The

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

appears in the

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

of many cultures, but especially European and East Asian, as a figure of cunning,

trickery In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwise ...

, or as a familiar animal possessed of magic powers, and sometimes associated with

transformation Transformation may refer to: Science and mathematics In biology and medicine * Metamorphosis, the biological process of changing physical form after birth or hatching * Malignant transformation, the process of cells becoming cancerous * Trans ...

Literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

, film, television, games, music, and other forms of cultural expression may reflect the folklore image and reputation. The term "foxy" in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

("having the qualities of a fox") can also connote attractiveness, sexiness, or being red-haired. The term "to outfox" means "to beat in a competition of wits", similarly to "outguess", "outsmart", and "outwit".

In folklore and wisdom

Africa

Dogon Dogon may refer to: *Dogon people, an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa *Dogon languages The Dogon languages are a small closely related language family that is spoken by the Dogon people of Mali and may ...

mythology, the fox is reported to be either the trickster god of the desert, who embodies chaos or a messenger for the gods. There is a

Tswana Tswana may refer to: * Tswana people, the Bantu languages, Bantu speaking people in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other Southern Africa regions * Tswana language, the language spoken by the (Ba)Tswana people * Tswanaland, ...

riddle that says that ''"Phokoje go tsela o dithetsenya'' nly the muddy fox livesmeaning that, in a philosophical sense, 'only an active person who does not mind getting muddy gets to progress in life.'

Europe

Kuma Lisa Kuma Lisa ( Macedonian and or Godmother Fox translated literally into English) or Lisa Patrikeyevna (, meaning Fox Patrikas's-daughter, named after prince Patrikas, who was known as a very sly politician) or Lysychka-sestrychka ( which means F ...

is a female fox from

Bulgarian folklore The main Bulgarian celebration events are : * Baba Marta, all of March, beginning with the 1st of march * Nestinari * Kukeri * Koleda (Christmas), Koledari * Velikden (Easter) * Name Days * International Mother's Day, March 8 * Independence ...

and

Russian folklore The Russian folklore, i.e., the folklore of Russian people, takes its roots in the pagan beliefs of ancient Slavs and now is represented in the Russian fairy tales. Epic Russian bylinas are also an important part of Slavic paganism. The oldest ...

who usually plays the role of the

trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherw ...

. Kuma Lisa is encountered with another character known as Kumcho Vulcho – a

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

which is opposite to her and very often suffers from her tricks. Veronika Makarova writes that in Western European folklore, words relating to foxes, such as French "renard", have a masculine grammatical gender, which is why Western European foxes are usually depicted as male foxes, but the word лисa (''lisa'') in Russian has a feminine grammatical gender, which is why nearly all depictions of foxes in Russian folklore are female. In

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, the trickster figure of the fox (or ''tod'' in traditional Scots) was represented as ''Lowrence'', as in the '' Morall Fabillis'' of

Robert Henryson Robert Henryson (Middle Scots: Robert Henrysoun) was a poet who flourished in Scotland in the period c. 1460–1500. Counted among the Scots language, Scots ''makars'', he lived in the royal burgh of Dunfermline and is a distinctive voice in th ...

. In

Finnish mythology Finnish mythology commonly refers of the folklore of Finnish paganism, of which a Finnish Neopaganism, modern revival is practiced by a small percentage of the Finnish people. It has many shared features with Estonian mythology, Estonian and othe ...

, the fox is usually depicted as a cunning trickster, but seldom evil. The fox, while weaker, in the end outsmarts both the evil and voracious wolf and the strong but not-so-cunning bear. It symbolizes the victory of intelligence over both malevolence and brute strength. In Northern Finland, the fox is said to conjure the aurora borealis while it runs through the snowy hills. When the fox’s fur touches the snow it creates magical sparks and sets the sky ablaze. Still today, the Finnish word for the aurora is "revontulet" which literally translates to "fox-fires". An

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

song dating from the Middle Ages, ''Ai Vis lo Lop'', features a wolf (''lo lop''), a fox (''lo rainard'') and a hare (''lebre'') dancing and circling a tree. It has been suggested that the three animals represent the King, Lord and Church who were responsible for taxation (the lyrics go on to refer to money gained over the year and how nothing was left after seeing 'the wolf, the fox and the hare'). In

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

, foxes, which were associated with wiliness and

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

ulent behavior, were sometimes burned as symbols of the

Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

. In the medieval cycle of

Reynard the Fox Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, ...

, he is a trickster interacting with other anthropomorphic animals in a satire of medieval society.

Middle East

In early

Mesopotamian mythology Mesopotamian mythology refers to the myths, religious texts, and other literature that comes from the region of ancient Mesopotamia which is a historical region of Western Asia, situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system that occupie ...

, the fox is one of the sacred animals of the goddess

Ninhursag Ninḫursaĝ ( ''Ninḫarsang''; ), sometimes transcribed Ninursag, Ninḫarsag, or Ninḫursaĝa, also known as Damgalnuna or Ninmah, was the ancient Sumerian mother goddess of the mountains, and one of the seven great deities of Sumer. She ...

. The fox acts as her messenger. The

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

Song of Solomon The Song of Songs (), also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is a biblical poem, one of the five ("scrolls") in the ('writings'), the last section of the Tanakh. Unlike other books in the Hebrew Bible, it is erotic poe ...

(2:15) includes a well-known verse ''"Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom"'' which had been given many interpretations over the centuries by Jewish and Christian Bible commentators. To the Jewish sage

Matteya ben Heresh Matteya ben Heresh or Mattithiah (Hebrew: מתיא בן חרש) was a Roman tanna of the 2nd century. Biography He was born in Judea, probably a pupil of R. Ishmael, and certainly a contemporary and friend of his pupils R. Josiah and R. Jon ...

, of the 2nd century CE, is attributed the maxim: "Meet each man with friendly greeting; be the tail among lions rather than the head among foxes". "The head among foxes" in this context is similar to the English expression "A big fish in a small pond". "Fox fables" are attributed to

Rabbi Meir Rabbi Meir () was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was one of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139–163), and a disciple of Rabbi Akiva. He is the second most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah and is mentioned ...

and

Johanan ben Zakai Yohanan ben Zakkai (; 1st century CE), sometimes abbreviated as for Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, was a tanna, an important Jewish sage during the late Second Temple period during the transformative post-destruction era. He was a primary cont ...

, and appeared in a compilation under that name by

Berechiah ha-Nakdan Berechiah ben Natronai Krespia ha-Nakdan (; ) was a Jewish exegete, ethical writer, grammarian, translator, poet, and philosopher. His best-known works are '' Mishlè Shu'alim'' ("Fox Fables") and ''Sefer ha-Ḥibbur'' (The Book of Compilation) ...

; the term in fact refers also to fables featuring animals other than foxes.

East Asia

Prince Hanzoku terrorised by a nine- tailed fox

Classic of Mountains and Seas The ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'', also known as ''Shanhai jing'' (), formerly romanized as the ''Shan-hai Ching'', is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed si ...

(edited by Liu Xiang in Han Dynasty and probably composed by people before Qin Dynasty), foxes eat people, and predict war. In Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese folklores, foxes (''

huli jing Huli jing () are Chinese mythological creatures usually capable of shapeshifting, who may either be benevolent or malevolent spirits. In Chinese mythology and folklore, the fox spirit takes variant forms with different meanings, powers, charact ...

'' in China, ''

kitsune The , in popular Japanese tradition, are foxes or fox spirits that possess supernatural abilities such as shapeshifting, and capable of bewitching people. General overview , though literally a 'fox', becomes in folklore a ' fox spirit', o ...

'' in Japan, ''

kumiho A ''kumiho'' or ''gumiho'' (, literally " nine-tailed fox") is a creature that appears in the folktales of East Asia and legends of Korea. It is similar to the Chinese , the Japanese and the Vietnamese . It can freely transform into a beautiful ...

'' in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, and ''

hồ ly tinh Hồ is a Vietnamese word. It may refer to: *Hồ (surname), a Vietnamese surname *Hồ dynasty of Vietnam *Hồ, Bắc Ninh, a township and capital of Thuận Thành District {{disambiguation ...

'' in Vietnam) are powerful spirits that are known for their highly mischievous and cunning nature, and they often take on the form of female humans to seduce men. In contemporary Chinese, the word ''huli jing'' is often used to describe a mistress negatively in an extramarital affair. In

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

of Japan, kitsune sometimes help people as an errand of their deity, Inari.

