He can be considered a kenshi, a swordsman who is not from the samurai class. He despises the government by extension to his hatred of samurai and quits the Itto-ryu when Anotsu allies the group with Kagimura and the shogunate, though he remains on friendly terms with Anotsu. When his lover of sorts, a prostitute named O-Ren, iss killed by Shira, Magatsu ends up following Manji around due to the fact that he knows Shira is after Manji.
O-Ren
Magatsu