List of Black Butler characters

The residents of the Phantomhive manor as they appear in the manga. Clockwise from center: Ciel Phantomhive, Finnian, Mey-Rin, Baldroy, Sebastian Michaelis, and Tanaka.

The manga and anime series Black Butler features an extensive cast of characters created by Yana Toboso. The series takes place in England during the reign of Queen Victoria. It follows Sebastian Michaelis, a demonic butler obliged to serve twelve-year-old Earl Ciel Phantomhive due to a contract he made with Ciel binding Sebastian to the child's will. Although Sebastian is able to carry out his tasks with ease and perfection, his co-workers, Baldroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin, are not as competent, resulting in Sebastian having to complete their tasks as well. Sebastian also assists Ciel in solving the problems plaguing England.

Primary

Twelve-year-old Ciel Phantomhive is the current head of the English Phantomhive noble family and the Funtom toy and confectionery company. Under his lead, the company grew into a major corporation. Ciel is tasked with solving problems plaguing London under Queen Victoria's orders. He is helped by Sebastian Michaelis, a demon bound to Ciel's will by a contract. Sebastian serves as the Phantomhive butler. Until the terms of their contract are met, Sebastian must keep Ciel alive.

Sebastian Michaelis

Sebastian Michaelis (セバスチャン・ミカエリス, Sebasuchan Mikaerisu) is the butler of the Phantomhive household and acts as Ciel's bodyguard. Sebastian's appearance is similar to that of Ciel's father. Sebastian often describes himself through the phrase "I am one hell of a butler" (私はあくまで執事ですから, Watashi wa aku made shitsuji desu kara). The phrase plays on the word "demon" (あくま, akuma) and the phrase "to the end" (あくまで, aku made). It can also translate to "I am a demon and a butler".

Being a butler and a bodyguard are two jobs he is completely devoted to. He follows Ciel's orders faithfully, however, he is not overly concerned about Ciel's well-being as he insults and even harms Ciel to see his reaction. He calls Ciel a "brat" who treats his workers rudely. Sebastian is also shown to be a bit obsessed with cats, in chapter 44 of the manga, he is shown to be hiding about 15 cats in his room. He also seems to love a stray black cat with amber eyes, though it has yet to make another appearance.

He is highly skilled in any area, and handles every task, no matter how impossible it is, as well as any problem that arises from the errors of the other staff with ease, stating it is only natural as the butler to the Phantomhive family. This is due to the fact he is a demon bound by a Faustian contract to abide by Ciel's will. A sign similar to the one marking Ciel's right eye can be found on Sebastian's left hand, which has been used on one occasion to twist the arm of a kidnapper without touching him. The name Sebastian is in fact a temporary name given to him by Ciel and was previously held by Ciel's dog. It has been established that he is a cat-person, ignoring Ciel's words to comfort a stray cat. In turn, he shows high destain for dogs, especially towards Pluto. In the anime adaption, Sebastian can take the form of a crow or a cat. Sebastian's true demonic form has not been fully revealed. However, a depiction of sharper teeth, high-heeled boots, and elongated nails have been given. In the anime, his true form is also shown, but only briefly in glimpses at the finale, sporting high-heel boots and claw-like hands (the appearance of a goatee is given, but was subsequently discovered to be a animation error). In the manga adaptation, Sebastian appears to Ciel to form the contract in his true form, while in the anime version, he appears as a crow. He is voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa on the first drama CD and Daisuke Ono in the anime adaption and on the second drama CD. His name is similar to that of Father Sebastien Michaelis, who compiled a hierarchy of demons in Hell.

Ciel Phantomhive

Earl Ciel Phantomhive (シエル・ファントムハイヴ, Shieru Fantomuhaivu) is the business-savvy, twelve-year-old head of the English Phantomhive noble family, taking over after the deaths of his parents, Lord Vincent and Lady Rachel Phantomhive. He runs Funtom Company, which manufactures toys and sweets, with the later addition of a food branch after winning a Royal Warrant. His right eye, which is usually covered with a black eyepatch, bears a pentacle, the sign of the Faustian contract he made with the demon Sebastian. Sebastian says that the mark on Ciel is proof of their contract. He also says that demons mark their prey so that they can locate them.

