Tamamo no Mae is believed to be roughly based on Fujiwara no Nariko, the Queen Consort of Emperor Toba. Both figures were highly favored by their parents and their respective emperors as "truly magnificent" of surreal quality. The Queen Consort was fabled to have plotted for her child to become the heir apparent, causing a bloody rebellion between Emperor Toba's other potential heirs. Tamamo, in her incarnation for the Killing Stone, recalled witnessing a similar massacre in one of her many lifetimes. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but it is a popular story.
Her origins and past vary based on the time era in which the tale was made. The Heian and Muromachi versions insist that she was born in Japan during the same era as her prey. These tales state that she was a former commoner of no noble origins.

The Edo period stories are famous for depicting her as one of the most villainous women in folklore and one of the three most evil spirits, sharing the right with Shuten-dōji and Emperor Sutoku. She was alive since 5th century BC in ancient India, leading to the (debunked) claim of her being the oldest malevolent fox spirit to have existed. She used her allure to be favored by a Chinese king or prince named Banzu (班足王 or 班足太子) and became his concubine, Lady Hanyang (華陽夫人). Without his knowledge, she hypnotized him to be her puppet and took the heads of thousands of innocent people to feed herself. The angry commoners led a resistance against the king and caused his downfall. Using her powers, she fled the carnage and hid for several hundred years within the mountains. When she gained the courage to descend, she became King Zhou's concubine (Daji). When the kingdom fell, she once again resumed her centuries of hiding before her next emergence. Alternatively, her true identity was immediately exposed by Taigong Wang, who then used his divine sword to split her fleeing body and spirit into three.

Her spirit was reborn –or she later assumed the name– Bao Si, the famous concubine of King You. Under this identity, she refused to smile until the signal fires to call the army to arms was lit. Captivated by the radiance of her smile, the king would continue to light the fire without reason for her. His favoritism for her caused the governing to suffer and led to discontent with his generals. She quietly slipped away from the public eye during the chaotic uprising which followed and returned to her life of hiding for many years. In 753, she assumed the identity, Wakamo (若藻), to bewitch Kibi no Makibi. Using the minister's connections with China, she boarded one of his boats and, through her discreet use of her supernatural powers, they were able to arrive in Japan without incident.

Regardless of the version, Tamamo was known for her perilous beauty and was reputed to have had no equal in the land. Her skin was so pure it illuminated, her clothes were never dirtied, and her gait had surreal elegance that no living being could ever hope to replicate. Her looks were magnified by her peerless intelligence, as she never erred when she spoke and answered anything asked of her with perfect accuracy. Her parents were marveled by her qualities and named her Mizukume (藻女), or "splendid girl".

When she turned 18, she was sent to become a servant for the imperial palace. Before long, her charms were noticed by the court and drew Emperor Konoe's attention. Falling for Mizukume at first sight, he immediately had her made as his attendant. Her new title became Tamamo no Mae (literally translated as "Splendid Gem of the Past") to reflect his feelings for her. Emperor Konoe lavished her with his affections and soon never wanted to part from her. Around the same time, he began to become very ill. Expert herbalists were powerless and could not treat him. It was an onmyouji from the Abe sect who correctly identified Tamamo to be the cause –the onmyouji changes in sources between Abe no Yasuchika, Yasunari, or Seimei. Depending on the source, she was also Seimei's biological mother. He chanted a mantra to reveal her identity as a golden nine-tailed fox spirit, and Tamamo fled before she could be struck down by guards.

She fled toward the Nasano district and an army of 8,000 was called to hunt her. Abe served as their strategist and Miuranosuke Yoshiaki, Chibanosuke Tsunetane, and Kazusanosuke Hirotsune served as the generals. Sudōgō-no-Kami Sadanobu was called for assistance. The nine-tailed fox remained in her true form so she could use her sorcery to deflect their arrows. At first, she seemed superior to them, but the Abe onmyouji countered her tactics at each turn. Mounted archers normally used for hunting dogs had the advantage over her.

During the night, the nine-tailed appeared as a beautiful girl in Sadanobu's dream to plead for forgiveness. The hunters considered it a sign of the fox's powers weakening and advanced their troops. As the fox tried to flee, Miuranosuke landed two arrows on its neck and posterior. Kazusanosuke drew his long blade to slay it. Depending on the version of the tale, the fox continued to plea for forgiveness to Miuranosuke because she considered him the strongest yet weakest willed of the lot. Emperor Konoe made a healthy recovery after the fox's death and the people rejoiced. Many valuable treasures were found within the fox's body and brought back to the palace. The hunters received high honors and were handsomely rewarded.

Edo period folklore instead states that the fox's carcass instantly transformed into a large poisonous stone. Any living being which came into contact with it perished, thus it was dubbed the "Killing Stone". It continued to exist after Emperor Konoe's death, causing many people to fear its presence. Several pious figures attempted to purify it but fell victim to the stone's strong miasma, losing their lives to it as well. It wasn't until a monk named Gennō Shinshō came to the stone and was implored by Tamamo's spirit to grant her respite. After he performed the final rites for her, her soul left the stone and it became harmless.