Fire Shield

The Fire Shield or Flame Shield is a power-up first introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It is a variant of the standard Shield, and like most other items is found inside monitors during gameplay. In addition to serving as a one-hit barrier against damage / life loss, the Fire Shield makes its lucky possessor invulnerable to fire-based attacks, allowing them to stroll across boiling lava and take flamethrowers to the face with a complete absence of concern.

While all variants of this shield prevent fire damage, its initial incarnation in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (and, by extension, Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 & Knuckles) is lost if the character goes underwater; and when used by Sonic replaces his Insta-Shield double-jump move with a rapid horizontal fireball attack, allowing him to blast forwards at a high speed and break any objects that a Spin Dash can. Sonic 3D had a Fire Shield, but no water to lose it in and no double-jump attack for it. In Shadow the Hedgehog, the Fire Shield causes minor damage to any enemy that pierces it. It returned in a few missions in Sonic Generations with its dash attack and fire protection intact. It can be bought in the skill shop and if the skill is active, can be equipped at any time for classic Sonic by pressing Y.

The Fire Shield appears in iOS/Android remake of the original game if you set "Items" to "S1+S3" or "S2+S3" in the Level Select menu (or place a Fire Shield monitor in debug mode). It behaves exactly as it does in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, including the fireball dash and disappearing when it touches water.

Other variants of the basic shield include the Lightning Shield, Water Shield, and Gold Shield.

An item similar to the Fire Shield appears in the 2010 game Sonic Colours, in the form of the red Wisp.

An item appears again in Sonic Generations unlockable as skill for Classic Sonic and functions as in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, to defend from the fire.

It appears again in Sonic Lost World with the same function as the previous games.

The Fire Shield appears again in Sonic Mania, where it can burn down bridges in Green Hill Zone and set the oil on fire in Oil Ocean Zone.

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  Fire Shield monitor (to Sonic's left) in Sonic & Knuckles

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  Active Fire Shield in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

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  Allowing Sonic to walk on lava in Sonic 3D

• Fire Shield in Sonic Generations.jpg

  Fire Shield used for Classic Sonic in Sonic Generations

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  Fire Shield in Desert Ruins in Sonic Lost World 3DS version

• Burn bridge.jpg

  Sonic burns a bridge using a Fire Shield in Green Hill Zone Act 2 of Sonic Mania.