Americas

The Moche people of ancient

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

worshipped animals and often depicted the fox in their art. The Moche people believed the fox to be a warrior that would use his mind to fight. The fox would not ever use physical attack, only mental. In the

Uncle Remus Uncle Remus is the fictional title character and narrator of a collection of African American folktales compiled and adapted by Joel Chandler Harris and published in book form in 1881. Harris was a journalist in post–Reconstruction era Atlant ...

collection of 19th-century

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

folktales adapted and compiled by

Joel Chandler Harris Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1848 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a plantation during his t ...

, "

Br'er Fox Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear (also spelled Brer Fox and Brer Bear, ) are fictional characters from African-American oral traditions popular in the Southern United States. These characters have been recorded by many different folklorists, but are most ...

" is a major character, often acting as the

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Br'er Rabbit Br'er Rabbit ( ; an abbreviation of ''Brother Rabbit'', also spelled Brer Rabbit) is a central figure in an oral tradition passed down by African Americans, African-Americans of the Southern United States and African descendants in the Caribbean ...

Vladimir Bogoraz Vladimir Germanovich Bogoraz (), born Natan Mendelevich Bogoraz () and used the literary pseudonym N. A. Tan (; – May 10, 1936), was a Russian revolutionary, writer and anthropologist, especially known for his studies of the Chukchi people in ...

wrote down a

creation myth A creation myth or cosmogonic myth is a type of cosmogony, a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it., "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Cre ...

he allegedly heard from the

Chukchi people The Chukchi, or Chukchee (, ''ḷygʺoravètḷʹèt, o'ravètḷʹèt''), are a Siberian ethnic group native to the Chukchi Peninsula, the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean all within modern Russia. They s ...

, in which the yellow fox attempts to deceive the Creator of the world for food, but fails, and the

arctic fox The Arctic fox (''Vulpes lagopus''), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small species of fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Tundra#Arctic tundra, Arctic tundra biome. I ...

is cowardly.

In language

As an epithet

The Medieval

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

adventurer

Robert Guiscard Robert Guiscard ( , ; – 17 July 1085), also referred to as Robert de Hauteville, was a Normans, Norman adventurer remembered for his Norman conquest of southern Italy, conquest of southern Italy and Sicily in the 11th century. Robert was born ...

was nicknamed ''"Robert the Fox"'' as well as ''the Resourceful'', ''the Cunning'', ''the Wily'' – underlining the identification of such qualities with foxes. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

Continental Army Officer

Francis Marion Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and t ...

became so adept at attacking and ambushing British forces in the swamps of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

that he became known as the "Swamp Fox". During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the German commander in North Africa,

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...

, was grudgingly nicknamed the "Desert Fox" by his British adversaries, as a tribute to his cunning and skill in operational art. The

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

sociologist and economist

Vilfredo Pareto Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto (; ; born Wilfried Fritz Pareto; 15 July 1848 – 19 August 1923) was an Italian polymath, whose areas of interest included sociology, civil engineering, economics, political science, and philosophy. He made severa ...

(1848–1923) in his ''Trattato di Sociologia Generale'' (1916) developed the concept of an

elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (, from , to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful or wealthy people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. Defined by the ...

social class A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of Dominance hierarchy, hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the Bourgeoisie, capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for exam ...

, which he divided into cunning 'foxes' and violent 'lions'. In his view of society, the

power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

constantly passes from the 'foxes' to the 'lions' and vice versa.

Figures of speech

The words ''fox'' and ''foxy'' have become slang in

English-speaking The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language ...

societies for an individual (most often female) with sex appeal. The word ''vixen'', which is normally the common name for a female fox, is also used to describe an attractive woman—although, in the case of humans, "vixen" tends to imply that the woman in question has a few nasty qualities. The word ''shenanigan'' (a deceitful

confidence trick A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence, irrespons ...

, or

mischief Mischief (or malicious mischief) is the name for a class of criminal offenses that are defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a lega ...

) is considered to be derived from the Irish expression ''sionnachuighim'', meaning "''I play the fox''."

Literature

:''(in chronological order)'' Obake Karuta 3-01

* 4 BC –

Aesop's Fables Aesop's Fables, or the Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a Slavery in ancient Greece, slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 Before the Common Era, BCE. Of varied and unclear origins, the stor ...

from classical antiquity, contain numerous tales involving a fox. * 800 – " Renshi zhuan" (任氏传) he story of Lady Renby Shen Ji-ji,: Story of a love affair between Zheng and a were-fox named Ren. * 921 – ''

Kuzunoha , also written Kuzu-no-Ha, is the name of a popular ''kitsune'' character in Japanese folklore. Her name means ''leaf of arrowroot''. Legend states that she is the mother of Abe no Seimei, the famous onmyōji. Legend A young nobleman, Abe ...

'':

Abe no Seimei , also known as Doujimaru (童子丸), was a Japanese ''onmyōji'', a court official and specialist of ''Onmyōdō'', during the middle of the Heian period.Miller, Laura. "Extreme Makeover for a Heian-era Wizard". ''Mechademia 3: Limits of the H ...

's mother is a kitsune (fox spirit) named Kuzunoha. * 1100 – The medieval story of ''

Reynard Reynard the Fox is a list of literary cycles, literary cycle of medieval allegorical Folklore of the Low Countries, Dutch, English folklore, English, French folklore, French and German folklore, German fables. The first extant versions of the cy ...

'', a classic anthropomorphic epic. * 1390s –

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

The Nun's Priest's Tale "The Nun's Priest's Tale" (Middle English: ''The Nonnes Preestes Tale of the Cok and Hen, Chauntecleer and Pertelote'') is one of ''The Canterbury Tales'' by the Middle English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Composed in the 1390s, it is a beast fabl ...

, based on an incident in the

Reynard cycle Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, ...

. * 1480s –

, ''

The Morall Fabillis of Esope the Phrygian ''The Morall Fabillis of Esope the Phrygian'' is a work of Northern Renaissance literature composed in Middle Scots by the fifteenth century Scottish makar, Robert Henryson. It is a cycle of thirteen connected narrative poems based on fables fr ...

'', where the figure of the fox, as ''Lowrence'', is portrayed in an ongoing rivalry with the wolf. * 1532 –

Niccolò Machiavelli Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise '' The Prince'' (), writte ...

, ''

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( ; ) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and Political philosophy, political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new Prince#Prince as gener ...

'': The successful prince must have the traits of both the lion and the fox. As the lion cannot protect himself from traps and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. * 1567 - 1619 – In

Investiture of the Gods ''The Investiture of the Gods'', also known by its Chinese titles () and is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major Written vernacular Chinese, vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Min ...

(封神演義), a fox spirit named Daji manipulates

King Zhou King Zhou (; ) was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang () or Shou, King of Shang (), the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin (). In Chinese, his name Zhòu ( 紂) also refers to a horse c ...

to be a tyrant. * 1668 –

Jean de la Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, ; ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French Fable, fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''La Fontaine's Fables, Fables'', which provided a model for subs ...

(1621–1695), the French fabulist, brilliantly refashioned Aesop's fables into poems, including some involving the fox such as: ** The Fox and the Crow () **

The Fox and the Stork The Fox and the Stork, also known as The Fox and the Crane, is one of Aesop's fables and is first recorded in the collection of Phaedrus (fabulist), Phaedrus. It is numbered 426 in the Perry Index. The fable and its uses A fox invites a stork ...

() ** The Fox and the Billy Goat () ** The Fox and the Grapes () * 1679 –

Pu Songling Pu Songling ( zh, t= , 5 June 1640 – 25 February 1715) was a Chinese writer during the Qing dynasty, best known as the author of '' Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'' (''Liaozhai zhiyi''). Biography Pu was born into a poor merchant famil ...

, ''

Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio ''Liaozhai zhiyi'', sometimes shortened to ''Liaozhai'', known in English as ''Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'', ''Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio'', ''Strange Tales from Make-Do Studio'', or literally ''Strange Tales from a Studio o ...

'', about encounters between humans and

Huli jing Huli jing () are Chinese mythological creatures usually capable of shapeshifting, who may either be benevolent or malevolent spirits. In Chinese mythology and folklore, the fox spirit takes variant forms with different meanings, powers, charact ...

