Completed
“Orphaned Ciel commands demon butler Sebastian to avenge his family, serving the Queen while awaiting his soul's consumption.”
Black Butler
黒執事
7.65
1,538 rank · 1,267,904 viewers · 23,679 favorites
Action
Mystery
Supernatural
Historical
Mythology
Shounen
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Orphaned Ciel commands demon butler Sebastian to avenge his family, serving the Queen while awaiting his soul's consumption.
Young Ciel Phantomhive is known as "the Queen's Guard Dog," taking care of the many unsettling events that occur in Victorian England for Her Majesty. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities, Ciel uses whatever means necessary to get the job done. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye? In Ciel's past lies a secret tragedy that enveloped him in perennial darkness—during one of his bleakest moments, he formed a contract with Sebastian, a demon, bargaining his soul in exchange for vengeance upon those who wronged him. Today, not only is Sebastian one hell of a butler, but he is also the perfect servant to carry out his master's orders—all the while anticipating the delicious meal he will eventually make of Ciel's soul. As the two work to unravel the mystery behind Ciel's chain of misfortunes, a bond forms between them that neither heaven nor hell can tear apart.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 222 sampled reviews
7.9
/10
What 222 viewers settled on.
90%
recommend
Score distribution
median 8
mode 10
σ 2.06
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.06 · split reception
The polarity gap
5.6 pts
Recommenders 8.9 · others 3.3
Yes
No
Score over time
↑ 0.93
Running avg · Oct 2008 → Jun 2025
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 9 “wow just wow, i fully enjoyed this anime and i am psyched about the 2nd season. what can i say, it was funny, witty and even emotional at times. one of the best ive seen for a long time.”
- 10 “This anime was one of those heart thumping ones. This Anime is Highly addictive. The story was one of a kind, they used the story of Faust as a source. The ending is a sad but a Happy ending. ♥”
- 10 “i love this anime. its very interesting and keeps you hooked on with all the diffrent flashbacks and stories told between the show.very good if you like dramatic,and alot of action has a little...”
Verbosity
Short · 42%
Medium · 32%
Long · 26%
Watch Order & Related
Explore the Black Butler universe
Cast
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See all →Gallery
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See all →Made by
See all credits →Production slate
- Format 24 × 24′ eps × min
- Total runtime 9h 36m all episodes
- Aired Oct 2008 – Mar 2009 Fall 2008
- Source Tv media type
- Rated R 17+ (violence & profanity)
- Ref. BS-3863 catalog
Produced by
- Aniplex Producer
- Square Enix Producer
- Yomiko Advertising Producer
- Mainichi Broadcasting System Producer
- Movic Producer
- Trinity Sound Producer
- Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Producer
Licensed by
- Funimation Licensor
- Aniplex of America Licensor