- As per ep 7, we know that Finian was used for weird experiments. Possibly they aren't all ghosts, but they might all be weird, in different ways.
- The latter does have some truth to it as a result of their Dark and Troubled Past. They were hired after Ciel's return to the manor, though...
- Jossed; we see Tanaka in the hospital after Sebastian saves Ciel from the kidnappers. None of the staff are ghosts.
- In episode 2: Sebastian got up in her personal space and touched her without her consent, then proceeded to insult her. It's worth noting that Dagger, who doesn't seem to be hot-headed, also got upset on Beast's behalf and had a very similar reaction to hers.
- In episode 6: She had just been rejected by someone she loved deeply, then Sebastian, a person who had already made a very bad impression on her and was clearly eavesdropping on a private conversation, started pestering her. She only escalated the conflict when he refused to leave and blatantly disrespected her autonomy by getting in her personal space again after she told him to get lost.
- In episode 9: She was under a lot of pressure because not one, not two, but three skilled fighters were trying to kill her and Dagger, and her worry for Joker and probably also Peter, Wendy, and Jumbo would've stressed her further. Even then, she only really gets angry once Dagger is murdered.
- MUWHAHAHAHAHA! I'm not the only one that thinks Grell bears a resemblance to Karin!
- Wait, didn't Grell appear earlier than either of them? Besides that, yeah that makes so much sense.
- They are also in love with characters played by Noriaki Sugiyama.
- Sebastian does resemble a typical Uchiha, at least physically...
- Maid - Child soldier and expy of Roberta and Ms. Van Winkle.
- That's First Lieutenant Van Winkle.
- Cook - Guerrilla fighter/gun runner/demolition expert. (He wants to be the flambe chef from Ratatouille but he just can't.)
- Gardener - Cute Bruiser due to experimentation (super soba with a side of gamma rays?) Is currently about to HULK SMASH! an intruder due to trespassers in Phantomhive Manor being a Berserk Button
- The above three are confirmed.
- Butler Tanaka - Very, very extended Heroic BSoD due to the fact that his dead master has returned as the butler combined with, just maybe...
- Confirmed. Their servant roles are secondary to their roles as his private army and they were each hired for their killing prowess.
- Alternate theory: Sebastian was summoned by the cultists, but he liked Ciel better.
- The 'Alternate Theory' is confirmed as of chapter 63. The main theory, however, is jossed.
- If that were the case he wouldn't have agreed to eat Ciel's soul only after he killed his parents' murderer would he? Catch 22
- Additionally, at least in the Japanese version of the manga, Sebastian initially wasn't thrilled that Ciel wanted to enter into a contract. If this theory was true, surely he would've been more enthusiastic, or at the very least not as disinterested as he was.
- Jossed. Sebastian didn't manifest in the world until after the initial sacrifice, so there was no way for him to be involved. He also wouldn't agree to a contract that would culminate in his own death, he's not stupid.
- All of them (save for the doctor and maybe Joker) have been slaughtered by the servants (who are indeed Ciel's personal army) and this doesn't appear to be the kidnapped children's purpose, so I guess we'll have to wait.
- Confirmed as of Chapter 34.
- ...Ciel's father was Alucard?!
- The final episode confirms that Sebastian's usual butler form is not his true form.
- In chapter 62, it is shown that Sebastian merely conjured the form up because he wanted to 'suit the servant of an earl'. He didn't even know Vincent when he made his form, nor did Ciel instruct him to look like his late father, so that's another theory Jossed.
- I have to tell myself this to stop myself from crying.
- Maybe confirmed now that the anime is getting a second season.
- Only about half-confirmed Sebastian cannot eat Ciel's soul, but must serve as one hell of a butler for eternity.
- I wonder which one Ciel would prefer, given the choice...
- Delilah does make a lot of dolls and dabble in some very bad hoodoo...
- Given his status among fangirls this would be quite the hilarious revelation.
- Sebastian's true form is HIM?!?!
- It's not outside the scope of possibilities.
- Whatever he is is Nightmare Fuel, judging from Ash's reaction and Sebastian's insistance that Ciel shield his eyes.
- That's anime continuity, though. Sebastian had no problem with appearing in his true form in front of Ciel in the manga. Ciel didn't even seem too fazed by it.
- Sebastian's true form is an Eldritch Abomination which drives people insane just by looking at it. What we saw was the closest thing a human could see without going crazy.
- Sebastian's true form is HIM?!?!
- While nothing has been confirmed, at the very least it is reasonably safe to assume he's not a man, as gender is (as far as we know) a uniquely human construct. (And if demons in this series do indeed have genders, why would they be the same as or analogue to human genders?) Additionally, if demons have no need to reproduce, they probably don't have sexes either.
- And if they do reproduce, who's to say they don't do it asexually?
- The glimpses we see of him through the shifting blackness of his true form appear male shaped and not entirely dissimilar to his butler form. Stilettos and skintight leather do not equal female.
- Confirmed as of chapter 62, but only for the manga version; the first anime reveals that the symbol branded on Ciel is actually that of the Fallen Angel Angela/Ash.
- Well, I guess that's somewhat better...
- The inflagranti delicto scene in the manga IS rather ambiguous. However, both hands are accounted for (one gloved, one not — he'd removed one already because it had gotten bloody from the preceding confrontation with Spears), suggesting either he wasn't using them OR there was some creative position-switching occurring between frames. It's likely left unclear on purpose to allow the reader to insert his or her own interpretation... which I'm sure many of us have done with gusto. But there is something delicious about the implication that Sebastian is so efficient, even during sex, that he doesn't need to disrobe.
- Fangirls would like to think that he just fingered them. His scene with Beast is rather ambiguous, but it's pretty obvious that he at least had penetrative sex with the nun. Also, all over Black Butler fandom, Sebastian always has sex fully clothed. I'm pretty sure that it's canon that he doesn't like being naked around humans, so there's that, too. It is canon, as quote "However, the first time in my long life as a demon... that I ended up showing humans such a humiliating state. [they were looking for Ciel's master key, so they de-robed him.] while explaining to Wordsmith about the solution of the Phantomhive Murder Mystery, in chapter 49.
- The sixth episode of Book of Circus makes it pretty clear in the silhouette shot that he did penetrate Beast. Doggy style, no less.
