Gladiator and paladin are not mutually exclusive! It's entirely possible (and likely more probable) to be one without having been the other.
Gladiators refer to those trained in the Gladiator's Guild in Ul'dah. In 2.0 they seem to just be a general-use sword and shield training camp full of good morals, but prior to the Calamity they served as the training grounds into competing on the Bloodsands! The Bloodsands are, well, gladiatorial combat. There was a big situation that caused attendance and promotion to plummet in the time since the Calamity so the renown that was one attributed to the career path is no longer the same, but Raubahn famously made his coin and prestige known there.
Paladins come in two flavors - Free Paladins and Sultansworn. Free Paladins appear to be a relatively-newly-created faction in the world of Eorzea, while the Sultansworn go back generations as the protectors of the Ul'dahn crown. Sultansworn are subservient to the Sultanate above all else and, while not stuck in the palace and Ul'dah forever, they are very much a guardian force.
Free Paladins are created as a sort of standing arm of Ul'dahn martial prowess and general principles. The Sworn utilize a specific form of fighting and Free Paladins are taught that, but they aren't beholden to sticking around to play base defense.
You could theoretically have been taught how to swing your sword like a Paladin despite not having been trained, and you could also have developed your own fighting styles without having ever been trained, period.
Gladiators refer to those trained in the Gladiator's Guild in Ul'dah. In 2.0 they seem to just be a general-use sword and shield training camp full of good morals, but prior to the Calamity they served as the training grounds into competing on the Bloodsands! The Bloodsands are, well, gladiatorial combat. There was a big situation that caused attendance and promotion to plummet in the time since the Calamity so the renown that was one attributed to the career path is no longer the same, but Raubahn famously made his coin and prestige known there.
Paladins come in two flavors - Free Paladins and Sultansworn. Free Paladins appear to be a relatively-newly-created faction in the world of Eorzea, while the Sultansworn go back generations as the protectors of the Ul'dahn crown. Sultansworn are subservient to the Sultanate above all else and, while not stuck in the palace and Ul'dah forever, they are very much a guardian force.
Free Paladins are created as a sort of standing arm of Ul'dahn martial prowess and general principles. The Sworn utilize a specific form of fighting and Free Paladins are taught that, but they aren't beholden to sticking around to play base defense.
You could theoretically have been taught how to swing your sword like a Paladin despite not having been trained, and you could also have developed your own fighting styles without having ever been trained, period.
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
