History Main / FantasticFoxes

%%* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': Miles "Tails" Prower series is a two-tailed fox who is Sonic's sidekick.%%Fantastic how?

The feminine association is much weaker in Western European culture where the archetypical fox tends to be represented as male. However, in Slavic languages, the name of the species is a feminine noun so the archetypical fox is more often female than not in Slavic tales.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1458478958061387400
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox'': The title character.

%%* ''Literature/FantasticMrFox'', the original Creator/RoaldDahl novel.
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': Mat carries a fox-head medallion which is indicative of his reputation as a trickster. Also the Eelfinn, who both gave him the medallion and are tricksy fox people themselves.

* ''Literature/HalfsSaga'': Stopping in a bay in Finnmark on their viking expedition to Bjarmaland, King Hjorleif and his crew encounter a ''brunnmigi'', or "well-pisser", a malicious creature in fox-shape. The brunnmigi prevents them from getting water from a brook (presumably because it is soiling the water). Hjorleif heats a speartip in the fire and hurls it after the creature, which however disappears into a stone cliff. Hjorleif's men get water, but later the brunnmigi returns to chant an ominous verse that vaguely predicts some imminent doom for Hjorleif. After his return from Bjarmaland, a combination of bad luck and Hjorleif's own imprudence leads to a war with King Hreidar of Zealand in which Hjorleif almost loses his kingdom and his life. The strange circumstances that lead to the war suggest that the brunnmigi may not have merely predicted Hjorleif's misfortunes, but may have caused them as well.

* ''The Cunning Little Vixen'': Bystrouška is a anthropomorphic fox along the lines of Reynard.

The fox is no different. Foxes are nocturnal hunters, with an eerie, haunting cry, and a reputation for almost supernatural cunning and cleverness. It's not a surprise that their mythological counterparts draw their inspiration from these traits.

* '''AsianFoxSpirit''': Many Asian mythologies include many-tailed, shapeshifting foxes. These spirits, which fulfill the same role as TheFairFolk do in European mythology, are clearly based on the same myths. Typically such fox spirits gain a new tail, and increase their power, every 100 years until they reach the full nine. Thus, the number of tails is an easy shorthand for [[StrongerWithAge how old and powerful]] an Asian fox spirit is. Examples of these should be listed under that trope.

[[AC:Kitsune]]

By far the best-known outside of its country of origin, the kitsune is the Japanese version of the myth. Kitsune were neutral tricksters in general, but could also be malicious or benevolent. See the main page for a full description and examples.


[[AC:Kumiho/Gumiho]]

Kumiho/Gumiho are the Korean version of the legend. Their traditional depiction is far darker than the Japanese version, being [[AxCrazy demonically blood-thirsty]] and having a [[ToServeMan taste for human flesh]] -- though in some tales they seem to just adore humans and [[BecomeARealBoy wish to become one]]. It was believed that a fox that lived 1000 years would become a kumiho. Kumihos can change their form, although they nearly always retain some fox-like aspect such as paws, a tail, ears, eyes, or their voice. They were believed to eat either human hearts or human livers to survive, and some myths state that eating enough of these will allow the kumiho to become human. In other myths, a kumiho who abstained from killing and eating meat, or lived undetected with a human man for 1000 days, would lose its evil nature and become a human woman. Korean Kumihos' distinctive trait is that Kumihos tend to suck some of a man's life energy (Ki) by inserting a 'fox orb' (Yeowu-gusul) into that person's mouth via kissing (which is shown in South Korean Drama ''Series/MyGirlfriendIsANineTailedFox''). However, this process can also work in ''reverse'', as any man swallowing that orb can gain some special skills (such as astrology).

Not to be confused with a lesser known fox spirit, Cheonho, which is a divine animal that supposedly protects kings. Cheonho have golden fur and possess clairvoyance, as well as one tail split into nine pieces rather than a Kumiho's nine tails.

[[AC:Huli Jing]]

The Chinese huli jing can be either a good or evil spirit. Like kitsune and kumiho, huli jings are shapeshifters, and often assume the forms of beautiful young women. Indeed, the Chinese believed that they were entirely made up of feminine energy (yin or jing) and needed to gather masculine energy (yang) to survive.

