Sebastian Michaelis

Sebastian Michaelis (セバスチャン・ミカエリス, Sebasuchan Mikaerisu) is the demon butler and a senior staff memberKuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 176, page 7 of the Phantomhive household.
==Appearance==
Sebastian takes on the appearance of a tall, handsome adult with black hair, reddish brown eyes,Yana Toboso on Twitter"When I decide on a color scheme for a character, I don't decide on just any 'color'. Sebastian, for example. His eyes are 'reddish brown'. But I call them 'tea brown'! Isn't that nicer?:)【Yana】" pale skin, and black fingernails. The back of his left hand contains the mark of his Faustian contract with Ciel Phantomhive.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 39, page 17
Sebastian typically dresses in a butler's outfit, which consists of black trousers, a six-buttoned double-breasted tailcoat, and a gray vest; on is his shirt cuffs and tie is the Phantomhive crest. He also sports white gloves, a pocket watch, and a chained silver lapel pin bearing the Phantomhive crest, which is traditionally worn by the house's head butler.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 42, page 13
Details of Sebastian's demonic form include high-heeled stiletto boots, sharp claws, glowing fuchsia irises, slit pupils, and longer, sharper teeth, with dark wingsKuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 19, page 11Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 10, page 17-18 and multiple eyes.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 136, page 30
==Personality==
Sebastian is devoted to Ciel Phantomhive. He faithfully carries out every one of Ciel's orders while ensuring that the Phantomhive household runs smoothly as the head butler. He does not sleep—demons deem sleep a luxury—and often spends his nights fulfilling his duties.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 27, page 3 He is sometimes critical of his master and how he treats his workers,Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 5, page 9 but once admitted that he is not averse to the butler lifestyle despite the concomitant daily troubles.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 5, page 30 One of his quirks is that he always responds to Ciel's orders with the saying "Yes, my lord ()."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 150, page 17
Sebastian's butler facade is objectively flawless: He unfailingly obeys orders; he accomplishes tasks with consummate ease and grace; and he is courteous. Nevertheless, Sebastian is in actuality a callous and sadistic demon; he is ruthless when attacking others on Ciel's orders, and he occasionally puts Ciel in nonfatal danger for the sake of his own amusement.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 28, page 23 He usually behaves in a cavalier fashion when Ciel appears to be in danger, as he is confident in his ability to rescue him, but he may express concern when the situation grows precarious, such as when Angelina Dalles or Undertaker posed a considerable threat to Ciel's life.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide, page 10 Sebastian is cunning and morally bankrupt, and he has no qualms about lying, cheating, and seducing others to gain the upper hand.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 138, pages 22-24 He strictly adheres to his demon aesthetics and principles, one of which is not entering into multiple contracts, for he views such as inelegant.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 138, page 40 His paramount goal is to claim Ciel's soul.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 138, page 44
Sebastian is fascinated with humans and how seemingly insatiable they are, for they are willing to "drag others down to get what they want, even in death." In general, he regards them as "difficult creatures."Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 65, page 24 Additionally, he has a great and mutual distaste for Grim Reapers.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 26, page 41
Sebastian views money as "rubbish" and "materialistic."Kuroshitsuji Character Guide, page 13 He is fluent in French and Latin, enough to teach the latter.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 39, page 29Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 63, page 6 He is also proficient in Deutsch (German)Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 86, page 10 and East Franconian, a dialect in Southern Germany.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 87, page 3 Moreover, he profoundly adores cats and once kept at least thirteen hidden in his wardrobe to prevent Ciel from finding out.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 44, page 13
==History==
