About “Black Butler” in a few words:

Black Butler is a popular Japanese manga and anime series that follows the story of Ciel Phantomhive, a young boy who forms a pact with a demon butler named Sebastian Michaelis. Together, they navigate the world of Victorian England, where they encounter supernatural events, dark secrets, and a host of intriguing characters. With its mix of action, mystery, and humor, Black Butler has become a beloved franchise among fans of anime and manga.

Meet the characters from Black Butler

Grell Sutcliff

Oh my god Grell is literally chaos wrapped in red lace — flamboyant, dramatic, and absolutely unafraid to scream at the top of their lungs about love (and chainsaws). They’re a Grim Reaper who treats paperwork like a fashion disaster and murder like a performance piece, but also sobs at romantic comedies for reasons they can’t explain. Totally dangerous and theatrical, but will stop mid-battle to fix a stray ribbon or compliment your shoes, which is ridiculous and fantastic. Also, I’m pretty sure they keep a secret stash of postcards and sometimes forget how terrifying they are — adorable/menacing, pick one (they won’t).

Ciel Phantomhive

Ciel is the tiny, icy mastermind with the world-weary stare of someone who gets fewer naps than a raccoon and three times the responsibility. He runs an entire empire of toys-and-spies with cold precision and a habit of writing menacing little notes that are somehow also polite — like “destroy this, please.” There’s this weird softness that pops up at the worst possible time, like he secretly likes stray kittens or has an old teddy he refuses to admit to, which humanizes the otherwise calculating earl. He’s ruthless, classy, slightly traumatized, and somehow always impeccably dressed even when brooding over revenge.

Sebastian Michaelis

Sebastian is the perfect-butler demon and yes, he’s everything you’d expect: flawless, terrifyingly efficient, and disturbingly into cleanliness. He can sauté a steak, rearrange a library, and decapitate a foe in the time it takes you to misplace a sock — and he’ll do it all with a smirk and a polite “my apologies.” There are little things that are delightfully off, like his odd fondness for making pastries just to criticize them, or how he’ll brag about being “not hungry” and then eat your leftovers, so… vampire? demon? picky eater? Either way, stylish, lethal, and somehow a little domestic.

Mey-Rin

Mey-Rin is the adorably clumsy maid who trips over dust bunnies and then turns into an absolute legend with a sniper rifle when things get real — I love that contrast so much. She squints through her huge glasses, mumbles about tea, and then silently takes out three bad guys from a second-story window without spilling a single teacup. She’s soft and sweet to the point of being a walking warm blanket, but also terrifyingly competent, which makes her one of the best “don’t judge a book” examples ever. Oh, and she probably hoards biscuits in her apron, but also keeps impeccable records for some reason.

Tanaka

Tanaka is the old hoarse-voiced butler who looks like he’s seen the entire Victorian era and yawned through most of it, but then surprises you by being quietly observant and oddly sentimental. He’s grumpy, loves to nap in inconvenient places, and will absolutely scold you like a grandma who’s mastered the art of intimidation. There’s a soft, loyal core under the coughs and the “back in my day” jokes — he remembers small details nobody else does, like birthdays and the exact shade of a teacup. Also, sometimes he does sudden things like stab a stamp or reveal a surprisingly sharp memory, which is both baffling and wonderful.

Finnian

Finny is the huge muscle/gardener who adores flowers and gentle breezes but will demolish a mansion if you so much as insult his plants — giant teddy bear energy meets living wrecking ball. He’s childlike and sweet, with this terrible tendency to misunderstand sarcasm and hug strangers, but then comes out swinging when someone threatens Phantomhive property. He loves pastel bows and dirt in equal measure (yes, really), and sometimes he’ll cry at sunsets and then immediately rip up pavement for fun, which is a mood. Also he’s inexplicably neat about his tools even though everything else is chaos, which I guess is his vibe.

Alois Trancy

Alois is pure, unfiltered theatrical meltdown — loud, painfully lonely, and honestly kind of genius at emotional manipulation. He’s like a sugar rush with fangs: flamboyant one minute, dazzlingly cruel the next, and somehow wearing a ridiculous outfit while doing both. There’s a childlike need for attention underneath the nastiness, and then sudden, sharp flashes of deeply unsettling cleverness that make you want to hug him and hide all sharp objects. He collects odd little toys and seems allergic to subtlety, which, look, makes for great drama and many, many temper tantrums.

Snake

Snake is the quiet cook with the snake-like composure and a terrifyingly literal set of knives — chef vibes plus assassin calm, which is my favorite combo. He mutters almost nothing, smokes, and somehow makes the simplest dish taste like revelation, while also being able to disarm a room with a glance (or a chop). He claims to hate snake puns even though he totally understands them and sometimes feeds birds while glaring at you, which is both wholesome and eerie. Low-key creepy in the best possible way, deceptively kind, and probably has a secret recipe written in cursive on his arm.

Beast

Okay, Beast (yes the name) is this hulking, wild presence who feels like a myth made flesh — fierce, protective, and very fond of chaos theory. He’s the one who stomps into a room and suddenly all the drama gets real, but then he’ll put a wounded thing on his shoulder like it’s a plush toy and hum to it, which is adorable? So weird and lovable. He smells faintly of smoke and old books and probably has a complicated moral code involving loyalty and snacks. Also, rumor has it he enjoys soft piano music while sharpening something massive, which makes zero sense and is exactly why I love him.

Baldroy

Baldroy (Bardroy? Baldy? I can’t decide what to call him) is the bombastic chef/ex-soldier who cooks like he’s defusing a grenade — loud, dramatic, and possibly missing a few fingers (literally or figuratively). He swears a lot, flings pans around, and then quietly fixes a kid’s broken toy like a sweetheart, which is a combo I adore. He claims his food will either cure your sadness or blow up your house, and you honestly trust both options because he’s that charismatic. Also, he loves cigars and tiny explosions and will tell war stories in excruciating detail while seasoning your soup, which is both terrifying and delicious.