- It was standard intercourse on both occasions, but another alternative is that he might have incorporated some supernatural means into his encounters *cough*cough*he can summon tendrils*cough*cough*. Again, it's all up to the viewer's interpretation.
If you still doubt that, compare◊ them◊.
- It *is* stated that Mukuro has been through all six paths of the afterlife, so it's plausible that he could have been a demon at some point.
- Somewhat confirmed with chapter 47.
- Completely comfirmed in Chapter 50 with his 'revival' in the cemetry
- Okay, come on. Did anyone actually believe that? He can freaking tank barrage of bullets, why would a simple stab to the back kill him?!
- Supported by the fact that the killer does seem to holding a weapon that looks a lot like a scythe ◊
- Jossed. That wasn't the murder, it was just Bard.
- Jossed again. Everything is explained in chapters 48 and 49.one faked, later killed by Grey. Phelps is killed by a snake. Sebastian is 'killed' by Grey. Besides, Grell was there for actual Reaper duties. Who knows what kind of punishment she went through after the Jack the Ripper arc.
- Jossed. That wasn't the murder, it was just Bard.
Ciel shot von Siemens and then did the trick with the thread and needle, which he had practiced earlier. He told how he did it to Arthur since Arthur would be intelligent enough to be suspicious of what would have been such apparent stupidity had Ciel been the murderer. Ciel also made a point to act like a nice child around Arthur in order to evoke his sympathies.
Sebastian brought Ciel a means of opening the lock of the chain inside the pillow. Ciel faked sleep until Arthur was soundly asleep and then opened the chain and slipped out to "murder" Sebastian. With Sebastian playing dead on Ciel's previous orders, the both of them now had good alibis: Sebastian due to supposedly being dead and Ciel due to having been under guard. Moreover, Sebastian was now free to move about stealthily and murder additional people without himself or his master being suspected.
It's possible that Sebastian even made the weather to suit the plan.
- Partially true. It seems he knew the murders were going to happen but he let them happen in order to expose a few of the guests. It's also explained above
Ciel's father Vincent looks suspiciously like Sebastian, but the reason for that is not that Sebastian based his current appearance on him but that Vincent is Sebastian's son. The Phantomhive family's reputation for evil goes back for generations, and Sebastian was the demon they dealt with. During this time Sebastian became an expert in the ways of English noble households and learned to cook all of those fancy dishes while remaining ignorant of things like curry. Sebastian took different shapes during the years. He served as Vincent's familiar in the form of a black dog.
- Actually, a more recent chapter makes it far more likely that Undertaker is Ciel's grandfather. Undertaker at least had some connection to Ciel's grandmother (Vincent's mother). If Sebastian was Ciel's grandfather, I think the two would have run into each other at some point before the series started, and Sebastian would have figured out long ago that Undertaker is a reaper.
I saw this basic Sebastian = Malphas suggestion elsewhere on the Internet; here is a version with more detail. I shall compare text from the rather terse article from The Other Wiki with how Sebastian has appeared in Black Butler.
He builds houses, high towers and strongholds, - Sebastian has shown the power to restore the Phantomhive manor when it gets wholly or partially destroyed. This is especially apparent as supernatural in the manga chapter 37.
throws down the buildings of the enemies, - The end of the Circus Arc shows him doing that.
can destroy the enemies' desires or thoughts (and/or make them known to the conjurer) and all what they have done, - This one doesn't have much in the way of solid proof, but Sebastian has shown insight into human behavior. However, Sebastian could be based on the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum description of Malphas which differs here from Ars Goetia.
gives good familiars, - Or rather, is a good familiar.
and can bring quickly artificers together from all places of the world. - If you expand the definition of artificers to include all manner of experts, the servants qualify here.
Malphas accepts willingly and kindly any sacrifice offered to him, but then he will deceive the conjurer. - Perhaps this was what happened with the black magic ceremony that led to Ciel getting the contract.
He is depicted as a crow that after a while or under request changes shape into a man, - The beginning of episode 1 of the anime shows this very thing.
and speaks with a hoarse voice. - The black speech bubbles in the manga suggest a voice different from his human one, but his voice in the anime isn't really that hoarse.
Overall, I'd say that's a pretty good fit.
- I agree with this interpretation. My first impression when watching the Anime was that Sebastian was more than just a regular demon. He is obviously a high ranking one, perhaps at Duke or Prince level (from demonology). The entry for Malphas says that not only does he take a crow/hybrid man-crow form when summoned but that he is a high ranking demon of hell, a "great president" or prince. Also, there is Angel/Ash's reaction to his 'true form' in the anime. a BSOD 'oh shit' reaction like if s/he was realizing that Sebastian was much more than just another demon. Angel/Ash knew she had opened up more of a kettle of fish than s/he could handle seeing Sebastian's true form.
- The ghosts from the Tower of London in the anime did say that he looked like a crow in his tailcoat.
- One diminutive for "Sebastian" is "Bastion" — and a bastion is a well-built stronghold: being able to conjure and repair architecture almost overnight is one of Malphas' purported skills in a few variants of the Ars Goetica. Remember how the Phantomhive manor was a burnt-out shell? And, gets other regular, heavy repairs at stunning speed throughout the story?
Claude Faustus the chartreuse-eyed butler is a shinigami with the most misleading name ever. Hannah the super-blonde, violet-eyed maid is an angel. Alois himself is a key player in some plan to "purify" the world, possibly even being the Antichrist. They will be the main adversaries of Ciel and Sebastian in Season 2.
- It's unlikely that Hannah is an angel, what with Alois' Eye Scream moment over breakfast, and her reaction to him later in the episode.
- We'll see if Hannah's eye grows back like Sebastian's arm apparently did... In any case, remember Angela the angel maid from the first season. She got whipped by her master and stayed in character, and also seduced/got seduced by the same man. The similarities are clear.
- It's also noteworthy that the Tarot card Alois holds in the Eye Catch is Judgement. The card shown has a cross and an angel blowing a trumpet in it. It refers to the Christian Last Judgement.
- Jossed: Alois did summon Claude Faustus believing him to be a fairy, but he is, as he himself admits, a demon.
- It's Snake from the Circus Arc as of chapter 50 Yeah...didn't see that coming either.
- Jossed.
- As of Chapter 47, this is confirmed.
