The genus has a large number of species.
The PPG I classification suggested that there were about 500 species; as of February 2020, the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World listed 397 species and 58 hybrids, noting that "many undescribed species remain".
The genus Polystichum includes, but is not limited to, the following species.
 In this list, a species name preceded by (=) is considered to be a synonym of the accepted species name above it.

Polystichum acanthophyllum (Franch.)
H. Christ
Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.)
Schott – Christmas fern
Polystichum aculeatum (L.) Roth ex Mert. –
Hard shield fern
Polystichum acutidens H.Christ
Polystichum acutipinnulum Ching & K.H.Shing
(=) Polystichum wuyishanense Ching & K.H.Shing
Polystichum alcicorne (Baker) Diels
Polystichum aleuticum C.Chr. –
Aleutian shield fern
Polystichum andersonii Hopkins – Anderson's hollyfern
Polystichum atkinsonii Bedd.

Polystichum australiense Tindale
Polystichum bakerianum (Atk.
ex C.B.Clarke) Diels
Polystichum biaristatum (Blume) T.Moore
Polystichum bomiense Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum bonapartii Rosenst.

Polystichum bonseyi W.H.Wagner & Hobdy – Bonsey's Hollyfern
Polystichum brachypterum (J.F.Gmel.)
C.Chr. –
Rusty swordfern
Polystichum braunii (Spenner) Fée – Braun's shield fern, Braun's hollyfern
Polystichum brachypterum (Kunze) Ching
(=) Polystichum garhwalicum N.C.Nair & Nag
Polystichum bulbiferum Barrington
Polystichum calderonense Proctor – Monte Guilarte hollyfern
Polystichum californicum Diels – California sword fern
Polystichum capillipes (Baker) Diels
(=) Polystichum michelii H.Christ
(=) Polystichum minusculum H.Christ
(=) Polystichum molliculum H.Christ
Polystichum castaneum (C.B.Clarke) B.K.Nayar & S.Kaur
Polystichum chilense (H.Chr.)
Diels
Polystichum christii Ching
Polystichum chunii Ching
Polystichum craspedosorum (Maxim.)
Diels
Polystichum cyclolobum C.Chr.

Polystichum cystostegia (Hook.)
J.B.Armstr. –
Alpine shield fern
Polystichum deltodon (Baker) Diels
Polystichum dielsii H.Christ
Polystichum discretum (D.Don) J.Sm.

Polystichum drepanum (Sw.)
C.Presl
Polystichum dudleyi Maxon – Dudley's sword fern
Polystichum duthiei (C.Hope) C.Chr.

(=) Polystichum tsuchuense Ching
Polystichum echinatum (J.F.Gmel.)
C.Chr. –
Rusty swordfern
Polystichum erosum Ching
Polystichum excellens Ching
Polystichum eximium (Mett.
ex Kuhn) C.Chr.

(=) Polystichum tialooshanense Ching
Polystichum falcatipinnum Hayata
Polystichum falcinellum C.Presl
Polystichum fallax Tindale
Polystichum formosanum Rosenst.

Polystichum glandulosum C.Presl
Polystichum gongboense Ching & S.K.Wu
(=) Polystichum rarum Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum grandifrons C.Chr.

(=) Polystichum kiusiuense Tagawa
Polystichum gymnocarpium Ching ex W.M.Chu & Z.R.He 2001
Polystichum haleakalense Brack. –
Island swordfern
Polystichum hancockii (Hance) Diels
Polystichum hecatopteron Diels
Polystichum herbaceum Ching & Z.Y.Liu
Polystichum imbricans (D.C. Eaton) D.H.Wagner – Narrowleaf sword fern
Polystichum incongruum J.P. Roux
Polystichum kruckebergii W.H.Wagner – Kruckeberg's sword fern/holly fern
Polystichum kwakiutlii D.H.Wagner
Polystichum lachenense (Hook.)
Bedd.

Polystichum lanceolatum Baker
Polystichum lemmonii Underw. –
Lemmon's holly fern, Shasta fern
Polystichum lentum (D. Don) T. Moore
Polystichum lonchitis (L.) Roth – Holly fern
Polystichum longidens Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum longipaleatum H.Christ
Polystichum longipes Maxon
Polystichum luctuosum (Kunze) T. Moore – Mourning shield fern
Polystichum macleae (Baker) Diels
Polystichum macrochlaenum Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum makinoi (Tagawa) Tagawa
Polystichum martini H.Christ
Polystichum mayebarae Tagawa
Polystichum mediocre Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum medogense Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum microchlamys (H.Christ) Matsum.

Polystichum mohrioides (Bory ex Willd.)
C.Presl
Polystichum mollissimum Ching
Polystichum monticola N.C.Anthony & Schelpe – Mountain shield fern
Polystichum moorei  H.Christ
Polystichum morii Hayata
Polystichum moupinense (Franch.)
Bedd.

