Grelle Sutcliff

Grelle Sutcliff (グレル・サトクリフ, Gureru Satokurifu) is a Grim Reaper. She is part of the Retrieval Division of the Grim Reaper Dispatch. Grelle initially posed as Angelina Dalles's butler and conspired with her as Jack the Ripper. She was suspended for some time as a result, but is now a fully active Grim Reaper.
==Appearance==
Grelle is an individual "covered in red."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, page 9 Grelle has long dark-red hair, shark-like teeth, and red-framed glasses accessorized with a chain with skulls. Like other Grim Reapers, Grelle has chartreuse phosphorescent eyes.
Grelle's typical attire consists of a vest; gloves; a red-and white-striped bow around her neck; and red and black 4.33-inch (11-cm) high-heeled ankle boots. Grelle also sports a red coat she took from Angelina Dalles after fatally wounding her; she often wear it slung off her shoulders with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.
Grelle has had her Death Scythe modified to operate like a chainsaw, for she considers the average Death Scythe old-fashioned.
When posing as Angelina Dalles' butler, Grelle had brown hair, which was tied with a red ribbon, and she dressed in plain black clothes.
==Personality==
Grelle is an outspoken, flamboyant individual who unreservedly expresses herself and her desires.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, page 28 She possesses a strong predilection for the color red, which she believes can be used to achieve beauty.
Combative, Grelle is quick to turn to violence to eliminate hindrances and has had numerous clashes with Sebastian Michaelis because of such an inclination.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 57, page 19 She has little to no patience for those who are bogged down by her emotions, having ruthlessly slain partner-in-crime Angelina Dalles for hesitating to kill her nephew.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, page 16
At first, Grelle was dismissive of the principles of Grim Reapers, which includes staying neutral in human affairs, as evidenced by her unlawful partnership with Angelina. However, after a period of suspension, Grelle has come to respect said principles, enough to preach the importance of soul-reaping to fellow Grim Reaper Ronald Knox.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 56, page 13 Nevertheless, due to her impulsive nature, she is still liable to transgress these principles, such as when she attempted to kill Aleister Chamber while ignoring Ronald's warning that killing humans is prohibited.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 59, page 27
Grelle is fond of incorporating double entendres and referencing plays and theatre in her speech; for instance, she described Angelina's death as a "falling of curtains"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, page 17 and compared her relationship with Sebastian to Romeo and Juliet.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, page 27
When posing as Angelina's butler, Grelle was timid and ineffective at her job; she failed to properly prepare tea and got lost while driving a carriage.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 6, page 32
==History==
When Angelina Dalles began murdering pregnant prostitutes as Jack the Ripper and consequently filling up the soul retrieval list, Grelle followed her and took an interest in her. She sympathized with her since she could relate to her troubles—the inability to give birth—and decided to assist her, defying the Grim Reaper code of neutrality. Grelle disguised herself as the Burnett family's butler to avoid suspicion.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, pages 9-10
==Plot==
===Red Butler Arc===
Grelle is with Angelina Dalles, her mistress, and Lau in Ciel Phantomhive's London townhouse, searching for tea.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 6, page 5 She accompanies Ciel, Sebastian Michaelis, Lau, and Angelina while they gather information on Jack the Ripper.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 6, page 13 She later attends Aleister Chamber's party with them, where she briefly leaves in order to commit another murder.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, page 22
Afterward, Grelle, in Mary Jane Kelly's house, brutally kills her. When Ciel and Sebastian enter the scene, Sebastian comments that it is an excessive murder as blood has splattered all over the floor. Grelle comes up with a feeble excuse for being there, despite being covered in the prostitute's blood. Challenged by Sebastian, Grelle discloses that she is a Grim Reaper. When asked why she has broken the Grim Reaper's code of neutrality, she replies that she is captivated by "a certain woman."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, pages 12-19Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, page 9