- As of Chapter 47, this theory is confirmed. Boo-yah. Though it wasn't Sebastian in another body. Jeremy was just Sebastian wearing a mask.
- Plus Jeremy had the same gloves as Sebastian
- I believe the term you want is "fraternal twins".
- So that would make their feud over Ciel's soul a Cain and Abel situation? Sebastian is probably the older twin, being stronger and seeming more mature than Claude.
- But if it's Cain and Abel, then which one is which?
- I think he can just regenerate. He's received multiple headshots from bullets before and his skin healed without any scarring, plus seeing as he's a demon it's more likely he can just grow new limbs. Plus the Circus Arc takes place BEFORE the season one finale. (It starts after the Curry Arc)
- Yeah, this is jossed. Season two and Book of Circus are, essentially, in different timelines. The latter is canon (alongside the Black Butler arc, Red Butler arc, and Indian Butler arc), the former is not and neither is the rest of season one (i.e. the Houndsworth, Shard of Hope, Haunted Castle, Book of Doomsday, and Conspiracy and Revenge arcs). Also, Sebastian can shapeshift; he would never need a prosthetic.
- Pretty much jossed; it's explained about halfway through the season that Sebastian couldn't eat Ciel's soul because his arm with the contract seal had been lopped off by Ash/Angela; while he was busy regrowing his arm to be able to extra Ciel's soul, the demon Claude transferred Ciel's soul into his ring and made off with it, hoping to eat it himself. Ciel lost his recent memories as a side-effect, and that's why Sebastian got him involved in his clash with Alois; he wants Ciel to feel like he has had his revenge so his soul is "perfectly seasoned". It just wouldn't have been as tasty if he took Ciel's Soul Jar back and scoffed it from there.
- He's a British nobleman. Drinking tea is practically a prerequisite. I'd say jossed purely because Sebastian prides himself on being the perfect butler, and the perfect butler would never tamper with his Master's tea.
- ...Awesome
- But Ciel never once said the contract seal impairs his vision? I believe he only ever mentioned the eyepatch he covers it with messes up his depth perception.
- As of Episode 8, this theory is only about half wrong. The old Lord Trancy was a sick pedophile, but Alois/Jim wasn't his real son and Alois/Jim did seduce him, apparently with demonic help and thoroughly enough to get himself declared heir.
I think it's noteworthy that Claude has a spider form while in the story of the Spider's Thread, which gets referenced several times in Black Butler, the spider is a saint who interferes to save a damned soul from Hell.
- To be exact, Claude is William T. Spears in disguise, which is how he knows Sebastian under his current name that was given by Ciel. William put on different glasses, changed his hair from neat to messed, and spoke with as deep a voice as he could manage in order to appear as a different person. From Grell we know that it's possible for a shinigami to work as a butler while still doing their shinigami job. Also, perhaps demons and shinigami are fundamentally the same species, which would explain why their combat and other capabilities are comparable, allowing them to make plausible impressions of each other. The difference would be that demons have gotten to the taste of eating souls, which is very much against the shinigami rules.
- As of Episode 8, this theory is definitely out. Claude is a demon.
- Confirmed as of episode 11.
- Semi-confirmed as of episode 10. Alois is back, in Ciel's body.
- Jossed. Finny was an underground experiment.
- Also Finnian is all but stated to be German. Why would German scientists go to the trouble of kidnapping an English child instead of abducting one in their own country?
- Though he does have a lot of similarities to Vincent as well.
- No no no, When Vincent gets his well-deserved death, he gets to become a reaper - Grell, naturally.
- Oh, yeah. That makes sense. And is Undertaker Break after he became a Goth?
- Lizzy's brother looks a lot like Elliot.
- Ooh! Ooh! I only just thought of this! Does Philippe grow up to be Ciel?
- Though he does have a lot of similarities to Vincent as well.
- I'd say Phillippe looks more like Luca, Alois' younger brother. Alois looks out for Luca and Oz looks out for Phillippe.
- Unlikely. Sebastian has stated he's a fast learner, and besides his snakes getting everywhere, he seems to be doing fine.
- Also, they brought Snake along on the Campagnia, leaving the other three servants behind at the manor. Snake was actually of considerable help to them there, at least up until the fight with the shinigami at the end, though they didn't have him participate in that at all. It's probably safe to assume that he is more competent than the other servants based on that alone.
- Jossed. He's a Grim Reaper. Possibly THE Grim Reaper.
- Confirmed for the main WMG, though. Claudia is Ciel's grandmother, who died before he was born.
Along comes Claudia P., Ciel's most recent incarnation. Something was different about this one; maybe Claudia's life was filled with misfortune that took away her beautiful smile he'd fallen in love with, maybe she died in a truly horrific way, maybe she fell in love with another man, or maybe she refused to acknowledge her past with Undertaker, etc. Either way, Undertaker chose to join the human world during this time. He did say he hadn't been called a shinigami in roughly fifty or so years. It's also possibly when he stopped giving a damn about practically everything, and I'm sure there's a deeper meaning behind his fascination with resurrection than just "curiosity".
This is supported by Undertaker's soft spot for Ciel, his potential obsession with his happiness (and happiness in general), his readily apparent distaste for the Queen forcing Ciel to do unsavory things for her, and the mere fact that he had no problem with him holding on to his "treasure", almost acting as if it was only appropriate that Ciel held onto it for him.]]
P.S. The kicker about if this were all true and Ciel's first name WAS Ciel is that the Undertaker avoids ever saying Ciel's actual name, referring to him almost exclusively by his title.
Moving on, let's assume Undertaker was acquaintances with Ciel during Ciel's time as an angel. And that following orders from higher ups (or, hell, GOD) has taken its toll on Ciel, which earns Undertaker's sympathies and causes him to turn Ciel into a human to escape the misery of being an angel. Only misery seems to follow Ciel around even as a human, and due to not actually having a human soul, he/she just repeats the cycle, living one life after another. Eventually, Ciel gets tired and, as Claudia, makes a vow to Undertaker that in this life or the next, to finally be free of this constant hell. Wanting to give him/her the best last life possible (and also not actually wanting to lose Ciel), Undertaker decides to stick around in the human world this time.
