In the Edo period, Tamamo no Mae was included as one of the three worst Japanese monsters along with Shutendoji (boy-faced giant) and the retired Emperor Sutoku (long-nosed goblin king of Sutoku), and she was featured in many kabuki performances, novels, comics, magazines, and paperbacks usually as an evil character.
江戸時代に入ると、玉藻前は酒呑童子、崇徳上皇（崇徳の大天狗）と並んで日本三大悪妖怪と言われ、歌舞伎や多くの小説・漫画・雑誌・文庫などに、主に悪役として多く登場することとなった。