Board Thread:False Info and Speculative Discussion/@comment-201.244.250.159-20140910000351/@comment-4295751-20150702173801

I think the tails represent the kitsune's level of strength (or control over their powers) achieved. Like maybe (for the sake of making an example, not fanfiction):

Tail 1 - charging batteries/making electronic devices work Tail 2 - doing that from distance Tail 3 - creating small shocks Tail 4 - bigger shocks Tail 5 - deathly shocks Tail 6 - creating thunders Tail 7 - creating lightnings Tail 8 - creating electric bolts Tail 9 - basically becoming Spider-Man's Electro ...

As far as I know, strongest kitsunes have 9 tails. And when they lose one or more of their tails, they also lose their strength. I believe it's why Noshiko was almost killed by the berserker in the hospital. Earlier she had the guts (so probably also the strength) to face the nogitsune alone, but she had sacrificed most of her tails until then that when Melissa asked "you're still a kitsune, right?", she replied "technically". And you could literally see the power drawn from her when her last tail was broken.