Grelle confronts Sebastian with her Death Scythe. She claims that her Death Scythe can slice through anything, and sadistically trifles with Sebastian, stating her desire to tear up his body. She adds that she loves the color red and enjoys using blood to do makeup for ugly women. Sebastian points out Grelle's violation of the Grim Reaper rules and deems her butler principles sickening, and Grelle remarks that, regardless, she remains the "butler of death."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, pages 26-30 Their battle continues, and Grelle inflicts a small slash on Sebastian's left arm, revealing a brief Cinematic Record of Sebastian's past and his first encounter with Ciel. Grelle explains the general purpose of a Cinematic Record, which is to replay memories for assessment by the Grim Reaper, and Sebastian dismisses it as a "spying activity."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 10, pages 4-11
Grelle then has Sebastian pinned against the wall. However, when Ciel's life is endangered, Sebastian rushes to him, despite being injured.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 10, page 13 She comments that Sebastian has commendable endurance, and orders Angelina to kill Ciel. When Angelina admits that she cannot kill Ciel, whom she considers to be her own son, Grelle kills Angelina. She calls Angelina an "ordinary woman" and complains that she has gone to great lengths to help her, only to be disappointed in the end. She removes the red coat from Angelina's corpse, proclaiming that Angelina is not fit to wear red.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 10, pages 19-23Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, pages 15-17
Grelle turns to leave, and Ciel orders Sebastian to kill her. Sebastian intentionally aims for Grelle's face, much to her anger. Grelle asks if Sebastian is afraid of dying to her Death Scythe, and the latter asserts that he is not. Grelle states that a demon and a Grim Reaper are unable to reach a mutual understanding; thus, her relationship is comparable to the "tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet." Grelle rams her own forehead against Sebastian's and slashes his chest.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, pages 20-33 Much to her dismay, she views a mundane Cinematic Record consisting of Sebastian's daily life as a Phantomhive butler.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 12, pages 2-5
Grelle attempts to end the battle with the next blow. Sebastian uses a shred of his tailcoat to jam Grelle's Death Scythe. He then pummels Grelle in the face, ignoring her pleas to spare it. However, before Sebastian can kill her with her own Death Scythe, William T. Spears intervenes. William lands on Grelle's head and enumerates the rules Grelle has violated. He grudgingly apologizes to Sebastian, retrieves Grelle's Death Scythe, and drags Grelle away by her hair. Subsequently, Grell is suspended for her offenses.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 12, pages 8-26
===Circus Arc===
In regard to the case involving the Noah's Ark Circus, the Grim Reapers are assigned various tasks. While William T. Spears and Ronald Knox are to collect the souls at Baron Kelvin's manor, Grelle, whose suspension period has recently ended, is responsible for collecting the souls at Phantomhive Manor—a mission she is excited about, as noted by Ronald.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 35, page 15
===Luxury Liner Arc===
Grelle is assigned to work with Ronald Knox to collect souls and investigate the Bizarre Dolls. She watches as the Campania crashes into an iceberg. She then leaps on to the ship's deck and beheads several Bizarre Dolls.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 55, pages 29-36
Later, Grelle meets with Ronald and makes him hold her by the waist as she enjoys the night breeze. However, she soon stops, dismissing Ronald as unexciting. Ronald reminds her that they both should be focusing on their duty; they have approximately another one-thousand souls to collect, and they must investigate the Bizarre Dolls, as well. Grelle declares that soul reaping is a Grim Reaper's most important job, and that the investigation can come later. She urges Ronald to hurry, eager to go home and wary of another suspension.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 56, pages 10-13
In the first-class suite, Grelle and Ronald destroy numerous Bizarre Dolls while complaining about the sheer quantity of them. Grelle notes that dealing with the Bizarre Dolls is a waste of time, and Ronald agrees, stating that the Campania will sink in one hour.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 56, pages 25-26
After Grelle carries out her task in the first-class front hallway, Ronald informs her that they must descend five floors to reach the third boiler room, much to her displeasure. While they discuss the Bizarre Dolls, a Bizarre Doll on a carriage led by a couple of Bizarre Doll horses appears. Grelle swiftly annihilates them.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 57, pages 7-9
In the second-class restaurant, Grelle and Ronald encounter Sebastian Michaelis, Ciel Phantomhive, and Elizabeth Midford. Grelle prevents them from running away and battles Sebastian. During the fight, Grelle accidentally slashes a window with her Death Scythe, causing water to rapidly enter the ship.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 57, pages 14-21 While Grelle is distracted, Ronald takes her place and fights Sebastian.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 57, page 22
