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Look at her tails! Disgusting kitsune! She's tried to disguise her monstrous nature!
~ Ryogan to the Emperor, Fairest #9 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Two: Hard-Boiled Wonderland"


Kitsune are a Fable species, one of which, Tomoko, lives in hiding in Tokyo, Japan. It debuts in Fairest #8 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter One: Big in Japan."

Physiology

In their regular form, kitsune appear as a hybrid creature with a human body and a fox's head. They can also take human shape, but even then, they always have many bushy tails: When Tomoko was expelled from the Celestial Palace, she had three fox tails; by the time she was reunited with Rapunzel, that number had increased to six.[1]

Kitsune have been known to bite humans and feed on their blood, with or without their consent. They have also been known to enter into romantic or sexual relationships with humans.[1]

They keep their soul outside their body in a foxfire, a portable, glowing, burning orb.[1] They can use this foxfire to bend others to their will, and others can do the same by stealing their foxfire and use it to enforce their will and influence others to their own interest. However, if a kitsune goes without her foxfire for too long,[2] or the orb is destroyed, they will die.[3]

Appearances

Fairest

Original source

Kitsune ("fox" or "fox spirit"[4]) are trickster foxes from Japanese folklore. They are a form of yōkai known for their paranormal abilities, particularly their talent for metamorphosis. These abilities are believed to enhance with age. Kitsune are thought to have lifespans that can reach hundreds or even thousands of years.[5] Kitsune grow a new tail every hundred years, and can have up to nine tails.[4] Foxfire, an eerie, ghostly light that may appear on the ground after dark, is thought to be generated when a kitsune rubs its furry tails together.[6]

They are generally categorized into two distinct types: the mischievous and the good. Good kitsune are frequently believed to have a connection with the deity Inari. One type of good kitsune are deities known as tenko. These entities are said to be hundreds of years old and endowed with great power. They inhabit the sky and often take the form of female figures resembling humans.[5]

Mischievous kitsune are depicted as mischievous tricksters. Similar to the tenko, they have the ability to assume human form. However, this transformation is not entirely flawless, as kitsune typically maintain some fox-like characteristics. In traditional tales, they are known to possess women and, while feeding off their host's life force, they seduce men whom they intend to deceive.[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fairest #9 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Two: Hard-Boiled Wonderland"
  2. Fairest #11 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Four: The Bad Sleep Well"
  3. Fairest #13 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Six: The Hundred Demons Night Parade"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Kitsune, the Japanese Fox with Multiple Powers and its Meaning, Japan Avenue. "The term kitsune can be translated as "fox" or "fox spirit" in Japanese." (...) The kitsune yokai has a similar appearance to the common fox, however it has multiple tails. To know the age of the Kitsune, you just have to count the number of tails it has. Every hundred years, this mythical creature grows a new tail. A Kitsune can have up to nine tails, a sign of advanced experience and wisdom."
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Martin, Roland. Kitsune, Encylopædia Britannica.
  6. What is Kitsune? Types — Tales & Everything You Need to Know, Japanese Oni Masks. "Foxfire is an eerie, ghostly light that sometimes appears on the ground at night. It's said to be created when a kitsune rubs its furry tails together."


See also

Fables
Series FablesJack of FablesFairestFables: The Wolf Among UsEverafter: From the Pages of Fables
Specials Fables: 1001 Nights of SnowfallPeter & Max: A Fables NovelCinderella: From Fabletown with LoveCinderella: Fables Are ForeverThe LiteralsFables: Werewolves of the HeartlandFairest: In All the LandThe Unwritten FablesBatman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham
Characters Bigby WolfSnow WhiteRose RedPrince CharmingBeautyBeastBoy BlueFlycatcherKing ColeFrau TotenkinderGeppettoSnow QueenNorth WindJack HornerBufkin
Video games The Wolf Among UsThe Wolf Among Us 2 (unreleased)
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