Prior to meeting Sebastian, he was a slave and a sacrifice in a cult ritual. During one particular instance where Ciel was being tortured, his hatred for his torturers he summoned Sebastian. He then commanded the demon to kill all the people in the room. During his time as a slave, a mark was burned into his back; in the anime adaption, it is found on his left side, near his chest. In the manga the mark is found on the left side of his back. He does not want anyone to see this mark and appears to not enjoy physical contact (possibly aphephobic), though he tolerates Sebastian and does not complain when the demon picks him up or holds him. If stressed, he will slap someone touching him away, proclaiming "Don't touch me so easily!" This is a negative influence of the trauma he underwent during his time as a slave.

He is portrayed as emotionless, though he occasionally expresses concern for the well-being of the few close to him. He sometimes portrays himself as a happy person, mostly when undercover, but soon turns to his true self. He worries for Sebastian's well-being; but ultimately looks at Sebastian as a pawn. There have been times when he wishes for Sebastian to fail a task or request, for humor's sake. He is close to his cousin and fiancée Elizabeth, seeing her as an important friend and someone he needs to protect. Before the loss of his parents, Ciel seemed to be a happy child.

Ciel seems to be highly reliant on Sebastian and does not appear to interact with other staff members as often, though they are all devoted to him. While he appears somewhat callous in the anime, such as not hesitating to throw a dart at Finnian, causing the gardener to bleed, in the manga, Finnian notes that he is loyal to Ciel because Ciel does not hurt him. Ciel is proficient with the use of guns, keeping a number of conceal guns nearby in order to protect himself. He has asthma, which was inherited from his mother. He is also allergic to cats.

At the end of the anime adaptation, with his revenge completed, Ciel's soul is devoured by Sebastian. Ciel insists that Sebastian make the process as painful as possible so as to "carve the pain of his life into his soul". He is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro on the first drama CD and Maaya Sakamoto in the anime adaption and second drama CD.

Supporting

Phantomhive household

The Phantomhive Estate belongs to the English noble family Phantomhive and is located outside the city of London. The Phantomhive family is a secret executive agency controlled directly by the Queen and are often referred to as the "Evil Noblemen" and the "Queen's Watchdogs". They are tasked with eliminating any evidence of the royal family's wrongdoings by any means necessary. They are able to control and manage the underworld of the United Kingdom to avoid any information of its existence from reaching the general public. The current head of the family is Ciel Phantomhive, son of Earl Vincent and Lady Rachel Phantomhive who were murdered and their estate burned. In addition to the services they provide for the Queen, the Phantomhive family runs a toy and confectionery company called Funtom Company.

The estate currently has five servants, where their positions as servants is a front with their real jobs protecting the Phantomhive Estate. Baldroy serves as the household cook. Finnian is the gardener and Mey-Rin is the maid. The three were personally chosen and trained by Sebastian for their duties. Tanaka has served under Earl Vincent and Lady Rachel, but has not been seen doing any work during his service under Ciel. Sebastian Michaelis, a demon, acts as the butler. Lady Rachel and Earl Phantomhive each have one sister, both who have married and become parts of other noble families before the events of the plot. Madame Red, born as Angelina Dulles, married into the Barnett family. She commits the murders investigated in the Jack the Ripper case and is killed by her accomplice after she is exposed. Marchioness Frances married Marquis Middleford. Her daughter Elizabeth is engaged to Ciel.

Bardroy

Bardroy (バルドロイ, Barudoroi), usually referred to as Bard, is the household cook of American descent. He rarely produces anything edible as he uses weaponry such as flamethrowers to cook and believes cooking is an art requiring explosions. Sebastian believes anything he creates is made up of charcoal and carcinogens. Bardroy pursues cooking to learn how to slow down, as he states cooking takes patience to master. He used to be an English soldier whose entire platoon was wiped out, leaving him to be the only survivor. While terrible at cooking, he is shown to be capable of taking advantage of his surroundings, such as using fine quality flour to create a dust explosion. At the anime's conclusion, it is unknown whether he is alive or dead, although it is noted he was breathing before he collapsed. Like Finnian and Maylene he provides much of the comic relief. He is voiced by Hiroki Touchi in the anime adaption and Rikiya Koyama on the drama CD.

