Ancient Pistol is a swaggering soldier who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. Although full of grandiose boasts about his prowess, he is essentially a coward. The character is introduced in Henry IV, Part 2, and reappears in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry V. The character's first name is never given. He is referred to as Falstaff's "ancient", meaning "ensign", or standard bearer.