Hence why he clearly does not like Sebastian all that much, or at least the effect Sebastian presence has on Ciel, considering he only causes Ciel more misery (and is going to eat Ciel's soul, effectively killing him for real). And why he's dislikes Ciel's loyalty/near slavery to the Queen (as it reminds him of Ciel's miserable time as an angel).
Which is why Sebastian never had to send her a farewell card, why Ciel's not so hungry-acting, and why his eyes flashed red at her while they're dancing.Know it in your heart to be true that Mary Sues will always die.
- Except that she 'did' receive a package and went to tears over it. Also, Lizzie is flawed, not the focus of the story at all, and not everyone likes her. Mary-Sue? Doubt it.
- OP: No she didn't. We only saw Sebastian give out packages to Undertaker, Lau, and Soma + Agni. Plus, Mary Sue isn't defined by everybody liking a person. Though, I did leave it as a YMMV. You may not think she's a Sue, but there are people in the Black Butler community do. It's all based on matter of opinion.
- She's mostly thought of as a sue because everyone wants her to Die for their ship. If anything, Sebastian is probably closer to Mary Sue/Gary Stu.
- Yes, actually we did see her receive her "package". The others received a gift from Ciel, delivered by Sebastian. Lizzie's gift is the dance with Ciel, something she's always been pestering him about. Also, it is unlikely that he devoured her soul since demons require a contract to do so, right?
- Actually, a contract is not required. Waaaay back during the ripper arc William ans Sebastian have a talk that basically implies Sebastian is a 'classy' demon. In other words, a contract isn't required, but is sometimes offered.
- By the way, Lizzie's personality is the opposite of Ciel's (cheerful, definitely not vengeful...) Would her soul taste good for a demon?
- Quite honestly this WMG seems more like a bad fanfic than an actual theory. Ciel would never have eaten Lizzie, the White Stag episode shows that they're either close friends or actually in love.
- Except that she 'did' receive a package and went to tears over it. Also, Lizzie is flawed, not the focus of the story at all, and not everyone likes her. Mary-Sue? Doubt it.
- Jossed. They were all Killed Off for Real.
- They might come back in a metaphorical sense, as in Snake will learn the truth about what really happened to them. What would happen next would depend on how much of the truth came out, and if Snake thinks that what Noah's Ark did was enough to justify their deaths, if he understands why they were killed but doesn't like it, or if he's completely unsympathetic and just tries to kill the entire household.
- Technically speaking, the circus itself could come back. It had a ton of members; the only performers who are no longer part of it are Joker, Dagger, Doll, Beast, Jumbo, Peter, Wendy, and Snake. But who knows how long the circus will manage to stay in business now that its star performers have vanished (all but one having been murdered and the last fruitlessly searching for them in the belief/hope they're still alive) and obviously not having access to Kelvin's money if it falls on hard times.
- Semi-confirmed as of chapter 57. She is apparently aware of her future husband's duty as the Queen's Watchdog, but how much else she knows has yet to be revealed.
- At the very least, she knows that Ciel lives a dangerous life- marrying into the Phantomhives was one of the reasons her mother insisted that she learn sword fighting, so she knows that those skills would be useful to Ciel.
- The "identical twin" part seems to have been confirmed as of chapter 129, at least.
Adding to the above theory, the Ciel we'be been following throughout the series is his twin brother, who took his identity after he was seemingly killed by the cult. Our Ciel's real name is either Sol or Soleil (meaning "ground" and "sun" respectivly in French).
- Confirmed. Rachel Phantomhive gave birth to twins. The Ciel we've been following refers to himself as merely being "Ciel's replacement". A name has yet to be mentioned.
- Sister? You DO realize Lau means something else, right?
- Lau means what exactly?
- It would explain her fighting skills. And those cat ear shaped odango could be hiding demon horns.
- Ciel is a Face. He is competent in combat, but why should he ever have to show his skills when he has such a crew around him?
- Sebastian is a summoned spirit, force is unknown. How many services he owes Ciel is unknown, as the first was to save him, the second was to serve him as his butler, and several orders are given throughout the series. The contract mark in his eye is actually to show that Sebastian is bound to him, and the act of eating Ciel at the end of the series frees him from the boy’s service. However, come the second series, he has become a free spirit and decided he was rather fond of the boy, decides to return him to his body and keep working for him. Not because he wants to eat him once more, but because he genuinely enjoyed working for him.
- By rights, Claude would fall under much the same rules as Sebastian. However, he does not enjoy Alois’ presence, and enjoys draining his essence and magic at every turn.
- Ash/Angela, however, is considered a free spirit. Yes, he was summoned at one point, but not anymore!
- Finny, though naive, is a physical adept who cannot quite control his strength. It is simple, and rather obvious. His super strength may have been natural, and the experimentation done on him was just placebos and saline, and perhaps drug work to attempt to augment his powers. Obviously, he is aware of his adept powers, though perhaps not entirely how to use them properly.
- Meyrin, obviously, is a gunslinger adept. It shows in her marksmanship, and were it a proper Shadowrun world, her eyes would quite obviously be augmented somehow (possibly cyber eyes), but at present, her powers all go into Hawkeye and Longarms Proficiency. This makes her rather inept when it comes to other sorts of tasks, as her build is not meant for anything but shooting.
- Bard is simple - a street samurai with specializations in explosives and improvised weapons. Everything can become a weapon to him, and he will make it something powerful and useful, even if it is only short-term.
- It is entirely possible that his family were rather renown runners, and that he was well aware of his parents’ (yes, plural) work in his youth. Vincent was also a Face, and Takana, while not a summoned spirit, definitely qualifies as a physical adept. While I have no doubt that the job of a Shadowrunner could be kept from a spouse, I do not believe that Rachel did not know of her husband’s work, and perhaps had her own contacts that she could use to gather information for him on his jobs.
- This, of course, brings me to Lizzy.
- It was recently revealed that the entire Middleford family are knights for the Queen, Lizzy included, I would not call them Shadowrunners. They are more of the private, contracted police force like Knight Errant, working directly under the queen to protect the populace (Frances’ distain for Ciel possibly comes more from his line of work, as sneaking around in the underground and back alleys is not fitting for someone who will marry her daughter). This would put them at odds with the Runners, as some Runner work does work to undermine the Queen’s authority, and in the end is less honorable than openly defending the populace.
- And what about the Shinigami?
