Tamamo no Mae (⽟玉藻前) is one of the most famous kitsune in Japanese mythology. A nine-tailed magical fox, she is also one of the most powerful yōkai that has ever lived. Her magical abilities were matched only by her trickiness and lust for power.

She lived during the Heian period, and though she may not have succeeded in her plan to kill the emperor and take his place, her actions destabilised the country and lead it towards one of the most important civil wars in Japanese history. For that reason, Tamamo no Mae is considered one of the Three Terrible Yōkai of Japan.

She initially disguised herself as a human child and after years grew to be the most favoured courtesan of Emperor Toba. She was said to be stunningly beautiful and intelligent woman, being able to answer any question asked. She caused the Emperor to be extremely ill and was eventually exposed as a fox spirit by the astrologer Abe no Yasuchika, who had been called to diagnose the cause of the Emperor's poor health. A few years later, the emperor sent Kazusa-no-suke and Miura-no- suke to kill the fox in the plains of Nasu.

Source: Yokai.com