| Foxling | |
|---|---|
 Alef, probably the most recognized example of the Foxling race in the series | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Habitat | Varies, apparently similar to civilized races |
| Eye color | Varies, usually slitted |
| Hair color | Orange-yellow |
| Skin color | Covered with fur |
| Unusual features | Fox-like head, tail, clawed hands and feet, fur-covered body |
Foxlings (フォックスリング, Fokkusuringu?) are a Vulpine-based (i.e. Fox) race that appear in the Shining series.
In the English version of Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, Alef refers to the race as "Vulpes", and the race does not appear to be named by any other name in English documentation; however, it is generally known in Shining fandom, as well as other fantasy sources by the more common name of "Foxling".
Race[]
Foxlings are a varied race, including fierce fighters and strong magic users. Despite being a recognized race in the Shining series, they are not very numerous; even fewer than the unique Kyantol race seem to have appeared in the series.
Most Foxlings have very distinctly recognizable appearances that are similar to Red Foxes; this is particularly noticeable in their muzzles, ear shapes and fur colours. All foxlings seen in the series have primarily orange or yellow shades of fur, often with white trim or patches. When tails are visible, these are large and bushy, primarily of the Foxling's main fur colour but with white tips; some Foxlings have more than one tail, such as Kamushin who has two tails and Steel who has three, suggesting there may be a connection between the race and folklore surrounding Japanese Kitsune (i.e. spirits who take the form of Foxes, and grow an extra tail every 100 years - the more tails a Kitsune has, the wiser it is revered as being).
Some Foxlings seem to maintain character traits associated with Foxes; Steel's brief appearance in Shining Force III suggests that he is an extremely cunning character.
A noteworthy area of confusion surrounds May from Shining Force CD / Sword of Hajya - many have incorrectly assumed her to be of some kind of feline species. This is quite probably because of many features in her appearance, such as a lack of bushy fur, equilateral triangle ear shape rather than the usual isosceles triangle shape, shorter muzzle (possibly an optical illusion from a more face-on view) and large, rounded eyes instead of the usually slitted sort (although this may be because of the design style for many of the characters in Shining Force CD, who also have similarly shaped eyes). However, despite these differences, her race is officially listed as Foxling, so in a similar way to there being different breeds of Fox May could well be a different breed of Fox, possibly either a rare breed or one unique to Cypress.
Another character of note is Shining Force III's Oneanara. Although only her very human-like face is really noticed in-game, she is also officially listed as being a Foxling, and full body artwork of her character reveals that she has large, Fox-like ears (although her attire covers the rest of her body, hiding any other Fox-like features she may have).
Examples[]
- Alef from Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention and Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon
- May from Shining Force CD/Sword of Hajya
- Steel from Shining Force III
- Oneanara from Shining Force III
- Shumari and Kamushin from Shining Wind