The story doesn't make sense. Ahri is a vastaya but has ALL the characteristics of a kitsune(sexy fox lady that takes the souls/life essence of men). This is only reinforced by her short story that came a while ago(4/5 months?). Are they retconning again?
She's inspired by a kitsune. Those aren't things that exist in the League universe, due to being a part of mythologies and cultures that don't exist in Runeterra. I don't think they ever actually called her that in game/lore.
EDIT: also yeah she's weird
Ahri's weird.
I don't think her short story was ever released from the PBE, so I doubt that it was official.
How? Vastaya is basicly a general catergorization that's basicly equivilent of being called human. You do realize kistune belong in the catergory of yaokai right?
Vastaya is a broad term that applies to any sentient creature that has humanoid traits such as standing, talking etc. Because no one but Ahri knows her own origins, it'd be surmised to Ionian locals who've seen and encountered her that they would pass her off as a Vastayan creature.
So guys let me see if I understand: vastaya are humanoid beings with animalistic/chimeric features that ranges from beings like ahri to beings like Cassiopeia and Nasus ?
Thing is that Kitsunes don't exist in lol. Ahri might be based on the real world legend,but that doesn't mean that she is the same thing. I mean Azir is clearly based on Ra,but he isn't Ra himself. In a similar way,Ahri is a Vastaya that simply resembles a Kitsune(or more accurately a Gumiho)
Ahri still steals essence so as to become more human, remember? And then there's the pig guy who showed up after; he by all accounts looked and behaved as a human, but could transform into a pig man.
Vastayans are too varied to actually be called a "race"; I'd actually put it as a much larger categorization myself.
