History Main / FantasticFoxes

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

[[AC:Gumiho]]

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 gumiho. Gumihos 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 gumiho to become human. In other myths, a gumiho 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 Gumihos' distinctive trait is that Gumihos 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 Gumiho's nine tails.

The Chinese huli jing can be either a good or evil spirit. Like kitsune and gumiho, 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.

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

[[folder: Comics]]
* There are two in [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics:]] Alopex is a mutant Artic fox; Kitsune is a {{kitsune}}.

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* 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 fiance 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.
[[/folder]]

* Ladislas Starevich's StopMotion adaptation of the Reynard tales, ''Le Roman de Renard''.
* The eponymous character of ''Animation/YobiTheFiveTailedFox''
* Disney's version of ''Disney/RobinHood'', which was originally intended to be an AnimatedAdaptation of the Reynard myths, until Disney realized just how much "Anti" an AntiHero Reynard really was.
* The title character in ''WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox''.
* Nick Wilde in ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'', a consummate con man. Interestingly, he is conned right back by Judy Hopps, a rabbit, which is also commonly depicted as a trickster in folklore.

* In ''Imperial Lady'' by Creator/AndreNorton, Silver Snow's maid Willow turns out to be a fox spirit in disguise.

* One of the sequels to the ''Literature/JudgeDee'' series 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.
** And in the original series in the novel ''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.]]
* ''Fantastic Mr Fox'', the original Creator/RoaldDahl novel.
* Mat, from the ''Wheel of Time'' series, 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.
* Reynard Fossman in the ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'' books is a fae with red hair, a pointy face and an aura of disreputability that makes PC Grant want to arrest him on general principles. In ''The Hanging Tree'' he turns out to be a [[LegacyCharacter descendant]] of the original Reynard. Possibly CunningLikeAFox, but not nearly as much as he thinks, with a tendency to get in over his head. Also possibly a shapeshifter, since in a fight he ''almost'' seems to grow a muzzle before he starts biting people.
* The main character of ''Literature/DragonPearl'' is a gumiho InSpace, as are all her family.

* The Korean tv drama ''Series/MyGirlfriendIsANineTailedFox'' involves an IdiotHero freeing a trapped gumiho spirit from a painting. It goes about as well as one would expect.
* ''Forbidden Love'' was another Korean tv drama with a race of nine-tailed fox-people, one of whom falls in love with a human.
* ''Gumiho: Tale of the Fox's Child'' was 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.
* Keen-eared viewers of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' will realize that a fox's bark proceeds mysterious events, such as the carnival vanishing in "From Out of the Rain" and Tosh's abduction in "Countrycide". In the latter case, Ianto even points out that it's a fox and distractedly follows the sound, leaving her alone in the first place.
* The Fuchsbau in ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' are Fox-like Wesens.

* The manwa ''Shin Gumiho'' retells the myth of the Gumiho who wanted to become human.
* The eponymous character of ''Manhwa/{{Laon}}''.
* The Gumiho from ''Webcomic/NowhereBoy'', who is actually one of the 13 people who have to save the world. She still has her cravings when her [[WhatYouAreInTheDark animalistic side gets tempted]].

* Tellie from ''Podcast/{{Sequinox}}'' is a magical fox servant of Gaea. It ignores most of the traditional roles that mythological foxes have though, mainly because it forgot almost everything important, is kind of dumb, and gets preoccupied with eating.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' not only includes the {{kitsune}} as a playable race, native to Tien-ma (the FantasyCounterpartCulture region that covers Japan, China and Korea), but also includes the nogitsune. These are a kind of [[TheOgre oni]] that have taken the form of or possessed (the details are kind of contradictory) female kitsunes. 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.

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

* There are several {{Palette Swap}}ped fox girls in ''VideoGame/LaTale''. One variety is even called Gumihos. They were so popular the company later added them as a pet.
** Similarly, they are an enemy in ''VideoGame/MapleStory'', although they appear as multi-tailed foxes rather than girls with multiple tails and ears.
* Xiaomu in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and ''Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier'' is a 765 Chinese year old werefox, while her nemesis Saya is a [[{{Kitsune}} Japanese werefox]].

* Caster from ''VideoGame/FateExtra'', ''VideoGame/FateExtellaTheUmbralStar'', ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', she is a Kitsune with beautiful appearance and sharp wits. And as standard per Caster, she is able to use witchcraft or maleificium (curse) as a basis of her attack. Her true identity is Tamamo-no-Mae , the legendary courtesan of Heian era of Japan that was discovered to be Nine-tailed fox.
* Ahri(archaic Korean for 'Beautiful') from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' 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.
* Alef from ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'' is a foxling mage.
* Miles "Tails" Prower from the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series is a two-tailed fox who is Sonic's sidekick.

%%* Reynardo, the main protagonist in ''VideoGame/StoriesThePathOfDestiny'', is a fox.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Webcomic/GeminiJourney 's [[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.
* Reynardine of ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' is based on the tale of Reynard the Fox. He starts out as a snarky, rather sinister body-snatching spirit but gradually becomes a mentor and guardian of sorts to Antimony.
* ''Webcomic/TheFoxSister'' webcomic presents a very dark and vicious gumiho.