Finnian

Finnian (フィニアン, Finian), often called Finny, is a gardener. However, it seems every time he tends to the garden it is destroyed through an accident caused by his clumsiness. He is portrayed as an innocent, child-like character who loves his work, but is dubbed an idiot by Sebastian. Finnian displays feats of superhuman strength, such a dragging and throwing about Pluto, which he tries to suppress from fear of hurting others and risk of sabotaging his work. The sequence S-012 are tattooed to his nape and are covered by his straw hat. He works as a gardener to spend as much time as possible outside because he was not able to do so before, and explains that he loves working for Ciel because he does not give him injections, put him up against his friends in a death match, or lock him in a cage. He was experimented on to increase physical strength before the events of the story until he was rescued by Sebastian; Sebastian had offered Finnian a good salary for his services, but Finnian had only wanted to go outside. In the anime, he develops an infatuation for Angela because her kindness and beauty until he sees her true dominatrix personality. At the anime's conclusion, it is unknown whether he is alive or dead, although it is noted he was breathing before he collapsed. Like Baldroy and Maylene, he provides much of the comic relief. He is voiced by Kaji Yūki in the anime adaption and Motoki Takagi on the drama CD.

Maylene

Maylene (メイリン, Meirin) is a clumsy maid whose cracked glasses do nothing to improve her clumsiness. However, she refuses to purchase a new pair as they are the first thing Ciel bought for her. Sebastian believes her main problem is her intelligence and not her poor eyesight. She has a crush on Sebastian as blushes when ever she is in his presence and is even clumsier when Sebastian is watching. In the anime she fantasizes about being close to him in episode 1. She is rather superstitious but admits to having a soft spot for scary stories. Maylene used to be a sniper who did not use a scope, due to her sharp far-sighted vision caused by her ill-fitting glasses. She is also physically fit as she can use a sniper rifle like a hand gun and keeps hundreds loaded at once to decrease reload time. At the anime's conclusion, it is unknown whether she is alive or dead, although it is noted she was breathing before she collapsed. Like Bardroy and Finnian she provices much of the comic relief. She is voiced by Katou Emiri in the anime adaption and Orikasa Fumiko on the drama CD.

Tanaka

Tanaka (タナカ) is the house steward who has served under the former Master Phantomhive. He was present when Ciel's parents were killed and was stabbed in the back during the incident and as a result, rarely does any work or even talking. Sebastian seems to respect him the most out of all the staff. He is usually seen drinking from a Japanese tea cup. Despite his appearance, Tanaka is capable of killing intruders. Prior to Sebastian's appointment as Ciel's butler, Tanaka served as the head butler of the Phantomhive household, for both Ciel's father and Ciel; when Sebastian is apparently murdered, Ciel appoints Tanaka as the head butler again. In the anime, he is commonly in a super deformed form. When he is not, he is as capable a servant as Sebastian. As the series progresses, he is seen less often in a super deformed form. Fuijimura Shunji in the anime adaption and Mugihito on the drama CD

Pluto

Appearing in the anime adaption, Pluto (プルートゥ, Purūtō), also known as the devil Dog, is a large dog that terrorizes the town of Houndsworth until Sebastian tames him and brings him to the Phantomhive Estate. He can breathe fire, walk through barriers and shape-shift into a human. As a human, he still retains dog-like behaviour. Although Sebastian hates dogs, Pluto has taken a liking to him and only listens to Sebastian's orders. He has ties to the organization that killed Ciel's parents, as he is seen resting by the feet of a member and licking his hand and has been with Angela prior to living at the Phantomhive Estate. When Ash uses him to set fire to the Estate and burn London, Ciel orders his staff to kill Pluto. Takafumi Yamaguchi in the anime adaption

Nobles

Madame Red

Madame Red (マダム・レッド, Madamu Reddo), born Angelina Durless (アンジェリーナ･ダレス, Anjerīna Daresu), is Ciel's aunt. As her title suggests, she is known for her red appearance and clothing. Initially she hated her red hair, which she inherited from her father, until Ciel's father stated he liked it. Angelina fell in love with him and became distraught when she found her sister was marrying him. Madame Red later married Baron Barnett, who treats her lovingly and gently, stating that he does not mind that she harbors feelings for another. She obtained a medical license against the wishes of her parents and practices at the Royal London Hospital. After a carriage accident in which her husband was killed, her womb and unborn child had to be removed. This causes her great strife as a doctor because she regularly performs abortions on prostitutes as they believe having a child is troublesome. She later kills her patients with Grelle Sutcliffe and the two become known as Jack the Ripper. However, she cannot kill Ciel as she holds him as dear as her own son and because of this, she is killed by Grelle. She is voiced by Romi Paku in the anime adaption and Masako Katsuki on the drama CD.