- Anyone who knows Shadowrun would be well aware that there are megacorps, giant corporations that in some places rule entire countries, and are capable of waging massive wars against one another. Sure, sometimes they hire shadowrunners, but mostly they loathe and despise them. They are the ones keeping tabs on the runners, ensuring that they are not getting out of line, and when their paths cross, more often than not - someone gets pretty dead (look at Madame Red). If someone needs to be getting dead, they’re right there to do it, and fuck if anyone gets caught in the crossfire.
- He owes Sebastian a little more what? Only thing Ciel owes him is his soul, and it's not like he has more than one. Sebastian has no use for anything else.
- Ciel told Sebastian to treat most of his orders as requests in order to keep Sebastian from having as many opportunities to be a Jerkass Genie.
- "Sebastian, this is an order" means "Now, exactly as I say". They have a standing deal that any other orders he gives are to be treated as requests from a boss, and for Sebastian to take his time and use common sense to try to interpret them as Ciel most likely means rather than as might benefit Sebastian the most.
- Not completely Jossed. However, Sebastian and demons in general do not lie, and the reference to the black death wasn't in the manga. Furthermore, his devotion to Ciel isn't exactly 'extreme' per se and he has no qualms about endangering Ciel. This is only in the manga though, so your theory may or may not be correct in the anime!verse.
- I think this was Jossed in season 2 (which this trooper completely disavows BTW!). At one point Sebastian reminisces about when he first started serving Ciel and he says that he didn't know what human food tasted like because had always been a demon. I think he also says something along similar lines in his cinematic record when he was stabbed by the Undertaker during the Campania arc. Several times throughout the manga Sebastian makes various comments that indicate he has never been human. If he was ever human then he died too young to remember it or he has lived so long that he has completely forgotten what it is like.
- Not that you don't have a point, but the only Shinigami to be seen with horrid vision is William, and that was just in the anime. Ronald's reaction didn't seem to be one of that who truly knew the importance of reaper glasses. Still though, everything else is plausible and makes a lot of sense.
- as of chapter 61 there seems to be some truth to this. At least the nearsighted part was confirmed although if they are aware of more "dimensions" or something like it, it's probably not through sight as Undertaker said to Ronald "you seem to relying on your eyes".
- While an interesting theory, it doesn't explain demons and angels. None of the demons or angels shown wear glasses regularly, except Claude (although he seems to do just fine without them), but are proven to be able to view cinematic records. Perhaps this puts them one step above Shinigami.
- Or the bad sight could be an effect and not a symptom, as it seems to be implied that Shinigami are required to watch the entire cinematic record of every victim, and such a task could be taking a toll on their sight. It could be that shinigami are the ones who decide where to send the souls, so while angels and demons are able to see the cinematic records, they are not exactly relevant to their jobs, since thye simply receive the already-judged souls.
- That applies to both characters' entire species. This could just as easily apply to Ronald, William, or Undertaker.
- That is possible. In fact, I think demons are the same as angels in the Kuroverse in that they are genderless. Sebastian's VA once said he thought Sebastian became exactly what Ciel needed at that time. I agree. Sebastian could have taken a male form because it offered him the most amount of freedom in Victorian England. He can get away with things that a woman would not in that time period. It's probably a case of Art Evolution, but in the manga Sebastian's features are more feminine in the beginning chapters than the later ones.
- Why would demons even have a sex or gender, the latter of which being something only humans are known to have? Also, Sebastian in his current form and Vincent looking alike is just same face syndrome, as stated by the mangaka herself. It wasn't intentional on Toboso's part or Sebastian's.
- If he's not the killer, he could have been the one who sold Ciel to the cult. We know he is/was active in human trafficking, and how often do you get the chance to sell a boy from the noble class? For that matter, how much do you think you could get for him? If the Viscount was able to sell girls who he picked up from his own party without getting caught, he'd be able to sell a child presumed dead in a fire. Viscount Von Druitt might be the link Ciel needs to who killed his family- anything he knows about the people who sold Ciel to him might help.
- Not sure I buy this - wouldn't Druitt have recognized Ciel on the Campania and asked uncomfortable questions?
- Support. For extra WMG, the woman who died/he possibly killed was Rachel, Ciel's mother.
- If recent events are anything to go by, it's more likely that this WMG is accurate- but instead of Rachel, the woman was Claudia Phantomhive- Ciel's grandmother.
- Semi-confirmed as of Chapter 90. No confirmation on the 'Prince and the Pauper', though.
- I do think this is a possibility. Especially considering the latest Manga Arc. However there are still several things that cannot readily be explained, such as Not-Ciel recognising Tanaka in the hospital (although he did call him Grandpa), knowing a lot about the Phantomhive family history (including Ciel's Dog's name), and claiming to have met several people during Ciel's childhood (such as Baron Kelvin). Which to leads to another WMG...
- Honestly, I suspect a situation somewhat similar to Ryougi Shiki from The Garden of Sinners. The works are fairly different in most respects, but you could make a case for certain points, i.e. a rather particular type of loss leading to obtaining a form of power.
- Support for this largely comes in the form of a comment from Inspector Abberline. In a chapter following the reveal that Vincent and Rachel had twins, Abberline notes that if "Ciel" truly was the second-born son of a noble family, he would automatically become the heir upon his brother's death. Instead, "Ciel" takes on the identity of the dead brother. Why? Because as a girl in Victorian England, she would not have had the right to directly inherit her family's estate. The inheritance (or at least control of it) would go to any potential husband she had in the future, and would probably be in the control of a trustee before that time. "Ciel" needed those resources now, so that she could A) have a "base of operations"/home, B) have the power and wealth to get information or necessary supplies and C) properly investigate her family's murder with official backing from the Queen.
- Some people have a metabolism that keeps them thin pretty much regardless of diet. As for the asthma, the doctor gave likely reasons for its return.
- Alternatively: The woman he loved had her soul devoured by a demon. Since we don't know exactly how reapers are created in the Kuroverse, it could very well be that William was once a human, and then he "died" and somehow became a reaper. Since he became unable to see that woman again, she thought he had died for real and in despair, summoned a demon to bring him back to life. But then the demon was like "nah I tricked you I just wanted noms," and that's why William hates demons so much more than the other reapers seem to.
