At first, many Shugo were chosen from powerful locals, but it soon came to be filled by rotation by members of the Ashikaga clan, and only a very few, such as the Akamatsu clan (Norimura AKAMATSU) of Harima province, were able to hold onto the position.
当初、守護の多くは在地の有力者が任じられていたが、次第に足利氏一門と交代させられて、その地位を保持していたのは、播磨国の赤松氏（赤松則村）などごく僅かだった。