Sebastian's real home is in an alternate world that is quite different from the human world. In particular, he mentioned that the creatures kept as pets there are in no way comparable to cats.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 5 Page 19 Furthermore, Sebastian existed for a rather long period of time, and therefore, he occasionally muses that Ciel Phantomhive's life in comparison would feel like an instant.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 62, page 8
Sebastian stated that in the past, he engaged in "messily sampling every dish available," and he has since resorted to only consuming "high-quality" souls. As a result, he has been apparently starving, but he declared that the "dinner" will be much better the hungrier he is.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 26, pages 28-29
In January 1886, Sebastian was summoned to Ciel Phantomhive in a cult's summoning ritual at a cathedral.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 19, pages 10-11Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 136, pages 12-30 After convincing Ciel to form a contract with him and placing the seal on Ciel's right eye, Ciel ordered him to slay the cultists. Sebastian decided to adopt a "role that is best fit to serve an Earl." Therefore, he assumed the form of a butler until Ciel completes his personal mission of revenge—that is the substance of their contract. In return, Sebastian will receive Ciel's soul. He was then given the name "Sebastian" by Ciel, which used to be his dog's name, for the duration of his duties as Ciel's butler.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 62, pages 10
After burning down the cathedral on Ciel's order, Sebastian accompanied Ciel to the Royal London Hospital to meet with Ciel's aunt, Angelina Dalles. There, Tanaka gave him a watch that had been passed down from one Phantomhive butler to the next. After that, Angelina arranged for a carriage to bring them to the ruins of Phantomhive Manor. While Ciel was mourning the deaths of his parents, Sebastian reconstructed the manor.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 62, pages 13-20
Ciel and Sebastian then began daily life. He taught Ciel the fundamentals of being an earl; Ciel, in turn, taught him how a butler fit for the Phantomhive household should act. Sebastian also learned how to properly cope with Ciel's spoiled behavior; from time to time, he had to discipline Ciel.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 63, pages 3-25 He later attended Ciel's coronation as the Earl of Phantomhive, but he did not observe at a close distance because he saw himself as a mere butler, not family.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 63, pages 26-28 While they were walking, Sebastian asked Ciel if he was happy with how things were. Seeing Ciel's hesitation, he attempted to devour him. He stopped, however, when Ciel suddenly turned around and stated that he was determined to attain his revenge. He commanded Sebastian to be his sword and shield and bring him victory. Sebastian complied, as he was sure that the added pain that would come with the road to Ciel's revenge would make his soul "extremely delicious."Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 63, pages 29-36
In 1887, Sebastian was summoned to Ciel's room. Ciel complained of a wobbly tooth that was preventing him from eating his food properly. After examining it, Sebastian decided to forcibly take it out, much to Ciel's chagrin. Ciel attempted to protest against the idea, but Sebastian proceeded regardless, under the impression that he was doing his young master a favor. After the tooth removal, Ciel threw an angry fit at Sebastian. Ever since, he has been unwilling to allow Sebastian to check for cavities in his teeth when they start to wobble.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 96.5, pages 21-26
Sebastian endeavored to recruit servants for Ciel. He approached Baldroy, a soldier fighting in a war in America, in a cave.Kuroshitsuji manga; Chapter 175, pages 15-18
==Plot==
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
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General=
* On Sebastian's grave, his epitaph included the following inscriptions: "To The Memory of Sebastian Michaelis. Died March 1889. May ye be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you're dead."Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 50, page 27
* Sebastian often visited Schönbrunn Palace in the past and, thus, knows how to dance the Viennese waltz.Kuroshitsuji manga, Chapter 2, page 19
* Sebastian views humans as grasshoppers.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; page 139Q: What does Sebastian think of the servants?Toboso: Nothing. Sebastian sees all human beings as kind of grasshoppers. He might differentiate the individuals like grasshopper A, grasshopper B, grasshopper C, but in the end he sees them all as just grasshoppers.Editor K: He was surprised by Agni's ability to motivate other people, but he was actually just impressed in the sense of "He's quite good for a grasshopper."
