Kitsune is the name for the fox as both an animal and a spirit.
For centuries, Japanese folklore has featured beautiful people with supernatural or spiritual abilities.
Stories of captivating, ethereal women tricking men for various reasons are often told by Kitsune, who use their powers of transformation and deception.
Kitsune can also be associated with Inari the god and serve as his messengers.
However, this doesn’t mean that kitsune can’t be female or have to be human.
Although they often have yellow eyes and white hair, anime creators are not afraid to use creative license when creating these spirits.
Updated by Garima Singh on June 3rd, 2024.
While their religious aspect is the main focus, they can also be used as a battle companion or source of power.
Let’s have a look at the 12 best kitsune anime:
12. Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja, has big dreams.
He dreams of one day becoming the best ninja and village leader and makes big proclamations about his plans.
People aren’t putting up with his silly antics, it’s the fact that Naruto has had the Nine-Tailed Fox (or Kyuubi) sealed within him since he was a child.
This gives Naruto enhanced abilities, but also isolation from other people who fear that he will bring down the village.
Naruto must resist Kyuubi’s cruel words and his cynical voice, which encourages him to destroy everything, to keep his heart from being crushed.
The anime focuses mainly on Naruto’s journey to become Hokage, as well as the lives and battles with the other ninjas that he meets along the way.
However, his life is shaped by the kitsune within him.
Naruto’s extraordinary power sets him apart and inspires fear, envy, and hatred.
The Nine-Tailed Fox is becoming more prominent in the series, and we get to see more of his power as it goes along.
We don’t see much of the kitsune due to the length of the anime, so Naruto is our first choice.
11. Inukami
Keita is a descendant of the powerful and prestigious Kawahira family, a family full of Inukami (dog god tamers) who protect the world against evil.
However, Keita spends most of his time thinking about girls.
Keita doesn’t let his family’s disapproval discourage or discourage him.
He often complains that the work isn’t interesting to him.
He finds it fitting that the Inukami with whom he has a contract is selfish, emotional, and a troublemaker.
Youko, unlike the other Inukami, cares more about Keita going on dates with him or punishing his womanizing ways.
At her discretion, she uses her power to punish evil spirits and her troublesome owner.
Although Youko is open about her love for Keita and their relationship, there is a secret that she fears could cause them to split.
You probably realized by the inclusion of this show on the list that Youko isn’t an Inukami.
She is a kitsune and tried to trick Keita into believing she was an Inukami to make them grow closer.
Youko, like foxes, is secretive and enjoys using her powers to have fun.
10. Inari, Kon Kon, Koi Iroha (Inari Kon Kon)
Inari, a sweet but timid girl, can’t seem to get a break when she runs late for school and meets a fox pup who needs her help.
Inari is unable to ignore the poor creature and rushes to save it.
She ends up in a river.
She accepts that she is late and takes the pup to the Inari shrine.
There, she wins the love of the God who resides there.
Uka-sama grants Inari the ability to become another person, and the pup Inari saved is her familiar.
But she may find that having the power of a God is too much.
Inari Kon Kon is home to many kitsunes, but they mostly stay in one fox form.
They can communicate, float, and serve as intermediaries between God and humans.
Uka-sama sometimes makes them turn into video game consoles to play dating sims, which she seems to enjoy very much.
As Kon, Inari’s kitsune familiar tries to offer her advice on love and her transforming power, we mostly see Kon.
Inari is ranked 10 because the story is more about humans than about kitsunes.
9. Inu x Boku SS (Inu x Boku Secret Service)
Ririchiyo, a misunderstood young girl who is secretly lonely, decides to move out of her family’s estate and live alone in an apartment complex.
The tenants have to be selected.
She is determined to be more honest and kind and will live alone until she can communicate with others without hurting them.
It shakes her resolve when a man appears, claiming to be her servant and wanting to do nothing but take care of all her needs.