(fox spirits). * 1880–1905 –

, ''

'': Oral tradition including Brer Fox, from the American South. Gatto e volpe

* 1881–1883 –

The Fox and the Cat The Fox and the Cat () are a pair of fictional characters and antagonists of Italian writer Carlo Collodi's 1883 book ''Le avventure di Pinocchio'' (''The Adventures of Pinocchio''). They are depicted as poor con artists who hoodwink Pinocchio a ...

() are a pair of fictional characters who appear in

Carlo Collodi Carlo Lorenzini (; 24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890), better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi ( ; ), was an Italian author, humourist, and journalist, widely known for his fairy tale novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio''. Early lif ...

's book ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; , i.e. "The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a Puppet"), commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'', is an 1883 Children's literature, children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischi ...

''. Both are con-men who lead Pinocchio astray and unsuccessfully attempt to murder him. They pretend to have disabilities – the Fox to lameness and the Cat to blindness. The Fox is the more articulate, the Cat usually limiting itself to repeating the Fox's words. * 1894 – "Scrapefoot". A tale with a fox as antagonist that bears striking similarities to

Robert Southey Robert Southey (; 12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic poetry, Romantic school, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth an ...

's "The Story of the Three Bears" was uncovered by the folklorist

Joseph Jacobs Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic and historian who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. Born in Sydney to a Jewish family, his work went on to popula ...

and may predate Southey's version in the oral tradition. Some sources state that it was illustrator John D. Batten who in 1894 reported a variant of the tale at least 40 years old. In this version, the three bears live in a castle in the woods and are visited by a fox called Scrapefoot who drinks their milk, sits in their chairs, and rests in their beds. * 1905? –

Ernest Thompson Seton Ernest Thompson Seton (born Ernest Evan Thompson; August 14, 1860 – October 23, 1946) was a Canadian and American author, wildlife artist, founder of the Woodcraft Indians in 1902 (renamed Woodcraft League of America), and one of the foun ...

, ''The Biography of a Silver-Fox, Or, Domino Reynard of Goldur Town'': Realistic story with author's drawing, later made into a feature film. * 1909 –

L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', part of a series. In addition to the 14 ''Oz'' books, Baum penned 41 other novels ...

, ''

The Road to Oz ''The Road to Oz'' is the fifth book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series. It was originally published on July 10, 1909 and documents the adventures of Dorothy Gale's fourth visit to the Land of Oz. It was followed by ''The Emerald City of Oz'' (1910) ...

'': Fox king Dox of Foxville changes a boy's head into fox's. * 1920 –

Rudolf Těsnohlídek Rudolf Těsnohlídek (7 June 1882 – 12 January 1928) was a Czechs, Czech writer, poet, journalist and translator. He also used the pseudonym Arnošt Bellis. Biography Těsnohlídek was born on 7 June 1882 in Čáslav, Austria-Hungary. He a ...

, ''Liška Bystrouška'' (''Vixen Sharpears'' or ''The Cunning Little Vixen''). * 1922 –

David Garnett David Garnett (9 March 1892 – 17 February 1981) was an English writer and publisher. As a child, he had a cloak made of rabbit skin and thus received the nickname "Bunny", by which he was known to friends and intimates all his life. Early ...

, '' Lady into Fox'' is about transformation into animal, first physical then mental. * 1924 –

Hugh Lofting Hugh John Lofting (14 January 1886 – 26 September 1947) was an English-American writer, trained as a civil engineer, who created the classic children's literature character Doctor Dolittle. The fictional physician talking to animals, based i ...

, ''

Doctor Dolittle's Circus ''Doctor Dolittle's Circus'', written by Hugh Lofting and published in 1924 by Frederick A. Stokes, is set in England sometime between the original story and the later voyages narrated by Stubbins. It was one of the novels in the series whi ...

'' – ''

Doctor Dolittle Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 '' The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in th ...

'', the animals' friend, hides the vixen Nightshade and her cubs in his jacket, to save them from fox hunters. * 1932 – Niimi Nankichi, ''

Gon, the Little Fox is a Japanese children's story about the life of a little fox called Gon. The story is considered the masterpiece of Niimi Nankichi, also sometimes known as the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan. Synopsis Gon () is a little fox. Looking for fo ...

'': The fox was misunderstood, and it was shot. The moral of result of revenge. * 1938 – B.B., ''Wild Lone: The Story of a Pytchley Fox'': A novel about a fox's life in Northamptonshire, the home of the

Pytchley Hunt The Pytchley with Woodland Hunt is an organisation formerly based near the Northamptonshire village of Pytchley, but since 1966 has had kennels close to Brixworth. The Pytchley country used to include areas of the Rockingham Forest but was split ...

. * 1943 –

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, vicomte de Saint-Exupéry (29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), known simply as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ), was a French writer, poet, journalist and aviator. Born in Lyon to an French nobility, aristocratic ...

, ''

The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (, ) is a novella written and illustrated by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 and was published po ...

'': A fox indicates the true value of friendship. * 1953 –

Isaiah Berlin Sir Isaiah Berlin (6 June 1909 – 5 November 1997) was a Russian-British social and political theorist, philosopher, and historian of ideas. Although he became increasingly averse to writing for publication, his improvised lectures and talks ...

, '' The Hedgehog and the Fox''. * 1957 –

Ted Hughes Edward James Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He wa ...

, ''The Thought-Fox'': A poem featured in Hughes's ''The Hawk in the Rain''. * 1960 – Vercors, ''Sylva'', inspired by

where a fox changes into a lady. * 1965 –

István Fekete István () is a Hungarian language equivalent of the name Stephen or Stefan. It may refer to: People with the given name Nobles, palatines and judges royal * Stephen I of Hungary (c. 975–1038), last grand prince of the Hungarians and first k ...

''Vuk'', about life of abandoned fox and his revenge on a hunter. Also made into an animated film. * 1967 – Daniel P. Mannix, ''

The Fox and the Hound ''The Fox and the Hound'' is a 1981 American animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a r ...

'' stars a fox named Tod as one of the two protagonists. Made into an

animated film Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

by Disney. * 1976 – John Crowley, '' Beasts'' features a genetically engineered half-human-half-fox named Reynard as one of the main characters. * 1977 –

Richard Adams Richard George Adams (10 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist. He is best known for his debut novel ''Watership Down'' which achieved international acclaim. His other works included ''Maia'', '' Shardik'' and '' The Plague Do ...

, '' The Plague Dogs'' has a protagonist named "The Tod" who helps out Snitter and Rowf along in their adventures. * 1986–2011 –

Brian Jacques James Brian Jacques (, as in "Jakes"; 15 June 1939 – 5 February 2011), known professionally as Brian Jacques, was an English author known for his ''Redwall'' series of children's fantasy novels and ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' series. ...

, ''

Redwall ''Redwall'' is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, ...

'' series: Fox characters include Fortunata, Sela, Chickenhound/Slagar, Urgan Nagru, Silvamord, Nightshade, Vizka Longtooth, and Rasconza. An animated television series based on three of the books was also produced. * 1989 –

Garry Kilworth Garry Douglas Kilworth (born 5 July 1941 in York, England) is a British science fiction, fantasy and historical novelist, and a former Royal Air Force cryptographer. Early life Kilworth was raised partly in Aden, Yemen, the son of an airman. Hav ...

, '' Hunter's Moon'': The life and tragedies of a fox family which describes foxes' own mythology. * 1989 – William Wharton, ''Franky Furbo'': A magical fox rescues an American soldier and then journeys in search for proof of the unusual story. * 1994 –

Gillian Rubinstein Gillian Rubinstein (born 29 August 1942) is an English-born children's author and playwright. Born in Potten End, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, Rubinstein split her childhood between England and Nigeria, moving to Australia in 1973. As w ...

, ''Foxspell'', in which a fox's god propose that a young boy become a fox in favor to proper burial of dead fox's body. * 1995 – Lajos Parti Nagy, ''Fox Affair at Sunset'' (lit. "Fox Object at Sunset"), a postmodern death poem with nostalgic irony. * 1998 –

Elizabeth Hand Elizabeth Hand (born March 29, 1957) is an American writer. Life and career Hand grew up in Yonkers and Pound Ridge, New York. She studied drama and anthropology at the Catholic University of America. Since 1988, Hand has lived in coastal Main ...

