More often than not, the kitsune and the tanuki are contrasted with each other. It is popularly believed that the kitsune is more magically powerful, but the tanuki is more skilled at transformations; one common Japanese saying goes that the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight.
Evil Japanese Foxes: Nogitsune (野狐)
For their own entertainment, these kitsune can bring down even the most devout priest. They rarely attack women but prefer to possess them instead. Then, using their fox fire kitsune ability, they lure unsuspecting men to their doom.
Like many tribes who share so much in common, they are also rivals. And while they rarely (if ever) engage in knock-down, drag-out fights, confrontations between kitsune and tanuki do happen occasionally.
Appearance: Tenko are good kitsune which possess divine powers. Of all the kinds of kitsune, they are the highest ranking. Usually they are described as having lived for one thousand years, possessing golden, silver, or white fur, and multiple (usually four) bushy tails.
While the Kitsune is associated with sharper intelligence and either a dignified or malicious intent behind its usual trickery, especially because of its association with the Shinto god Inari, Tanuki are often described as unclever and humorous in its trickery.
The bakeneko (化け猫, "changed cat") is a type of Japanese yōkai, or supernatural entity; more specifically, it is a kaibyō, or supernatural cat.
More often than not, the kitsune and the tanuki are contrasted with each other. It is popularly believed that the kitsune is more magically powerful, but the tanuki is more skilled at transformations; one common Japanese saying goes that the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight.
These fox spirits were adopted to Japanese culture through merchants as kyūbi no kitsune (九尾の狐, lit. 'nine-tailed fox').
The nine-tailed fox is supposedly so powerful that they can see and hear anything happening anywhere in the world. They also have an infinite amount of wisdom. Even better, if they live 1000 years, they will turn white or gold in color and become a tenko, a heavenly fox who ascends to heaven.
Good kitsune are often thought to be associated with the deity Inari, one of the chief kami (or holy spirit) in Japan's Shintō religion. Inari is primarily known as the protector god of rice cultivation and is said to further prosperity and therefore is worshiped by merchants and farmers.
A nine-tailed fox spirit or better known as Kitsune, Tamamo is hell-bent on causing chaos and mayhem across the country by disguising herself as a concubine of several kings and also responsible for plunging Japan into a civil war after her death.
In Japanese mythology, there are said to be 13 types of kitsune, which correspond to different elements—celestial, wind, spirit, darkness, fire, earth, river, ocean, forest, mountain, thunder, sound, and time. Broadly, they can also be broken into two groups—zenko, or good, and nogitsune, or bad.
Canidae: Kitsunes are known to have a great fear and hatred of dogs and wolves. Some become so rattled by the presence of that they will revert to the shape of a fox and flee.
Huli jing (Chinese: 狐狸精) are Chinese mythological creatures usually capable of shapeshifting, who may either be benevolent or malevolent spirits.
Japanese folklore states that kitsune become stronger and wiser as they age while gradually growing more tails. Since the number of tails they have directly correlates to its age and power, kitsune with nine tails are held in the highest regard.
Kitsune feed on life-force, just as vampires do. However, they do this through stealing memories rather than through drinking blood.
Most Kitsune are female; males are fairly rare. They are typically clever creatures that enjoy matching wits with other beings, giving them a reputation for trickery and deceit among other races, and sport a great curiosity about all aspects of life, especially when it comes to people.
Though kitsune may flirt or seduce their prey to get closer to them, it is preferred if they feed only off the wicked or have a willing partner.
The character was inspired by a kitsune, a creature from Japanese folklore that could over time grow multiple tails. The character was also meant to hold a "deep admiration for Sonic".
Inugami (犬神, "dog god/spirit"), like kitsunetsuki, is a spiritual possession by the spirit of a dog, widely known about in western Japan.
A half-kitsune might be born without a tail or without their fox ears, but never without one or the other. Due to their showing features they are often called "fox ears" or "fox tail" by other pure humans.
Inari's foxes, or kitsune, are pure white and act as their messengers. According to myth, Inari, as a goddess, was said to have come to Japan at the time of its creation amidst a harsh famine that struck the land.
A Kitsune must be of at least Kūko rank to provide a whisker or claw for wandmaking, and vary in power from twice the magical strength of a Kiko to being Kyuubi close to achieving the rank of Tenko. The lowest rank is the Kiko, being the weakest Kitsune.
Similar to Fae, Kitsunes have a weakness to Iron, though it can make them weaker, aside from removing their tails, the only way to kill a Kitsune is to drive an Iron rod or spike through their heart.
The comical image of the tanuki having a large scrotum is thought to have developed during the Kamakura era, where goldsmiths would use tanuki pelts for the process of hammering gold nuggets into leaf. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travelers' packs, or using them as drums.