Kitsune (Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles)

Kitsune puppeting her Odokuro marionette

**Kitsune** is an anthropomorphic fox and fictional character in the Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles Netflix series. Kitsune is a close friend of Yuichi Usagi, descendent of Miyamoto Usagi. Formerly a street performer who would use a puppet to entertain passersby and secretly steal from their pockets. She is friendly and fiesty, and enjoys cute things. She is also the quickest to make friends with the rest of the team.

## History

Not much is known about Kitsune's history, but she is an orphan since her childhood, and she doesn't know her birthday. She appears to have been a thief for most of her life however, as she is adept at stealing.

### The Big City

Introduced in episode one Kitsune is shown performing a puppet show while secretly stealing from her audience. Her show is ruined by Usagi accidently knocking into her puppet and revealing her stolen goods. She angrily chases after Usagi who flees from her and also Gen. After an altercation with Chikabuma, her puppet is destroyed. She briefly mourns it until she notices what appears to be a priceless object hidden away in rubble. (This is later revealed to be Kiyoko.) After chasing Usagi to the the Kaikishi temple guarded by Tetsujin, she meets Chizu who approves of Gen and Kitsune's desire to beat Usagi up. Their fight is however broken up by Tetsujin and the unexpected arrival of Kagehito from the Ki Stone.

### Yokai

Kitsune initially denies Kagehito's existence, saying that she doesn't believe in yokai as they haven't existed in 1,000 years. Her, Usagi, Gen, and Chizu have to team up to fight Kagehito, which leads to him escaping. When the Ki Stone makes Usagi a Kaikishi warrior, Kitsune makes jokes about how unimpressive Usagi's battle yo-yo is. When Usagi is arrested by Lord Kogane, she, Gen, and Chizu follow after him. Out of pity, she convinces the other two to team up and help break Usagi out of prison, which they are surprised to find out that he had already escaped. When Usagi asks if they want to give him a hug, Kitsune is the only one that agrees. They all eventually are rounded up and arrested by the keisatsu/police. When yokai Karasu-Tengu shows herself intent on killing the shogun, Usagi fights her off and breaks the team out of their restraints. They rally together to fight her off, but she instead decides to leave and return at a later time. As part of deal to avoid being arrested, Lord Kogane commands them to fight and eliminate the yokai that have infested the city. She's initially annoyed with Usagi's attitude at fighting monsters, but goes along with them anyway.

### Possessions

Continuing from the previous episode, Kitsune and the team enter the former residence of Gen and his family, which was seized by Lord Kogane and turned into a Cultural Museum and is now dilapidated. Kitsune attempts to steal jewelry from the museum and is attacked by a yokai in the guise of Lord Kogane, and it tries to cut off her head. Usagi identifies that yokai as a faceless yokai. (called dare mo in the episode but is also called noppera-bō) Kitsune uses her fan to defend Usagi and says to keep its "hands off (her) friend." After fighting it off, Usagi notices Kitsune's stolen jewels, which irritates her. Kitsune defends herself by saying that it's a better use of the jewels to feed her and buy her shoes without holes in them than just sitting in a museum. Usagi lets her go and she storms off.

Kitsune finds Chizu who expertly fights off the yokai possessed objects with martial arts and weaponry. She's impressed by her and also skeptical of her claim that she's a nobody who works in the Kaikishi temple. Chizu attempts to lie to her but Kitsune sees through it. She tells her that she doesn't need to hear the truth, but she doesn't want to be told lies. Chizu accepts this. When they are faced with Dare Mo, who now is imitating Tetsujin, Kitsune calls it out and it is dissapointed that its façade was seen through so quickly. It is also too embarrassed to reveal its blank face when Kitsune asks it to. Eventually, Kitsune is surprised to meet Gen's sister Toshiko, and is excited at the idea of the two having "twins magic" despite the siblings disagreeing with her.