Evil huli jing would often seduce or possess important men in order to trick them or consume their life force (yang). They were also known to seduce or mislead the innocent away from Dharma. Good huli jing are often featured in love stories with human men.

* ''WesternAnimation/DiGataDefenders'': Adam's [[{{Mon}} Guardian]] is Firefox, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a fox with fire powers]].

* ''WesternAnimation/DiGataDefenders'': Adam's [[{{Mon}} Guardian]] is Firefox, [[ExaxtlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a fox with fire powers]].

* ''Literature/HalfsSaga'': Stopping in a bay in Finnmark on their viking expedition to Bjarmaland, King Hjorleif and his crew encounter a ''brunnmigi'', or "well-pisser", a malicious creature in fox-shape. The brunnmigi prevents them from getting water from a brook (presumably because it is soiling the water). Hjorleif heats a speartip in the fire and hurls it after the creature, which however disappears into a stone cliff. Horleif's men get water, but later the brunnmigi returns to chant an ominous verse that vaguely predicts some imminent doom for Hjorleif. After his return from Bjarmaland, a combination of bad luck and Hjorleif's own imprudence leads to a war with King Hreidar of Zealand in which Hjorleif almost loses his kingdom and his life. The strange circumstances that lead to the war suggest that the brunnmigi may not have merely predicted Hjorleif's misfortunes, but may have caused them as well.

Kumiho/Gumiho are the Korean version of the legend. Their traditional depiction is far darker than the Japanese version, being [[AxCrazy demonically blood-thirsty]] and having a [[ToServeMan taste for human flesh]] -- though in some tales they seem to just adore humans and [[PinocchioSyndrome wish to become one]]. It was believed that a fox that lived 1000 years would become a kumiho. Kumihos can change their form, although they nearly always retain some fox-like aspect such as paws, a tail, ears, eyes, or their voice. They were believed to eat either human hearts or human livers to survive, and some myths state that eating enough of these will allow the kumiho to become human. In other myths, a kumiho who abstained from killing and eating meat, or lived undetected with a human man for 1000 days, would lose its evil nature and become a human woman. Korean Kumihos' distinctive trait is that Kumihos tend to suck some of a man's life energy (Ki) by inserting a 'fox orb' (Yeowu-gusul) into that person's mouth via kissing (which is shown in South Korean Drama ''Series/MyGirlfriendIsANineTailedFox''). However, this process can also work in ''reverse'', as any man swallowing that orb can gain some special skills (such as astrology).

'''Wisdom and Intelligence'''

In folklore and myth, the fox is often depicted as a very wise or clever animal.

'''Trickster'''

Since the fox is very clever, it is often depicted as a trickster, using cunning to get what it wants. In this guise it may be benevolent, teaching a lesson to the deceived, but more often it is only out for its own amusement or advancement, or even completely malicious. It does tend to be more clever than wise, and often ends up the victim of its own pranks.

'''Thieves'''

Since foxes sometimes steal from humans, this depiction is not surprising. Using cunning or treachery, a fox will outwit a human or other animal to steal what it wants. This is often closely related to the trickster version of the fox.

'''Shapeshifter'''

In keeping with being able to deceive, some legends paint foxes or fox spirits as shapeshifters, able to assume other forms under certain conditions or even at will. Quite often, the assumed form is human but retains some foxlike characteristics.

'''Feminine'''

Foxes are nocturnal and associated with the Moon; they are also extremely graceful animals, like cats. For these reasons, they are often associated with the feminine as well as [[FoxyVixen sex appeal]], although subversions do exist. A shapeshifting fox will assume the form of an attractive female. Even if a shapeshifting fox take form of a human male in eastern culture, odds are high that they are {{Bishonen}}.

The feminine association is much weaker in Western European culture where the archetypical fox tends to be represented as male. However, in Slavic languages the name of the species is a feminine noun so the archetypical fox is more often female than not for Slavic tales.

'''Supernatural'''

The mysterious and eerie cry of the fox has led to many mythological versions having mystical or supernatural powers beyond shapeshifting.

