The Origins of 16 Fox Pokemon & the Legends They Came From

Foxes show up all over the Pokedex, and a lot of them breathe fire. That comes from Japanese folklore, where the kitsune is a fox that grows more tails with age and can breathe fire. Even Eevee, which was designed as a blank slate with no single animal behind it, ended up with the traits of a fox.

See all 16 fox Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 16 fox Pokemon:

All 16 Fox Pokemon

#037

Vulpix

Vulpix is the Fox Pokemon, based on a red fox and the kitsune of Japanese legend, said to have many tails, extremely long lifespans and powers such as breathing fire. Kitsune take on spirit forms after reaching an advanced age, which may explain why Vulpix can learn Ghost and Psychic moves.

A fire burns in its belly, which it spits out as fireballs, and a young Vulpix has one white tail that splits into six as it matures. Its Flash Fire ability protects it from Fire moves and powers up its own Fire moves once it has blocked one. An ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle. Alolan Vulpix, from the Alola region, is based on the Arctic fox, which grows a white winter coat to hide in the snow, a trick our own winter coat has never once pulled off.

#038

Ninetales

Ninetales may be based on the kyūbi no kitsune, whose fur turns white-gold after it has lived for 1,000 years and gains its ninth tail. Its coat of gleaming golden fur is quite magnificent, and the species is said to store sacred power in its nine tails and live for a millennium. (We would also like to live a thousand years, with better hair.)

Alolan Ninetales may draw on Poliʻahu, the Hawaiian goddess of snow said to live on Mauna Kea, and on the tulikettu, a fox of Finnish lore whose radiant fur is said to create the northern lights. The Finnish word for aurora, revontulet, translates as "fox fires".

#133

Eevee

Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon, is the odd one here. In the 2018 artbook EVs, designer Motofumi Fujiwara said the idea came from Satoshi Tajiri's request for a Pokemon that evolves into multiple types. Fujiwara designed it as a "blank slate", so while Eevee has traits of foxes, dogs and cats, it is not based on any specific animal. He also wanted a creature that could exist "in people's memories", like a half-remembered cat or dog from childhood.

Eevee harbors the potential to evolve into manifold forms. It still has more career options than we ever did.

#135

Jolteon

Jolteon mixes dogs, cats and foxes like most of Eevee's evolutions, and it may also draw on the raijū, the embodiment of lightning in animal form from Japanese mythology. Its spiked fur may come from cartoon lightning bolts and from porcupines, along with the myth that porcupines can shoot their quills when threatened.

Jolteon bristles its fur into sharp, needlelike points when enraged, and you can hear electricity crackle in its breath when it exhales. Our morning breath does nothing that useful. Its Volt Absorb ability heals it when an Electric move hits it.

#136

Flareon

Flareon takes its long ears, orange color and fluffy tail from foxes such as the red fox, while its body shape and fluffy mane may come from lions or cat breeds such as the Norwegian Forest cat and the Maine Coon. It may also borrow from the Lionhead rabbit.

Flames burn in a saclike organ inside it, and they reach a mighty 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit when it inhales. Its hidden ability, Guts, raises its Attack to 1.5× while it has a status condition such as a burn (a hidden ability is a rarer ability that only some of a species have).

#197

Umbreon

Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokemon, shares traits with dogs, cats and foxes like most of Eevee's evolutions, though according to Nishida it had no particular motif when it was created. It seems to stand for nighttime and nocturnal animals in general, and its Dark type may come from the night's old reputation as a dangerous, evil or haunted time. It may also play on superstitions about those animals, such as foxes as cunning tricksters. Its black and gold coloring resembles Ancient Egyptian statues of deities, like the cats of Bastet and the jackals of Anubis, and its rings may be meant to resemble annular solar eclipses.

Umbreon is most active in the wee hours of the night, when moonlight bathes the land, and its large eyes can perceive prey in the darkness with absolute clarity. Its Special Defense of 130 and Defense of 110 let it take hits well, and its Synchronize ability passes burns, paralysis and poison back to the Pokemon that caused them.

#470

Leafeon

Leafeon has the look of cats and foxes, and even its cry sounds like a cat's meow or a fox's chirp. Its coloring appears to come from the markings of the Siamese cat or the red fox. Its body is made of leaves, so it can use photosynthesis, and the brown marks on its paws make them look as if they had been buried.

Cells similar to those of plants have been found in its fur, and its hard tail can fell a large tree with one stroke, sharper than a sword crafted by a master.

#471

Glaceon

Glaceon, the Fresh Snow Pokemon, shares traits with foxes, dogs and cats, but its home in cold places suggests it is closest to an Arctic fox. It may also borrow from colorpoint cats, the blue points in particular, and the "hair" on its head resembles an ushanka or a scarf hat.

Glaceon can lower its body temperature very quickly, freezing the air into diamond dust that glitters like gems while it dances around.

#570

Zorua

Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokemon, may be based on the kitsune as a shape-shifter. Its habit of keeping its tail while in human form may come from stories of kitsune that struggle to hide their tails after changing, and its habit of replacing children with itself echoes Irish folklore about changelings. Its face markings may draw on Kabuki and Noh theater makeup.