, ''Last Summer at Mars Hills'': An Indian boy has magical amulet which allows him change into a fox. * 1999 –

Kij Johnson Kij Johnson (; born Katherine Irenae Johnson January 20, 1960 in Harlan, Iowa) is an American writer of fantasy. She is a faculty member at the University of Kansas. Life and career Kij Johnson was born in Harlan, Iowa. She received her BA ...

, ''

The Fox Woman ''The Fox Woman'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Kij Johnson, published in 1999 by Tor Books. The lead characters are an ambitious human named Kaya no Yoshifuji and a fox woman named Kitsune. The story follows Johnson's Theodore Sturgeon ...

'', in which one of the protagonists is a fox woman named Kitsune. * 2001 and 2003 –

Mordicai Gerstein Mordicai Gerstein (November 24, 1935 – September 24, 2019) was an American artist, writer, and film director, best known for illustrating and writing children's books. He illustrated the comic mystery fiction series '' Something Queer is ...

, ''Fox Eyes'' and ''Old Country'', in which anyone can switch bodies with fox if he looks into their eyes long enough. * 2002 – N. M. Browne, ''Hunted'': A comatose girl wakes up in a fox's body in a fantasy world. * 2005 –

Victor Pelevin Victor Olegovich Pelevin ( rus, Виктор Олегович Пелевин, p=ˈvʲiktər ɐˈlʲeɡəvʲɪtɕ pʲɪˈlʲevʲɪn; born 22 November 1962) is a Russian fiction writer. His novels include ''Omon Ra'' (1992), ''The Life of Insects' ...

, ''The Sacred Book of Werewolf'': The kitsune A-huli searches for a path to Nirvana for were-creatures.

Children's books

* 1908 and 1912 –

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

included foxes in her

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

children's tales—as pursuer in ''

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck ''The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter and first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1908. The protagonist Jemima Puddle-Duck first appeared in '' The Tale of Tom Kitten''. Origins ...

'' and as title character in '' The Tale of Mr. Tod''. * 1913 – Thornton W. Burgess's ''The Green Forest'': Reddy Fox. * 1924 –

Aquilino Ribeiro Aquilino Gomes Ribeiro, ComL (; 13 September 1885 – 27 May 1963, Lisbon), was a Portuguese writer and diplomat. He is generally considered to be one of the great Portuguese novelists of the 20th century. In 1960, he was nominated for the No ...

, ''Romance da Raposa'': Portuguese adaptation of the medieval story of

. * 1961 –

Peter Spier Peter Spier (June 6, 1927 – April 27, 2017) was a Dutch-American illustrator and writer who created more than thirty children's books. Bio Spier was born in Amsterdam, North Holland, and grew up in Broek in Waterland, the son of Jo Spier, a ...

, ''The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night'': an adaptation of the folk song of the same name. * 1970s –

Richard Scarry Richard McClure Scarry (; June 5, 1919 – April 30, 1994) was an American children's author and illustrator who published over 300 books with total sales of over 100 million worldwide. He is best known for his ''Best Ever'' book series that tak ...

, series of books, Fixit Fox, a mechanic; also animated. * 1970 –

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

, '' Fantastic Mr. Fox'': Mr. and Mrs. Fox and their four pups. * 1972 –

Nonny Hogrogian May "Nonny" Hogrogian (May 7, 1932 – May 9, 2024) was an American writer and illustrator, known best for children's picture books. She won two annual Caldecott Medals for U.S. children's book illustrations. From childhood she preferred folk and ...

's children's book "One Fine Day": a story of a fox that has its tail chopped off. * 1982 –

William Steig William Steig ( ; November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book ''Shrek!'', which inspired the Shrek (franchise), film series of the same name, as we ...

's children's book ''Dr. Desoto'' contains an unnamed vulpine patient. * 1998 –

Michel Gagné Michel Gagné (born 1965, Roberval, Quebec) is a Canadian cartoonist. Film Gagné studied classical animation at Sheridan College and worked for Sullivan Bluth Studios for six years, working on such films as ''An American Tail'', ''The Land Befo ...

, ''A Search for Meaning: The Story of Rex'': Continues in comics magazine ''

Flight Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...

''. * 2006 –

Ali Sparkes Alison Sparkes (born 1966) is a British children's author. She is best known for her ''Shapeshifter'' book series. Career Sparkes previously worked as a journalist for the ''Southern Daily Echo'' and for BBC Radio Solent before focusing on wr ...

, '' Finding the Fox'': the first of a series of novels about a boy who has the ability to change into a fox. * 1965 –

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel ( ;"Seuss"
'' David Thomson, "Danny Fox" book series. * 2013 –

Ylvis Ylvis () are a Norwegian comedy duo consisting of brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker. They debuted as professional variety artists in 2000 and have appeared in several countries in variety shows, comedy concerts, television shows, radio sho ...

and

Svein Nyhus Svein Nyhus (born 23 January 1962) is a Norwegian illustrator and writer of children's books. Svein Nyhus was born in Tønsberg as the twin brother of caricaturist Egil Nyhus. He took his education at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and ...

, "What Does the Fox Say?", picture book based on the viral hit song "

The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" is an Electronic dance music, electronic dance novelty song and viral video by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. The top trending video of 2013 on YouTube, "The Fox" was posted on the platform on 3 September 2013, a ...

". * 2016 –

Jonathan Schork Jonathan Schork is an artist, writer, and filmmaker living in St. Petersburg, Florida. Early life Jonathan Schork was born & raised in New York State's Hudson Valley by Fred & Carol Schork, whom he has referred to as "amazing role models": his ...

, "The Love of Simon Fox", in which a talking fox living in an enchanted forest befriends a little girl.

Film and television

Animation

* 1937 –

Ladislas Starevich Ladislas Starevich (, ; August 8, 1882 – February 26, 1965) was a Polish-Russian stop-motion animator notable as the author of the first puppet-animated film '' The Beautiful Leukanida'' (1912). He also used dead insects and other animals as p ...

's puppet-animated feature film, ''Le Roman de Renard'' ("The Tale of the Fox"). * 1940 – Disney's ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'': J. Worthington Foulfellow (also known as Honest John, and ironically is extremely ''dishonest''). * 1941–1950 –

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. ''Screen Gems'' has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the de ...

'' The Fox and the Crow'': Fauntleroy Fox, one of the principal characters of the animated film series. * 1946 – Disney's ''

Song of the South ''Song of the South'' is a 1946 American Live-action animated film, live-action/animated musical film, musical comedy-drama film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson, produced by Walt Disney, and released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pi ...

'': Brer Fox. * 1960 – Hanna Barbera's Yogi Bear series had short cartoons,

Yakky Doodle Yakky Doodle is a fictional anthropomorphic yellow duckling with green wings, who appears for the first time in prototype form on ''The Huckleberry Hound Show'' in 1958 and on ''The Quick Draw McGraw Show'' in 1960, and in regular design on ''The ...

, in which the duckling is pursued by Fibber Fox. * 1964 – The Irish-accented fox from the animated interlude in Disney's ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' * 1972 –

Ralph Bakshi Ralph Bakshi (; born October 29, 1938) is a Mandatory Palestine-born American retired animator and filmmaker, known for his fantastical animated films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent anim ...

's 1972 film ''

Fritz the Cat ''Fritz the Cat'' is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, it focused on Fritz, a tabby cat who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began drawing ...

'': Winston Schwartz, the on-and-off-again girlfriend of

Fritz Fritz is a common German language, German male name. The name originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich (given name), Friedrich or Frederick (given name), Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Fred ...

. * 1973 – Disney's ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

'': ''Robin Hood'' and ''Maid Marian'' * 1973 – Zuiyo Eizo episodes ''

Fables of the Green Forest is an anime television series based on a series of books published in the 1910s and 1920s by Thornton W. Burgess which ran on the Japanese network Fuji Television from 7 January to 30 December 1973. It consists of 52 episodes and was produced ...

'' based on a book ''The Green Forest''. * 1980s – ''

The World of David the Gnome ''The World of David the Gnome'', originally titled ''David, el Gnomo'' and also known as ''David, the Gnome'', is a Spanish animated television series based on '' The Secret Book of Gnomes'', a series of children's books by Dutch author Wil H ...

