Cape, elytra and armour: what covers what

Three things compete for your character's back, and the rules are not obvious until you have lost a cape to each of them. This is the order they win in, and what to expect on screen.

5 steps · about 5 minutes

1. No elytra, no chestplate: the cape shows

   The normal case. The cape hangs from the shoulders, sways as you walk and lifts when you sprint or fall.

2. Equip an elytra: the wings replace the cape

   And they are drawn from the SAME texture, so the wings carry your cape's art. This is why a cape that looks good hanging can look strange spread out - the design gets split down the middle and folded.

   You cannot have one design on the cape and another on the wings. One file drives both.

3. Wear a chestplate with the cape: both show

   Armour sits on the body, the cape hangs behind it. The two do not fight.

4. Wear a chestplate with an elytra: the elytra wins

   They occupy the same slot, so the chestplate comes off. Whatever your cape looks like spread across two wings is what other players see for the whole flight.

5. Test it before you need it

   Put the elytra on in a creative world and take off. A design with a strong centre line usually survives the fold; a design with one off-centre shape usually does not.