* From the Wiki/SCPFoundation: [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-953 SCP-953]], an AxCrazy {{Kitsune}}...ahem, ''[[InsistentTerminology Gumiho]]''.

* The servants of Wa Shi Tong in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. They appeared as foxes and gathered books and scrolls for a mighty library.
* ''WesternAnimation/MoiRenart'': Reynard in TheEighties.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', the Fox Miraculous, inhabitated by the fox-like spirit Trixx, gives it holder awesome illusion powers, as shown by Rena Rouge easily summoning an ''immense'' amusement park to distract the [[VillainOfTheWeek Sapotis]].

Examples of trickster foxes appear in Native American and Nordic myths, 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.

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.

The Celts believed that every individual and clan had an animal ally, similar to Native American myths of totem animals. The fox, called Madadh-Ruadh or Sionnach, is cunning, sly, and able to make fools of those who chase it. It also represents the ability to watch the motivations and movements of others while remaining unobserved yourself.

Foxes were regarded as tricksters in Native American myths, similar to how Coyote was viewed.

[[AC:Inuit Myths]]

Foxes, like most animals in Native American myth, could speak and were believed to be able to remove their fur and become women, often in order to trick a human into believing that they, themselves, were human. Stealing the fur would prevent them from returning to their fox form.

See CunningLikeAFox for AnimalStereotypes associated with foxes and {{Kitsune}} for the specific Japanese myth. See also TheFairFolk, BeastMan, and FoxFolk.

* Ahri(archaic Korean for 'Beautiful') from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' draws on Korean myth'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.

The feminine association is much weaker in European culture where the archetypical fox tends to be represented as male.

See CunningLikeAFox for AnimalStereotypes associated with foxes and {{Kitsune}} for the specific Japanese myth. See also TheFairFolk and BeastMan.

* Caster from ''VideoGame/FateExtra'', she is a Kitsune with beautiful appearance and sharp wits. And as standard per Caster, she is able to use witchcraft or maleificium (curse) as a basis of her attack. Her true identity is Tamamo-no-Mae , the legendary courtesan of Heian era of Japan that was discovered to be Nine-tailed fox.

* ''VideoGame/SpiritTales'', Aka Glory Destiny, has the Lunar Fox tribe as one of it's 3 selectable races. They begin as a human with fox ears and a tail, but eventually gain the ability to transform into a humanoid fox form. Fitting this trope, they are the settings magic specialists.

* Reynardo, the main protagonist in ''Stories: The Path of Destiny'', is a fox.

See CunningLikeAFox for AnimalStereotypes associated with foxes and {{Kitsune}} for the specific Japanese myth. See also TheFairFolk and PettingZooPeople.

* ''Literature/StrangeStoriesFromAChineseStudio'' contains 86 tales of Chinese fox spirits, most of whom assume female form to deceive humans.

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

* Miles "Tails" Prower from the VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog series is a two-tailed fox who is Sonic's sidekick.
* ''SpiritTales'', Aka Glory Destiny, has the Lunar Fox tribe as one of it's 3 selectable races. They begin as a human with fox ears and a tail, but eventually gain the ability to transform into a humanoid fox form. Fitting this trope, they are the settings magic specialists.

* Webcomic/Geminijourney 's [[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.

* ''Webcomic/Geminijourney'' 's [[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.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The Korean tv drama ''Series/MyGirlfriendIsANineTailedFox'' involves an IdiotHero freeing a trapped gumiho spirit from a painting. It goes about as well as one would expect.
* ''Forbidden Love'' was another Korean tv drama with a race of nine-tailed fox-people, one of whom falls in love with a human.
* ''Gumiho: Tale of the Fox's Child'' was 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.
* Keen-eared viewers of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' will realize that a fox's bark proceeds mysterious events, such as the carnival vanishing in "From Out of the Rain" and Tosh's abduction in "Countrycide". In the latter case, Ianto even points out that it's a fox and distractedly follows the sound, leaving her alone in the first place.
* The Fuchsbau in ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' are Fox-like Wesens.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comics]]
* There are two in [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics:]] Alopex is a mutant Artic fox; Kitsune is a {{kitsune}}.

[[/folder]]

The fox is no different. Foxes are nocturnal hunters, with an eerie, haunting cry, and a reputation for almost supernatural cunning and cleverness. It is no surprise that their mythological counterparts draw their inspiration from these traits.

Since foxes 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.

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. 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}}.

* Reynard Fossman in the ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'' books is a fae with red hair, a pointy face and an aura of disreputability that makes PC Grant want to arrest him on general principles. In ''The Hanging Tree'' he turns out to be a [[LegacyCharacter descendant]] of the original Reynard. Possibly CunningLikeAFox, but not nearly as much as the thinks, with a tendency to get in over his head. Also possibly a shapeshifter, since in a fight he ''almost'' seems to grow a muzzle before he starts biting people.

* Reynaldo, the main protagonist in ''Stories: The Path of Destiny'', is a fox.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' introduces Zorua and Zoroark, which are based on foxes and can create illusions in addition to the {{Kitsune}}-based Vulpix and Ninetales from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' and [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY sixth generation]] starter Fennekin. The Eeveelutions also resemble foxes, except for Espeon (based on a [[{{Youkai}} nekomata]]).

* The eponymous character of ''{{Laon}}''.

[[folder:Films: Animated]]

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.