'', animated show, ''Swift'' * 1980s – ''Lis Leon'', Polish animated show * 1981 – Disney's ''

'': ''Tod'' and ''Vixey''; * 1981 –

Attila Dargay Attila Dargay (June 20, 1927 – October 20, 2009) was a Hungarian comics artist and animator. He was born in Mezőnyék. Life He began working as a scenery painter for the Hungarian National Theatre in the late 1940s. He directed such anim ...

's ''

Vuk VUK or Vuk may refer to: *Vuk (name), South Slavic given name ** Vuk, Ban of Bosnia (), a member of the Kotromanić dynasty ** Vuk Karadžić (1787–1864), Serbian language reformer and folklorist, often referred to simply as Vuk * ''Vuk'' (film) ...

'', a young fox who is one of the most famous Hungarian cartoon characters. * 1982 – '' The Plague Dogs'', based on the

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

. * 1985 – A French animated series, '. * 1986 – Hospital Radio's ''

The Space Gypsy Adventures The Space Gypsy Adventures is a children's sci-fi comedy radio and internet series created by Cumbrian broadcaster and cartoonist Terry Askew. It was first broadcast on United Kingdom, British Hospital Radio in 1986 under the title of 'The Advent ...

'': D.C. Bones, D.C. Fusky, Gemma and Damien Mildury (animated). * 1986 – Dutch TV series ''

The Bluffers ''The Bluffers'' is a 1986 children's cartoon series created by Frank Fehmers. The stories revolved around the inhabitants of the fictitious land of Bluffoonia and their ongoing struggle against the evil tyrant Clandestino and his plans to des ...

'': Sharpy, one of the main protagonists. * 1987 –

Sunbow Productions Sunbow Entertainment (formerly known as Sunbow Productions until 1995) was an American animation studio and distributor, founded on June 23, 1980, and owned until May 4, 1998, by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York City and in the United State ...

' serial '' Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light'': Ectar of the Spectral Knights possessed the totem of the fox. * 1987 –

The Little Troll Prince ''The Little Troll Prince'' (onscreen title: ''The Little Troll Prince: A Christmas Parable'') is a 1987 animated Christmas television special produced by Hanna-Barbera. Backed by the International Lutheran Laymen's League, it has strong Christi ...

Towards the climax of the special a fox chases Bu's Brothers, Borch and Prag, and their friends, Stav and Ribo back up the mountain to the Troll Kingdom. * 1987 – ''

Sylvanian Families (known as ''Calico Critters'' in the US) is a line of collectible anthropomorphic animal Action figure, figurines made of flocked plastic. They were created by the Japanese gaming company Epoch (company), Epoch in 1985 and distributed worldwide ...

'': The members of the Slydale Family are Slick, Velvette, Buster, Scarlett, Skitter and Lindy from the animated TV series. * 1987 – ''

Maple Town ''Maple Town'', also known as , is a 1986 Japanese anime series created by Chifude Asakura and directed by Junichi Sato. The series, produced by Toei Animation, Asatsu and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, consists of 52 half-hour episodes, wh ...

'': The members of the Fox Family are Fanny, Freddy, Mr. and Mrs. Fox from the animated series. * 1990 – Disney's ''

TaleSpin ''TaleSpin'' is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It first aired in 1990 as a preview-run on The Disney Channel before beginning its main run in syndication later that year as part of the pro ...

'': several fox characters appear in the series, such as ''Katie Dodd'', ''Myra Foxworthy'', ''Muffy Vanderschmear'' and ''Buffy Vanderschmear''. * 1990–91 – ''

Kyatto Ninden Teyandee is a Japanese anime series produced by Tatsunoko Production and Sotsu Agency. The series originally aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from February 1, 1990, to February 12, 1991, for a total of 54 episodes. Saban picked up the North American rights ...

(

Samurai Pizza Cats ''Samurai Pizza Cats'' is an animated television show produced by Saban Entertainment. It is an adaptation of the anime series ''Kyatto Ninden Teyandee'' (''Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee''), produced by Tatsunoko Production and Sotsu Agency, w ...

)'': whose main antagonist Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami a prime minister in Edoropolis (in the Saban English version, he's known as Seymour "The Big" Cheese, and is a rat instead). * 1991 –

Don Bluth Donald Virgil Bluth ( ; born September 13, 1937) is an American filmmaker, animator, video game designer and author. He came to prominence working for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions before creating his own film studio in ...

's ''

Rock-a-Doodle ''Rock-a-Doodle'' is a 1991 independent animated musical comedy film produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios Ireland Limited and Goldcrest Films. Loosely based on Edmond Rostand's 1910 comedy play '' Chantecler'', ''Rock-a-Doodle'' was directed ...

'', based on '' Chantecler'' by

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with th ...

, a tale about a rooster; one of antagonists of the story is a fat fox named Pinky. * 1991 – TV series ''

Bucky O'Hare Bucky O'Hare is a fictional character and the hero of an eponymous comic book series and spin-off (media), spin-off media, including an Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars, animated TV series and various toys and video games. He was created by comic bo ...

'': Vixen Captain Mimi LaFloo; based on 1970s comics. * 1992/2006 – Operation Lifesaver Video '' Sly Fox and Birdie'' teaches kids about railroad safety. * 1993–1996 – '' The Animals of Farthing Wood'' TV series and movie: Fox and his mate

Vixen Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

. * 1993, 1996 and 2007 –

Flemming Quist Møller Flemming Oluf Quist Møller (19 May 1942 – 31 January 2022) was a Danish director, cartoonist, children's author, drummer, screenwriter, and actor. Career As a director, he started with small experimental animation, often in collaboration wit ...

's Danish animated films ''

Jungledyret Hugo ''Jungledyret Hugo'' (Danish for "Hugo the Jungle Animal") is a Danish media franchise created by Flemming Quist Møller based on a lullaby he wrote for his son, and was later turned into a full-length animated feature, produced at A. Film. Th ...

'': Rita, an urban fox. * 1993 –

Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu'', – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist and animator. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques an ...

's '' Akuemon'': Anime based on Japanese folk tale about fox-wife. * 1993 – ''

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog ''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'' is an American animated television series. It is based on the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series, produced by Sega of America, DIC Animation City, Bohbot Entertainment and the Italian studio Reteital ...

'': A TV series based on the characters

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...

Miles "Tails" Prower Miles "Tails" Prower is a character created by the Japanese game designer Yasushi Yamaguchi. He is a major character in Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Tails is an anthropomorphic fox cub with two tails (hence his nickname) who serv ...

, and

Doctor Robotnik Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Naoto Ohshima. He is the main antagonist of Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Eggman is a mad scientist who seeks to steal the mystical Cha ...

. * 1996, 1997 - ''

Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist ''Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist'' (, lit. "The New Adventures of Oliver Twist", also known as ''Oliver Twist'') is a children's animated series created by Saban Entertainment. The series first aired in the United States from 1 February 1996 ...

'':

Fagin Fagin () is the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a " receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dodger and Charley Bates ...

, an old fox who is the leader of the fellowship. * 1997 –

's ''In the Beginning: The Bible Stories'': Vixy, a vixen narrator. * 1999 – Cosgrove Hall's ''The Foxbusters'': Cartoon series based on Dick King Smith's novel about a group of chickens defending their farm against a gang of foxes. * 1999–2001 – ''

Pablo the Little Red Fox ''Pablo the Little Red Fox'' is a pre-school children's animated cartoon series that originally ran from 28 September to 17 November 1999 on BBC One and BBC Two (part of CBBC). The series is a British-French co-production between Red Fox Produ ...

'': A BBC series that revolves around the adventures of three child foxes and the misadventures they have. * 1999–2001 –

Nelvana Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...

's ''

'' series, based on the

. * 2000–2019 –

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

's ''

Dora the Explorer ''Dora the Explorer'' is an American media franchise centered on an eponymous animated interactive fourth wall children's television series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes, and Eric Weiner, and produced by Nickelodeon Animation ...

'' – Swiper the Fox, mischievous

thief Theft (, cognate to ) is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal short ...

fox. * 2002 – '' Balto II: Wolf Quest'', sequel to 1995's ''

Balto Balto ( – March 14, 1933) was an Alaskan husky and sled dog bred by musher and breeder Leonhard Seppala. Balto achieved fame when he was reported to have led a team of sled dogs driven by Gunnar Kaasen on the final leg of the 1925 serum r ...