Lau

Lau (劉, Rau, Chinese Pinyin: Liú) is a Chinese noble, President of the British Branch of a Chinese trading company, and friend to the Phantomhive family. He is also part of the Shanghai Mafia and runs an opium den. He is always smiling and his eyes are always closed except for brief moments in episodes fifteen and twenty. Lau often agrees to things before learning what is happening and jumps into conversations with helpful information only to later state he has no idea. He is also unaware his antics appear strange to others. However, he can be very coldblooded and cryptic and is willing to go further than Ciel would, such as having Lord West and his wife killed because he knew they'd try to cheat again. He is often seen with his personal assassin Ran-Mao (藍猫, Ranmao, Chinese Pinyin: Lán-māo), a Chinese, doll-like girl referred to as his sister, although not by blood. Although she very rarely speaks and is portrayed as emotionless, she is very loyal to him. In the anime adaption, Lau and Ran-mao are defeated by Ciel and Sebastian after they use the Earl's company to store and sell Lady Blanc opium in the guise of candy. Lau and Ran-mao then throw themselves into the River Thames. Lau is voiced by Koji Yusa in the anime adaption. Ran-Mao is voiced by Sayuri Yahagi.

Prince Soma

Prince Soma Asman Kadar (ソーマ・アスマン・カダール, Sooma Asuman Kadaaru) is a seventeen-year-old Indian prince. Unlike Ciel, he is spoiled and uses his parent's fortune for his personal needs and blames all of his problems on others. He bestowed his affections on Meena (ミーナ, Miina), a beautiful maidservant who had served at his palace in India since his birth. He saw her as an older sister. However, she came to hate him due to his arrogance and ran away to England with Lord Harold West, a trader in Indian goods, wanting to be a rich wife, rather than an ordinary cook bound to her social class. During the course of his time in England, Soma begins to see things in a different perspective, realizing that he is blaming problems he caused on others. After learning Meena hated him for his ignorance, Prince Soma decided to stay with Ciel and learn how to act as a gentleman and even proclaims to be Ciel's best friend. He does not know that Meena and Lord West were both killed by Ranmao on Lau's orders after they lost the curry contest and were planning to try again. Shortly after, Ciel has him and Agni manage his property in London, in order to keep them out of his way. He is voiced by Shinnosuke Tachibana in the anime adaption.

Agni

Agni (アグニ, Aguni) is the servant of Prince Soma, whom he sees and worships as a god. Agni was once a nobleman named Arshad (in Indonesia: Arsyad) who used his powers and wealth for his own desires to the point that he was to be hanged for his crimes. Before he was to die, Prince Soma offered him a new life with the death of his old self. He is able to fight on a par with Sebastian while using a fencing foil, a feat which briefly makes Ciel wonder if he is a demon until Sebastian confirms he is a human. The source of his martial prowess comes from his devotion to Prince Soma. Unlike Sebastian, however, he is able to see the good in the Phantomhive manor staff and assign them tasks where their skills will be of use. He is known as the "Right Hand of God" for his god-like skill at making curry. He betrays Prince Soma and becomes the chef for a curry contest for Lord West to keep him from revealing to Soma that Meena ran away from and hated the prince. Later, Agni reconciles with the prince. He is staying in the Phantomhive manor to learn to become a better servant from Sebastian's example, and even calls Sebastian his friend, something that surprises Sebastian as no one has ever referred to him as such before. Sebastian also takes Agni's advice on taking care of Ciel, much to the younger boy's annoyance. He is voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto in the anime adaption.

