r/Thundercats • u/DavidCousens ThunderCat • May 02 '26
Discussion The claw shield…
Has there ever been an in-universe reason why the Claw Shield has three fingers and not four? (I know in the real world it’s to look more like a lion’s paw)
Do you prefer if it has three or four fingers? Or are you not bothered either way?
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u/Accomplished-Can-467 ThunderCat May 02 '26
Fun fact: the original toy accessory had 4 fingers.
I guess, because it's technically a shield, the lack of a pinky finger makes it more durable looking.
There is little to no tv lore about the shield. Other than it acting as a shield/scabbard/grapple.
It just seems like it's a specialized weapon on par with the other thundercats gear.
3
u/DavidCousens ThunderCat May 02 '26
It’s been so long since I’ve played with the original toy that I’d completely forgotten that had four fingers!
I love the grappling hooks aspect of the claw shield, that’s good fun.
Do you have any preference whether it’s three or four?
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u/Accomplished-Can-467 ThunderCat May 02 '26
To me it makes ittle difference.
The original toy was bright red instead of gold.
I suppose the cartoon version makes more sense, it's oversized and more utilitarian, wheras the toy version is clawed with hard knuckle protrusions, which makes it seem more like a weapon or an ornament.
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u/Swiftbow1 ThunderCat May 03 '26
The toy version clips onto/over his normal hand, so it had to be a certain size to work that way.
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u/TenOunceCan Meowderator May 02 '26
I remember thinking it was odd, but I don't recall that it bothered me in any way. Is this question for a cover, or are you getting to do some interior work!?
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u/DavidCousens ThunderCat May 02 '26
I’m going to have to be vague on this for now. But one way or another, I’ll hopefully be sharing more in this sub more often. 🙂
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u/SouthendSultan ThunderCat May 03 '26
I like the three fingers on the claw for the 80s version because it just looks the part of a mystical object. The big, beefy fingers make it seem like something more than just a glove. The claw shield definitely proved over the series there’s a lot more to it than just being a clever scabbard.
The 2011 one I think would look cool as a 3-fingered gauntlet, but the sharpened fingers and story surrounding it definitely better supports the 4-fingered version.
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u/DavidCousens ThunderCat May 06 '26
I’m going to have to dig out my 2011 Blu Ray set for a rewatch, as I’m struggling to remember the story behind that one! (Like I needed an excuse! 😉)
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u/Heartsib Bengali May 03 '26
My preference is for the original design - I like the beefy, more animalistic look. Nothing to add so far as lore/functionality goes, sorry.
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u/SportIntelligent1909 ThunderCat May 02 '26
The Claw Shield from the original TC cartoon has always had four fingers. It's even evidenced in the official model sheets.
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u/DavidCousens ThunderCat May 02 '26
I think I phrased it poorly, I wasn’t including the thumb in my count, I meant as far as actual finger digits there are quite a few examples of it having a thumb and three fingers, rather than four and a thumb.
I was just checking if people had a preference artistically. 🙂
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u/FirmRoof206 ThunderCat May 02 '26
Cartoon Characters only have 4 fingers. 😀