'', featuring a cunning fox fooling Balto while the latter searches for his daughter. The fox was voiced by

Mary Kay Bergman Mary Kay Bergman (June 5, 1961 – November 11, 1999), also briefly credited as Shannen Cassidy, was an American voice actress and voice-over teacher. She was the official voice of the Disney character Snow White from 1989 to 1999 and the lead fem ...

, in one of her final voice roles before her death in 1999. * 2003 – '' Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure'', features an evil and villainous red fox called Farley who is the most evil Charlotte's Web character. * 2003–2006 – ''

Sonic X is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series. Produced by TMS Entertainment under partnership with Sega and Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, ''Sonic X'' initially ran for 52 ep ...

'' is a TV series which focused on Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and all of their friends being teleported to the real world. * 2005 – A Thierry Schiel CGI film ''Le Roman de Renart'' (" Renart the Fox"). * 2005 – Foxy Loxy from Disney's 2005 film '' Chicken Little.'' * 2006 – '' The Fox and the Hound 2'', followup to the animated film ''

'' * 2007 – Lee Sung-gang's South Korean animated film ''

Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox ''Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox'' () is a 2007 animated South Korean film by Lee Sung-gang, the director of ''My Beautiful Girl, Mari''. The film loosely draws upon the Korean folk tales of the ''kumiho''. Story One hundred years ago, aliens lande ...

'': Yobi, a young

girl. * 2007 – TV series ''

Skunk Fu! ''Skunk Fu!'' is an animated action adventure fantasy comedy television series featuring the fables and adventures of anthropomorphic animals protecting their Valley using martial arts. The show chronicles the adventures of young Skunk, trainin ...

'': Fox, on whom Rabbit has a big crush. * 2009 – '' Fantastic Mr. Fox'',

Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. Wes Anderson filmography, His films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Due to his films' eccentricity, distinctive visual and narrative ...

's stop-motion animation adaptation of

's children's book. * 2010 – ''

My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox ''My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho'' (; also known as ''My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox'') is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Lee Seung-gi and Shin Min-a. It aired on SBS from August 11 to September 30, 2010 on Wednesda ...

'' is a South Korean romantic comedy where a young girl plays a nine-tailed fox in the form of a human. * 2010 – Popy from CGI animation series ''

Oscar's Oasis ''Oscar's Oasis'' (known as in French) is a French-Korean animated comedy television series consisting of 78 7-minute episodes. It was produced by TeamTO and Tuba Entertainment, in co-production with Cake Entertainment and Synergy Media with ...

''. * 2011 – Angelique from the CGI film '' Rango''. * 2015 – Ge Shuiying's CGI film '' Agent F.O.X.'': Agent F.O.X., a super spy fox * 2015 – Yoyotoki HappyEars from the animated series ''Yoyotoki HappyEars'' * 2016 – Disney's animated film ''

Zootopia ''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' or ''Zoomania'' in various regions) is a 2016 American animated buddy cop comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore from a screenplay by Jared Bush an ...

'' (also known as ''Zootropolis'' in some countries) features three fox characters: Nick Wilde, one of the main protagonists, as well as Gideon Grey and Finnick, two supporting characters. * 2016 – Vix from the CGI film '' Spark: A Space Tail''. * 2016 – Darma from the animated film ''

Rock Dog ''Rock Dog'' (, literally ''Rock and Roll Tibetan Mastiff'') is a 2016 animated comedy film directed by Ash Brannon (in his solo directorial debut), from a script by Brannon and Kurt Voelker. Produced by Mandoo Pictures and Huayi Brothers, the f ...

''. * 2017 – '' The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales...''. The fox takes some eggs from a hen, but then becomes a mother figure to the chicks. * 2018–present – ''

101 Dalmatian Street ''101 Dalmatian Street'' is a British animated television series created by Miklos Weigert that premiered on Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland from 18 March 2019 to 22 February 2020. It is produced by Passion Animation Studios and animated b ...

'' features Fergus Fox who is recurring character in the show. * 2018–2020 – ''

Unikitty! ''Unikitty!'' (stylized as ''UniKitty!'') is an American animated television series developed by Ed Skudder and Lynn Wang for Cartoon Network and produced by The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation. The series is based on and stars the char ...

'' features Dr. Fox, who is the castle's resident scientist whose experiments and inventions can both create and resolve problems. * 2019–2020 – '' Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart'' features Rufus, a sly and cunning fox who swindles the Sweetypies of Pure Heart Valley. * 2019 – Swifty and Jade from the animated film ''

Arctic Dogs ''Arctic Dogs'' (also known as ''Arctic Justice'' internationally or ''Polar Squad'' in the UK) is a 2019 animated comedy film co-written and directed by Aaron Woodley and co-directed by Dimos Vrysellas. The film stars the voices of Jeremy Renne ...

''. * 2020 – "

Tale of the Nine Tailed ''Tale of the Nine Tailed'' () is a 2020 South Korean television drama starring Lee Dong-wook, Jo Bo-ah, and Kim Bum. It aired on TVN (South Korean TV channel), tvN from October 7 to December 3, 2020, every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:30 (Time ...

" features a nine-tailed fox that abdicates his position as the guardian mountain spirit of Baekdudaegan to search for the reincarnation of his one true love. Season 2 is currently under production and is expected to be released in 2023. * 2022 – Diane Foxington from ''

The Bad Guys (film) ''The Bad Guys'' is a 2022 American animated heist comedy film based on the children's book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, produced by DreamWorks Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was directed by Pi ...

'' * 2022 – '' The Creature Cases'' features Kit Casey, a yellow kit fox * 2022 - Tails the Fox from ''

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station, the Death Egg. Like the fir ...

'' * 2023-present - Candle Fox from '' Kiff'' * 2024 – Zhen, (voiced by

Awkwafina Nora Lum (born June 2, 1988), known professionally as Awkwafina (), is an American actress, comedian and rapper. She rose to prominence in 2012 when her rap song "My Vag" became popular on YouTube. She then released her debut album, ''Yellow Ra ...

) a Corsac Fox and the new Dragon Warrior from '' Kung Fu Panda 4'' * 2024-present – The TV series '' Carl the Collector'' features Lotta Fox, who is an

autistic Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

red fox. * 2025 - ''Pepe Zorrillo'', mascot of the

Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid (), is a Spanish professional List of football clubs in Spain, football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León that will compete from the 2025–26 season in the . The club ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team (named in clear allusion to

José Zorrilla José Zorrilla y Moral () was a Spanish poet and dramatist, who became National Laureate. Biography Zorrilla was born in Valladolid to a magistrate in whom Ferdinand VII placed special confidence. He was educated by the Jesuits at the Real Sem ...

, a poet which gives its name to the

stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

), from Toledo: the film.

Anime

* ''

Aggretsuko ''Aggretsuko'', also known by its Japanese title , is a Japanese–American animated anime comedy television series based on the eponymous character created by "Yeti" for the mascot company Sanrio. The character first appeared in a series of ...

'' – Fenneko * ''

Beastars ''Beastars'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Champion'' from September 2016 to October 2020, with its chapters c ...

'' – Voss (a Fennec Fox) * '' BNA: Brand New Animal'' – Nazuna Hiwatashi * ''

Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was Serial (literature), serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 indi ...

'' – Donbe * ''

Dog Days The dog days or are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, ...

'' – Yukikaze Panettone * ''

Gingitsune is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sayori Ochiai. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine '' Ultra Jump'' from June 2009 to October 2022, with its chapters collected in 18 volumes. It follows Makoto Saeki, the d ...

'' Messenger Fox of the Gods

Anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

* ''

Digimon , short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise, which encompasses virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films, and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures who inhabit a ...

'' –

Renamon is a Japanese anime television series and the third television series in the ''Digimon'' franchise, produced by Toei Animation. The series takes place in a new setting separate from the preceding series, '' Digimon Adventure'' and ''Digimon ...

, Kudamon, Kyuubimon, Pokomon,

Taomon is a Japanese anime television series and the third television series in the ''Digimon'' franchise, produced by Toei Animation. The series takes place in a new setting separate from the preceding series, ''Digimon Adventure'' and ''Digimon A ...

