Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors and fixed resistors are often used to limit inrush current.
They present a higher resistance initially, which prevents large currents from flowing at turn-on.
It is inherently impossible for 100% of supply voltage to appear on the protected circuit, as the thermistor must continue dissipating power (producing heat) in order to maintain a low resistance.
The most popular application is the inrush protection of the AC current in switching power supplies (SPS).
The initial equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the capacitor provides very little protection for the diode bridge rectifier.