Highlights
- Anime kitsune, like Kugen Tenko and Tomoe, have multifaceted personalities that captivate viewers with their protective and playful behavior.
- Renamon from Digimon embodies the aesthetic of the kitsune, blending modern digital concepts with ancient folklore.
- Characters like Senko and Yasaka showcase the nurturing and majestic sides of kitsune, offering comfort and protection to those around them.
Kitsune, the mythical foxes of Japanese folklore, have long fascinated audiences with their shape-shifting abilities, cunning nature, and rich symbolic significance. In the realm of anime, these creatures have been reimagined and reintroduced in different ways, blending traditional lore with contemporary narratives.
Whether protective spirits like Tomoe from Kamisama Kiss or misconceived powerful foxes like Kurama in Naruto, anime kitsune have diverse characteristics that captivate viewers. This list delves into the best anime kitsune, exploring their multifaceted personalities, their stories' cultural contexts, and the unique blend of ancient Japanese mythology and modern storytelling that defines their presence in the anime world.
10 Kugen Tenko - Our Home's Fox Deity
Kugen Tenko is a prominent character from Our Home's Fox Deity. Kugen is an ancient fox deity known for both mischief and power. After being sealed for centuries due to misbehavior, Kugen is released to protect the Takagami family from evil spirits.
With its unique gender-switching ability, Kugen can transform into a male or female form, adapting its appearance to different situations and moods. While Kugen is highly protective of the Takagami brothers, the deity also exhibits playful and sometimes childish behavior, making it a multidimensional character.
9 Tomoe - Kamisama Kiss
Tomoe is a central figure in the romance anime series Kamisama Kiss. He is a powerful traditional fox familiar with his elegant, silver-haired appearance and two fox ears. Initially serving the land god Mikage, he becomes reluctantly bound to the story's protagonist, Nanami Momozono, when she becomes the new land god.
Tomoe is fiercely loyal and protective, with a deep sense of duty. Despite his often cold and disdainful demeanor, especially towards humans, he gradually warms up to Nanami, leading to a complex and evolving relationship.
8 Renamon - Digimon
Renamon is a fox-like Digital Monster from the Digimon multimedia franchise. Renamon embodies the aesthetic of the kitsune from Japanese folklore and is an elegant, anthropomorphic yellow fox with purple eyes. Unlike many other Digimon, Renamon exudes an aura of maturity and seriousness.
Partnered with Rika Nonaka, their relationship is initially strained, with Rika seeing Digimon merely as data for battles. However, as they face various challenges, the bond between them deepens. Renamon is a unique and iconic Digimon character, blending modern digital concepts with ancient folklore.
7 Yuzu - Konohana Kitan
Yuzu is the central character in the anime series Konohana Kitan. Set in a world inhabited by humans and supernatural creatures, the story revolves around daily life at Konohanatei, a traditional inn between the realms. Yuzu, a young fox girl, starts working at this inn without memories of her past.
Her interactions with guests and fellow fox-girl employees offer heartwarming tales and life lessons. Each episode dives into different aspects of Japanese folklore, customs, and the changing seasons, with Yuzu's perspective bringing fresh insights and emotional depth.
6 Catarina Devon - One Piece
Catarina Devon is a strong female character from Eiichiro Oda's famed manga and anime series, One Piece. As a member of the Blackbeard Pirates, she is known as the Crescent Moon Hunter. Infamous for her cruel history of hunting women, she was incarcerated in Level 6 of Impel Down before being freed by Blackbeard.
After the events of the Whole Cake Island arc, it's revealed that she has consumed a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, which allows her to transform into a nine-tailed fox, drawing parallels with the kitsune of Japanese folklore.
5 Senko - The Helpful Fox Senko-San
Senko is the titular character of the anime and manga series The Helpful Fox Senko-san. She is an 800-year-old kitsune who descends from her celestial dwelling to alleviate the weary life of Kuroto Nakano, a modern-day salaryman overwhelmed by work and loneliness.
Senko assumes the appearance of a young girl with fox ears and a fluffy tail, exuding an aura of warmth and motherly affection. Throughout the series, Senko employs her supernatural abilities and age-old wisdom to provide comfort, cook meals, and offer a listening ear to Kuroto.
4 Shippo - Inuyasha
Shippo is a young fox demon character from the anime Inuyasha. As a kitsune, Shippo can shapeshift, although his transformations aren't always perfect due to his age and inexperience. He encounters the main characters, Kagome and Inuyasha, after losing his father to the Thunder Brothers.
Shippo becomes integral to Inuyasha's group, providing comedic relief with his playful antics and naive nature. Beneath his mischievous exterior, Shippo is loyal and deeply values the bonds he forms with the group, especially looking up to Inuyasha as an older brother.
3 Yasaka - High School DxD Hero
Yasaka has a notable role in High School DxD Hero anime series. She is a nine-tailed fox and the leader of the Kyoto Youkai faction, making her an influential figure in the series' supernatural world. Yasaka's golden hair and vibrant tails epitomize the elegance and majesty associated with traditional kitsune.
As the mother of Kunou, she portrays a protective and nurturing side, especially when Kunou's safety is at stake. However, Yasaka becomes central to the plot when she's kidnapped, leading Issei Yasaka and his team on a rescue mission in Kyoto.
2 Kurama - Naruto
Kurama, commonly referred to as the Nine-Tails or Kyuubi, is a central character in Naruto. He is one of the Tailed Beasts, ancient creatures with immense chakra. The Sage of the Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, created the Tailed Beasts to prevent the Ten-Tails' power from wreaking havoc.
Kurama, specifically, is known for his destructive capability and volatile temper. He is imprisoned within several hosts, but the most notable container is the series' protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki. As Naruto seeks to understand and befriend Kurama, their bond strengthens.
1 Tamamo-No-Mae - Fate/Extra
Tamamo-no-Mae is a captivating character from the Fate/Extra universe. She is presented as a Caster-class servant, an ancient fox spirit with immense magical abilities. With her nine fluffy tails and traditional attire, she carries the classic appearance of a kitsune.
Historically, Tamamo-no-Mae is remembered as a beautiful woman who turned out to be a fox in disguise, and in some tales, she's said to have served in the imperial court. In Fate/Extra, she becomes the protagonist, Hakuno's servant, and showcases a playful, loyal, yet sometimes mischievous demeanor.