Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (/ˈɡʌnslɪŋər/), were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a firearm and participated in deadly shootouts. The gunfighter can be a lawman, outlaw, cowboy, shooting exhibitionist, or a hired gun, who is quick on the draw with a handgun or highly-skilled with rifles and shotguns.^[1] The feats of such individuals would end up becoming part of frontier folklore, and through the years would gain increasing degree of exaggeration. In modern times, many historians attempted to separate fact and fiction between such historical gunmen.^[2]

Nevertheless, the gunfighter had an impact in both history and in popular culture, becoming one of the most enduring characters in the Western genre. These characters appeared in many associated films, television shows, video games, and literature. Gunfighters influenced other fields as well, from sports shooting, fashion, to military skills based on their supposed abilities.^[3][4] The influence of gunfighters also garnered interest internationally, with many foreign fictional characters and stories derived or based from the character of the gunfighter.^[5][6]