Kitsune and Chizu agree that there are too many yokai to fight off, but Gen and Toshiko reveal that the museum used to their home and that they won't give up protecting it. Usagi determinedly says that he's going to fight with them, and Kitsune excitedly agrees proclaiming that they are all a team now. Eventually Usagi beats the yokai disguised as his auntie and it reveals that it and the many yokai in the house were only defending themselves from him. Kitsune hesitantly agrees with it, that Usagi was the one in the wrong in this situation for jumping in looking for a fight. Usagi apologizes for his behavior and they decide to cohabitate with the yokai. Toshiko tells the crew that she bought the house from Lord Kogane with borrowed money, and Kitsune agrees to help her restore the house to its original condition, and is also excited about throwing away all the Kogane animatronics.

### Run Rabbit Run

Kitsune, Usagi, and Chizu meet up with Gen in the hospital and Kitsune gives Gen "friendship candy" from the hospital gift shop. She gives a piece to Usagi, Spot (who swallows it whole, then regurgitates the wrapper much to her disgust), then a piece to Chizu. Unbeknownst to Kitsune, this causes Chizu to vividly remember her past friendship and the hurt it caused her when Lady Fuwa broke them up. Chizu accepts the candy and tells her that maybe she'll eat it one day. Usagi expresses remorse over Gen loosing his horn defending him and asks for help buying him a prosthetic horn. Kitsune accompanies him. Chizu suspiciously makes up an excuse to leave and Usagi, Spot, and Kitsune are confused but Kitsune proclaims "She's weird, but I like her."

While shopping, Usagi catches Kitsune swiping a kanzashi hairpin and Kitsune pretends like she didn't know how it got into her purse. She then resigns to putting back the pile of things she attempted to steal. A newsbotto announces a bounty on Usagi's capture, which causes multiple armed citizens to attack Usagi and Kitsune. Kitsune tries to talk Usagi out of fighting them, who is confident that he can beat them, and she eventually drags him and Spot away to escape. Usagi declares that he'll have to fight the whole city which Kitsune jokes that he'll run out of knuckles. They decide to hide out at Gen's house but are accosted by Chikabuma and his gang. Kitsune shakes her head at Usagi's willingness to fight Chikabuma. Both Usagi and Kitsune are knocked out and kidnapped by Chikabuma, who wants to turn him in to collect the reward. When Usagi comes to, they are both tied up on a cart. Usagi apologizes to Kitsune who takes their kidnapping in good spirits.

Chizu finds them with a stolen skycart and demands that Chikabuma let them go. The two are confused on why he is so frightened of Chizu, implying that he knows something about her that they don't. They are interrupted by the Bat Squadron flying in, who are angry that they are all in Bat territory. Chikabuma flees and the team have to fight off the Bats. Kitsune is grabbed by the ankles and flown up into the sky by a bat, but is saved by Chizu. Gen shows up, now with a cast over his broken horn, and stops their fighting. He asks Usagi not to fight the Bats. Gen convinces Admiral Nochi to leave Usagi alone, that because of his criminal status he wouldn't be able to collect the reward anyway.

Kitsune and the team take the skycart back to Gen's house and find that its surrounded in police. Gen accuses Kitsune of stealing the skycart, but Chizu admits to "borrowing" it. When they land the team is once again arrested by Lord Kogane. Usagi however figures out that Lord Kogane is possessed by a yokai that Usagi fought earlier and frees him from it.

### Common Sensei

Kitsune and Chizu are assisting Gen in setting up his kitchen and installing his appliances. Kitsune happily greets Chizu but Chizu says that they are not friends but instead "work-acquaintances." Usagi and Spot come running into the room and Spot immediately runs up to Kitsune and sits around her neck. Usagi tells them that he needs to fight three yokai to earn Karasu-Tengu's favor and Gen tries to talk him out of it, Kitsune however is up to the task and decides to go with him. Usagi rejects her and says that a true Samurai needs no one. Kitsune shoots that down and says that they are going with him because they are a team. Chizu however says that they aren't a team, and they're barely even friends.