'''[[AsianFoxSpirit Nine-Tailed Foxes]]'''

Many Asian mythologies include many-tailed, shapeshifting foxes. These spirits, which fulfill the same role as TheFairFolk do in European mythology, are clearly based on the same myths. Typically such fox spirits gain a new tail, and increase their power, every 100 years until they reach the full nine. Thus, the number of tails is an easy shorthand for [[StrongerWithAge how old and powerful]] an Asian fox spirit is.

'''European Foxes'''

'''North American Foxes'''

* ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and ''Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier'': Xiaomu is a 765 Chinese year old werefox, while her nemesis Saya is a [[AsianFoxSpirit Japanese werefox]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots'' episode "Good Hunting" features a mostly heroic Huli Jing example. She sadly loses her power over time due to the British industrialization of China, in a ScienceDestroysTechnology sense.

* ''Webcomic/GeminiJourney'': [[http://www.geminijourney.com/index.php?c=33 The Great Barley & Bay-Lily Cricus arc]] features a creepy circus with ringmasters who are FantasticFoxes, their characters draw upon folklore and myth depictions of foxes as sly and supernatural.

In Scandinavian myth, the fox is a trickster, using guile to catch its prey (or just [[JerkAss mess with others for the hell of it]]). It is also responsible for foxfire -- the old name for the Aurora Borealis and the phosphoric light given off by decaying plant matter. There are also the Brunnmigi, foxlike creatures sometimes referred to as [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]], that are known for tainting water.

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1650401401005492200 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]]]

!!Examples

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* ''Animation/WhiteSnake2019'': The Jade Workshop owner is a fox spirit/demon who looks like a human DragonLady with a [[TwoFaced fox face on the back of her head]]. She acts very flirtatious and playful but is actually helpful to the protagonists, although TheStinger seems to imply that Xuan buying her services may be something akin to making a DealWithTheDevil.
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* ''Literature/BookOfImaginaryBeings'': Chinese foxes can live for a thousand years, start fires by striking the ground with their tails, see into the future and take human shape. They are sometimes born from the souls of the dead taking on a new form, and will cause no end of mischief to those who cross them.

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Examples of trickster foxes appear in Myth/{{Native American|Mythology}}, Asian myths about nine-tailed fox spirits (most notably the {{Kitsune}}), and Literature/AesopsFables. There is also the extensive tale of ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'', who outwits multiple foes with cunning.

See CunningLikeAFox and FoulFox for AnimalStereotypes associated with foxes and {{Kitsune}} for the specific Myth/JapaneseMythology, as well as ThoseWilyCoyotes for another wild canid often seen as a trickster figure in mythology. See also TheFairFolk, BeastMan, and FoxFolk.

* ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and ''Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier'': Xiaomu is a 765 Chinese year old werefox, while her nemesis Saya is a [[{{Kitsune}} Japanese werefox]].

The feminine association is much weaker in Western European culture where the archetypical fox tends to be represented as male. However, in Slavic language the name of species of a feminine noun so archetypical fox is more often female than not.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': The Kyubi is a giant, nine-tailed fox demon that was sealed inside the eponymous main character.
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': Renamon is a bipedal fox Digimon with yellow fur and piercing blue eyes. While her champion form is a {{Kitsune}} and her ultimate form is a humanoid fox in a white onmyōji robe, her mega form is a human in fox armor.

%%* ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW'': There are two: Alopex is a mutant Artic fox; Kitsune is a {{kitsune}}.%%Fantastic how?
* The Creator/MarvelComics superspy White Fox (Ami Han) is the last-known surviving ''kumiho'' in Korea, all others having been slaughtered by three-legged canine demons called Samjoksu. She's a VoluntaryShapeshifter, has SuperSenses, SuperSpeed and SuperReflexes, SpeaksFluentAnimal, can hypnotize others with her voice, and can drain life energy using her Yaewoo Guseul (Fox Marble). Unlike most ''kumiho'', she is firmly on the side of good and is the top operative of the South Korean National Intelligence Service.

