The world of anime doesn’t only introduce us to human characters and tell us realistic stories. It also has a collection of diverse characters that gives the storyline a new perspective or boost. These characters range from cute talking cats to human-eating ghouls. One of the groups from these diverse creatures is called the Kitsune. In fact, this is one of the most common “species” you can find in anime.
Kitsune are basically fox characters with human features, or they could be human characters with fox features. Regardless, these fox characters can be one of the most powerful races in anime as the idea originates from Eastern Folklore. Normal foxes were believed to live for 100 years, and with their age, they grew more tails which gave them magical powers like shape-shifting.
10 Kitsune or Fox Characters in Anime:
Kitsune or fox folklore has many versions in Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam. Although Japan calls these creatures the Kitsune, they are also known by the names Kumiho, Huli Jing, and Ho tinh. These creatures are thus as famous as the myth of dragons in Eastern Culture. This fox spirit symbolizes auspiciousness. However, in some places, they are considered to be impish. Below mentioned are some fox characters that mostly have both the qualities of being auspicious as well as impish.
Kurama (Naruto)
Kurama is probably the most famous fox character known. In fact, he is literally called the nine-tailed demon fox. He is from the anime Naruto and ends up being one of the most loved characters in the series. Although he was shown as someone scary in the beginning, as the anime progresses, we see that he too has a backstory and also a soft side to him.
Kurama
Initially, Kurama appears to be someone who could bring doom to Naruto. This is evident when he tries to take over Naruto multiple times. Naruto also had to endure the pain of being shunned away by his fellow villages as a kid. However, when we finally know Kurama’s story, we can see that he isn’t mean, but he is just angry at the way people had been treating him. For more than half of the series, he was referred to as a demon fox rather than by his name. Luckily, towards the end of the series, we see the unspoken and silent bond that Naruto and Kurama had shared over all the years bloom into something great that in turn helps Naruto in his battles.
Tomoe (Kamisama Kiss)
From the shojo genre, Kamisama Kiss, Tomoe is one of the famous fox characters in anime. He is a fox yokai that was abandoned to care for a decaying shrine that belonged to a Land God. He is several hundred years old and is very deceptive and, most of the time, hot-headed. Aware of his handsomeness, he even uses his charms to get his way.
Tomoe Kitsune
Besides this, he is a strong fox character as he can use an ability called the Kitsunebi, which means fox-fire. He also can control others by using enchanted leaves. Although initially, he dislikes the female lead of the anime, Nanami Momozono, he eventually falls in love with her.
Yoko Kurama (Yu Yu Hakusho)
One of the main characters from the anime Yu Yu Hakusho, Yoko Kurama, is a “demon fox”. Yoko Kurama’s story is rather an interesting one as he wasn’t born a fox. His story began when he was a baby as the real demon fox put his soul in him while he was on a chase. As he grows up, he strives to create a balance between his two personas – as a human and as a fox.
Yoko Kurama
Usually, he is seen as someone who is witty and scheming as well as analytical. However, he is also shown as someone who truly cares about his friends. His intelligence is his most powerful weapon, along with his other abilities like the “Rose Whip” and “Seed of the Death Plant”.
Soushi Miketsukami (Inu x Boku Secret Service)
Another character that is related to the tale of the nine-tailed fox spirit. Soushi Miketsukami is a character from Inu x Boku Secret Service. He is seen as a calm person who has a soft spot for Ririchiyo Shirakiin, the female lead of the anime. Soushi works as a Secret Service agent and is assigned to Ririchiyo. He can transform himself into a yokai form as he is the reincarnation of the nine-tailed fox spirit.
Soushi Miketsukami
His story is a little bit interesting as he is reincarnated again due to some bad happenings. However, his reincarnation cannot remember much about his love interest. He is considered the most powerful Secret Service agent. When using his nine-tail fox powers, he transforms into his yokai form, growing nine-tails himself.
Shippo (InuYasha)
This adorable kitsune is from the anime Inuyasha. Although he is still very young, he decided to avenge his late father by becoming much stronger. He attempts to rob the Shikon Jewel pieces from Kagome and Inuyasha however, he is unsuccessful. Instead, he joins the two on their journey.
Shippo
He is determined to develop his fox traits and become strong. He trains to take the Fox Demon Exams. In the end, he becomes an instructor at the fox-demon school and teaches aspiring kids like he used to be.
