Top 10 Best Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) Characters

In the world of Black Butler (or Kuroshitsuji), it's hard to pick favorites because the characters are so unique and memorable in their own ways. Each character brings a certain flair, depth, or quirkiness to the story that fans just can't get enough of.

From the impeccable Ciel Phantomhive and his demonic butler Sebastian to the eccentric Grim Reaper Grell Sutcliff, each character plays a role that's unforgettable in the gothic, mysterious universe they live in. The show and manga do an amazing job of blending dark fantasy with humor, action, and even moments of reflection, and the characters really bring these elements to life.

The Top Ten

Ciel Phantomhive

Earl Ciel Phantomhive (Japanese: シエル・ファントムハイヴ, Shieru Fantomuhaivu) is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Black Butler. He is the current head of the Phantomhive house, the notorious Queen's Watchdog, the owner of the Funtom Corporation, and an Aristocrat of Evil.... read more

Everyone is like, oh, Sebastian is amazing, oh, Sebastian is perfect. I don't have a grudge against him. In fact, I think Sebastian is a great character, but I just think Ciel is better.
The reason Ciel takes the place of number one character in my mind is because I can relate to him, whereas I just can't find anything relatable in Sebastian. Voting always seems to be based around looks these days. Although I guess Sebastian is kinda cool, I think more about the personality of the character.
Ciel, for me, is better as I feel for him (no, not like *that*). I feel upset for him as his past really gets to me, and we know more about him than most other characters. So sorry, Sebastian lovers, but Ciel is my fave.
Sebastian Michaelis

Sebastian Michaelis (Japanese: セバスチャン・ミカエリス, Sebasuchan Mikaerisu) is the titular deuteragonist of the manga and anime series Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji). He serves as a demon butler and is a senior staff member of the Phantomhive household. His character is known for his efficiency, loyalty, and supernatural... read more

Well, I think everyone in the history of the Black Butler fandom can agree Sebastian is good looking. But he's got a lot of other traits that make him so likable and enjoyable to watch.
He shows emotions in a wide variety despite being a demon. He is deeply intelligent and able to do things with an air of confidence that shows little fear. Sebastian shows talent in a variety of ways and is a cunning and deadly opponent.
I like the class and capability he has, but also those moments of uncharacteristic innocence. The way he is around cats brings the most joy, especially if you love them too!

Sebastian is most definitely one of the top reasons to watch Black Butler. Yes, everyone just goes on and on about him, and here is what I have to say: yeah, he is a demon. That's what makes him better. He has a past and everything, and it only makes his character more interesting.
He's supposed to be this character that hates mankind (and dogs), but not really. He warms up over time, and that just makes him better in the long run.
Grell Sutcliff

Grell Sutcliff (Japanese: グレル・サトクリフ, Gureru Satokurifu) is a major antagonist in the manga and anime series Black Butler. She is a part of the Retrieval Division of the Grim Reaper Dispatch.
Grell initially posed as Angelina Dalles's butler and conspired with her as Jack the Ripper. As a result... read more

Grell is one hell of a reaper! His love for Sebastian and the color red make him an awesome character! He can make you laugh at his antics, but he can make you mad if you don't like him. Lots of people love him, so that doesn't matter.
This lovable reaper has a thing for sexy men and the color red. He also wields a death scythe that happens to be a chainsaw! Grell is awesome, cute, and lovable. Hopefully, Sebastian gives in to him!

Every episode of Black Butler, I'm waiting. Patiently waiting. For Grell's voice or silhouette in the moonlight! He is such a character! His personality makes me laugh most of the time, especially in that episode where he's running after Sebastian to take pictures of his poses.
I have a strange thing towards him. I mean, he's a reaper, he can use a chainsaw, and he's just god damn awesome!
Undertaker

Let's just take a moment to appreciate Undertaker. He took on two Reapers and a demon without glasses, meaning he was at a disadvantage, yet he was still able to damage them all severely.
Add on the fact he was able to walk off without a scratch, only losing his mourning jewelry, so in my opinion, that makes him the most powerful character.

