Why does Tetsuya Nomura include pauldrons on the left shoulder and not on the right?

[SuperMillionaire]

Have you noticed that with main characters such as Cloud and Tidus, they only have pauldrons on their left shoulders, while their right shoulders are left bare! Why is that?

[Del Murder]

That's a good question. I always wear my pauldron on the right shoulder. It just seems natural to do it that way.

[Laddy]

Nomura is a good designer. His designs are more fashionable.

[Mirage]

Which other characters have pauldrons on their left shoulder? I can't think of many at all.

[Mo-Nercy]

Which other characters have pauldrons on their left shoulder? I can't think of many at all.

Jecht, Basch and Lightning have them too.

[Garland]

The most logical answer is that he believes a pauldron would stifle movement in the character's business arm, reducing their effectiveness in melee. Looking at historical armor by googling plate mail, though, the most common occurrence is asymmetrical pauldrons, where one side was beefed up a little more to take a jousting impact. I imagine real knights valued not dying from an infection because of even a glancing blow to exposed skin, more than a smidgen more mobility with one arm- especially if they were using two handed weapons anyway.

[Hot Shot]

The most logical answer is that he believes a pauldron would stifle movement in the character's business arm, reducing their effectiveness in melee. Looking at historical armor by googling plate mail, though, the most common occurrence is asymmetrical pauldrons, where one side was beefed up a little more to take a jousting impact. I imagine real knights valued not dying from an infection because of even a glancing blow to exposed skin, more than a smidgen more mobility with one arm- especially if they were using two handed weapons anyway.

I totally agree. And if you think about it, a right handed person's fighting stace would put the left shoulder more forward than the right shoulder... at least I think so :/

[Mo-Nercy]

That's certainly the case with Tidus and Lightning, who both fight with a 'sword held by their side behind them' stance.

[SuperMillionaire]

The most logical answer is that he believes a pauldron would stifle movement in the character's business arm, reducing their effectiveness in melee. Looking at historical armor by googling plate mail, though, the most common occurrence is asymmetrical pauldrons, where one side was beefed up a little more to take a jousting impact. I imagine real knights valued not dying from an infection because of even a glancing blow to exposed skin, more than a smidgen more mobility with one arm- especially if they were using two handed weapons anyway.

Maybe they should design pauldrons with more mobility in mind for both shoulders, but I guess it does make sense that if a character is right-handed, they would need more mobility on their right arm. But then again, Sephiroth has pauldrons on both of his shoulders, and he's left-handed. So why doesn't Sephiroth only have a pauldron on his right shoulder?

[Goldenboko]

The most logical answer is that he believes a pauldron would stifle movement in the character's business arm, reducing their effectiveness in melee. Looking at historical armor by googling plate mail, though, the most common occurrence is asymmetrical pauldrons, where one side was beefed up a little more to take a jousting impact. I imagine real knights valued not dying from an infection because of even a glancing blow to exposed skin, more than a smidgen more mobility with one arm- especially if they were using two handed weapons anyway.

Maybe they should design pauldrons with more mobility in mind for both shoulders, but I guess it does make sense that if a character is right-handed, they would need more mobility on their right arm. But then again, Sephiroth has pauldrons on both of his shoulders, and he's left-handed. So why doesn't Sephiroth only have a pauldron on his right shoulder?

Because he's Sephiroth and in their minds he's beyond "logic", which I agree with anyway. We shoot fireballs out of our hands and can run up walls, no Pauldron will slow these people down.

[SuperMillionaire]

But so is Cloud, right? So why no pauldron on his right shoulder?

[VeloZer0]

Because Cloud is wearing a normal SOLDIER uniform and Sephiroth is wearing the 'I'm so good I can wear whatever I want' SOLDIER uniform.
I recall hearing that Sephiroth was ambidextrous, though I'm not sure. (Obviously things like Dissidia and AC reveal that he isn't)

[Mo-Nercy]

Look who's breakin' all the rules. I guess Zack had more common sense than Cloud.

[SuperMillionaire]

Then why did Cloud remove the right pauldron if Zack kept it?

[BarelySeeAtAll]

I think Seph is ambidextrous though, I'm pretty sure I've seen him also use both hands at the same time, and right hand at least once somewhere.

Maybe Nomura honestly believes it looks good. And you know what? It does the stance thing all makes sense, too, and characters have their own minds, hence Cloud went with a different look to Zack. He's not meant to be entirely identical to him ya know xD