A personal energy shield was a defensive technology that projected a field of energy that protected the user from blaster fire, the elements, or other hazards. Most were small enough to be worn on a belt or arm, or were designed to be held much like a traditional physical shield.
When activated, the device protected the wearer with a glowing energy field. Typically, the standard energy shield was only effective against energy attacks, such as blaster bolts. However, other variants created by the Mandalorians and Echani could block melee attacks, while other shields developed by the Arkanians and Verpine, and other cultures, were capable of resisting a variety of different attacks, including electrical, kinetic, cold, heat, and sonic damage.
As with most deflector systems, shields required large amounts of energy in the form of energy cells or a portable shield generator. Some models featured rechargeable energy cells. While the generator provided the most efficiency, it was larger and bulkier. The power requirements meant that shields tended to be used only when combat was expected.
Another feature of personal shields was ablation, that is, the shield weakened as it absorbed damage until it either was deactivated, failed, or recharged. As the shields absorbed energy, they tended to become extremely hot. Due to the limitations of personal deflector shields, they were usually used in tandem with other forms of protection.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith depicts Mara Jade as using a personal shield on a number of missions; however, this shield hasn’t been mentioned in any other sources, and is generally considered simply a convention of Mysteries‘s game mechanics.