- Alternatively: William and Grell confess their love for one another, then Grell is killed. William makes a contract with Sebastian or another demon to trade his own life for hers, mirroring Thomas' story. It would be tragic, but it does fit with the series. And it would present an interesting conclusion to William's feud with Sebastian.
- If I recall correctly, she's canonically far-sighted, having clear vision at a distance but horrible vision up close. The glasses do impair part of her vision, but they fix another part.
- I support this and demand fanfic.
- Given the reveal in chapter 105 that all shinigami were once humans who committed suicide, this seems incredibly unlikely. Ciel would be unlikely to pull something like that successfully, as should he even try to, Sebastian would surely find a way to heal him before he could die. (I presume, should Ciel die in such a way, Sebastian couldn't have his soul).
- In this series, normal servants are the exception, not the rule. Grell's a shinigami. All of Ciel's household are war machines. And if Earl Grey is human, I'll eat my stovepipe victorian tophat.
- Depending on the nature of some of the things that have happened and the exact nature of the contract and a broken contract (I'm not perfectly up-to-date on the manga, so this may not count), it may even be possible that Sebastian already broke the contract and is using a considerable fraction of his power to imitate a valid contract. Selfishly, he can guide Ciel's orders through him to his own ends, in a large yet subtle multi-stage plan like Father's multi-generation plan for Amestris in Fullmetal Alchemist. Benevolently, he could just be in the demon version of whatever passes for (hopefully platonic) love with Ciel.
- A similar theory, adding to it that Queen Victoria's butlers (or Earl Grey, at least) are actually angels. It would also explain their general white appearance while Sebastian, a demon, leans towards all black. At the very least, those gus abilities are far beyond any human, even a superhuman like Agni. There's also the blatant distrust that Earl Grey seems to feel towards Sebastian during the Murder arc: it could be because he can somehow sense his demonic nature.
- Highly unlikely, as it's been confirmed that all Reapers have the same (highly unusual) color of eyes. Undertaker had to hide his eyes in order to avoid being discovered. If Meirin was a reaper, somebody probably would have commented.
- Reapers are humans who have killed themselves, so unless you want that...
- Considering Madame Red's connection to Grell, it seems that there might be something supernatural going on in that family.
- Angelina and Lizzie aren't related though? (Unless you meant something supernatural is probably going on in both sides of Ciel's family.)
- Grell was brandishing what was clearly a weapon at Sebastian and behaving in a threatening manner towards him. This troper just assumed Lizzie thought she would be a threat to Ciel as well. Additionally, if Lizzie can sense who is and isn't a supernatural being, why has she not seemed to notice Sebastian isn't human?
- Jossed, sadly.
- This would explain why his true form appears to wear dominatrix garb.
- He is able to manipulate people through sexual acts.
- He is very attractive. He claims his appearance was rendered to be "suitable to of being in service to an earl" - apparently servants for earls need to be extremely handsome.
- During a flashback of when a cult summoned him, we see a woman covering herself with another cultist's cape, implying there may have been an orgy going on.
- During the scene in the Swan Gazebo, Violet is busy drawing some scenes totally not related to what's happening in the gazebo at that moment. One of the scenes truly happens during the night gala before the annual cricket tournament, as Ciel can attest. And unfortunately, according to Violet's drawings, Ciel will be accosted by some monster.
- Not just "some monster", the Jabberwock! Incoming Alice arc? Well, we can dream....
- Please hear me out on this. So we know that Tanaka is a peaceful, old, and overall a comic relief character in the series, compared to the intensity that it can get to on occasion. However, we learn later on in the murder mystery arc of the manga reveals that not only do Sebastian and the rest of the servants kick butt, but Tanaka does, too. He's a swift master of a Japanese martial arts of some sort, which no elderly man should be capable of. He's also extremely loyal to Ciel for one of two possible reasons: Vincent ordered him to protect Ciel no matter what, due to them being kindred; or because he knows Sebastian could easily defeat him, so he keeps his distance. When he's not the main comic relief of the moment, he's oddly calm, especially when Sebastian "dies" during the murder mystery arc, while nobody but Ciel, Sebastian, and probably Earl Grey knew the true nature of the event. Everyone else was extremely panicked and worried, while he was the Only Sane Man. Not to mention that apparently the original Phantomhive manor got burnt to the ground and he survived. I had more when the realization hit me, but this is all I've got so far.
- Oh, let's count the signs. First, he's an Iron Butt Monkey who, somehow, still has a high position. Second, his constantly falling over anything and everything is practically a physical Suspiciously Specific Denial in and of itself; the man basically screams "Hey everybody! I'm stupid and follow the rules without question! I can't walk five feet without nearly killing myself! IGNORE ME!" Then there's the fact that he's fallen down the stairs at least once, and had it been a little less slapstick, would've probably snapped his neck. A human could not have survived that. Finally and most importantly, his name. Look it up.
- Jossed, unfortunately. He's an uncommonly bright zombie.
- Her straight black hair as a butler is her real hair. That choppy red thing is merely a wig. It's probably a safe assumption.
- Are you not considering the Reaper OVA canon? Younger Grell's hair was short and just as red.
- As it's part of season two, it's not canon, but that doesn't prove her red hair isn't natural, or at least dyed.
- And yet due to tradition, he will not blow that cover so easily. However, this advantage will eventually cause a Blue vs Violet final in the cricket tournament.
- The Blue vs Violet part is Jossed; It's Blue vs Green instead.
- or some other form of supernatural, and Sebastian will reveal him as such. I doubt he's anyone major we've seen before (it wouldn't make sense for William, Druitt, one of the Charleses, etc. to be the principal) but the way his face was hidden could indicate that he's someone we've seen in some capacity before. Or maybe Toboso just wants us to think that... (I mentioned William before because any of the other reapers would stand out too much. They could disguise themselves like Grell did as Madame Red's butler, but it doesn't really seem like any of them (Grell, Ronald, or Undertaker, I mean).
- Confirmed: Despite Sebastian being able to catch up to grab the Principal, he suddenly disappears, leaving behind only his cape and hat. So yeah, the Principal is totally not normal.
- Confirmed: In chapter 82. Surprise, it's Undertaker!
- Strange theory, really just from the fact that they have pretty much the same hairstyle. Also, I can think of how Grell might go crazy enough to end up like that... I put it in a WMG above, a while ago - if Thomas' story comes true, but with Grell as the maiden that William must give his life for. Maybe a Reaper's memories aren't erased that easily, and Grell goes mad not only from half-remembering, but from guilt.
