Elemental resistance is a way of judging an individual character's susceptibility to various elemental forces (if the video game in question supports such a mechanic). Video games will often have an "opposing forces" mechanic, where an enemy that belongs to a particular element (such as fire), will suffer increased damage from an opposing element (such as ice or water). Many bosses do increased damage of a particular element, and the player may need to obtain specific equipment to provide adequate protection during such an encounter.