, Sakuyamon and Youkomon * ''

Gugure! Kokkuri-san is a Japanese manga series by Midori Endō, serialized in Square Enix's '' Gangan Joker'' since 2011. It has been collected in 12 (plus 1) ''tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such a ...

'' – Kokkuri-san * '' Hiiro no Kakera'' – O-Chan, Yuuichi Komura * '' Hyper Police'' – Sakura Bokuseiinmonzeninari * '' Inu x Boku'' – Soushi Miketsukami * ''

Inukami! is a Japanese light novel series written by Mamizu Arisawa, with illustrations by Kanna Wakatsuki. The series originally started serialization in volume seventeen of ASCII Media Works' now-defunct light novel magazine ''Dengeki hp'' on Apr ...

'' –

Yoko Yoko may refer to: People and fictional characters * Yoko (name), a Japanese feminine given name; variants include Yōko and Yohko, including a list of people and Japanese fictional characters (for non-Japanese characters, see the Arts and ente ...

and Dai Yoko * '' Inuyasha'' – Shippo * ''

Jewelpet is a Japanese media franchise and toy line created in 2008 as a joint venture between Sanrio and Sega Toys, produced by the third character designer of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi and illustrated by the character designer of Cinnamoroll, Miy ...

'' – Larimar and Gumimin * ''

Kaiketsu Zorori is a Japanese children's book series created by Yutaka Hara and published by Poplar Publishing. The original books were also made into an OVA, animated feature-length films, anime, and comics. Synopsis Set in a parallel w ...

'' – Zorori * ''

Kamisama Kiss is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Julietta Suzuki. It was serialized in Hakusensha's manga magazine '' Hana to Yume'' from February 2008 to May 2016, with the chapters collected in 25 volumes. The series is lice ...

'' –

Tomoe , commonly translated as "comma", is a comma-like swirl symbol used in Japanese (roughly equivalent to a heraldic badge or charge in European heraldry). It closely resembles the usual form of a . The appears in many designs with various us ...

* ''

Kanokon is a Japanese light novel series by Katsumi Nishino, with illustrations by Koin. The first novel was released by Media Factory on October 31, 2005 under its MF Bunko J imprint, and it published 15 volumes until December 24, 2010. A manga a ...

'' – Chizuru and Tayura Minamoto, and Tamamo-no-Mae * ''

Kanon Kanon may refer to: Media and literature * ''Kanon'' (video game), a Japanese visual novel by Key, later adapted into anime series * ''Kanon'' (manga), a manga by Chiho Saito * ''Daimajin Kanon'', a Japanese tokusatsu television drama * '' Der K ...

'' – Makoto Sawatari * ''

Kekkaishi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from October 2003 to April 2011, with its chapters collected in 35 volumes. The series is abo ...

'' –

Hime is the Japanese word for princess or a lady of higher birth. Daughters of a monarch are actually referred to by other terms, e.g. , literally king's daughter, even though ''Hime'' can be used to address ''Ōjo''. The word ''Hime'' initially ...

* ''

Kemono Friends is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by manga artist Mine Yoshizaki. The first project was a mobile game developed by Nexon, which ran from March 2015 to December 2016. A manga by Furai was serialized in Kadokawa's '' M ...

'' – The females Ezo Red Fox and Silver Fox appear as a couple in the show. * ''

'' – Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami * ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

'' –

Naruto Uzumaki () is the title character, titular protagonist of the manga ''Naruto'', created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is a ninja from the fictional . As a boy, Naruto is ridiculed and ostracized on account of the Kurama (Naruto), Nine-Tailed Demon Fox—a ...

, host to the fox-like Tailed Beast Kurama * ''

Natsume's Book of Friends is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Midorikawa. It started in Hakusensha's Shōjo manga, manga magazine ''LaLa DX'' in June 2003, where it ran until April 2008; it has been serialized in ''LaLa'' since July 2007. ...

'' – Natsume, the main protagonist, meets with a young kitsune on day on a walk. * ''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...

'' – Foxy, and Suu the cloud fox * ''

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

'' – Vulpix, Ninetales, Zorua, Zoroark, Fennekin, Braixen and Delphox; Nickit and Thievul * '' Rise of the Nura Clan'' – Hagoromo Gitsune * ''

Rosario + Vampire is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akihisa Ikeda. The story revolves around Tsukune Aono, a boy who inadvertently enrolls in a boarding school for monsters. He quickly befriends Moka Akashiya, a vampire who soon develo ...

'' – Kuyou * ''

Shaman King is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei. It follows the adventures of Yoh Asakura as he attempts to hone his shaman skills to become the Shaman King by winning the Shaman Fight. Takei chose shamanism as the m ...

'' – Conchi * ''

Sherlock Hound is an Italian-Japanese anime television series produced by RAI and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Based on the character Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, almost all the characters are depicted as anthropomorphic dogs. The show featured re ...

'' – Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock * ''Slayers'' – List of Slayers characters#Jillas Jillos Jillas, Jillas Jillos Jillas * ''Sonic the Hedgehog (OVA), Sonic the Hedgehog'' and ''

'' – Miles "Tails" Prower * ''Strike Witches'' – Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen * ''Tactics (manga), Tactics'' – Yoko * ''Tales of Symphonia'' – Corrine and Venus * ''Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity'' – Mashiro Mito * ''The Helpful Fox Senko-san'' – Senko-san * ''Urusei Yatsura'' – The little fox, whose name is a "little fox" too. * ''Urara Meirochou'' – The protagonist love interest, Kon, is possessed frequently by the Kitsune, fox spirit Kokkuri-san. * ''Wagaya no Oinari-sama'' – Kugen Tenko, Gyokuyou Tenko, Ogami and Daigorou * ''xxxHolic'' – List of xxxHolic characters#Kudakitsune, Mugetsu * ''Yu Yu Hakusho'' – Kurama (YuYu Hakusho), Kurama * ''Zoids'' – The Shadow Fox

Feature film

* 1973 – Ukrainian movie director Igor Negrescul's ''Domino: A Life of a Silver Fox''. * 1990 – Akira Kurosawa's ''Dreams (1990 film), Dreams'': A boy goes to the forest to see where the foxes have their weddings. * 1994 – Russian director Ury Klimov's ''Once Lives a Fox'': Story of a fox escaped from the zoo. * 2005 – Andrew Adamson's ''The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'': Mr. Fox, voiced by Rupert Everett, which is turned to stone by the White Witch. * 2006 – ''Helen the Baby Fox'' Seven-year-old Taichi found a baby fox named "Helen". * 2007 – ''The Fox and the Child'', directed by Luc Jacquet, is about a young girl who befriends a fox. * 2009 – ''Antichrist (film), Antichrist'' directed by Lars von Trier has a possibly supernatural fox appearing throughout the film. * 2021 – ''The Green Knight (film), The Green Knight'': A fox follows Gawain and warns him to abandon his quest. * 2022 – '':de:Der_Fuchs_(2022), Der Fuchs'': a WW2 German soldier adopts and raises a baby fox. * 2022 – ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (film), Sonic the Hedgehog 2'': Miles "Tails" Prower, a young fox boy with two tails and the ability of flight, accompanies Sonic the Hedgehog in the sequel to his 2020 film, ''Sonic the Hedgehog (film), Sonic the Hedgehog''. * 2024 – '' Kung Fu Panda 4'': Zhen (voiced by

), a female Corsac Fox, who is the New Dragon Warrior.

