▲John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu, Jeremy Irons, and Gabriel Byrne (not pictured) co-star as the aging musketeers at odds with King Louis XIV.

▲This romantic adventure stars English actor Stewart Granger and is famous for the eight-minute long duel in the theater between Granger and co-star Mel Ferrer, for which both actors took fencing lessons.

▲'Captain Blood' also launched Olivia de Havilland's star into Tinseltown's stratosphere, and marked the first of eight films co-starring the pair.

▲Set in early 18th-century Scotland, this historical drama tells the story of clan chief Rob Roy MacGregor (Liam Neeson). Plenty of heavy broadsword fighting takes place under leaden Highland skies.

▲A variation on the 'Musketeers' theme, 'The Man in the Iron Mask' follows 1929 and 1939 versions and stars Leonardo DiCaprio in a dual role as the title character and villain.

▲Steven Spielberg took to the high seas to direct this fantasy adventure film, which stars Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, and Dustin Hoffman (the latter in the role of Captain Hook). The film acts as a sequel to J.M. Barrie's 1911 novel 'Peter and Wendy,' also known as 'Peter Pan.'

▲Visually stunning, much of the film's action takes place on board the Jolly Roger and the fictional island of Neverland.

▲Gérard Depardieu stars as the big-nosed Parisian poet and swashbuckler in this celebrated adaptation of the 1879 play of the same name by Edmond Rostand.

▲The film garnered numerous awards and was nominated for several others, with many of the set pieces singled out for praise.

▲Known in English as 'On Guard,' this French swashbuckler stars Daniel Auteuil as a skilled swordsman on a mission of revenge. Auteuil's fencing prowess was noted by many critics.

▲Hollywood tough guy Burt Lancaster's rope-swinging acrobatic character Captain Vallo spends much of his time shirtless in this enjoyable comedy. The Italian island of Ischia stood in for the Caribbean setting.

▲Costner's co-stars, however, fared better. Morgan Freeman's Azeem and Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham were singled out for praise. In fact, Rickman received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

▲'The Count of Monte Cristo' includes plenty of piracy, betrayal, swashbuckling, revenge, and Parisian high society.

▲With his athletic build and dashing good looks, Errol Flynn was considered the natural successor to Douglas Fairbanks as a romantic, swashbuckling adventurer.

▲Indeed, by the 2000s the swashbuckler subgenre had just about come full circle. What it needed now was some new blood, a fantasy plot line, and some outrageous special effects...

▲A box office success, this interpretation of the hooded man's exploits received mixed reviews, with Kevin Costner failing to impress critics with his performance.

▲Spanish heartthrob Antonio Banderas takes on the role of the masked vigilante Zorro in this movie version, a character that has been adapted in over 40 films. He did a great job: 'The Mask of Zorro' opened to critical and commercial success.

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The sixth installment of the franchise catches up with reluctant swashbuckler Jack Sparrow and his motley crew. It still made a ton of treasure at the box office, but, according to one critic, was "bloated, boring, repetitive, and draining."

▲Considered one of the great movies of its kind, this take on the evergreen legend sees Errol Flynn in fine form as the legendary outlaw, with some truly dazzling swordplay adding high drama to the action scenes.

▲The Robin Hood legend also enjoyed a reboot with this Ridley Scott-directed historical film. In it, Russell Crowe is the one robbing the rich to feed the poor. The film received mixed reviews and saw a modest box-office return.

▲Welcome to the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise! The first film introduced the world to the eccentric pirate captain Jack Sparrow, portrayed by Johnny Depp.

▲Flynn was relatively unknown when he was cast as the titular character in this pirate adventure. The role established the actor as a major Hollywood star.

▲This adventure movie was filmed in an early two-tone Technicolor process. Fairbanks stars as the Duke of Arnoldo, who masquerades as the Black Pirate.

▲Based on the novel 'The Three Musketeers' by Alexandre Dumas, this 1921 silent film again stars Douglas Fairbanks, this time as d'Artagnan. Pictured are principal cast members Léon Bary, Eugene Pallette, Douglas Fairbanks, and George Siegmann.

▲Fairbanks became well known for his swashbuckling roles, with the actor's later films in this subgenre including 'Robin Hood' (1922) and 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924). He is pictured here (front row, center) with the 'Musketeers' cast.

▲A silent film, it stars Douglas Fairbanks and was the first film released through United Artists, the company formed by Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith.

▲This was the first movie version of 'The Mark of Zorro' and defined the swashbuckling adventure film.

▲One of Hollywood's early screen idols, Tyrone Power stars in this colorful pirate romp. Ironically, the actor was to later die of a heart attack, aged just 44, while filming a dueling scene for the historical epic 'Solomon and Sheba' (1959).

▲The latest interpretation of the Alexandre Dumas novel was praised for its action sequences and visual style, with actors Matthew Macfadyen as Athos and Mads Mikkelsen as Captain Rochefort receiving particularly good reviews. Pictured: the movie being filmed in 2010.

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The film's success also owed a lot to Catherine Zeta-Jones' performance as Elena Montero, a breakout role that led to A-list recognition.

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Heroic, idealistic, and blessed with extraordinary swordfighting skills, the swashbuckler is the stuff of romantic novels and a string of action-adventure movies. Hollywood was impressed early on by these courageous and resourceful swordsmen, making heroes out of Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn. What's more, modern takes on the swashbuckler archetype are still proving popular—just take a look at the cutlass-wielding Captain Jack Sparrow!

So be on guard, click through this gallery, and escape to a land of celluloid swagger, chivalry, and razor-sharp blades.

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Screened out of competition at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival, this Roman Polanski-directed adventure comedy sees Walter Matthau as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red and fighting the Spanish in the 17th century.