Warning: the following article may contain spoilers for the Black Butler series.
The Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) anime series had a short run when compared to the ongoing manga series, but still captured the hearts of American fans. There are three versions of this anime and several OVAs, so in this article, we will cover the characters that you’ll recognize in all of the versions.
This list contains a few spoilers about some of the characters but not huge ones. In the end, all versions of Black Butler explore the journey of a young boy named Ciel Phantomhive and his demon butler Sebastian Michaelis from the beginning to the end.
Ciel Phantomhive
Earl Ciel Phantomhive is a thirteen-year-old boy and is the main protagonist of the anime. After the death of his parents, he was abducted and abused to be used as a cult sacrifice. He made a deal with a demon to regain power over his household and seek revenge. The demon will work as his butler until Ciel finds the ones responsible for his parents’ murders. Until then, Ciel works as the Queen’s Guard dog and has to solve cases of England’s underworld.
Sebastian Michaelis
Sebastian Michaelis is the human name the demon Ciel made the deal with adopted. He serves Ciel as a butler while he waits for Ciel to fulfill his vengeance. He has to follow any order his master gives, no matter the means. His personality and relationship with Ciel are what make the anime so captivating.
Mey-Rin
Mey-Rin is a maid at the Phantomhive household, and despite not being great with dishes, with a firearm she is exceptional. Much like the rest of the servants, Mey-Rin is loyal to Ciel, taking up the job of guarding the household from enemies at night, and putting her spinner skills to good use whenever the situation calls for it. While she may not look like much given her poor competence as a maid, Mey-Rin is an important ally to Ciel.
Finnian
In Phantomhive Manor, Finnian serves as the gardener. While known for having a sunny personality, this teenage boy has had his fair share of struggles in life, having been a test subject for an institution that ran experiments on him. Due to his past, Finnian now has superhuman strength, something that comes in handy from time to time, particularly when he’s required to join in on the protection of the household. Despite looking harmless, Finnian is not afraid to dispose of his enemies.
Baldroy
One would think that a prerequisite for being a chef is having decent cooking skills, but Baldroy proves otherwise, frequently burning his food as a result of trying to cook as fast as possible. Nevertheless, this Phantomhive servant is responsible for holding down the fort whenever Ciel and Sebastian aren’t around to do so. Experienced in combat and able to keep his cool under pressure, Baldroy is a trusty and valuable ally to them, making bold decisions to ensure his survival above all else.
Tanaka
Tanaka is the household steward and the oldest of the Phantomhive servants. He was the only member of the staff to escape the massacre that put an end to Ciel’s family, and therefore the only other person who witnessed it. It stands to reason, then, for Tamaka to be an incredibly loyal and dedicated servant, doing everything in his power to keep Ciel from harm. Calm, reliable, and firm, Tanaka is an experienced fighter but has a limited workload compared to other servants.
Elizabeth Midford
Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford is Ciel’s fiancée and cousin. She doesn’t know about Ciel’s past and relationship with Sebastian but loves him deeply. She tries to be as cute as possible for Ciel and is always worried for his safety, even though she sometimes gets in trouble because of her affection.
Grell Sutcliff
Grell is a Grim Reaper that often crosses paths with Ciel and Sebastian. He is very sadistic, doesn’t care about human life, and wields a Death Scythe in the form of a chainsaw. To Sebastian’s displeasure, Grell is attracted to him and is constantly trying to win his heart. He only does what he wants and isn’t attached to following rules, which tends to cause a lot of trouble.
William T. Spears
William is another Grim Reaper, but he is part of the management ward of the Grim Reaper Dispatch. His Death Scythe is a pair of garden trimmers. William is the opposite of Grell as he takes his job very seriously and hates demons, especially Sebastian. He is constantly having to work overtime because of Grell.
The Undertaker
The Undertaker is a former Grim Reaper and funeral director in London. Ciel often goes to him looking for information on his current case. He served as an informant for the Phantomhive family for many years, but always requests a joke that will make him laugh before giving the information.
Lau
Lau is a Chinese nobleman and president of the British branch of a Chinese trading company. He is also the head of the Shanghai Mafia Qing Bang and runs an opium den, always accompanied by his personal assassin called Ran-Mao. He often sticks his nose into important conversations and meddles in Ciel’s business, but his true objectives aren’t clear.
Angelina Dalles
Also known as Madame Red, Angelina Dalles is Ciel’s aunt and a member of the Aristocrats of Evil. Deeply scarred by the death of her family, Angelina walks down a path of villainy and murder, becoming the first antagonist in the series. Despite her crudeness and disregard for human life, this character maintains affection for her late family members and Ciel, being incapable of hurting him even when the two are on opposite sides.
Ash Landers
Ash Landers is a fallen angel and the male version of Angela Blanc. Despite only appearing halfway through season 1, the character makes an impact toward its end, after revealing his true identity. Constantly itching for a good fight, Ash holds himself in higher regard than others, despite his mental state deteriorating into madness. Whoever ignores this antagonist mid-battle is bound to become the target of his fury.
Alois Trancy
Alois was introduced in season two of Black Butler and is one of the protagonists alongside Ciel and Sebastian. Alois Trancy has a past of suffering and abuse like Ciel, and because of that, he made a pact with a demon to leave that situation and regain the power of his household. The demon also became his butler until Alois avenges the death of his younger brother.
Claude Faustus
Claude Faustus is Alois’ demon butler. He works in a very similar way to Sebastian and has a similar appearance, but is a bit more eccentric. His relationship with Alois is different than Sebastian and Ciel’s, something that is explored in season 2’s 18 episodes.
Black Butler is currently available for streaming on Hulu.