Why is cloud strides sword wrapped in cloth?

no one really knows, it just is


Cloud Strife! Damn! Anyway, explanation:It has nothing to do with looking cool, and everything to do with real-life practicality for similarly large swords.

When you get to swords that are that size, a typically scabbard/sheath doesn't work, as there'd be no way to draw it quickly. The solution was to fasten it onto your back with a set of hooks and bars, so rather than draw it, you twist it a bit to detach it from your back.

But this brings in an old problem: The main point of a scabbard/sheath is to protect the sword from the elements so it doesn't rust. Having it in the open on your back doesn't protect it any more than just carrying it at the ready in your hand. So people started wrapping their big swords in water-resistant cloth in special ways so that the cloth would be held in position by the same hooks as the sword when it is on your back, and thus the cloth would automatically fall off then you draw your blade.

So it's sort of a historical throwback, though Cloud apparently doesn't know what he's doing.