After a brief intervention with Elizabeth eliminating a number of Bizarre Dolls, Elizabeth goes after Grelle, intending to attack her, but Sebastian stops her. Grelle plans to resume her fight with Sebastian, but overhears Ciel telling Sebastian to concentrate on finding Rian Stoker. Ronald shows Grelle Rian's information in the soul retrieval list. Afterward, they leave with urgency with the intention to learn more about the Bizarre Dolls from Rian.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 58, pages 19-23
In the first-class passenger lounge, while the Campania tilts, Rian falls down, and Grelle catches him by the leg.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 58, pages 31-32 When she asks for a method to stop the Bizarre Dolls, Rian discloses that there is a device in his room that can render the absolute salvation ineffective. Grelle, Ronald, and Rian head to Rian's first-class guest room, and discover that the device has been stolen.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 59, pages 5-6 They return to the first-class passenger lounge, where Ciel, Sebastian, Undertaker, and Aleister Chamber, who has taken the device, are.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 59, pages 12-15 When Grelle states her desire to kill Aleister, Aleister threatens to destroy the device, and Ronald stops Grelle.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 59, page 16
A legion of Bizarre Dolls arrives, the number of them bewildering them all. Grelle, Ronald, and Sebastian are forced to fight them. Irritated by Aleister's theatrics, Ronald asks to kill him, and Grelle scolds him for stopping her earlier. Grelle then shouts at Aleister to activate the device, but Aleister refuses to until they perform the dance of the Phoenix to pledge their loyalty to him. Grelle, Ronald, Ciel, and Sebastian reluctantly recite the lines and strike the pose.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 59, pages 17-23
Satisfied, Aleister turns on the device, but it does not work. Exasperated, Grelle deftly kills several Bizarre Dolls, which impresses Ronald, and lunges at Aleister, despite Ronald's warning that she must not kill humans. Undertaker blocks Grelle's Death Scythe and attacks her with his sotoba.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 59, pages 24-33
Grelle, Ronald, and Sebastian note Undertaker's chartreuse phosphorescent eyes, and realize that Undertaker is a Grim Reaper.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 60, pages 4-5 Grelle and Ronald are shocked to learn that Undertaker created the Bizarre Dolls by editing the deceased's Cinematic Records. On Undertaker's encouragement, Grelle views a couple of Bizarre Dolls' Cinematic Records, and is appalled to see that Undertaker has, indeed, connected fake records following the "End" mark, in order for the bodies to mistakenly believe that life is still continuing. Undertaker further explains how the Bizarre Dolls function, and admits that the Campania is merely an experiment to study what will happen when the same amounts of humans and Bizarre Dolls are together.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 60, pages 11-19 Grelle and Ronald decide to apprehend Undertaker, a "deserter," and the former adds that she can never forgive Undertaker for injuring her face.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 60, page 20
Grelle and Ronald attack Undertaker. Sebastian kicks Ronald, to Grelle's surprise, and says that he would be in trouble if he were to let Grelle and Ronald haul Undertaker away, given that Ciel wants to take Undertaker into custody for Queen Victoria's sake. They choose to compete: Whichever team is the fastest to subdue Undertaker can take him. Grelle, Ronald, and Sebastian attack Undertaker simultaneously.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 60, pages 21-26
While fighting, Grelle points out that Undertaker must be at a disadvantage; he is not wearing any glasses, and all Grim Reapers are nearsighted. Grelle manages to cut through Undertaker's sotoba, to her astonishment, as she could not do so before. Undertaker kicks Grelle, and Ronald rushes over, but his glasses are thrown off by Undertaker. Grelle tosses the glasses back to Ronald, but Sebastian knocks them away. Sebastian and Undertaker battle, while Ronald retrieves his glasses with Grelle next to him. Grelle and Ronald mention that they are running out of time, since the ship is tilting heavily, and attack Undertaker head-on. Undertaker blocks their Death Scythes with his own, and slices them both. Grelle and Ronald are shocked, with the latter commenting that Undertaker's Death Scythe should have been confiscated when he retired. Undertaker implies that he smuggled it out.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 61, pages 3-14 He then destroys a pillar close to them, causing it to collapse on them.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 61, page 16