(=) Polystichum woodsioides H.Christ
Polystichum munitum (Kaulf.)
C. Presl – W
The genus has a large number of species. The PPG I classification suggested that there were about 500 species; as of February 2020, the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World listed 397 species and 58 hybrids, noting that "many undescribed species remain". The genus Polystichum includes, but is not limited to, the following species.  In this list, a species name preceded by (=) is considered to be a synonym of the accepted species name above it.
Polystichum acanthophyllum (Franch.) H. Christ
Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott – Christmas fern
Polystichum aculeatum (L.) Roth ex Mert. – Hard shield fern
Polystichum acutidens H.Christ
Polystichum acutipinnulum Ching & K.H.Shing
(=) Polystichum wuyishanense Ching & K.H.Shing
Polystichum alcicorne (Baker) Diels
Polystichum aleuticum C.Chr. – Aleutian shield fern
Polystichum andersonii Hopkins – Anderson's hollyfern
Polystichum atkinsonii Bedd.
Polystichum australiense Tindale
Polystichum bakerianum (Atk. ex C.B.Clarke) Diels
Polystichum biaristatum (Blume) T.Moore
Polystichum bomiense Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum bonapartii Rosenst.
Polystichum bonseyi W.H.Wagner & Hobdy – Bonsey's Hollyfern
Polystichum brachypterum (J.F.Gmel.) C.Chr. – Rusty swordfern
Polystichum braunii (Spenner) Fée – Braun's shield fern, Braun's hollyfern
Polystichum brachypterum (Kunze) Ching
(=) Polystichum garhwalicum N.C.Nair & Nag
Polystichum bulbiferum Barrington
Polystichum calderonense Proctor – Monte Guilarte hollyfern
Polystichum californicum Diels – California sword fern
Polystichum capillipes (Baker) Diels
(=) Polystichum michelii H.Christ
(=) Polystichum minusculum H.Christ
(=) Polystichum molliculum H.Christ
Polystichum castaneum (C.B.Clarke) B.K.Nayar & S.Kaur
Polystichum chilense (H.Chr.) Diels
Polystichum christii Ching
Polystichum chunii Ching
Polystichum craspedosorum (Maxim.) Diels
Polystichum cyclolobum C.Chr.
Polystichum cystostegia (Hook.) J.B.Armstr. – Alpine shield fern
Polystichum deltodon (Baker) Diels
Polystichum dielsii H.Christ
Polystichum discretum (D.Don) J.Sm.
Polystichum drepanum (Sw.) C.Presl
Polystichum dudleyi Maxon – Dudley's sword fern
Polystichum duthiei (C.Hope) C.Chr.
(=) Polystichum tsuchuense Ching
Polystichum echinatum (J.F.Gmel.) C.Chr. – Rusty swordfern
Polystichum erosum Ching
Polystichum excellens Ching
Polystichum eximium (Mett. ex Kuhn) C.Chr.
(=) Polystichum tialooshanense Ching
Polystichum falcatipinnum Hayata
Polystichum falcinellum C.Presl
Polystichum fallax Tindale
Polystichum formosanum Rosenst.
Polystichum glandulosum C.Presl
Polystichum gongboense Ching & S.K.Wu
(=) Polystichum rarum Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum grandifrons C.Chr.
(=) Polystichum kiusiuense Tagawa
Polystichum gymnocarpium Ching ex W.M.Chu & Z.R.He 2001
Polystichum haleakalense Brack. – Island swordfern
Polystichum hancockii (Hance) Diels
Polystichum hecatopteron Diels
Polystichum herbaceum Ching & Z.Y.Liu
Polystichum imbricans (D.C. Eaton) D.H.Wagner – Narrowleaf sword fern
Polystichum incongruum J.P. Roux
Polystichum kruckebergii W.H.Wagner – Kruckeberg's sword fern/holly fern
Polystichum kwakiutlii D.H.Wagner
Polystichum lachenense (Hook.) Bedd.
Polystichum lanceolatum Baker
Polystichum lemmonii Underw. – Lemmon's holly fern, Shasta fern
Polystichum lentum (D. Don) T. Moore
Polystichum lonchitis (L.) Roth – Holly fern
Polystichum longidens Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum longipaleatum H.Christ
Polystichum longipes Maxon
Polystichum luctuosum (Kunze) T. Moore – Mourning shield fern
Polystichum macleae (Baker) Diels
Polystichum macrochlaenum Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum makinoi (Tagawa) Tagawa
Polystichum martini H.Christ
Polystichum mayebarae Tagawa
Polystichum mediocre Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum medogense Ching & S.K.Wu
Polystichum microchlamys (H.Christ) Matsum.
Polystichum mohrioides (Bory ex Willd.) C.Presl
Polystichum mollissimum Ching
Polystichum monticola N.C.Anthony & Schelpe – Mountain shield fern
Polystichum moorei  H.Christ
Polystichum morii Hayata
Polystichum moupinense (Franch.) Bedd.
(=) Polystichum woodsioides H.Christ
Polystichum munitum (Kaulf.) C. Presl – W
Polystichum