Unlike a lot of the other characters, Undertaker has a lot of depth and ambiguity to his character. His face reveal displayed his good looks, but even without them, he is undoubtedly my favorite character. He simply keeps me interested and absolutely hooked!
Finnian

He's so adorable! And just look at how strong he is. He's like a sensitive, strong boy (both with how he can lift a tree out of the ground with his bare hands like it's nothing, and mentally for pulling through with all that bad stuff happening to him). I just love him so much.

Finny is the most adorable character, and he cracks me up all the time. He got a surprisingly high place based on other polls I've taken! My second vote would have been Ciel.

I really love Finny as a character. Aside from Grell, he is my favorite. He has so much character in the little clips that he is in, and he is just simply too adorable!
Alois Trancy

Earl Alois Trancy (Japanese: アロイス・トランシー, Aroisu Toranshi) is the main antagonist of Season 2 of the anime series Black Butler. He is the head of the Trancy household and plays a central role in the storyline. His real name is Jim Macken (Japanese: ジム・マッケン, Jimu Makken).

Alois is an interesting character in my opinion. His personality is unique and cunning, which just makes me feel like he's such a cool character. Like Ciel, he has gone through so much. It makes me feel sad every time I see his flashback, but he keeps his smile up.
Alois may be sly and spoiled, but he has some very unique traits that I don't think any other character has. Also, I love his ash-blonde hair.

Alois is my favorite character, and I hate Claude for killing Alois. In my opinion, Alois was a badass psycho blonde that everyone needs in an anime. In my opinion, Alois definitely should have lived, and I would actually pay to bring him back.
But Alois is a love-hate character for some people. If Alois ever comes back, count me in.
Mey-Rin

Why is Mey so low? She has such an amazing story and is very relatable! Although clumsy at times, she's a pretty powerful character who's just trying her best to do her job. In my opinion, she should be at least 4 or 5 in the ranks!

I absolutely love Mey-Rin. She is such a beautiful badass and my favorite character. She's kind and loyal, a deadly fighter with an epic story, and has good character development even though she's a mystery.

Mey-Rin is so sweet and caring. Yeah, she's a bit clumsy, but her shenanigans are funny and Sebastian fixes them all anyway. I think it's cute how she has a crush on Sebastian.
Tanaka

Yes, you're absolutely right! Tanaka is a total babe!

I love how he sits and drinks tea so calmly!

He's so cute! I want to hug him to pieces!
Angelina Dalles

I really liked her backstory, and I was so sad when Grell killed her. Even though he is my favorite character, next to Finny, I will never forget Madame Red.

Grell, why did you kill Madame Red off?! She was such a great character! Not to mention her Japanese voice actress is the same as Edward Elric from FMA and Temari from Naruto.

Madame Red is such an elegant character. She searches for love throughout her screen time, working with Grell because of this reason. She was unable to kill Ciel because she loved him. Upon finding love, she refuses to kill Ciel, causing her ultimate demise.
Bardroy

The Newcomers

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Joanne Harcourt
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Cheslock

The Contenders

Prince Soma

Why is Soma ranked so low? He is such a sweet little cinnamon roll, especially after learning his lesson in the Indian Butler Arc!
He shares bread with the poor in Season 2, cares deeply about Ciel because he sees him as his best friend (I think it's a shame Ciel doesn't see him as his friend either), and he even tried his best to be there for Ciel when he was ill in Season 3! Dammit, he sat next to his bed for a full night! How can one not love this underrated prince?

Soma is one of the most caring and sweet Black Butler characters. He isn't like many in the series and is what you can consider to be a good-hearted character. He had no malicious intentions. He simply wanted what was best for Ciel.
Also, can we talk about Agni? Soma cares for Agni so much that it is quite adorable and heartfelt.
Doll

I relate to her so much. After watching the Book of Circus arc, along with reading it, she became my favorite character!

This boy is my second kinnie! He cares for his friends, and I think he's a good character.
Drossel Keinz

I love how he sort of speaks to himself, but at the same time speaks aloud to everyone to announce what he's thinking. I love the fact that he is a doll, and he is so creepy that he's perfect!

Personally, I think Drossel is a really cool character and I was kinda sad when he died. I wish he would have been taken into the manor, but I know it was the master's orders.

