Black Butler, Sebastian Michaelis | A Deceitful Demon

Sebastian Michaelis, the perfect butler from the Black Butler manga, works at the Phantomhive Manor, and more specifically for the young Count Ciel Phantomhive. To quickly summarise the manga, Black Butler takes place in 19th-century England, during the Victorian era. Count Ciel Phantomhive works for my queen and seeks revenge on those who overthrew his parents with the help of Sebastian, a demon in the guise of the perfect butler with whom he made a pact to achieve his goals in exchange for his soul.

Follow Ciel Phantomhive, enrolled in a Public School in Black Butler’s new season on Crunchyroll

Who is this mysterious butler dressed all in black?

Sebastian Michaelis is not just a simple employee at Phantomhive Manor; he’s a jack of all trades. Indeed, Sebastian is capable of fulfilling his duties as butler to perfection, dressing his young master Ciel. He is very dependent on his services, making him even more childlike than he already appears. He keeps the latter’s appointments and keeps him informed of the Phantomhive company’s figures.

As you can see, he takes his job as a butler very seriously. In addition to this quality, Sebastian proves to be an excellent teacher, cook, gardener, and fighter. These countless qualities make Ciel’s life worth living, as they prevent him from seeing his manor burn to the ground due to the mediocrity of his meagre staff, for whom Sebastian constantly has to scrape together the odds.

How can we define the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian?

In reality, or upon a superficial reading, we can say without question that the two protagonists have a master-servant relationship. The young master, Ciel Phantomhive, orders his butler to carry out his orders, and his servant, Sebastian Michaelis, complies like a perfect servant. What else could he do, after all? Ciel pays him to fulfil his duties, and it is in his best interest to obey. But is that the case? After all, let’s keep in mind that Sebastian isn’t just a simple butler; he’s a demon—with all the flaws that go with it—hidden under the guise of a seductive human being in the service of his young master. If he so desired, Sebastian could break his promise at any moment and devour Ciel’s soul without the child even realising it.

Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler’s The Public School Arc

Moreover, upon closer examination of the relationship between the two, we quickly notice that Sebastian has the upper hand over Ciel. It’s only superficially that the young Phantomhive is the one commanding. Indeed, Ciel relies heavily on his butler’s inhuman abilities to get what he wants or get out of trouble.

As proof, let’s recall the Circus segment where Ciel, posing as a commoner, struggled to perform basic tasks. Without Sebastian’s help, Ciel is simply harmless and at everyone’s mercy. After all, he’s neither a peerless fighter nor a renowned magician capable of defeating his opponents at the tender age of thirteen.

CLAMP’s ambiguous relationships: key to their success or just a side appeal?

Perhaps Ciel should have considered one of these two paths instead of relying entirely on a mere individual, especially a demon whom he can’t fully trust.

Is it wise to take a demon’s word?

Certainly, Sebastian made a pact with Ciel for purely selfish reasons—both of which benefit themselves—but the young count must also keep in mind that demons are geniuses at usurping others. His sweet, boyish face doesn’t guarantee that he won’t be betrayed, but only the end of the manga will be able to answer this question. On several occasions, Sebastian demonstrated his instability and desire to break his promise. Is he to blame? He’s a Black Butler, after all! If he plays the role of a true demonic creature, as the biblical texts describe, we can expect a sudden reversal of fortune for Sebastian. When that happens, prepare your handkerchiefs for the dire fate awaiting Count Phantomhive.

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In any case, the roles of Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis are curiously reversed when one pays attention to every detail of the work. Thus, the typical young master-servant relationship that Ciel and Sebastian portray reflects that of a mischievous master and his slave, in which Sebastian perfectly plays the role of the selfish master who exploits the naïveté of his slave, Ciel, who mistakenly believes he has the last word against a demon following a pact made in a moment of despair.

Let us know in the comment section what you think of the manga Black Butler and share what you like most about Sebastian Michaelis, our beloved butler.

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