor" (Pokémon)
- Alex Mercer (Prototype)
- James Heller (Prototype)
- Wario (Super Mario 64 DS; via Metal Block)
- Armor Units (Metal Gear)
- Steven Armstrong (Metal Gear)
- Rhino (Warframe)
- MetalEtemon (Digimon)
- Thugly (Donkey Kong Country Returns)
- Big Momma (Hungry Shark World)
Web Comics
- Gavin (unOrdinary)
Known Objects[]
- Guyver Unit (Bio-Booster Armor Guyver)
- Beau-Line (Catwoman 2004) with continuous use.
- Nemean Lion Skin (Marvel Comics)
- Kira Kira no Mi (One Piece)
Gallery[]
The Armored Titan (Attack on Titan) is called that because it's covered completely in nigh-impenetrable organic armor.
Nnoitra Gilga (Bleach) using Hierro to pressurize his spiritual energy onto his skin, turning it iron hard.
Yammy Llargo's (Bleach) Hierro was second only to Nnoitra's, to the point that when Yoruichi punched him, her Supernatural Strength injured her instead.
A Quincy (Bleach) such as Ichigo Kurosaki can use Blut Vene to flow spiritual energy into their bloodstream, making it inhumanly hard.
The Screaming Death (HTTYD) has the toughest dragon scales known to dragons that is incredibly tough and strong, making it impossible for anything like arrows, a spine shot, or plasma blast to affected it. The scales can be torn off by boiling water.
Toothless’ (HTTYD) scales are denser than other dragons. However, it is not great compared to giant dragons or even the Screaming Death, as some weapons can penetrate it and it also took more than heat from his plasma blast to cloak.
Due to its evolution, Kain's (Legacy of Kain) skin was hardened and made of hard flexible plates, giving it a natural armor that protects him from damage and sunlight.
Luke Cage (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has such thick skin that a thug breaks his hand trying to punch him.
Due to cellular degeneration, the Guardian's (Marvel Comics) skin is five times as dense as the original Spider-Man's.
The Third Raikage's (Naruto) body has earned the epithet of the "Strongest Shield" due to it being near-impenetrable, which, when combined with his Lightning Release Armor, is even more so.
Ryūichi Sendō (Code:Breaker) turning his skin's texture to steel and other hard substances to block attacks.
Tetsuhito Kagiroi (Tenjho Tenge) possesses an iron-hard body due to his clan's women drinking iron sand every night.
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) using Busoshoku Haki/Armament Haki to darken and harden the skin of his arm.
True to his surname, James Ironside (Blood+) can harden his skin to the point where it can easily withstand bullets and blades...
The nanomachines in Senator Steven Armstrong's (Metal Gear) body harden in response to physical trauma, granting him nearly impenetrable skin.
Mutikapa's (Utawarerumono) fur is so tough that it can withstand virtually anything, including attacks from superweapons.
Torafusa (Fairy Tail) can alter the density of his skin that can not only stop Gajeel's magical iron but break it as well.
Guilmon (Digimon Tamers) possesses such thick skin that Renamon's Diamond Storm attack bounces right off of him.
Ghouls such as Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul) have such thick skin that conventional blades break if they try to pierce it.
The Beast (Angel) possesses such thick skin that only a knife forged from his own bones could pierce it.
Ultimate Kevin (Ben 10: Ultimate Alien) possesses Humungousar, Ultimate Humungosaur, Four Arms, and Ultimate Aggeregor's body armor.
Having endured four months of hellish training at Frieza's hands, Tagoma (Dragon Ball Super) has developed incredibly thick skin, easily enduring a punch from Piccolo...
Spyro's (Skylanders Academy) scales are nigh-impenetrable, allowing him to endure and survive point-blank explosions...
Gatasubal (Yu Yu Hakusho) is composed entirely of a hybrid metal of combined steel and living cells, making it very difficult to pierce through.
Big Momma (Hungry Shark World) had her armored skin like in real life Dunkleosteus, she can resist and cannot stunned by projectiles and torpedo of subs.
The Residents of the Land of Light's (Ultraman series) Ultra Armor is made of Specium. It acts like armor as much as it is skin and is generally generally resistant to fire and lasers.
Ultraseven (Ultraman series) possesses the Protector, chest armor found on some Ultras as part of their anatomy that is known as the most durable part of an Ultra's anatomy and are often cited as being nearly indestructible.