* In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'', a gumiho referred to as Jeog is featured. She's a centuries old serial killer who chased one of the secondary heroines, Ki Seong, from a fantasy counterpart of Korea, across the ocean to Equestria after murdering Seong's fiancé and his family. Her description and appearance treat her more as a vulpine demon than an oversized fox with nine tails, sporting a mouthful of fangs and CreepyLongFingers.

* ''Literature/StrangeStoriesFromAChineseStudio'' contains 86 tales of Chinese fox spirits, most of whom assume female form to deceive humans. Though there's also a few stories with wise elder foxes, and one where a male fox seduces a magistrate.
* ''Literature/JudgeDee'':
** In ''Poets and Murder'', a girl lives in a temple infested by foxes, and is believed to be possessed by one. [[DownerEnding Then one infects her with rabies, and she goes berserk and dies.]]
** One of the sequels has a Huli Jing show up (sort of): a priest explains that he was always sort of shunned because his father had been tricked into marrying a fox-woman, who turned back into a fox some time after he (the priest) was born. The judge (and everyone else) stare at him in silence for a while, because it's blindingly obvious that the wife ran off with another man, the father passing it off as the fox spirit going back to the wild.

* ''Series/MyGirlfriendIsANineTailedFox'' involves an IdiotHero freeing a trapped gumiho spirit from a painting. It goes about as well as one would expect.
* ''Series/ForbiddenLove'' has a race of nine-tailed fox-people, one of whom falls in love with a human.
* ''Series/GumihoTaleOfTheFoxsChild'' is a Korean {{Thriller}} tv miniseries about a gumiho who has to endure 10 years of marriage to become human. On the eve of her 10th anniversary, her husband breaks his vows, leaving her and the 9-year-old daughter who has inherited her abilities. Oddly, the gumiho in this story is sympathetic, only wishing a normal life as a human. It is only when her daughter is lynched that she becomes vengeful.

%%* ''Series/{{Grimm}}'': The Fuchsbau are foxlike Wesens.%%And?

[[folder:Manhwa]]
* ''Shin Gumiho'' retells the myth of the Gumiho who wanted to become human.
* ''Manhwa/{{Laon}}'': The eponymous character is a mischievous nine-tailed kumiho who was stripped of their tails as punishment for losing a bet and journeys to Earth to hunt them down, teaming up with a journalist named Taeha Gwon in order to do so.
* ''Webcomic/NowhereBoy'': The gumiho, who is actually one of the thirteen people who have to save the world. She still has her cravings when her [[WhatYouAreInTheDark animalistic side gets tempted]].
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* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' not only includes the {{kitsune}} as a playable race, native to Tian Xia (the FantasyCounterpartCulture region that covers Japan, China and Korea), but also includes the nogitsune. These are a kind of [[OurOgresAreHungrier oni]] that have taken the form of or possessed (the details are kind of contradictory) female kitsune. Nogitsunes are NeutralEvil murderous [[TheHedonist hedonists]] who typically serve as assassins for the opportunity to slake their bloodlust and to acquire the coin they need for sating their immense appetites for vices -- food, drink, narcotics and prostitutes, in particular.
* ''TabletopGame/KitsuneOfFoxesAndFools'' obviously has kitsune as the main characters, though they draw some inspiration from other mythologies, for instance the "Bloodthirst" consequence temporarily causes them to acquire the "appetites" of gumiho.
* ''TabletopGame/NinjasAndSuperspies'' adds shapeshifting fox spirits as an available player race in its ''Mystic China'' sourcebook.