When searching for the yokai, Kitsune has to pull Usagi back from walking in front of a trolley. She chastises him for not having city reflexes. When the group passes an arcade, Kitsune suggests that they go inside, because where better to find a yokai of distraction. Upon learning that Usagi has never been to an arcade, Kitsune is adamant that they go in. She then offers to "buy" Chizu yakitori. Her tone of voice raises concern from Usagi. Kitsune has a lot of fun with the group at the arcade, racing and playing games with Usagi. She throws a ball at a ninja target and exclaims that nobody likes ninjas. This causes a guilty reaction from Chizu, who goes off to be alone. Kitsune however finds her and offers her darts for the dart game. She is very happy when Chizu accepts them. Usagi catches the two throwing darts at a board with Miyamoto Usagi's face painted on it and gets upset. Kitsune and Chizu are a little embarrsed. When Chizu wins a large plush owl as a prize, Kitsune cries so that Chizu will give it to her, which she does. Kitsune hugs it and Chizu smiles.

When they finally leave, Usagi is upset to find out that they spent the whole day there. Kitsune claims that that he can't blame them because he had to be dragged away from the games to leave. Usagi finds a yokai possessing a vending machine named Jihanki. Gen and Kitsune are happy that it's shooting out yogurt beverages at them. Eventually, the team find Hakai, a yokai of destruction, who is possessing a construction-botto. Usagi rushes in to fight it against Chizu's wishes, and is quickly overpowered by the yokai. The team are concerned when Usagi gets hurt but he tells them not to help him. Usagi is grabbed by the construction-botto and is about to get a blowtorch to the face when he finally asks for help. Kitsune is the first to rush in to save him. They team up to fight the yokai. Chizu is about to get crushed by the bots metal arm but Kitsune jumps at her to push her out of the way.

Kitsune eventually grabs the botto using another costruction-botto and the spirit releases from it, allowing Usagi to capture it. Kitsune and the team follow Usagi back to the Ki-stone to put away Hakai, ignoring Chizu's diversions. Kitsune rushes to Usagi's side after his vision from the Ki-stone. They are interrupted when the Neko Ninja clan sneak into the Temple, and Chizu reveals that she was working for them all along.

## Relationships

### Chizu

Chizu and Kitsune have the closest relationship. Kitsune was quick to like her but Chizu kept her distance and didn't want to accept her friendship because of her past. Kitsune's friendship candy reminded Chizu of her friend from the ninja clan as a child, who was forced away from her. When Chizu reveals herself to be a ninja, Kitsune takes it the hardest and refuses to forgive her. Chizu tries to make it up to her and beg for her forgiveness and refuses to leave her alone when she is upset. Testujin states that Chizu "broke her heart." She does however forgive Chizu and is happy when Chizu finally admits that they're all friends.

In season two when Chizu becomes the new leader of the Neko Ninja Clan, Kitsune is once again heart broken that Chizu is leaving her. She comforts Kiyoko and tells her that they are still a family.

### Yuichi Usagi

The first to befriend Usagi, she was initially annoyed by him and wanted to beat him up for wrecking her show and smashing her puppet. She quickly turned around on him though and decides to look after him, as he is helpless in the city without her smarts. They are both fun and energetic and get along nicely. When Usagi found out that Kitsune didn't know her birthday, Usagi and Gen decided to throw her a surprise party with things that she loved. Usagi however doesn't approve of her stealing, though he has let her get away with it at times.

### Lord Kogane

Just like Usagi and the rest of the crew, she is seen to not like him. In the first season, Kitsune faces a Yokai disguised as Lord Kogane, fearing she will go to jail for stealing. She states multiple times how she hates following his orders and doings.

## Fighting Style

Kitsune uses a pair of bladed Tessen (war fans) in combat.

At the start of Season 2, Kitsune and the others are chosen by the Ki-Stone as Kaikishi Warriors. She chose another pair of bladed Tessen which she can materialize at will.

## Trivia

* Her voice actress is Shelby Rabara, who’s well known for voicing Peridot from the Cartoon Network series, *Steven Universe*.
* Kitsune had a non-mystical yo-yo similar to Usagi's when she was 9 years old.
* Besides Usagi, Kitsune is the most affectionate with Spot, often petting and holding him when he isn't with Usagi.
* In episode one, Kitsune's puppet resembles the skeleton yokai O-Dokuro.
* It is currently unknown if Kitsune has any relations to the Kitsune of the Usagi Yojimbo stories.
* When Usagi interrupts Kitsune in her sleep and gets stuck in a booby trap, Kitsune states she used to live in a trash can.