Swashbuckler (a.k.a. swasher) is a term that emerged in the 16th century and has been used as a term for pirates and swordsmen ever since. A possible explanation for this term is that it derives from a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was applied with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler". Later the name "swashbuckler" (like gunslinger) became common for an archetype and the accordant special film genre.