* ''Franchise/FateSeries'': Caster, from ''VideoGame/FateExtra'', ''VideoGame/FateExtellaTheUmbralStar'', ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', is a kitsune with beautiful appearance and sharp wits. As standard per Casters, she's able to use witchcraft or maleificium (curses) as a basis for her attacks. Her true identity is Tamamo-no-Mae, the legendary courtesan of Heian-era of Japan that was discovered to be nine-tailed fox.
* In ''VideoGame/GhostOfTsushima'', foxes will approach Jin Sakai and make him follow them to their dens, which will have shrines to the goddess Inari. Praying at the shrines allow Jin to carry more charms, and occasionally, he can pet the foxes afterwards, making them bounce with joy.
* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' the Forest Shadow and her fox-spirit servants look like six-foot-tall anthropomorphic fox women with two tails. They're said to take human form to test humans with tricks, and Forest Shadow does manipulate you into meeting with her in her realm and into slaying a demon she bound centuries ago, [[spoiler: even if you decide to kill her first.]]
* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Ahri (archaic Korean for "Beautiful") draws on Myth/KoreanMythology's description of Gumiho. As a spellcaster, her main attacks resemble Yeowoo-bool('fox fire'), and her 'Orb of Deception' skill seems to be based on Gumiho's yeowoo-gusuul. Plus her backstory explains that after she achieved semi-human form, she began seducing and killing humans to complete her transformation, but as she became more and more human she developed a human conscience.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' introduces Zorua and Zoroark, which are based on the yako or nogitsune version of {{Kitsune}} and can create illusions in addition to the zenko {{Kitsune}}-based Vulpix and Ninetales from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' and [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY sixth generation]] starter Fennekin. The Eeveelutions also resemble foxes to a degree, except for Espeon (based on a [[{{Youkai}} nekomata]]). There's also Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark from ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', which draw from the originals' inspirations with some {{yurei}} thrown in.

* ''VideoGame/SpiritOfTheNorth'': The player character is a non-anthropomorphic fox that's capable of communing with the souls of the dead and the guardian of the Northern Lights, whose powers the fox becomes imbued with. The guardia of the Northern Lights looks like a translucent fox as well.

* ''VideoGame/LaTale'': There are several {{Palette Swap}}ped fox girls. One variety is even called Gumihos. They were so popular the company later added them as a pet.

* ''VideoGame/CookieRun'' has Kumiho Cookie, a marshmallow fox who learned a spell to turn into a cookie after eating only flour and butter for 999 days. She can shift between a fox and a cookie, and her powers revolve around charming either bear jellies for more points in Ovenbreak or enemies in order to stun them in [[Videogame/CookieRunKingdom Kingdom]]

* ''Webcomic/TheFoxSister'' presents a very dark and vicious gumiho.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation: [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-953 SCP-953]] is an AxCrazy {{Kitsune}}... ahem, ''[[InsistentTerminology Kumiho]]''... right out of Korea's darker myths

* In RealLife, calling a girl foxy (as an adjective) is a compliment, implying she is sexually attractive. On the other hand, it can refer to attractive older men who are referred to as {{silver fox}}es. In China, calling a woman ''huli jing'' implies that she's a homewrecker, so it is sort of similar to the English word 'bitch'. Calling a woman a vixen is similarly a comment on her attractiveness, with the added connotations that she is free-spirited or, alternatively, mean-spirited. A vulpine grin has foxlike characteristics - it often indicates the wearer is cunning or tricking the recipient. Also drawing on the fox as trickster concept, to be "outfoxed" means to be outsmarted or conned, and to be "crazy like a fox" is to seem foolish or insane but actually crafty and one step ahead of the competition.

'''Nine-Tailed Foxes'''

[[AC:{{Kitsune}}]]

* Creator/{{Disney}}:
** ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'': Disney's version was originally intended to be an AnimatedAdaptation of the Literature/ReynardTheFox myths, until Disney realized just how much "Anti" an AntiHero Reynard really was.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Nick Wilde, a consummate con man. Interestingly, he is conned right back by Judy Hopps, a rabbit, a species which is also commonly depicted as a trickster in folklore.

** ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'': Disney's version was originally intended to be an AnimatedAdaptation of the Reynard myths, until Disney realized just how much "Anti" an AntiHero Reynard really was.

Examples of trickster foxes appear in Myth/{{Native American|Mythology}}, Asian myths about nine-tailed fox spirits (most notably the {{Kitsune}}), and ''Literature/AesopsFables''. There is also the extensive tale of ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'', who outwits multiple foes with cunning.

Examples of trickster foxes appear in Myth/{{Native American|Mythology}} and Myth/{{Norse myth|ology}}s, Asian myths about nine-tailed fox spirits (most notably the {{Kitsune}}), and ''Literature/AesopsFables''. There is also the extensive tale of ''Literature/ReynardTheFox'', who outwits multiple foes with cunning.