Grim Reapers

Grim Reapers are in charge of deciding whether a dying soul should be allowed to continue living or to die. They must remain neutral and must not kill for enjoyment. In the manga, there are three Grim Reapers introduced so far: Grelle Sutcliff, William T. Spears and Ronald Knox (ロナルド・ノックス, Ronarudo Nokkusu). Grelle forges a partnership with Madame Red after witnessing her murder a former patient and helps her murder prostitutes. The two become known as Jack the Ripper. When they are exposed as the killers, William T. Spears comes to the human world to punish Grelle. Spears belongs to the Dispatch Management Division. Grelle's scythe is confiscated and Grelle does not reappear in the manga. Ronald Knox is portrayed as easy-going and social and uses a scythe in the shape of a lawn-mower. In the anime adaption, Undertaker is a legendary Grim Reaper in the Management level. He is highly respected by Spears. Although he is retired, Undertaker can access the Grim Reaper Library and alter the books. In the last episode of the anime adaption, the Grim Reapers cut away tainted souls unfit to be kept in the Grim Reaper Library. So far all Grim Reapers introduced have been shown to wear eyeglasses at some point in their life.

Grelle Sutcliffe

Grelle Sutcliffe (グレル・サトクリフ, Gureru Satokurifu), Grell in the anime adaptation, is a flamboyant Grim Reaper who works as Madame Red's butler. He is initially portrayed as worthless and is often seen in the anime adaption trying to commit suicide after mishandling tasks. As a Grim Reaper, he is characterized with red hair and shark-like teeth. Grelle often refers to himself as a female and verbalizes his infatuation with Sebastian, much to the latter's disgust. He meets Madame while she is murdering a former patient. Grelle and Madame forge a partnership and continue the murders. They are known as "Jack the Ripper". Grell's Grim Reaper scythe is illegally modified to look and function like a chainsaw. When cutting someone with his Scythe, their past memories are played out like a video reel; this is referred to as "Cinematic Record". Sebastian almost kills Grelle with the Grim Reaper's own scythe, but he is stopped by William Spears. William beats Grelle and takes him back to headquarters. In the manga, Grelle has not appeared since. However, he makes a reappearance in the anime adaption, where his role is lengthened through missions William assigns him to investigate. His scythe is confiscated and Grelle has to rely on small scissors able to cut through anything. At the anime's conclusion, William returns his chainsaw scythe so that he can help the other Grim Reapers destroy the tainted souls caused by Angela and Ash. He is voiced by Jun Fukuyama in the anime adaption and the second drama CD. His last name is similar to that of Peter Sutcliffe, nicknamed the Yorkshire Ripper for murdering thirteen women.

William T. Spears

William T. Spears (ウィリアム・T・スピアーズ, Wiriamu T Supiaazu) is a high-ranking death god and belongs to the Dispatch Management Division. He is portrayed as emotionless. William comes to the human world to take Grelle back for punishment. He has a strong, open hatred for demons, to the point of becoming disgusted with himself after apologizing to Sebastian for Grelle's behavior. His scythe is a double-sided clipper that is able to extend to unknown lengths. In the anime adaption, it appears to be the standard scythe. He is not as proficient at blending in with humans as Grelle or Sebastian, often openly talking about Grim Reapers and demons, but the people that hear this think of him as a jokester. He is voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama in the anime adaption.

Undertaker

Undertaker (アンダーテイカー, Andaateikaa) is, as his name suggests, a funeral director. He often works with corpses resulting from movements in the underworld of the United Kingdom and acts as Ciel's informant. He seems to have known Ciel's father, Vincent, as he appears as one of the "Evil Nobles". He is a rather eccentric man, almost always wearing a smile, and wishes to hear a funny joke for his services instead of receiving any of the "Queen's money". He shows a strong disdain for the Queen. In the anime adaptation, he is a legendary and retired Grim Reaper ranked in the Management level and is highly respected by William Spears. Although he is retired, he still can access the Grim Reaper Library and alter the books, which he often does not return. In chapter 35, a manga panel showed that he is somehow linked to a person with a name, Claudia P. His scythe is akin to that of the stereotypical Grim Reaper scythe. He is voiced by Junichi Suwabe in the anime adaption.