His character is fairly interesting. I love the creepy doll feeling he gives off.
Lau

Most people think he is a jerk, but I think he is really smart, if not necessarily nice. He does manage to trap Ciel, and Ciel only escapes with the help of Sebastian.
Claude Faustus

Claude Faustus, known in Japanese as Kurōdo Fōsutasu, is a character in the anime series Black Butler II. He is the secondary antagonist and serves as the demon butler of the Trancy household. Often referred to as the "Spider Butler," Claude is known for his loyalty to his master, Alois Trancy, and his... read more

He's a horrid person, but he's no different from Sebastian. The only real differences are the facts that Claude killed Alois (Sebastian was going to kill Ciel for the soul but couldn't), Claude was a bit more obsessive (he killed his Highness to get to Ciel), and Claude didn't have human morality.
At least he didn't kill a bunch of people like Sebastian did and didn't lie to Alois as much as Sebastian did to Ciel.
Finally, I wish a new character would come in and get a demon to bring back Claude, Hannah, Alois, and older Luka. Then just scramble everything up. Show us something we haven't seen before. Maybe a fallen angel or something. Just bring back Claude and Alois.
Joker
William T. Spears

I honestly can't believe how attracted I am to Will. I like how stoic he is, and in The Story of Will the Reaper, how he goes against Grell just to do his job properly.
Will is in my top five, there's no doubt about that. He is handsome too, and his eyes are amazing!

He is the poster child for tall, dark, and handsome! His stoicism and devotion to his job are really attractive to me. He deserves more credit than he's given.

He's wonderful, handsome, and gets things done. His backstory episode, The Story of Will the Reaper, made me like him even more.
Ronald Knox

From the lawnmower (finally a creative weapon) to his personality, not to mention his smexy looks, he should be higher on this list by a lot.

He is awesome both in the manga and anime. Not to mention he's an adorable and badass shinigami. I mean, who can wield a lawnmower like he does?
Agni
Snake

Snake is such a little cinnamon bun (like Doll/Freckles). He deserves to be higher, and I hate how Ciel lies to him about the other members being alive. But I guess there would be no more Snake if Ciel didn't lie.
Let's not forget how much Snake cared for the other members. I know it's not a very popular ship, but in my opinion, Snake x Joker is my favorite ship in the series.

He's cute, and I love snakes, so that's why he's my favorite!
Beast

Beast is one of the most hated characters in the Black Butler series. One reason fans hate her is because of her sexual relations with Sebastian, for which she had no choice. News flash: She was seduced using Sebastian's super demon powers.
She was a girl who fell in love with someone who couldn't love her in return. Maybe he would have fallen for her if he didn't meet an untimely end. She also tried to put an end to Baron Kelvin's scheme by proposing that they run away.
Beast was strong and cared about her adopted family. She deserves more credit.
Elizabeth Midford

On Netflix, there was only the Book of Circus, so I watched all the episodes. While watching it, I decided to look up the characters and soon found Elizabeth Midford while looking at Ciel's Wikipedia. It described her as very loyal to Ciel, a good fighter, and not as she seems. She can be annoying for others, but she is a great character! Just watch her defending Ciel from the zombies.

Once you look past her slightly dramatic reactions and sometimes childish behavior, Lady Elizabeth Midford is actually quite an amazing character. She is strong-willed and isn't afraid to speak her mind. When she does upset someone, she instantly acknowledges her mistake and tries to make them feel better.
She dearly loves her fiancé Ciel Phantomhive and has made it her duty to make him smile again, like she remembers him when they were children. Sure, in some instances, she can be quite demanding, but in almost all of those cases, she was thinking about Ciel, and her demands were for things that she thought would make him happy again.
I can't really say anything else about her because of minor spoilers, but I can say that she is an astoundingly sweet individual with her heart in the right place. When she makes decisions, she always tries to make the people around her, especially the people she loves, feel happy and cheerful. She is the perfect partner for Ciel.
Ran-Mao
Edward Midford

It is absolutely hilarious how he is so protective of Lizzy. He is a great character who is sadly underrated.
Viscount of Druitt

Druitt is the sexiest pimp alive, and sure, he has his flaws, but doesn't everyone? It also helps that he is "related" to Alois Trancy!

Druitt is amazing. He's so over-the-top, and it's hilarious. I enjoy watching him on screen.