- In support for this theory, we know that both Grell and Undertaker are grim reapers, have somewhat similar personalities, and seem to prefer dead people over the living in some way (Grell likes the blood that comes from killing people, Undertaker believes the dead are more beautiful because they can no longer tell lies). We also know that both of them can hold their own against Sebastian. However, if they were to be the same person, there is no explanation of how they are existing at the same time and are different genders, unless we assume that all shinigami are time lords or something.
- If you watch Lau in episode 4 and the corresponding parts of the manga, it really looks like he knew about Madame Red (It even seems like he's trying to cover for her a bit when they're in Undertaker's shop). What if he was blackmailing her? What if, in order for him to not have her gotten rid of, he wanted her to help him get closer to Ciel (in some way that will affect Ciel around when this is revealed). Especially if Lau is connected to Ciel's parents deaths. Maybe he got her to help him destroy some evidence. How would he stop her when she was working with a reaper? Really, you know Lau has to have supernatural connections. (See also: Lau's gang is the cult, above.)
- We had zombies, grim reapers and people of extraordinary power, it would make since if demons should up eventually. Maybe reveal his/her true form in full page spread. Sebastian might have to reveal his true form and use it to fight them. And after losing a fight, it might go Neurmo on us and how the supporting cast be useful against them.
- Add witches and werewolves to that list.
- Going with the theory that Hanae is like Madame Red. They're giving her a whole lot of attention, really, in the promotional releases. Unless, of course, they release photos and information about "so-and-so pop star is in the Kuroshitsuji film as Hanae's butler, who's timid and quiet and bad at making tea" (which would be stupid, because at this point, everyone who's even heard of the series knows where that goes). Or they'll release that and it's a red herring.
- No she's just another awesome Meyrin. And she knew about the Ciel expy being Sweet Polly Oliver.
- Dude doesn't just look like a lady, dude looks specifically like the way Toboso Yana draws ladies. (Or, uh, cis ladies at least.) The shape of the eyes, the definition of the lips... it could just be because of makeup, but it's possible. That swishy cape means that she wouldn't have to bind too tight all the time, and given that Violet House is full of "weirdoes", a girl crossdressing to study her art (and perhaps to be her family's heir?) probably wouldn't have much trouble fitting in.
- He was seen during her flashback, watching her compete and commenting on her ability. As a man with powerful fencing prowess, it seems plausible he would admire her and therefore hate Ciel who is set to marry her. This would also give a new light to his very keen desire to humiliate Ciel in the egg chase.
- If so that would be really creepy, since he's in his twenties (at least) as the Queen's Butler, and Elizabeth is fourteen at most.
- Considering the series, this might be true and if so it would solidify Earl Grey's role as an antagonist.
- If so that would be really creepy, since he's in his twenties (at least) as the Queen's Butler, and Elizabeth is fourteen at most.
- Turns out he speaks some German, and he's been uncharacteristically down whenever not actively doing something ever since they arrived. He deflected Snake's question about his language skills, when it seems more like him to be enthusiastic about anything he can successfully do. Maybe returning to Germany is bringing up bad memories.
- Confirmed
Maybe the werewolf is only dangerous when in wolf form and the Green Witch's task is to keep him human, busy, and in control. He does seem to obey Sieglinde personally, moreso than the village women.Ciel and Sebastian get cursed either because they left earlier than Wolfram told them to (they would have been able to avoid him otherwise), or, being asleep, Sieglinde has no hold over him and he decides/is compelled to curse them anyway.He may suffer from Alternate Identity Amnesia, hence acting like he had nothing to do with both incidents in their aftermath.Heck, being a werewolf might even explain why he does have trouble doing "human" things, such as cooking.This raises the question why that woman who took off her talisman was wounded rather than cursed. Maybe the villagers, being witches, have some kind of immunity or defense against the curse other than the pendants, but she was too close and he couldn't help assaulting a talisman-less person?
- Grell could have had a contract with Madame Red.
- Confirmed as of chapter 94.
Also, the reason why Sebastian considers Ciel a "high quality" soul? Because he knows that Ciel has some non-human ancestry. It's possible that interbreeding between species is rare, and the chance to devour the soul of a half-human hybrid comes across once in a demon's lifetime. It may not be that Ciel has some unknown trait that makes his soul "delicious"- just rare.
- As much as this one makes me pouty, given my Headcanons about why the Undertaker initially committed suicide, I'll be a good sport: this is supported by the German Reapers' off-handed comments in (I believe) chapter 105 about how most humans usually can't see reapers.
- Alternatively, Undertaker is Ciel's great-grandfather. Think about it- he said something changed for him "fifty years ago," which going by the death records for Claudia Phantomhive, is around when she was born. If he fathered children with her, him defecting around the time of her birth is quite a coincidence, but if he defected because she was born it explains a lot more. Likewise, Ciel's ability to see reapers is implied to be a result of non-human ancestry, and in the Cambina arc Lizzy sees Grell and attacks her with a sword, proving she can also see reapers. If so, the options involving Undertaker as Ciel's ancestor are that Undertaker fathered both of Claudia's children, Vincent and Francis are twins, or Undertaker fathered Claudia herself.
- While I'm leaning more towards the Undertaker being Ciel's ancestor (because we do see him shed some tears over a picture of Vincent), I also have another theory: In chapter 105 we see a one-panel flashback of a light haired Shinigami holding a dead man in his arms. Theory is that the light haired one was the Undertaker and the other man was the Shinigami, who was Ciel's ancestor and the reason he died, was because he protected the Undertaker, who then felt it his duty to serve the Phantomhives.
- Sebastian had not been in the human world for quite some time prior to his summoning by Ciel. This is not definitively jossed but it is extremely unlikely.
- Also Toboso said that Sebastian's current form and Vincent looking alike was an accident, simply a case of same face syndrome.
- The way it looks recently, the person Undertaker is trying to save/revive is Ciel's father, Vincent
- Or, alternatively, Undertaker is trying to save Ciel- the real one that is. As in, Undertaker is responsible for the real Ciel showing up alive, after he's strongly implied to have been murdered by the cult.
