The nine-tailed fox () is a mythical fox entity originating from the mythology of China.
In Asian literature
The first recorded appearance of the nine-tailed fox can be found in the ancient Chinese text, Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), which was compiled sometime between the Warring States period and the early Han dynasty (circa 475 BCE – 141 BCE). The text states: "In the land of Qingqiu, there lives a fox with nine tails."
In Chinese classical texts and the poetic tradition of the Tang Dynasty, “Qingqiu” was originally a mythologized geographical image, often used to refer to distant lands in the east. Tang poets some time used “Qingqiu” as a general reference to eastern states such as Goguryeo and Baekje, or to surrounding regions.Although Qingqiu is more likely a mythological concept created by blending elements of real geography with imagination, the place that likely inspired it is believed to be in the Heze area of Shandong Province.
In Chinese folklores, foxes are depicted as spirits possessed of magic power. These foxes are often depicted as mischievous, usually tricking other people, with the ability to disguise themselves as a beautiful man or woman.
Describing the transformation and other features of the fox, Guo Pu (276–324) made the following comment:
In other articles, it is said that" “The fox demon from Heaven was incarnated as this woman to bring disaster to the Shang Dynasty.” “Once in human form, fox spirits would take advantage of mortal humans…. However, there are several exceptions to this general rule. Some stories describe fox spirits as having a strong sense of honor.”
The Youyang Zazu made a connection between nine-tailed foxes and the divine:
In European literature The Brothers Grimm tale titled "The Wedding of Mrs. Fox" (German: Die Hochzeit der Frau Füchsin), remains a unique European example where the nine tails symbolize superficial value and prestige.
In popular culture Each of the nine-tailed fox appearances are listed in each section in order by year:
Games Tails in Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (1992) Ninetales in Pokémon (1996) Nine-Tailed Fox, final boss in Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (2003) Ran Yakumo, extra stage boss in Perfect Cherry Blossom (2003) Nine-Tailed Fox, a boss in Blood Will Tell (2004) Ninetails, a boss in Okami (2006) Ahri(아리) in League of Legends (2009) Mobile Task Force Epsilon-11 in SCP – Containment Breach (2012) Kyubi, Frostail and Darkyubi in Yo-kai Watch (2013) Da Ji in Smite (2017) Nine-Tailed Fox, a boss in Nioh (2017) Nine Tails, Guardian Spirit in Nioh 2 (2020) Yae Miko in Genshin Impact (2020) Nine-Tailed Fox, a boss in World of Demons (2021) Nine-Tailed Fox, a boss in Getsu Fūma Den: Undying Moon (2022) Shichibi and Kyubi, two bosses in Silent Hill f (2025) The Kitsune, a boss in Ghost of Yōtei (2025) White Fox in Marvel Rivals (2026) Hsin in Wuthering Waves (2026)
Literature, graphic novels, comics Murphy in Maris the Chojo (1980) Kurama in YuYu Hakusho (1990) Sakura in Hyper Police (1993) Kurama in Naruto (1999) Kyubimon in Digimon Tamers (2001) Nine tails Guardian The God of Highschool (2011) Lico in The Demon Girl Next Door (2014) Fox Spirit Matchmaker (2015) The Helpful Fox Senko-san (2017) Shuos Jedao in Machineries of Empire (2016) One Hundred Ghost Tales From China and Japan by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1865) Mobile Task Force Epsilon-11 and SCP-953 in SCP Foundation (2007) Kyubi in Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato (2011) Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (2021) [Devon] in [one piece]
Film Painted Skin (2008) and its sequel (2012) A Chinese Fairy Tale (2011) League of Gods (2016) Once Upon a Time (2017) Hanson and the Beast (2017) The Legend of Hei (2019) Jiang Ziyia (2020) Soul Snatcher (2020) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), the Jiu Wei Hu is among the creatures residing in Ta Lo Umma (2022)
TV series Murphy in Maris the Chojo (1986) Sakura in Hyper Police (1997) The Legend of Nezha (2003) Strange Tales of Liao Zhai (2005) The Legend and the Hero (2007) and its sequel (2009) My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho (2010) Gu Family Book (2013) The Investiture of the Gods (2014) and The Investiture of the Gods 2 (2015) Legend of Nine Tails Fox (2016) Fox in the Screen (2016) Eternal Love (2017) Moonshine and Valentine (2017) Beauties in the Closet (2018) Investiture of the Gods (2019) Love, Death & Robots Episode 8 (2019) The Life of White Fox (2019) Eternal Love of Dream (2020) Kumiho in Lovecraft Country Episode 6 "Meet Me in Daegu" (2020) Lee Dong Wook in Tale Of The Nine Tailed (2020) My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021) In Kamen Rider Geats (2022), the main character's motif is based on the Nine-tailed fox. Additionally, the main character's final form takes the form of the Nine-tailed fox motif. In Sonic Prime (2022–2024), Nine is an alternative version of Tails in another dimension who added seven mechanic tails to his body, making him a nine-tailed fox. Unicorn: Warriors Eternal (2023) The Mickey Mouse Funhouse episode "HALT, Tiger" features the character Cho Sook (voiced by Jee Young Han), a shapeshifter residing in the Land of Myth and Legend's Shadow Mountain who can turn into a nine-tailed fox. Jentry Chau vs The Underworld (2024): A nine-tailed fox spirit comes out of Jentry's portal to Diyu and attacks Ed. No Tail to Tell (2026) Veil of Shadows (2026)
See also Hồ ly tinh Huli jing Huxian, Fox Immortal Inari Ōkami, Japanese kami Kitsune Kumiho Nine-tailed turtle
Citations
General and cited references