After a battle between Sebastian and Undertaker, where Undertaker views Sebastian's Cinematic Record, the Campania tilts upward, resulting in chaos and numerous deaths. When Rian falls to his death, Grelle assesses and collects his soul. Afterward, Grelle fights Undertaker, while Ronald fights Sebastian, "the weakened one."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 64, pages 6-10
During their battle, Undertaker recalls that Grelle was Madam Red's butler and remarks that she also tampered with people's lives. After calling Undertaker nosy, Grelle attempts to attack Undertaker, but Sebastian hurls a beaten Ronald at her, and they both crash into a wall.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 64, pages 17-19 As the Campania sinks, and water floods the area they are fighting in, Undertaker announces that he must go. Grelle and Sebastian launch a concerted attack, which leads to Undertaker dropping his chain of lockets. When Ciel catches the chain, Undertaker entrusts it to him, bisects the ship with his Death Scythe, and escapes.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 64, pages 20-27
An unconscious Grelle floats face-down in the water. William T. Spears rescue Grelle and Ronald, and force them to wake up. Thrilled, Grelle attempts to hug William, but falls back into the water instead. William orders them both to collect the souls, regardless of their injuries; once they are finished, they must return to headquarters and file a report on the "violator," Undertaker.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 65, pages 8-11
==Gender==
Grelle's gender has been subject to long-standing debates arising from inconsistencies and ambiguities that include:
* Yana Toboso referring to Grelle as an okama (オカマ, okama) in earlier years.Yana Toboso's archived blog (2014)"I think this time (actually not only this time but on other occasions, too), this okama has benefitted most [from this collaboration project out of the three characters], don't you think so as well!!?? (lol)" Grelle used the term for herself too in the past.Yana Toboso's archived blog (2010)Alternative link for the imageそれにねえ オカマにだって人（?）権("Even okama have human (?) rights")
* Grelle uses onē kotoba (お姉言葉, "older sister speech"), a "rough, effeminate form of spoken Japanese often employed by gay and male-to-female transgendered individuals."Kuroshitsuji manga; Volume 2, Translation notes
That said, on an in-universe basis, Grelle consistently and unambiguously refers to herself as a woman. How Grelle identifies and expresses herself in the manga, our primary source, takes precedence over all else. Thus, uses she/her pronouns for Grelle.
==Quotes==
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Manga=
* "This Death Scythe I'm using will play a duet with the soul's last moments."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, page 14
* "Oh Bassy, I do love red the most. Hair, clothes, lipstick, I love them to be red. That's why I love using fresh blood to do make up for those ugly women. The more flamboyant a woman is, the more she's as beautiful as a poisonous flower, right?"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 9, page 15
* (To Sebastian Michaelis) "A good man's past makes people curious! But if he's a bad man, then it makes me wanna see even more!"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 10, page 12
* "Apparently, we are unable to reach a mutual understanding. If the job of a Grim Reaper is to recover all the souls of the dead, then demons can be likened to the pests that snatch these souls away just for the sake of devouring them! No matter how much love I put in, it won't bear fruit. It's like . . . the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet!"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, pages 26-27
* "Such an ice king you are! A beautiful tyrant! An angelic devil! A raven with the wings of a dove. My little lamb with the appetites of a wolf. My very own Sebastian darling!"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 11, page 31
* "This is like a big guilt trip of death!"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 55, page 36
* (To Undertaker) "With all these handsome men in front of me I'm not gonna just leave like Cinderella!"Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 64, page 17
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Anime=
* "I'm a butler to die for!"Kuroshitsuji anime; Episode 5
* (To Sebastian Michaelis) "Ah, It's so nice to see you in my true form! I admit, I was very surprised when I first saw you. I've never seen a demon playing a butler."
* (To Claude Faustus) "Ally? What's with that clichéd word? Supreme love is always a battle to death!"Kuroshitsuji anime; Episode 8
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==Trivia==
<tabber>
General=
* Grelle's favorite color is red. Additionally, she likes the scent of roses and musk,Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; page 46 and dislikes tea.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; page 47
* Grelle is stronger than William. She lets William beat her, because she is in love with him.Yana Toboso on Twitter"Grell is actually very strong and the only reason Grell gets beaten up by Will is because... Grell is in love with him!"
