Medieval armor may appear bulky and rigid, but it was actually engineered to be remarkably flexible and practical—despite being made of metal! Knights wore suits composed of overlapping plates, articulated joints, and riveted sections that allowed full movement of the arms, legs, and torso. Beneath the metal, layers of padding and chainmail helped absorb impacts and prevented the plates from pressing into the body. A well-crafted suit of armor allowed knights to run, jump, and even mount horses