- Confirmed as of chapter 130, Undertaker made a bizzare doll out of the true Ciel's (our Ciel's older twin) corpse.
- Maybe he got his scales from a failed attempt to turn him into a Kishin?
Think about it.
-Both of them share some physical similarities (tall, dark hair, light skin) and have the same English voice actor.
-Both of them are loyal companions/ assistants to Ciel and Tamaki, respectively, helping them with whatever schemes and tasks they need done. Basically, they're both sidekicks that are in many ways more competent than the people they serve.
-Kyouya is noted to be 'evil' and is called 'the Shadow King' due to his manipulative nature. In fact, Haruhi was finally able to be convinced that Honey was dangerous when it was brought to her attention that he had the same blood type as Kyoya...
-Since everyone in-verse and out is attracted to Sebastian, it'd make sense that Kyouya would be in a host club. He'd be a hit with the customers without even trying.
-Sebastian is quite cultured and has ties to the wealthy; these traits also apply to Kyouya, him being of a ridiculously rich family like the other Ouran students (save for Haruhi).
-In their shows respective English dubs, they have the same voice actor.
-Since these two are obviously so similar, here's how it probably went down: Tamaki was new to Japan, lonely without his mother, and somewhat shunned from his family. In a moment of sadness, he performed a ritual to contact a demon and form a contract with him, and that demon was Sebastian/Kyouya. Sebastian was contracted by Tamaki to make his life less lonely and help him make others happy through the Host Club, which he also needed help running... so "Kyouya" was given the life of a wealthy classmate of Tamaki and inserted into the Ohtori family through supernatural means (none of them are aware of this, seemingly). As such, Kyouya helped Tamaki achieve his dreams and find friends and a lover. When Tamaki dies, the contract will be fulfilled and Sebastian/Kyoya will get his soul.
Personally, this makes sense for several reasons: he would know exactly how the Phantomhive manor looked like before destruction, figure out just the kinds of foods Ciel prefered, and why he was nervous around Lizzie's mother: she's his sister.
- Why then is Sebastian so cruel towards Ciel? And why would Vincent as a demon eat the soul of his other, favoured son?
There are four blood types, A, B, AB, and O. A and O are almost equally common in England, with B being slightly less common, and AB being the rarest, which explains why some "guardian stars" are rarer than others. In real life, the existence of blood types wasn't discovered until 1901, and again in the last arc we had technology roughly 50 years ahead of it's time show up. Cravat could have made this discovery on his own, but he'd be missing one crucial piece- negative and positive blood types. If all of his patients are positive blood type this wouldn't be much of a problem, but if even one of them is negative type even with 1900's technology most of the transfusions would fail, requiring more blood to be drawn, and subjects whose blood was particularly effective (i.e. those who happen to have the exact same blood type) would likely be... overdrawn, explaining the corpses. So Cravat's benefactors and patients are continuing to support him because he's able to do a better job at treating them than any other doctor in the world, but even so his treatments aren't always successful, meaning they have to continuously draw more blood than the patients actually need in order to have test samples for refining the process and advancing it.
- The idea that the stars represent blood types is pretty much confirmed by Sullivan.
So yeah, could be wrong, but it is likely that they were made as an attack on Yaoi Fangirl's Double Standards when it comes to paedophilia and show how messed up it would be in real life.
- It could be a coincidence as Little Bit Beastly seems to be present in almost all of Toboso's works, including Twisted Wonderland with Savanaclaw. Though given what's happened in Black Butler, which does feature human trafficking (and cases where the perps don't get caught at that... the Viscount, anyone?), demi-humans being captured then turned into sex slaves in the future doesn't sound too far off.
- Soma will return with a completely different look from his last appearance from Blue Memory Arc. Soma will have a similar hair style to Agni, darker clothes and his hand is concealed completely since he inherit Agni's powers.
- Soma will either return with army from India after he murders his father and his older half-siblings and claims his right to the throne in order to avenge Agni. This may result in a war between India and England. However, he will spare some of his younger half-siblings to join his army.
- Soma becomes an assassin and he will kill anyone who stands in his way getting his revenge.
- Soma's main goal is to kill to one who murder Agni, which means he's either planning to kill either the real Ciel, the other Ciel or both since he doesn't care which one responsible for Agni's death. Once he got his revenge, he's planning to kill himself, thinking he will join Agni in the afterlife. However, unknown to him, killing himself will result in him turning into a Grim Reaper and spend his entire life atoning his sins.
- Whats been shown of Bard's past involves him being so starved he was about to resort to cannibalism, and that he once had a wife who seemed to be a good cook and a son with a healthy appetite. The flashback to his early days in the manner has him constantly repeating that food is fine so long as its edible. It's possible that the trauma of losing his family, and later resolving to eat corpses, has deprived him of his sense of taste.
- Bard's going to realize that the sinister feeling he gets from Sebastien is more than just a feeling and start to put together that he's some supernatural, malevolent entity, and try to do something about it. Most likely, he'll die in the process.
- Well, the "come to blows" part is partially correct with Sebastian decking Bard for burning a chicken. Time will tell if another fight happens or if Bard figures Sebastian out.
- The last shot we see of Soma was bandages loosely wrapped around his unclenched injured hand, not unlike the pose Agni strikes whenever he unleashes his power. It's possible that Agni's God Hand has been passed on to Soma, allowing him to utilise that power in his quest to avenge its previous owner. He could, if he can fully utilise its power, be strong enough to take on Sebastian, Grim Reapers, or the real Ciel's butler. Whether or not he'll win is another matter entirely.
- Going completely on a whim, but this troper wouldn't be surprised if Undertaker had an attachment to someone and decided to not just keep their remains when they died but incorporated them into something important, in this case his scythe. This could have been before he began the experiments to create the bizarre dolls, the body could have been too badly damaged for the experiments to work (considering it's not even a complete skeleton), or maybe Undertaker had reasons to not try the experiments on them in particular (which may or may not be related to why he used them for his scythe).
- Ciel's parents both died, and he was sent to stay with an aunt who treated him rather poorly (represented in Madame Red, thus why she is half of Jack the Ripper). He then went to an orphanage, where Alois also stays. Alois has a psychotic mother and sexually abusive father, so he was taken away from his parents. It is because of the lack of a strong male figure that "Claude" doesn't love Alois back.