Kyubi

“ A smallest member of the Nine tailed fox from Japan. Often do you know what is, that are actually troublemakers to the royal family and science. Don't be mad at this kyubi. ”

– Chang'e

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Novecaudulpes

Species: Novecaudulpes japonica

Descendant: red fox

Named by: Mike Jin Shin

Year Published: 1995

Size: 80.5 cm tall in height; 60 cm in length; 70 kg in weight

Lifespan: 4 to 80+ years

Activity: Nocturnal 🌃

Thermoregulate: Endotherm

Type(s):

Synapsids
- Mammals (Canines)
Mythical

Title(s):

Japanese Nine-tailed Fox
Foxfire

Pantheon(s):

Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳
- Japanese 🇯🇵

Time Period: Pleistocene - Holocene

Alignment: Curious

Threat Level: ★★★

Diet: Omnivorous 🥩🌿🪲🐟🔥

Elements: Fire 🔥, Water 🌊, Rock 🪨, Air 🌬️, Electric ⚡, Fae 🧚, Sound 🎵, Spirit 👻, Time 🕛

Inflicts: Fireblight 🔥, Waterblight 🌊, Rockblight 🪨, Airblight 🌬️, Electricblight ⚡, Faeblight 🧚, Soundblight 🎵, Spiritblight 👻, Timeblight 🕛, Sleep 😴, Stunned 😵, Blastblight 💣, Sundered 💔, Stench 💩, Mudded 🟤, Bubbleblight 🫧, Frostbite 🥶, Oilblight 🪔, Elemental Res Down 🔽

Weaknesses: Water 🌊, Rock 🪨, Dark 🌑, Light 🔆, Poison 🤢, Paralysis 😣, Blastblight 💣

Casualties: ???

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (VU) – IUCN Red List

The Kitsune, or more commonly Kyubi (Novecaudulpes japonica; Japanese: キツネ / キュウビ - 九尾 / 狐) is the one of the mythical creatures introduced in Worldcraft: Berbania's Last War as the last known nine-tailed fox in Worldcraft series before Albmansaypo, Kumiho, and Jiuweihu.

Etymology

In Japanese word: キツネ, kitsune; means fox. Arai Hakuseki in Tōga (1717) suggests that ki means 'stench', tsu is a possessive particle, and -ne is related to inu, the word for 'dog' or may be an honorific referring to a servant of an Inari shrine. The word Kyubi is for "nine-tailed ones" via Classical Chinese, and is the short name from 九尾の狐 (kyūbi no kitsune, meaning 'nine-tailed yellow/stenched dog').

Physical Appearance

In 2021, the Kitsune is similar in appearance to the more common Kumiho, although often noticeably smaller in size and more intelligent. Like two species, it also has eight appendages resembling the'real' tail in the middle of the real tail. The fur is paler, lavender-ish gray with adjacent red and pale pink on their necks and fuchsia on their elbows and hips. Their face was white, and it had markings of three to two red lines near the eyes and a red dot on the forehead. The feather-like fur is almost the same as the Kumiho. The tail tip was brown or orange. Unlike Jiuweihu and Kumihos, the Kitsune was naturally blind in some populations due to the genetic mutation.

In 2025, the Kitsune, also known as Kyubi, resembled an actual fox. The Kyubi possessed eight pairs of prosthetic tails attached to its natural tail because, like cartilaginous fish, its eight tails were made of calcium-covered cartilages that resembled bones. To accurately represent this species, the rising fur on their limbs was removed. The Kyubi's fur had changed from reddish orange to peach, with white and light gray below. They also had brown sock patterns on their limbs, two red feathers that resembled feathers near their foreheads, and four pairs of red lines on their faces that resembled the Kitsune mask. It featured eight pairs of fake reddish peach tails with brown tips, with the genuine tail in the middle acting as the "leader" to follow the waving tails during courtship.

Abilities

The normal kitsune can release sweat from their one tail; it forms eight appendages, resembling the trademark nine-tailed fox. This animal bubbles with non-polar ingredients, including frozen bubbles. Each species of nine-tailed fox has its own special bacteria on its lips. The frequency of believing in the nine-tailed fox has also been connected to the occurrence of koro attacks, a culture-bound syndrome mostly found in southern China and Malaysia.