Yoko Inari (Kemono Jihen)
Kemono Jihen is a supernatural anime that has an interesting story. In the anime, we are introduced to various kinds of humans who also happen to be half-vampires, half-spiders, or half-ghouls. Interesting, right?
Yoko Inari
In the anime, we also have a kitsune character whose name is Yoko Inari. She belongs to the kitsune species, although her appearance wouldn’t make it seem like it. She is the Metropolitan Police Department’s head. Interestingly, her coat is sectioned into 9 parts as it flows down, which is a representation of the nine-tailed fox. She also possesses the ability to create illusions and uses them as well as manipulation of words to get her way.
Park IlPyo’s Charyeok(God of Highschool)
God of Highschool is an anime that is adapted from a manhwa. This anime doesn’t literally have a kitsune character however, there is a character that wields the powers of the nine-tailed fox. One of the main supporting characters is named Park Ilpyo. Before I talk about him, let me explain what a “Charyeok” means. In the anime, the characters have the ability to borrow powers from gods, demons, or supernatural beings based on a contract. This borrowed power is referred to as Charyeok.
Park Ilpyo
Ilpyo borrows the power of the nine-tailed demon fox, giving him fox-like features with 9 tails. Although he is already considered to be a powerful character in the series, using this ability makes him more powerful, giving him additional abilities like speed and enhanced strength.
Gintarou (Gingitsune: Messenger Fox of The Gods)
This kitsune stands as a guard at the Saeki shrine. He is a laid-back character who is more than 300 years old. He also is the messenger of the gods, but before he took on this role, he was an ordinary fox. After being injured by a farmer, he was helped by a priestess.
Gintaro
He also had a partner named Kinjiro who left him to guard the shrine on his. Although he looks intimidating, he has a caring nature, and he enjoys eating tangerines. He has the abilities of fortune telling as well as can search for missing people or animals.
Senko-san (The Helpful Fox Senko-San)
Do not fall for her child-like appearance as Senko-san is more than 800 years old. The main character of this anime is Kuroto, and by the looks of it, he has a lot of “darkness” in his life. To eradicate this darkness, Senko-san, a kitsune, is sent from the Kitsune World.
Senko-San
She tries her best to make Kuroto happy by listening and cooking food for him. Along with being Kuroto’s support, she also has the abilities like creating portals and magic barriers, telekinesis, flight, and fox-fire.
Kyubi (Yo-Kai Watch)
Perhaps the best-looking fox character out there since Kyubi’s kitsune form is very colorful. Kyubi is a character from Yo-kai Watch. This anime is inspired by the game of the same name, which is heavily based on Japanese Folklore. The game, as well as anime, thus, introduce us to various mythical beings from these folklores.
Kyubi
Kyubi has a human form that appears to look like a child. However, his personality is the opposite of his appearance. He can appear cold and serious and is often seen pointing out the flaws of others. His powers are mostly fire-based, and he also uses his tails to attack.
When it comes to open-world games, the first name that pops in all of our’s minds would be Grand Theft Auto games. These games have influenced our childhood and are also part of our culture. For those who are living under the rock, the GTA game franchise is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly and developed by Rockstar Games. As much of an influence this game has on our culture, it has also made that much influence in the gaming industry, too. After the success of GTA games, many studios began focusing more on open-world games where some of them were heavily ‘inspired from the ‘Grand Theft Auto’ franchise’ and turned out to be pretty good. In this article, we will be looking at ‘GTA Rip Off’ games.
Please do note that this is just our opinion, and your opinion may vary in a huge range. This is not to make fun of the games mentioned below but to show the fans of the Grand Theft Auto Franchise that there are a lot of similar games like GTA, which we think they should check out. When released for the first time, GTA games were able to stand out of the crowd because of their heavy focus on the open world where the players are required to complete missions to progress an overall story while exploring the map. Most of the gameplay revolves around driving and shooting, which takes place in the fictional maps, which were inspired by real-life cities.
GTA games fan-made poster
Top 8 GTA Rip Off Games
In this list, we will be looking at games that are similar to GTA. Keep in mind that the games listed in this article may only have some common niches from the game, or some may be heavily inspired by the GTA franchise. But even so, the games listed here are worth checking out even if you won’t play them.
1. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
This was a game that no one expected would be great but turned out to be an amazing game. The Simpsons: Hit & Run was the game that many parents had bought for their children who wanted to play the GTA Vice City or the GTA San Andreas. While many may think this game is an absolute GTA rip-off, it is not. While the game combines the Springfield atmosphere with the GTA-style game, the game has great gameplay as well as story.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
While it may lack the crime and violence that the players can do in the Grand Theft Auto universe, you can still hit someone and even run over your vehicle over them if you are a fan of doing that in GTA games. Just like in GTA, you will be required to explore around the map according to the story of the game. Where the game shows its strength, is in terms of the humour it packs in it. If you think the nineties Simpsons is better than the modern-day one, then this is the jokes will be more laughable to you as the jokes in the game are more like the one in the nineties.
2. Mafia
Next up on our list is the game Mafia, where we see a crime story similar to the one in the Grand Theft Auto series. The series has been loved for its violence and high-octane scenes and was appreciated for the interpretation of the story of the game in a fresh and unique take. Along with the gameplay, Mafia has also been appreciated for its stunning environments are backed up with.
Mafia Definitive Edition
While the series had got further installments, the first game in the franchise still had a lot of fans. Subsequent Mafia titles may have failed to reach the same lofty heights, but the original provides a masterclass in how to adapt a concept into an engaging experience. The latest game in the franchise is called Mafia: Definitive Edition and is available on platforms including macOS and Microsoft Windows PC, PlayStation 2, 3, and 4, Stadia, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
3. Just Cause
The most obvious difference between the Just Cause series and GTA is how different the approach to their approach to the 3D open world is, despite having actions and explosions. If you are not satisfied enough with the actions packed into the GTA games, then Just Cause will be your weapon to try. This game has far more action-oriented stunts and explosions, which will remind you if you are in an action movie.
Just Cause
As of now, the series consists of Just Cause, Just Cause 2, Just Cause 3, and Just Cause 4 . The story of the game primarily takes place in islands and archipelagos. In each title, the players will be tasked with some tools such as parachute, grappling hook, and wingsuit to overthrow a governing body. As of 2018, it has been officially revealed that the game has shipped over 15 million copies worldwide.
4. Red Dead Redemption
From the same company that develops the GTA franchise comes the Read Dead Redemption, but the story in this game takes place in the early 20th-century setting. Red Dead Redemption games which include both Read Dead Redemption, exemplify GTA’s values, such as playing in an open world and having a lot of details on the map. While many call the Red Dead Redemption 2 “Grand Theft Auto with horses,” we can promise you that the game is much more than that.
Red Dead Redemption
5. Watch Dogs
The original Watch Dogs was such a sour-hearted affair where we see the game telling us a tale of revenge that becomes almost unbearable by the end of it. But the developer and publisher of the game, Ubisoft, took the criticism and made the sequel much closer to the sentiments and tone of contemporary Grand Theft Auto titles. The game, because of its similarities, has often been called a copy of Rockstars GTA games, but Watch Dogs 2 still holds plenty of laughs.
Watch Dogs
6. The Witcher
While many may not have played The Witcher game, we are pretty sure that you may have heard about the publisher CD Projekt Red. The same studio behind Cyberpunk, one of the most controversial games in 2021. The Witcher is a game that was released by the studio before the backslash it received because of CyberPunk. The Witcher is a game series based on the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
The Witcher
The story of the game is considered as a sequel to the story of the books. The series began with the 2007’s The Witcher and was concluded with 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. As of 2020, The Witcher game franchise has three main standalone games, two expansion packs, and three spin-offs. The series has been appreciated by both of the critiques as well as the fans and will have sold over 50 million copies worldwide by May 2020. Since Witcher games are also open-world RPG games, it resembles GTA 5’s large, explorable open-world. Just like GTA, players will have to explore the map according to the missions as the game progress.
7. Far Cry
Far Cry is a franchise of first-person shooter games, which may sound similar to GTA games. Published by Ubisoft, the first game in this franchise was released back in 2004. Since its release, the game has received six installments and has been the favorite game for many players. Open world game fans have been a fan of the Far Cry franchise and the franchise haS sold more than 20 million units.
Far Cry
8. Sleeping Dogs
While it may sound similar to Watch Dogs, the game Sleeping dog packs in a lot of martial arts and B-movie stunt actions in an open-world crime genre, the result turns out to be a Grand Theft Auto combined with a Bruce Lee film.
Sleeping Dogs
Because of its success and positive reviews, a sequel to the game was also announced, which was said to include a co-op campaign but was canned in the early stages of development.
