The real myth behind Naruto's nine-tailed fox Kurama explained

Time of India

10-06-2025

How Japanese folklore inspired one of anime's most iconic characters
Naruto Uzumaki is a global anime character royalty. Behind all those crazy battles and high-energy jutsus, there's a richer story based in actual Japanese mythology—particularly when it comes to Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him.
This mystical beast may seem like pure fantasy, but it's based on real-life legends that stretch back for centuries.
Here's how those real-world myths helped sculpt Kurama and the hidden meaning behind Naruto's powers
Who is Kurama? The nine-tailed fox in Naruto
In Naruto, Kurama is one of the nine 'Tailed Beasts' formed from the chakra of a legendary creature known as the Ten-Tails. These tailed beasts are massive, sentient chakra monsters with various abilities and personalities.
Naruto was born with Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, sealed in him. In the short run, this allowed him to incite fear and hatred nationwide. As the series progressed, Naruto grew closer to Kurama, and the two eventually learned to work in tandem to become one of the most powerful pairings in the ninja world.
What is a tailed beast (Bijuu)?
In the context of the anime, tailed beasts are weapons of war that villages use to fight one another and dominate their enemies.
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Yet, at the same time, they are loved, known, and deeply steeped in history. Perhaps the most powerful of them all is Kurama, who is a nine-tailed fox with an incredible reserve of chakra (energy).
Naruto is what they call a 'Jinchuriki,' a person who literally bears a tailed beast inside them. This potent magic had extraordinary power but came at the expense for him and Kurama of pain, trepidation, and solitude until he gained Kurama's trust.
Kurama's real-life mythical origins
Kurama, like many aspects of the show, is inspired by Japanese culture. His character is modeled after the kitsune, a fox-spirit from Japanese mythology. In Japanese mythology, kitsune are highly intelligent supernatural foxes that can shape-shift into human beings. They're not good or bad, they have potential for good and evil, and it all depends on what you do to them.
Fox spirits are prevalent in East Asian folklore, not only in Japan.
In Korea, they're known as gumiho, and in China, huli jing. The Korean gumiho is typically portrayed as a malevolent force in television and folklore.
Each and every aspect of Kurama is drawn from reality— even the name 'Kurama' is derived from a real location—Mount Kurama in Japan. It is thought to be a spiritual mountain, residence of strong spirits, and energy healing (Reiki), which is connected to Naruto's chakra-based healing abilities.
Symbolism behind Naruto and Kurama's bond
In past tales, foxes and people often shared deep bonds. That's exactly what happens in Naruto with Kurama. Through their mutual adversity, their hate morphs into respect, and eventually, into real camaraderie and teamwork.
When Kurama thought he was the mightiest of all the tailed beasts, this created envy — particularly from Shukaku, the One-Tail. This harkens back to an ancient myth in which foxes (kitsune) and tanuki are enemies.
It's a natural complement to the rivalry between Naruto and Gaara in the anime.
Why does Naruto have whisker marks?
Naruto's whisker-like birthmarks don't just appear out of thin air. They manifested because he was inundated with Kurama's chakra even while in his mother's womb. That early exposure took an irrevocable toll on him—even before Kurama was sealed inside.
Other Jinchuriki are given physical traits that complement their tailed beasts. Additionally, Gaara has never been seen without raccoon-like eyes.
Yugito Nii can be identified by her cat ears and tail. These designs go a long way to make the human characters feel connected to the mythological creatures they bear.
Naruto was almost a fox himself
Here's an additional fun fact to go with that. In the original Naruto manga pilot, Naruto was actually the Nine-Tailed Fox in human form! Masashi Kishimoto subverted that notion when he created the character further down the line, but remnants can still be found, such as his attitude, liveliness, and those signature whiskers.
Kurama is more than just a monster
Kurama isn't simply a magical monster, arguably one of the best in anime. He's the fourth of a long line of Asian-inspired myth, magic, and mystery. From ancient fox spirits to chakra healing and shape-shifting lore, Kurama's journey is a contemporary iteration of stories as old as time itself.
Thanks to Naruto, millions of fans around the world have been introduced to a fascinating piece of Japanese mythology, often without them knowing it.