The Kitsune is not a shapeshifter in the traditional sense, but it is renowned for its capacity to assume "human" form—typically that of a random person who owned the Kitsune and was concealed by their long skirts. The Kitsune performed alongside its human owner. The Kitsune is a highly clever and adaptive fox that can learn sophisticated habits and flourish in both urban and rural settings. The Kitsune have keen senses because of their keen sense of smell, outstanding low-light vision, and acute hearing, which allows them to discover small mice underneath. The Kitsune can swim rather effectively, much like foxes, but they usually stay out of the water until absolutely essential (e.g., escaping predators or crossing rivers). The Kitsune has the ability to climb low trees, walls, and fences.

The Kitsune can recognize faces, use and change tools, solve multi-step logic issues, plan for the future, and communicate with dozens of vocalizations, either skin-only or randomly varied. According to reports, the Kitsune mimics the noises and words of animals, including humans (unlike foxes, they don't mimic sounds).

Another kind of kitsune, called Soulfire Kitsune, has the same appearance as a normal kitsune but different effects. This variant of Kitsune plays with the combustion of bubbles with blue fire as the souls of dead people wander around in the sacred bamboo forests called Kitsunebi. This type of combustion magic fireball was created by the Kitsune to guide them through the night.

Ecology

In addition to hunting pine cones, berries, and roots, kitsune are omnivores that mostly consume fish, insects, birds, crabs, and sometimes small animals. By dispersing seeds and managing nuisance insects (such as beetles, crickets, and grubs), the kitsune contributes to ecological balance. These creatures must contend with other huge predatory species from the Japanese archipelago since they are competent predators. Kitsune is a vital prey for large eagles, tigers, wolves, owls, and leopards.

The Kitsune is almost always treated as a malignant figure who feasts on human flesh, fish liver, sheep’s heart, dog’s brain, dragon’s kidney, tiger’s kidney, pine cones, persimmons, roses, azaleas, any souls, and more. Many ancient texts mention the benevolent Kitsune assisting humans by negotiating with them.

As being the result of great longevity or the accumulation of energy, they are said to be foxes who have lived for hundreds of years (unlike their ancestors) and give them the power of fogging and release the bubbles for a mysterious appearance, usually appearing in the form of courtship with tails like peafowls to attract their mate. It is able to produce the bubbles by using special fluid secretions, produced from its own body along with water, and rubbing its hairs and tail in the secretions. It also has special hook-like claws on the limbs that allow it to stop sliding quickly to face threats.

Behavior

Like foxes, kitsune are cautious but inquisitive; they are not naturally hostile until they are cornered. Kitsune may act boldly or tolerantly with others outside of the city, sometimes taking food handouts. They should not be touched directly, though, as they are still wild animals. Kitsune likes to make troublemakers for any reason.

Unlike foxes, kitsune hunt alone, though they may live in small family groups. The Kitsune mark their territory using urine and scent glands. The kitsune is a nocturnal/diurnal animal that is most active during the day or at night. Barks, yells, body postures (particularly tails), and scent marking are all ways that kitsune communicate.

Distribution and Habitat

The Kitsune was only found in mainland Japan as an indigenous species; reports of its existence on the Bonin, Okinawan, and Hokkaido Islands are nonexistent. Like the red fox, the kitsune was mostly found in forests, grasslands, farmlands, mountains, tundra, and urban areas.

During The Recollections of Queen Arianna (TROQA) saga in the 2600s and 2700s, the "Sky People" or Terrans from Earth brought the kitsune to two exoplanets that resembled Earth: Reinachos from Cygnus and Berbania from Ursa Major. Despite the death of our planet, conservation efforts have saved this fox from either endangerment or near extinction. Human interactions for game hunting and rewilding produced this species, but they backfired when the fox became an invasive species. The Kitsune inhabited two exoplanets that were similar to Earth in terms of both climate and environment. The Kitsune were sent to all of Hordan and eastern Horatio on the planet Reinachos, as well as the eastern part of the Kihangor on the planet Berbania.

Movement Pattern: Random
Individual Type: Solo
Population Trend: Stable
Population:
- Earth: 3,000
- Berbania: 45,000
- Reinachos: 30,000
Locomotion: Terrestrial
Habitat: Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain.
Earth:
- Extant (Resident): Japan
Berbania:
- Extant & Introduced: Hirohito Islands
Reinachos:
- Extant & Introduced: ugh