Subject: which provides greater protection a hard or soft body structure?

Hi what i'm specifically asking is what could withstand the greater physical force or impact upon 
its body? Would a endo or exoskeleton based body be better than one thats almost entirely soft 
bodied like an octopus? The reason i ask this is i wondering if tissue thats soft and flexible would 
absorb and disperse impact energy more than hard bone and tough tissue would.  Thank you for 
taking time to read this. 

Re: which provides greater protection a hard or soft body structure?