Why are all FF swords single-edged?

With only one edge, you have to turn the sword to slash. Why only one edge?

Says who?

What do you mean?

What makes you think that all FF swords are single edged? Off the top of my head, Cloud's Ultima Sword, double edged.

Just about every sword or greatsword in FFXII is double edged, if I remember right.

And all the swords from the earlier games are double edged, or so their 2d graphics make appear

Yeah, there are tons of double edged swords in lots of Final Fantasy games. This isn't a topic anymore :p

There are a tone of both single- and double-edged swords throughout the series. The katanas and such are, however, naturally single-edged.

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With only one edge, you have to turn the sword to slash

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That's not the case at all, single-edged swords work just fine. You can't make a false-edge cut, but those are generally pretty weak anyway. I train and spar with both a double-edged sword and a single-edged machete on a regular basis, and it's fairly rare that the machete's single cutting edge is a disadvantage.

The single has the additional advantage that you can brace the back of it against your hand to stabilize a block without losing fingers.

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Originally Posted by sockmonkey

The single has the additional advantage that you can brace the back of it against your hand to stabilize a block without losing fingers.

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Though if you're forced to block that way, rather than simply deflecting your opponent's blade with your own, then you're probably doing something quite significantly wrong. Or simply using a system I'm not familiar with. In most combat styles, it's easy - and preferable - to parry in such a way that the opponent's weapon glances off, rather than coming to a complete halt against your own.

Depends on the type of sword and fighting style. In any case, in an actual fight sometimes you're forced to do things in a non-ideal way.

You notice stuff like that? I usually only pay real close attention to detail when an FMV comes up

At any rate, if even all of them were to be single edged, all of the attacks I have seen animated, the blade is only driven through the enemy via one side.

Turning your hand also prevents injury of the wrist, along with a stronger slash. If it were a stabbing motion, it wouldn't matter much.

But a stabbing motion is not dramatic or theatrical enough for most FFs.

There are many double edged swords in XII including the two below

http://ffproject.net/forumwiki/images/XIIw23.jpg

http://ffproject.net/forumwiki/images/XIIw39.jpg

What I don't get is why Cloud describes Materia as a "double-edged sword" when two edges are clearly advantageous.

It means it cuts both ways.... It can benefit someone or damage someone. That is where the "double edged sword" expression comes from.