Noah's Ark Circus

The Noah's Ark Circus (ノアの方舟・サーカス, Noa no Hakobune Saakasu) is a traveling circus created by Baron Kelvin, who is referred to simply as Father by the circus performers. The members have the been rejected by society for various reasons. The circus is investigated by Ciel upon Queen Victoria's request because children disappear from cities around the same time the circus visit. The performers are divided into two tiers. The first tier is composed of the very best performers who perform regularly; the second tier is made up of newcomers. The first tier has eight performers referred to as Joker, Dagger, Snake, Beast, Doll, Wendy, Peter, and Jumbo, all of which, with the exception of Snake, come from the same workhouse. Joker is the leader when the circus is traveling. Beast (ビースト, Biisuto) is an animal tamer and seems to have feelings for Joker, although she does not show this in public. Dagger (ダガー, Dagaa) is a knife thrower and is infatuated with Beast, often fawning over and presenting her with gifts. Snake (スネーク, Suneeku) can understand snakes and is supposedly half-snake himself; his snakes guard the first tier member's tent and speak through him. Doll (ドール, Dooru) is a tightrope walker, but she also pretends to be a new member male performer called Freckles (ソバカス, Sobakasu). Wendy (ウエンディ, Uendei) and Peter (ピーター, Piitaa) are a pair of trapeze artists and Jumbo (ジャンボ, Janbo) is a fire eater. Except for Snake, Joker and Doll, all of the first tier performers are killed by Baldroy, Finnian and Mey-Rin when they attack the Phantomhive manor in an attempt to kidnap Ciel. Doll later attempts to kill Ciel.Her fate is left unknown but she is probably killed by Sebastian as Ciel called out his name when Doll attempted to stab him. Afterwards, Ciel and Sebastian went to check out the workhouse to find all of the children, only to find out the place didn't exist and the building looked to have been deserted for many years. Ciel, Sebastian, and William join the circus to investigate for various reasons.

Joker

Joker (ジョーカー, Jookaa) is the leader of the circus when it is traveling and serves Baron Kelvin as a butler when he is at the manor. He recognized by his prosthetic skeleton arm and is initially portrayed as a very goofy person. However, he is actually strict and serious. Although he does not agree with some of Baron Kelvin's decisions, he follows every order given to him because he wants to protect his "brothers and sisters" in the workhouse. He, like every first tier performer, refers to Baron Kelvin as Father because the Baron took him off the streets as a child and raised him in addition to providing artificial limbs. Joker is unaware of the fact that the kidnapped children are used by Doctor as material for the prosthetics, nor did he know that the workhouse never existed. He dies of blood loss.

Baron Kelvin

Baron Kelvin (男爵・ケルヴィン, Danshaku Keruvin) is the creator of the Noah's Ark Circus and is referred to as Father by the tier one performers. Except for his left eye, his entire face is covered by bandages. He seems to have a great love for children and uses his circus as a way to kidnap them. He then brainwashes them and has them act as his servants. However, he does not care for their well being and even finds it entertaining when he has them die gruesomely while performing in a circus without training. He knew Ciel as a small boy and recreates the room Ciel was branded and caged in as a child. He is infatuated with Ciel, blushing and saying it is like a dream to have Ciel beside him. It is insinuated that because of this infatuation he has kidnapped children. When he first met Ciel and he believed he was too ugly and underwent many surgeries for Ciel, only to believe it a waste when he hears the Phantomhive were killed. He is later killed by Ciel and his mansion is burned by Sebastian.

Doctor

Doctor (先生, Sensei) is the kind, wheelchair-bound doctor who cares for the performers of the circus. However, this is later revealed to be a ruse as he can walk and is quite sadistic. He hand carves the prosthetic limbs used by some of the first tier performers from a unknown strong material, later revealed to be a special bone china using the bones of children. He has Kelvin use his power and money to provide him with the resources he needed to perfect his prosthesis research and has him kidnap children for the prosthetics. He is killed by Sebastian under Ciel's orders.

Others

Elizabeth Middleford

Elizabeth Middleford (エリザベス・ミッドフォード, Erizabesu Middofoodo) is the daughter of Marchioness Frances Middleford and is both Ciel's cousin and fiancée. She is a very happy and upbeat girl. She has known Ciel for a long time and cares deeply for him, trying her best to see him smile again. Elizabeth would always tell Ciel to call her "Lizzy". She also loves cute things. Ciel sees her as an important friend and a girl that he needs to protect because he says that he does not want to lose anything important again. It has been shown a few times on how much Ciel cares for her, such as throwing himself in front of her to protect her from a bear in the manga, how he tried his best to save Elizabeth from Drocell, and also drying her tears after she broke his ring despite how upset he had been. She is voiced by Yukari Tamura in the anime adaption and Chiwa Saitō on the drama CD.

