Character shields

Character shields is a term -- generally credited to Trekkies -- for the mysterious ability of main characters to survive hazards that routinely kill secondary characters and extras. This is the sort of thing that lets a main character walk away from an airliner crash that no one else survived.

Character Shields in Debates

Every once in a while, some dimwit will cite "character shields" as the reason a particular character -- like James T. Kirk, for instance -- would win a fight. Such a moronic argument throws suspension of disbelief out the window.