** Because of his aloofness, William is also Grelle's "main squeeze." To Grelle, Sebastian is only an "idol" to marvel at one-sidedly."Come to speak of it, whenever I say 'Grell's main squeeze is William (it's also mentioned in the official Character Guide)' in meetings with the [anime] staff, most people react 'Whaaaaat!?' and then ask me 'Isn't Sebastian the one who [s]he's really after!!??'.I think, from Grell's point of view, Sebastian is more like an idol. It's like there's someone you love in real life, but in front of your favourite artist you become a fan girl and scream for him. However, since he's everyone's idol, you don't really expect of him to love you back. If he did, everything would become too 'real' and you'd somehow lose your interest in him. You just want to scream and enjoy [being a fan girl] one-sidedly. That's the image I have about Grell's feelings for Sebastian. When I explain this to female creators, they mostly say 'I know exactly what you mean!!!'. That's the way girls are, isn't it?Grell is a boy, but has a heart of a maiden (lol)."
===Etymology===
* "Grell(e)" can either mean "gaudy," "lurid," or "grating/piercing" in German.
** In Japanese, "Grelle" is a homophone of the verb ぐれる (gureru), which means "to stray from the right path." This is referenced in the Japanese description for Chapter 9: "グレル・ぐれる!?" ("Gureru • Gureru!?", "Grelle Goes Bad!?").
* Grelle may have been named after Peter Sutcliffe, a British serial killer responsible for the death of thirteen women, also known as "The Yorkshire Ripper."Wikipedia:Peter Sutcliffe
===Out of Universe===
* According to the official Kuroshitsuji character popularity poll, Grelle is the fourth most popular character in the series, with 779 votes. She is ranked among the "Devil Six."June 2015 Issue of Square Enix's GFantasy Magazine
* Yana Toboso has stated that she would love to go shopping with Grelle because of her honest and direct nature.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; page 41
* So far, Grelle has only been on a special completely red slip-over cover for Volume 12, which was included in the August 2011 issue of Monthly GFantasy.Special content — akumadeenglish on Tumblr It is possible that she may be featured on a proper volume cover in the future.The Red Butler cover — akumadeenglish on Tumblr
* In the early drafts of the series, Grelle did not wear high heels.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; page 118
* It was the idea of Toboso's editor, Mr. K, to make Grelle a flamboyant character.Mr. K's involvement with the story-making of Kuroshitsuji — akumadeenglish on Tumblr
* Yana Toboso and her assistants call Grelle "Shark" because of her teeth.Downstairs with Kuroshitsuji, Volume VIII
* In the Durarara!! manga, a series that frequently references other anime and manga, two characters visit a manga store, and Grelle's image is on the elevator in one panel.Durarara!! manga; Chapter 3, page 14
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Anime=
* In Kuroshitsuji II, Grelle's design was slightly altered. Her vest, which was initially black, was changed to brown, and her hair appeared to be darker. Her eyes were colored so that her pupils were dark green and her irises were light green. Her Death Scythe was also used for transportation means.Kuroshitsuji II anime; Episode 3
* In the OVA The Story of Will the Reaper, Grelle and William were both Grim Reaper students at the same time. Grelle resented being partnered with William because, while Grelle was an excellent student, with expertise in the area of scythe technique, William was an entirely average student.Kuroshitsuji OVA; The Story of Will the Reaper
** According to the OVA, Grelle and William became fully-fledged Grim Reapers in 1799. In the manga, Grelle has been a Grim Reaper for less than seventy years, as she was not there when Undertaker destroyed large parts of the headquarters around 1819.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 149, pages 6-7
** In 2012, Mr. K said Grelle speaks in a deepish voice as a new Grim Reaper because she "hasn't fully come out" yet.Mr. K on Twitter"The novice reaper-era Grelle has a deepish voice. The reason is that [she] hasn't fully come out... but [she] isn't hiding it either. In a way, it's a "grey zone" era LOL. RT: It's started!"
* Grelle's voice actor, Jun Fukuyama, originally auditioned for Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian Michaelis, and Finnian before being given the role of Grelle."According to Fukuyama, one day his office staff told him that he passed the audition for Kuroshitsuji (anime) and their conversation went likeStaff: Fukuyama-san! You passed the audition!Fukuyama: (For the role of) Finnian, right?Staff: No, Grell.Fukuyama: That doesn't make any sense!!!??? Σ(ﾟДﾟ)Bonus info: Before auditioning for Finnian, Fukuyama had also auditioned for the role of Sebastian and Ciel (but failed)."
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Musicals=
* Grelle is portrayed by Takuya Uehara in That Butler, Friendship, The Most Beautiful DEATH in the World, Lycoris that Blazes the Earth, and Tango on the Campania.
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==References==
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