In the early Edo period, rowdy hatamoto called hatamoto-yakko (servants of the shogun) organized a group, called themselves otokodate (ones who seek to right wrongs), and confronted rowdy people in the general public called machi-yakko (town servants), which was written in kabuki (traditional drama performed by male actors) or kodan storytelling.
江戸時代初期には無頼化した旗本奴が存在し、男伊達を称して徒党を組み、市井の町奴と対立し、歌舞伎や講談の題材にもなった。