Look out! This topic just came back from the clone labs.
Anyway, let's see...
Rolf: I know that the ceramic knives and laser knives are always better choices until the laser sword is available, but I still had him carry just a sword. Mostly because the knives are expensive, and I'm impatient. Rolf never needed shields. He can't use a sword with a shield, anyway, and his late-game defense is really high (I think the highest of all the characters) without a shield.
Nei: Two claws (bars), of course.
Rudo: I always got him the shotgun as soon as possible (the bow gun is just a total joke), but lately I've discovered that at the very beginning daggers are a cheaper and fine option for him. Plus, he just looks so darn into wielding those daggers. I love his melée sprite! (Even if he's suddenly wearing a gray uniform.) As soon as I can afford the laser cannon, he never uses knives again. I think that if you try to equip Rudo with a shield, you should get a personal message from him like, "I am my own shield," or "I'd rather use that hand to shoot things."
Amy: One thing you should know about how I play my characters is that I hate shields, even if they're more practical. Poor Amy dies a billion times when she first joins the party because I refuse to put emels on her. She gets equipped with two fire staves as soon as I can get Shir to steal them. Until that time she uses two ceramic knives, then replaced by acid shots. The two pistols actually do a fair amount of damage (especially to flying creatures and large mecha), but the staves have a higher defense. Her late-game defense is pretty decent if she's wearing the nei crown and nei cape.
Hugh: He also dies. A lot. He uses acid shots until I can get him laconian maces. He's the only character I feel really needs a shield, because he was screwed out of good late-game armor (I've been playing this on the Wii lately, and he can't equip anything better than the ceramic chest. I can't remember if this is the case with my Genesis cartridge or if it's a Wii emulator bug). I'll break my rule and give him the nei shield (otherwise I wouldn't even use it). He also gets one of the two storm gears.
Anna: There's really no excuse for her to wield anything other than two slashers. That's what I always equip her with. No emels.
Kain: I equip him with a laser shot through the dams, then he gets laconian maces once the party gets to Dezolis. I feel like he should have been able to at least equip one of the two pulse guns. No shields for Kain.
Shir: Two laser knives and holder of storm gear and other items. While she'd be my most likely candidate for using emels, I've never equipped her with any.
Hm, I just realized I've never equipped the nei emel.