Ririchiyo struggles to keep the warm and welcoming tenants away, especially since they have something in common… being descendants of different youkai (demons/spirits).
Inu x Boku has many youkai. Soushi is a servant to Ririchiyo and a kitsune.
Soushi uses his swordsmanship and transformations to fend off both supernatural and human attackers.
Although it is not revealed until later, Soushi has a unique element of trickery that is key to Fox spirits.
8. Kamisama Kiss
Kamisama Kiss stars the broke and homeless Nanami, who’s suddenly approached by a mysterious man named Mikage.
She accepts his offer and soon realizes the implications.
Mikage, the Earth Deity of Mikage shrine, gives Nanami his godly position after she takes up residence there.
She is not only the shrine’s new land god but also inherits a temperamental Fox Yokai named Tomoe to be her familiar.
He is several hundred years old but appears to be a young adult, who has his hair cut to blend better with the humans.
Tomoe is a powerful supernatural being who can defeat all yokai in this world.
Tomoe, a kitsune-yokai who has abandonment issues and distrusts Nanami, actively attempts to make Nanami’s life difficult so that she will leave the shrine.
He initially refuses to become familiar and escapes to the supernatural world to partake in lazy debauchery while leaving Nanami to fend for herself.
Nanami, however, is grateful for her home and takes her godly duties seriously.
As Kamisama’s kiss continues to unfold, Tomoe’s wild and rebellious personality begins to fade as he comes to understand Nanami and agrees that he will become her protective fox familiar.
7. Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Kohina, a self-described living doll, decides that he will test the legend that if you play Kokkuri-san alone, the spirit will haunt you.
Sure enough, Kohina summons a white-haired fox-eared man to visit her during the incantation.
But he is shocked at her living situation!
The fox spirit assumes the role of a housekeeper, trying to help Kohina have a normal childhood.
A normal childhood is not possible for a girl who attracts many spirits.
Fox spirits are said to place freedom first, but Kokkuri-san spent no time focusing all his energy on Kohina.
Later, it was revealed that Kokkurisan used to be venerated as a god.
However, as people started to forget, Kohina continued to visit his shrine.
Kokkuri-san prefers to remain Kohina’s guardian and not return to his glory as a worshipped kitsune.
He does, however, enjoy using his powers of transformation, much to Kohina’s delight.
6. Inuyasha
Inuyasha is a yokai and kitsune fan’s dream.
This anime is set in a feudal period that was full of half-demons and demons.
There are many yokai spirits of every type.
Inuyasha has the appearance of a kitsune character, with his ears and white hair.
However, he is a Great Dog Demon.
Fans who assumed Inuyasha was a kitsune-yokai may be confused by this contradiction.
Although Inuyasha may not be related, his travel companion may be.
Shippo, a young kitsune, was killed by his father, a great Fox Demon.
Shippo, despite his desire to revenge his father’s death, is too young and ineffective to accomplish this feat on his own.
Soon, he meets Kagome and Inuyasha.
He joins them as they search for the Shikon Jewel fragments.
Shippo is a master of deception and tricks, just like the nine-tailed fox he was based on.
5. Otome Yokai Zakuro (Zakuro)
Tensions between youkai and humans have increased with the increase in Westernization in Japan.
Youkai are being treated as subhuman beings and their homes are being demolished.
To investigate and resolve any problems that may arise, a coalition is formed between the army and several half-kitsune daughters.
Kei is a fearful human who is afraid of youkai.
Zakuro, a proud half-kitsune who can’t believe how Westerners are replacing their traditional ways with modern ones, is the opposite.
If they want to be partners and achieve peace for their species, they will need to get to know each other better.
Otome Yokai Zakuro already has multiple fox girls, which is a great plus.
This anime shows a more spiritual side of kitsune and youkai, even though the girls lack the mischievousness and trickery associated with their type.
However, this can be attributed to their human side.
This show is great, and a little more serious than others.
The spiritual aspect of how the girls fight is also fascinating.
4. Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast For Spirits
Kakuriyo: Kakuriyo is a Bed & Breakfast for Spirits that stars Aoi Takaaki, a college student who can see yokai through her grandmother.
Soon, she meets an Ogre at the Torii shrine.
She gives him food because he says he is hungry.
The Ogre yokai, however, takes Aoi to the Hidden Realm and tells her to marry him to pay back her grandmother’s debt.
He agrees to let her work at his inn, and she negotiates with him.
Aoi can meet several spirits while working at the Tenjinya bed-and-breakfast in the Hidden Realm.
Ginji, a kitsune yokai, is also there.
Ginji, the young master of the inn, is a white-haired, blue-eyed, white-fox-eared anime kitsune.
He has nine whitetails that aren’t always visible.
To match his spirit, he also has a white mask.
He can change into nine different versions of himself, including a woman, a child, and a full-grown fox.
Ginji is kind, cheerful, and friendly to Aoi.
However, Kakuriyo considers him a manipulative and clever kitsune-yokai.
3. Gingitsune (Gingitsune: Messenger Fox of the Gods)
Gintarou, the kitsune herald at the Saeki family shrine, is only Makoto’s view.
Gin is her affectionate name and she often asks him for his help in helping her friends and telling their fortunes.
Although Makoto and Gintaro are both descendants of an ancient and revered spirit, they share a special bond.
They work together to preserve the faith of the community and provide wisdom for those who seek it.
Gingitsune is a wonderful example of a kitsune playing the role of Inari’s messenger in the legends.
His fox fire allows him to fly and can predict the future.
Although he is a messenger of God, he lives at the temple and his words are only known by Makoto.
Makoto, a young teenager, often demands Gintaro’s assistance.
He finds it refreshing to have such strong bonds, which go beyond hate and reverence.
Gingitsune tracks the lives of these two men as they try to fulfill their roles.
2. Kanokon (Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried, Fox)
Kouta is inseparable from Chizuru, and the whole high school knows this.
They don’t realize that Chizuru, while Kouta is a normal boy, is a kitsune.
Kouta is initially frightened that Chizuru will reject her.
Kouta, however, proves Chizuru’s love is real. Kouta is far less concerned about him being hurt than she is about her taking his innocence.
Kouta discovers that Chizuru isn’t the only one at school… And she isn’t the only one after his heart!
Kanokon’s fox spirit, Chizuru, is a representation of many of the kitsune powers.
She is mischievous, sneaky, and will do anything she wants.
She can transform herself and transform Keita into a more powerful being.
1. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (Our Home’s Fox Deity)
Toru and Noboru, decedents of the Mizuchi bloodline, are associated with the element of water.
They have defeated youkai throughout the centuries and have always relied on a female to wield their power.
The last priestess died, and her sons became a target for youkai.
Tenko Kugen, a powerful kitsune, was granted freedom in return for protecting Toru or Noboru.
Kugen will have a lot of work ahead of her, as these boys seem to be attracting all sorts of trouble.
Wagaya no Oinari-sama, a great kitsune anime, is a wonderful kitsune anime.
It shows the kitsune as much more than a person with fox ears or superpowers.
Kuugen uses her transformations often, switching between male and feminine, a fox, or even mixing her human and fox forms.
Her archaic style of speaking reminds you that she is from another time.
Her fascination with human technology and customs further shows her to be an entity different.
While she will often do what she likes with humans, she still reveres God and benevolent spirits.
Wagaya no Oinarisama is therefore our number one kitsune anime.
We have it!
There isn’t enough anime that focuses on kitsunes.
Kitsune are captivating and fascinating creatures.
While many shows focus more on the supernatural or youkai, with kitsune as supporting characters in these shows, that’s not what this site is about.
This list should help you learn more about kitsunes or if they are something you love.
We discussed kitsune as super-powered fighters, spirits that follow their agendas, supernatural heroes, and spirits that are following their path.
Which role is most important to you?
Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.
