Since they were the main waki-kata of the Kanze school, which was said to be ranked at the top among the major four Noh schools (the Kanze, the Hosho, the Konparu, and the Kongo schools), they were ranked at the top among waki-kata schools throughout the Edo period.
四座の筆頭とされた観世流の本ワキであったため、江戸時代を通じてワキ方筆頭の地位にあった。