Black Butler
A demon butler serves a young earl in Victorian London.
Black Butler (Japanese: 黒執事, Hepburn: Kuroshitsuji) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso, serialized in Square Enix's Monthly GFantasy since September 2006. The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, a 12-year-old earl serving as the Queen's Watchdog in Victorian-era London, who forms a contract with the demon butler Sebastian Michaelis to seek revenge. It has spawned multiple anime adaptations, a live-action film, and is one of the best-selling manga series, with over 36 million copies in circulation by August 2025.
- creator
- Yana Toboso
- first_serialization
- September 2006
- magazine
- Monthly GFantasy (Square Enix)
- genre
- Shōnen manga
- volumes_released
- 35 (as of November 27, 2025)
- copies_in_circulation
- Over 36 million (by August 2025)
- anime_adaptations
- Multiple seasons (2008–2025)
Lore & Background
The story begins on December 14, 1885, when Ciel Phantomhive's tenth birthday is shattered by an attack on the Phantomhive manor, killing his parents and dog. Ciel is sold into slavery and subjected to abuse by a demon-worshipping cult. During a sacrificial ritual, a demon arrives in response to Ciel's summoning, and Ciel sells his soul to form a contract: the demon will help him achieve revenge in exchange for consuming his soul. Ciel names the demon Sebastian Michaelis after his deceased dog, and they return to society, with Ciel taking his father's role as the Queen's Watchdog, investigating threats to England. Sebastian recruits servants Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finnian to assist.
Reader's Guide
Black Butler is significant for its blend of dark fantasy, Victorian-era aesthetics, and supernatural elements, which has garnered a large global fanbase. The manga's long-running serialization since 2006 and its multiple anime adaptations—including the original 2008 series, the anime-original second season, and later arcs like Book of Circus and Book of the Atlantic—demonstrate its enduring popularity. The series' exploration of identity, revenge, and the Faustian bargain, along with its intricate plot twists involving twin brothers and reanimation, has contributed to its critical and commercial success. By August 2025, it had sold over 36 million copies, placing it among the best-selling manga. Its licensing by Yen Press in North America and streaming availability through Funimation and Crunchyroll have expanded its reach. The series' legacy includes influencing later dark fantasy manga and anime, and its continued production of new seasons (Public School Arc in 2024, Emerald Witch Arc in 2025) indicates sustained interest.
Did You Know?
- The manga went on hiatus in June 2024 and resumed on April 18, 2025, as the series heads toward its climax.
- The anime's second season, Black Butler II, features an anime-original storyline with two new main characters not present in the manga.
- The live-action film adaptation was released in Japan in January 2014.
- Funimation lost the rights to the first two seasons in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and they were later acquired by Aniplex of America.
More in Square Enix franchises 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record