Its Illusion ability makes it take the appearance of the last Pokemon in its party until a damaging move hits it. Hisuian Zorua, the form found in the Hisui region, may be based on vengeful ghosts and on Cironnup Kamuy, the Ainu deity of foxes. It is a once-departed soul, returned to life in Hisui, that derives power from resentment. We know a few people who run on the same fuel.

#571

Zoroark

Zoroark, the Illusion Fox Pokemon, is based on a fox, possibly the kitsune, a shape-shifting fox that would trick unsuspecting travelers for fun. It also resembles a werewolf, since it is an upright canine that changes shape. Hisuian Zoroark may draw on the onryō, a vengeful ghost usually shown with disheveled hair and bright white clothes, and the red patches on its arms and legs resemble frostbite sores.

Its disheveled white fur makes it look like an embodiment of death, and it attacks with a bitter energy so intense it cuts its own body. It is 1.6 m tall and weighs 81.1 kg.

#653

Fennekin

Fennekin, the Fox Pokemon, resembles the fennec fox. It also shares traits with the kitsune, the magical foxes of Japanese folklore that can breathe fire and are tied to witchcraft, which sets up its whole line.

Fennekin munches on a twig in place of a snack as it walks (our snacks do far more damage than a twig), and it scares opponents by puffing hot air out of its ears. It stands 0.4 m tall. Its Blaze ability makes its Fire moves deal 1.5× damage once it is low on HP.

#654

Braixen

Braixen also resembles the fennec fox and draws on the kitsune-mochi, witches in Japanese folklore who inherit their powers from foxes. Its wand-like branch comes from mages, and with the stick stored in its tail fur, the whole tail looks like a broomstick. Lighting the stick by drawing it from the tail may reference striking a matchstick, and its fur resembles seifuku, the uniform worn by schoolgirls in Japan.

Friction sets the twig alight when it is plucked from its tail, which is more than our gas stove manages on a good day, and it uses the flame to send signals to its allies.

#655

Delphox

Delphox is a fennec fox crossed with a witch. In Japanese folklore, kitsune-mochi are witches who inherit their powers from foxes. Its wand-like branch likely refers to European witchcraft, its robe-like fur and sleeves to mages, and its prophetic powers may come from oracles. Its witch-like look and Fire type may also reference witch-hunts, which burned people accused of witchcraft. Its line may draw on the mage class in role-playing games too, which trades physical strength for powerful spells.

Delphox uses psychic power to make a fiery vortex of 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit. We would cast spells too if we had the sleeves. Its Special Attack is 114, and its Speed is 104.

#700

Sylveon

Sylveon keeps the fox, dog and cat mix of Eevee's evolutions, but its large, rounded ears look like a rabbit's, which may tie it to the moon rabbit. It may also draw on Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology. She is a xiānnǚ, a female immortal often translated as "fairy", and the ribbons on xiānnǚ robes likely inspired Sylveon's feelers.

Sylveon soothes with an aura from its ribbon-shaped organs, and it wraps them around quarrelers to restore calm. (We would like one at family dinners.) Its Special Defense is 130, and its hidden ability, Pixilate, turns Normal moves into Fairy moves and makes them 1.3× stronger.

#827

Nickit

Nickit, the Fox Pokemon, appears to be based on a red fox kit, perhaps with the pattern of the cross fox, a variant of the red fox. Its shiny gray coloring matches the silver fox, another variant. The "mask" on its face and the "gloves" on its paws come from thieves and burglars, and its tail looks like a sack of stolen goods.

Nickit is cunning and cautious, survives by stealing food from others, and erases its tracks with swipes of its tail as it makes off with its plunder. It would make a better getaway driver than any of us.

#828

Thievul

Thievul is a red fox with the look of a gentleman thief, and its whiskers recall highwaymen such as Dick Turpin. It may also refer to Guy Fawkes and the Guy Fawkes mask, since Fawkes and fox sound almost the same in Japanese. Its front legs look like the gloves a burglar wears.

Thievul goes around stealing food and eggs, and Boltund is its natural enemy. That rivalry may reference fox hunting, in which red foxes were hunted with English foxhounds, the dog Boltund appears to be based on. (We are firmly on the fox's side of this one.) Its hidden ability, Stakeout, doubles the power of its moves against a Pokemon that switched in that turn.

Every Pokemon Filed as a Fox Is Fire or Dark

Nine Pokemon have fox in their official category, and each one is a Fire or a Dark type. The two types match the two sides of the kitsune in the old stories, a fox that breathes fire and also shape-shifts to trick travelers for fun. None of the nine has both types.

Fox Pokemon FAQ

How many fox Pokemon are there?

There are 16 fox Pokemon. Nine have a fox word in their category, and Eevee and six of its evolutions share fox traits with dogs and cats.

What is the strongest fox Pokemon?

Delphox, with a base stat total of 534. Jolteon, Flareon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon follow at 525.

Is Eevee a fox?

No. Eevee has traits of foxes, dogs and cats, but its designer made it as a blank slate that is not based on any specific animal.

Which Pokemon is a nine-tailed fox?

Ninetales. It may be based on the kyūbi no kitsune, whose fur turns white-gold after 1,000 years as it gains its ninth tail.

Is Zoroark a kitsune?

Yes, possibly. Zoroark may be based on the kitsune, a shape-shifting fox that tricks travelers, which fits its Illusion ability.