Viscount of Druitt

The Viscount of Druitt, Lord Aleister Chamber (アレイスト・チェンバー, Areisuto Chenbaa), is a noble who is known for his taste in fine art, wine and food. He becoms a main suspect in the Jack the Ripper murder case. During the investigation, he is found kidnapping women and selling their body parts on the black market. He is later arrested by Scotland Yard, although he is suspected to have bribed his way out of prison when he is again seen in public. He graduated from medical school, but does not practice medicine. He relates anything he sees as beautiful to a woman, and is particularly infatuated with a mysterious girl he met at a ball, who was in fact Ciel in disguise. He was most probably based from Montague John Druitt who was suspected of being Jack the Ripper. He is voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki in the anime adaption.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria (ヴィクトリア女王, Vikutoria Joō) is the Queen of the United Kingdom and has been described as having great beauty and grace. Despite this, she is a bit eccentric, this is seen when she enters a curry contest while riding a horse. After the death of her husband, she does not appear in public often and begins to cry hysterically whenever he is mentioned. In the anime adaption, she nearly attempted suicide because of the grief until Ash approached her. Ash gave her youth and attached part of her husband's skin from her neck to her clavicle area. Because the skin continues to rot, it causes her great pain. When Ash tries to fix the problem, she refuses to let him. She also plays a villainous role, becoming part of the Organization for everlasting youth and is the one who ordered the destruction of the Phantomhive Family. She later dies and a look-alike is placed on the throne. In the manga, she is served by John Brown (ジョン・ブラウン, Jon Buraun) who wears large goggles. He spends most of his role trying to keep up with her and calming her hysterical fits of tears.

Fred Abberline

Fred Abberline (フレッド・アバーライン, Fureddo Abaarain) is a young officer of Scotland Yard. In the anime adaption, he is portrayed as one who truly believes in the justice system. He wishes to make London a place where it is safe to have a family and plans to propose to his pregnant girlfriend. Like Ciel, he had to go through hard times to reach his current situation. Despite this, Ciel describes him as someone who walks in the light, whereas Ciel walks in the darkness. At first, Abberline does not trust Ciel and his position as the Queen's Watchdog, but later joins him as an ally. He is killed by Lau by using his body as a human shield to protect Ciel. His role in the manga adaption is significantly shorter and he is portrayed with a mustache. He is voiced by Hisayoshi Suganuma. Abberline is modeled after the real life Frederick Abberline, the Chief Inspector for the London Metropolitan Police and a prominent investigator of the Jack the Ripper murders.

Angela and Ash

The anime adaption introduces a hermaphrodite angel with two personalities, initially introduced as two people named Angela Blanc (アンジェラ・ブラン, Anjera Buran) and Ash Landers (アッシュ・ランダース, Asshu Randaasu). Angela is introduced as a maid who is treated poorly in public by her master the Lord Henry Barrymore of Houndsworth. Finnian is infatuated with her beauty and seeming kindness, until he learns of her dominatrix personality. She seems to have the desire to be with Sebastian. When the Angela persona is in control, she wants him to recognize her as a woman and has a place beside her in her bid for world domination. Ash is introduced as Queen Victoria's butler who delivers all of her requests to the Phantomhive Head. His appearance is the opposite of Sebastian's; Ash wears white suit and has white hair, He wears black gloves whereas Sebastian wears white ones. He is connected to the organization that killed Ciel's parents and seems to be the leader as he is able to ask Scotland Yard to arrest Sebastian. Like other members, he has an obsession of purifying souls "unclean" with negative emotions. Eventually, he falls into insanity, leading Sebastian to comment he might be a fallen angel. He is killed by Sebastian's true form. He fights with a sword that resembles a fencing foil, which is strong enough to cut through steel. Angela and Ash are voiced by Akiko Yajima and Satoshi Hino respectively.

Merchandise

Characters of the series have various pieces of merchandise created in their likeness. Jun Planning planned to release dolls of Sebastian, Ciel, and Grelle in March 2009. However, on April 20, 2009, the company suspended all operations in Japan and prepared to file for bankruptcy. The company was later able to release a Ciel doll in September 2009. Good Smile Company released a figurine of Sebastian Michaelis in July 2009.

Reception

The characters of Black Butler were well-received. Casey Brienza of Anime News Network felt that the butler was "gimmicky, [but] proves to be [an] effective character type". The servants of the Phantomhive household were described as "charming incompetents" by Carl Kimlinger, also from Anime News Network.