What's the reasoning for melee jobs to have three different sets of gear?

[ForteNightshade]

Have you seen the AF gear? Neither one of those sets are heavy armor.

Also have to bear in mind that (at least according to Yoshi-P) the inspiration for Samurai for FFXIV was the Edo period, post-military samurai that served less as an armored soldier and more as a diplomat and local security that also served as the same inspiration behind the Jedi in Star Wars.

Now realistically, I'd argue it would make more sense to make Ninja instead wear Aiming armor instead of trying to combine them with other melee.

... the Shadowbringer Samurai set is literally body armor. It's not too dissimilar to the new PvP that just released. I'd say that's close enough.

And while yes, that may have been the inspiration for Samurai. The whole aesthetic argument loses merit when Dancer gear—outside their AF set—looks nothing like what a Dancer would wear.