Old Shatterhand is a fictional character, the white friend and blood-brother of Winnetou the fictional chief of the Mescalero-tribe of the Apaches in the western novels by German writer Karl May (1842-1912).

The character stands for Karl May himself as narrator of the stories. Winnetou often calls Old Shatterhand "My brother Scharli" (Scharli = Karl).

At the time of writing Karl May considered the prefix "Old" to names of several of his characters as being typically American and standing for the great experience of the hero.

Old Shatterhand got the name by his friend Sam Hawkens , who also originates from Germany (but already is an oldtimer in the American west), as he was able to knock out his adversary with a single stroke.

Old Shatterhand owns two famous rifles, the "Bärentöter" (Bear Killer) and the "Henry Stutzen" (Henry-Rifle), both made by a fictional gunsmith called Henry in St. Louis. The Henry-Rifle was able to shoot 25 shots without reloading.

Old Shatterhand rode a horse called Hatatitla (= Lightning), which he got from Winnetou, who rode the brother-horse called Iltschi (= Wind).

Movies with "Old Shatterhand"

The character of Old Shatterhand was played in the German Karl May movies of the 1960s by American actor Lex Barker.

• Der Schatz im Silbersee (1962)
• Winnetou 1. Teil (1963)
• Old Shatterhand (1964)
• Winnetou 2. Teil (1964)
• Winnetou 3. Teil (1965)
• Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (1966)
• Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968)