As Engyo MITAMURA, regarded as 'the father of Edo Studies,' demonstrated in stating 'Ashigaru were soldiers who were approximately equal in status to the noncommissioned officer or private first-class ranks of today; they also conducted the duties of a sergeant,' there were also examples of ashigaru who came to be considered quasi samurai but there are also many cases in which they served as buke hokonin and were regarded in the same light as chugen and komono.
「江戸学の祖」と云われた三田村鳶魚が、「足軽は兵卒だが、まず今日の下士か上等兵ぐらいな位置にいる。役目としても、軍曹あたりの勤務をも担当していた」と述べているように、準武士としての位置づけがなされた例もあるが、基本的に足軽は、武家奉公人として中間・小者と同列に見られる例も多かった。