Sebastian Michaelis is the perfect butler of the Phantomhive family, charming and handsome with incredible skills. He can do anything—cook, fight, teach, and more—while always speaking politely. But his true identity is a demon who only serves Ciel Phantomhive because of a contract. He follows Ciel’s harsh orders flawlessly, hides his real cruel side, and surprises everyone with his superhuman abilities. No ordinary weapon can harm him, and after Ciel gets his revenge, Sebastian will claim his soul.
Sebastian Michaelis is tall, standing at 186 cm. He has black hair and attractive looks, giving him the image of a refined and graceful young man. Whenever he takes on a teaching role, he puts on glasses, saying "everything starts with appearance." Even though he looks thin, his strength and endurance are not human at all.
Sebastian is polite, humble, and acts with perfect manners. He treats everyone with respect and shows complete loyalty to Ciel Phantomhive, calling him "Young Master." Sometimes he makes sharp or sarcastic comments, even toward his own master. He is also very good at reading people and making them like him. However, when alone with Ciel, he shows a more violent and true side and doesn't hesitate to use harsh words.
He truly loves cats and always gets excited when he sees one, especially their paws. Unfortunately, since Ciel is allergic to cats, Sebastian can only play with stray cats outside the mansion. Early in the anime, he even said he doesn’t like dogs.
Sebastian sees humans only as food and regards everyone except Ciel as merely "like grasshoppers." But sometimes, he finds humans interesting because of their feelings and desires, which demons do not have.
Sebastian’s real name and his life before the contract are unknown. He was summoned by Ciel Phantomhive about three years before the main story, during a dark ritual where Ciel was used as a sacrifice. At first, Sebastian tried to deceive Ciel to easily take his soul but was outwitted. Impressed by Ciel’s cleverness and need for revenge, Sebastian made a demon contract with him.
The contract has three rules: Sebastian will never lie to Ciel, never betray him and always obey, and protect him from all dangers until his revenge is complete. When all this is over, Sebastian will take Ciel’s soul as payment. To symbolize the contract, a reverse pentagram is on Sebastian’s left hand, matching the magic mark in Ciel’s right eye.
Ciel named him "Sebastian" after the family dog.
Sebastian is a demon, so he can do many things regular people can’t. He can defeat anyone in a fight, dodge bullets, and even travel instantly from England to America. No weapon made by humans can kill him—only a Grim Reaper’s death scythe (like Grell Sutcliff’s) can harm him. Even though he cannot die, he still feels pain.
He does not need to eat or sleep, so he never gets tired and can always help Ciel. Sebastian can use his demon powers to solve problems very quickly and perfectly. Still, Ciel tells him not to make it obvious, so he tries to do things the normal way when people are watching.
When Sebastian first became a butler, he didn’t know how to serve tea or cook well. After being scolded by Ciel and lots of practice, he became the perfect butler. He remembers tastes using numbers because he can’t experience food the same way humans do. Now, his cooking and desserts are famously delicious, and Ciel says he has never eaten better sweets.
Sebastian also can hide information or allow Ciel to take risks if it doesn’t break the contract, showing his true demon nature.
With Ciel Phantomhive
Ciel is Sebastian’s master and contract partner. Sebastian is absolutely loyal, protects him from danger, and follows all orders. However, their relationship is not friendly; Sebastian always reminds Ciel that when his revenge is over, he will take his soul.
Other Relationships
Sebastian is liked by most people he meets due to his graceful manner and looks. He returns the butler’s badge to Tanaka when he leaves the manor with Ciel.
- Sebastian only cares about cats and pays little attention to other animals. He really dislikes dogs.
- He puts on glasses just to teach, not because he needs them.
- His most famous catchphrase is "After all, I am simply a butler," which sounds like "I am a demon butler" in Japanese, making it a double meaning.
- He can be found collecting stray cats whenever he has a chance.
- He cannot enjoy the taste of food but cooks perfectly for humans by learning their tastes.
- "After all, I am simply a butler."
- "The end, because it is absolute despair and cannot be undone... is beautiful."
- "A contract that I know I'll lose is impossible, right?"
- "And by contract, I am bound to my master—until I take that soul."
Becoming the Phantomhive Butler
About three years before the story begins, Ciel Phantomhive is used as a sacrifice in a black mass. Sebastian Michaelis appears after being summoned by Ciel and forms a contract with him. Although Sebastian first tries to trick Ciel and claim his soul, Ciel proves too smart. Sebastian then becomes his butler and vows to help Ciel get his revenge.
Sebastian learns how to serve as a butler without using obvious magic, after being scolded by Ciel for trying to fake human tasks. Over time, he becomes perfect in every butler skill.
His Powers and Demonic Nature
Sebastian’s superhuman actions and calm responses shock people around him, but he always says, “I am simply a butler.” He can’t be hurt or killed by ordinary means and uses his magic only when needed.
In the Emerald Witch Arc, when Ciel tried to break their contract, Sebastian becomes furious and almost kills Ciel, saying “quitting revenge before finishing is breaking the contract.”
Anime-Specific Events
In the anime, Sebastian reveals his demon form when he kills Ash Landers but stays mostly hidden in shadow. In season two, because of Alois Trancy and Hannah Annafellows’ contract, Ciel loses his human soul and becomes a demon, so Sebastian can never eat his soul. Ciel then orders Sebastian to always be his butler, so Sebastian is trapped serving Ciel forever. At the end, Sebastian returns his butler’s pin to Tanaka and leaves the mansion with demon Ciel. His catchphrase changes to "I am a demon butler for a demon."
Can Sebastian Have a Soul?
It seems Sebastian might have something like a soul. When attacked by Grell Sutcliff’s death scythe, a cinematic record appears. Also, on the luxury cruise arc, zombie puppets are drawn to him, which shouldn’t happen if he had no soul. But whether his soul is like a human’s remains unknown.
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