@Xeno There is no such thing as nitpicking in my book, my friend.
Before responding to your points. I just want to mention that while IMO Elliot was probably the toughest Force member conversion so far. Dan and I both scrutinised over every last detail, and I believe that this project also included the long design time with multiple edits and updates. Whereas we normally strive for 1-1 accuracy, I recall there existing design inaccuracies present in Sega's own spritework.
1-4: Unfortunately - at least as far as I am aware - weapon sprites can only be displayed as background objects, while the Force member sprite will always be treated as a foreground object, so the game engine will always prioritise displaying a Force member in front of a weapon sprite. Elliott's Attack #1 animation just isn't suitable from a Force Member's perspective, as while his arm positioning would suggest that he is readying the sword behind his head and back, the weapon would be greatly obscured because it will only display behind Elliott. I allowed Dan the opportunity to restyle this frame and I agree with you that it does appear like a much more natural pose when compared to Sega's efforts.
5. I am not sure if this is the correct terminology for that part of a knight's attire... but effectively it's a loincloth.
6. No arguments here!
Adding to what I've said before regarding Sega's original spritework, I cannot remember exactly which parts were the culprit(s), but there were many instances when Dan was returning with artwork for each frame that Sega themselves were very inconsistent with his design and we had theorised that perhaps there were multiple artists working on his complete animation. I do recall his boots and shield design being two such notable issues, but there were other areas which will probably standout if you view this spritesheet:
I am definitely in agreement regarding Elliott's artwork in the GBA remake. I personally did not care for much of the character revisions they made, but there were some instances where they did a great job that I believe would be great if ported over into the classic original. I am in the process of brainstorming a suitable Promotion design for Elliott; do you feel that the GBA remake version might make for a good base?