Music

Popular music

* 1966 – The Hollies & Peter Sellers' "After the Fox"; popular theme song from the After the Fox, movie of the same name * 1967 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Foxy Lady" * 1968 – Manfred Mann "Fox on the Run (Manfred Mann song), Fox on the Run" * 1972 – Genesis (band), Genesis' ''Foxtrot (album), Foxtrot'' * 1975 – The Sweet, Sweet's "Fox on the Run (Sweet song), Fox on the Run" * 1977 - "The cat and the fox" (in italian: Il gatto e la volpe) by Edoardo Bennato - also featured by Disney in "Luca (2021 film), Luca" * 1981 – Elton John's 1981 album ''The Fox (Elton John album), The Fox'', and the title track therefrom. * 1986 – Kate Bush's titular single release from her 1985 Album Hounds of Love references a fox in the lyrics. * 1996 – Belle & Sebastian's album ''If You're Feeling Sinister'' features a song called The Fox in the Snow. * 2000 – Nickel Creek's "The Fox (folk song), The Fox" is a variation of a folk song about a fox stealing food for his family. * 2001 – Millencolin's album ''Pennybridge Pioneers'' includes a song simply titled "Fox (song), Fox". * 2004 – mewithoutYou's sophomore studio album is titled ''Catch for Us the Foxes''. The band's subsequent albums feature the songs "The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie" (''It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright'', 2009) and "Fox's Dream of the Log Flume" (''Ten Stories'' 2012). * 2004 – Rilo Kiley's album ''More Adventurous'' features a song titled "Portions For Foxes" * 2005 – Sleater-Kinney's album ''The Woods (album), The Woods'' features a song called "The Fox (folk song), The Fox". * 2008 – Rapper Nas recorded the song "Sly Fox" on his Untitled (Nas album), untitled 2008 album. In the song he wikt:diss#Verb, disses Fox News, considering it to be sly and deceitful. * 2008 – Born Ruffians' song "Foxes Mate For Life" appears on their debut album ''Red, Yellow & Blue''. * 2008 – Fleet Foxes, a five-piece band from Seattle. * 2010 – Alexandra Burke's song "Broken Heels" makes mention of being "fast like a fox". * 2010 – The kawaii metal group Babymetal claims to perform in accordance to revelations from the Fox god, Fox God and have a recurring fox motif, including their 2013 single "Megitsune". * 2012 – Louisa Rose Allen or known as her stage name ''Foxes (singer), Foxes''. * 2013 –

's "

" * 2014 – Taylor Swift's song "I Know Places" from ''1989 (Taylor Swift album), 1989'' references foxes. * 2015 – The music video for The Prodigy's "Nasty (The Prodigy song), Nasty". * 2016 – Baby Shark Dance is a popular kids' song made by the children's education brand Pinkfong. The mascot of the brand, a pink fox, appears in the video.

Folk music

* "The Fox (folk song), The Fox" – 15th century folk song about the animal that has been adapted and recorded by many performers. * Mr Fox – 1970s folk rock band * June Tabor – Reynard the Fox

Other media

Video games

* Miles "Tails" Prower, a two-tailed fox that can spin his tails like a helicopter to fly, that has appeared in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series beginning with ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2''. * Fox McCloud, James McCloud, and Krystal (Star Fox), Krystal from the Nintendo Star Fox (series), ''Star Fox'' series. * Keaton (Legend of Zelda), Keaton of the ''Legend of Zelda'' series. * Vulpix, Ninetales, Zorua, Zoroark, Fennekin, Braixen, Delphox, Nickit, and Thievul from the ''Pokémon (video games), Pokémon'' series. * Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox, a police officer in the ''Sly Cooper'' series of video games. * Rif and Rhene of the Fox Tribe from the video game ''Inherit the Earth: Quest for the Orb''. * ''Spy Fox'', a James Bond parody computer game series. * Crazy Redd, the black market salesman from the ''Animal Crossing'' games. * In ''Trickster (MMORPG), Trickster Online'', Fox is the female sense type character. * In the video game series ''Metal Gear Solid'', the special forces group is known as "FOXHOUND". Additionally the title of Gray Fox (Metal Gear), Grey Fox was given to Frank Jaeger. * Ninetails, a major boss character from the game ''Ōkami''. * ''Titus the Fox, Titus the Fox: To Marrakech and Back'', fox mascot in the 1990s platform game. * In the video game ''Drawn To Life'' for the Nintendo DS, the charters of the village are "Raposas" which is Portuguese for fox. * ''Persona 4'' features a fox living at a shrine as one of its Social Links. * Yusuke Kitagawa from ''Persona 5'' adopts the codename Fox after his Inari-like mask. * ''Jade Empire'', the RPG by BioWare, contains fox spirits as well as a non-playable character who uses the alias Silk Fox. * Psycho Fox, the main character in a Sega Master System game of the same name. * The 2009 video game ''League of Legends'' includes a

character named Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox. * The horror game ''Five Nights at Freddy's (series), Five Nights at Freddy's'' features the animatronic character Foxy the Pirate. * In the video game Little Misfortune, the titular character is protected from the demon Morgo by a fox named Benjamin Juhanelius Redfox. * Pepper and Pip from Paladins (video game), ''Paladins''. * The Vulpera, are a race of nomadic fox people that inhabit the deserts of Vol'dun on Zandalar from the game World of Warcraft, ''World'' ''of Warcraft''. * Gregg from ''Night in the Woods''. * In the sandbox game ''Terraria'', there is a zoologist Non-player character, NPC that was said to be bitten by a fox, and now takes the form of a fox in certain circumstances. * ''The First Tree'' is played from the perspective of an unnamed mother fox. * ''Overwatch 2'' includes the fox spirit-based character, Kiriko (Overwatch), Kiriko. * ''Naraka: Bladepoint'' features Tessa, a girl who shares her soul with an ancient fox spirit. * In the endless running game, ''Cookie Run'' there's a playable fox character called Kumiho Cookie, which can turn into a Cookie and a fox in any given time.

Comics and visual novels

* Slylock Fox, in the Sherlock Holmes parody comic strips from ''Slylock Fox & Comics for Kids'' * Raposão/McFox, a character from the Brazilian comic series ''Lionel's Kingdom''. * ''Fix and Foxi'', a German comic series where the title characters are two fox brothers. * In Kiss (comics), Kiss, in Psycho Circus #14 and #15, the members of Kiss are portrayed as supernatural beings who train a Feudal Japanese samurai to outsmart supernatural foxes. * Ninjara, a character who appeared in the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' franchise. * The main female protagonist in Neil Gaiman's ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' illustrated novella, and comic is a legendary Kitsune *The ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW Publishing), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' comic series from IDW Publishing features the character of Alopex, an Arctic fox ninja.

Web-comics

* ''Ozy and Millie'' – foxes starring in a webcomic of the same name * ''Kevin and Kell'' – Fiona Fennec and George Fennec, her father, are both fennec foxes. * ''Gunnerkrigg Court'' – The comic's main character Antimony has a fox companion whose spirit is trapped in a doll of a white wolf, a symbol for Antimony in Alchemy.

Card games

* In the trading card game ''Magic: The Gathering'', Eight-and-a-Half-Tails is a legendary fox monk of great power and purity.

Performance arts and opera

* 1916, ballet by the Igor Stravinsky ''Renard'' * ''The Cunning Little Vixen'', Leoš Janáček opera

Other

* c.1036 Wild fox koan, an influential kōan story in the Zen tradition * 1963, 1968, 2002, 2006 Peter Firmin's ''Basil Brush'', British television sock-puppet * Flora Fox, ''The Get Along Gang'' * Mozilla Firefox's logo is a fox on a globe * The inaugural logo for the Smart Price Value brands in the United Kingdom, value range brand from British supermarket Asda featured a red fox. * The Catholic Church used images of foxes dressed as monks or priests preaching to goose, geese in church art as propaganda against the Lollardy, Lollards. These images were based on the story of the preaching fox found in Reynard cycle, ''The History of Reynard the Fox'' and its sequel, ''The Shifts of Reynardine'' (the son of Reynard).

Heraldry

* The Canting arms, canting coat of arms of Châteaurenard in France displays a fox, as do the coats of arms of Poligny, Hautes-Alpes, Poligny in France and Tuliszków in Poland. * The reynard (male fox) as dexter supporter and vixen (female fox) as sinister supporter of the arms of La Boussac in Brittany.

Sports

* The English association football team Leicester City F.C., Leicester City are nicknamed 'the Foxes'. * The Brazilian association football, football team Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, Cruzeiro have one their nicknames called 'Raposa', meaning Fox in Portuguese. * The athletic teams of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York are known as the Marist Red Foxes, Red Foxes.

Ships

Sixteen ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Fox, HMS ''Fox'', after the animal. Also vessels of other navies and civilian ships bore such a name.

References

External links

Fox Bibliography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foxes in Popular Culture Foxes in popular culture, Foxes in literature

In folklore and wisdom

Africa

Europe

Middle East

East Asia

Americas

In language

As an epithet

Figures of speech

Literature

Children's books

Film and television

Animation

Anime

Feature film

Music

Popular music

Folk music

Other media

Video games

Comics and visual novels

Web-comics

Card games

Performance arts and opera

Other

Heraldry

Sports

Ships

References

Further reading

External links