As the era of warfare came to a close, the majority of temporarily employed ashigaru were released and became buke hokonin (servant for a samurai family) or ronin (masterless samurai), while the remaining ashigaru served as low ranking members of samurai society.
戦乱の収束により臨時雇いの足軽は大半が召し放たれ武家奉公人や浪人となり、残った足軽は武家社会の末端を担うことになった。