Different types of gladiators have different weapons. Most gladiators fought with swords and shields. Others used spears, bows and arrows, and even war chains, a metal ball attached to a chain. One type of gladiator uses a net to trap the enemy and a trident, a three pronged stick, to kill the enemy. There was an other type that had a spear with a leather strap attached to get the spear after it was thrown.
The way gladiators were armored was also very diverse. Some wore almost no armor and some had a lot of armor. But gladiators wearing heavy armor were not as fast as the ones with almost no armor on. The gladiators with light armor had leather arm pieces, leg pieces, and a shield. The gladiators with heavy armor had metal chest plates, arm plates, leg plates, and a shield.