* Yana Toboso said that his age is a secret.Downstairs with Kuroshitsuji, Volume I
* Sebastian's regular schedule:Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; pages 12-13
**5:50 A.M. - Getting up, getting dressed
**6:00 A.M. - Preparing the master's breakfast, ironing the newspapers, instructing the staff
**8:30 A.M. - Waking up the master with "Early Morning Tea," assisting with the morning toilet, serving breakfast
**9:30 A.M. - The master's breakfast
**10:30 A.M. - Start of the master's daily plan (work, learning, etc.), polishing the silverware, beginning lunch preparations
**12:30 A.M. - The master's lunch
**2:00 P.M. - Preparations for the afternoon tea
**3:30 P.M. - The master's afternoon tea
**6:00 P.M. - Preparations for dinner
**8:00 P.M. - The master's dinner
**9:00 P.M. - Cleaning up the dinner leftovers, polishing the silverware
**10:00 P.M. - The master's evening toilette (bathing, getting changed)
**11:00 P.M. - Putting him to bed
**0:00 P.M. - Locking the rooms, extinguishing the chimney fire, etc., preparations for breakfast
**2:00 A.M. - End of work
===Etymology===
*"Sebastian" comes from the Latin name "Sebastianus" meaning "from Sebaste"Behind the Name — Sebastian or from the Greek name Σεβαστιανός (Sebastianos), "from Sebastia." "Sebaste/Sebastia" is the Latin/Greek name of Sivas, a town in Anatolia. The name is derived from the Greek word σεβαστός (sebastos, "venerable"), which comes from σέβας (sebas, "awe, reverence, dread") which, in turn, comes from the verb σέβομαι (sebomai, "feel awe, scruple").Wikipedia:Sebastian (name)
** In the early conceptual stage of Kuroshitsuji, Sebastian did not have a name and was only referred to as "the butler" by Yana Toboso and her team. Only when the then-chief editor of Monthly GFantasy and Mr. K advised Toboso to set the story in Victorian England, she decided to name the butler "Sebastian" as it has become a very stereotypical name for a butler in Japan since the release of Heidi, Girl of the Alps in 1974List of butlers named "Sebastian" in Japanese media — akumadeenglish on Tumblr and, thus, it would be "easy to guess" what a character he is.Yana Toboso on Twitter"Back in its initial conceptual stage, Kuroshitsuji wasn't supposed to be set in England. Moreover, Sebastian didn't have a name, he was just called 'the butler' lol. It was the then chief editor and my editor who advised me to set the story in England. They also advised me to give the butler a name, so I was like "Then let's call him 'Sebastian' so it's *easy to guess [what kind of character he is]". [...] -Toboso"
* Sebastian's last name originates from the Japanese word 見返り (mikaeri) meaning "repayment," signifying his contract with Ciel.Kuroshitsuji anime; Episode 11
* Sebastian's name is similar to Father Sébastien Michaëlis, a French inquistor who wrote a classification of demons of Hell from the demon Berith while exorcising a nun.Wikipedia:Sebastien Michaelis
===Out of Universe===
* According to the official Kuroshitsuji character popularity poll, Sebastian is the most popular character in the series, with 4014 votes. He is ranked among the "Devil Six."June 2015 Issue of Square Enix's G Fantasy Magazine
* In 2010, Toboso stated that she will "probably never state clearly what Sebastian's true nature is"—or delve into demon lore in general—as it is "not relevant to the main plot," though she has "already vaguely decided on what he could be." According to her, "Sebastian is just Sebastian. One hell of a butler. That's all [one] need[s] to know about the character Sebastian from the manga Kuroshitsuji.""Speaking of demons, I was recently interviewed together with Okada-san [*Mari Okada, screenwriter of season 2]. We talked a bit about demons and after listening to our discussion, the interviewer seemed a bit surprised. He was like, 'Ah, I see... so that's what demons are like in Kuroshitsuji...' (lol)I might write more about my perception of the demons in Kuroshitsuji when the magazine with said interview has been released. [*Note: She never did.] I've never really talked about demons and their existence in depth so far and I probably won't do that in the future either, so if our discussion about demons isn't cut, it will be quite a rare interview.Anyway, it is commonly said that demons are angels that have fallen or that they were born from the crotch of the tree. However, I'll probably never state clearly what Sebastian's true nature is. I've already vaguely decided on what he could be, though. (lol)I think it really doesn't matter. It's like the 'margin' of a book, it's not relevant to the main plot.Sebastian is just Sebastian. One hell of a butler. That's all you need to know about the character Sebastian from the manga 'Kuroshitsuji'."
* Toboso considers Sebastian the protagonist of Kuroshitsuji. She also once called him "elite trash" because he lacks shame and moral."Drawing Kuroshitsuji is more challenging [and worthwile] and I also get more excited when I think about ideas of Sebastian being completely in his beast mode and doing inhumane things, rather than when I think about ideas of Ciel behaving like a bastard. That's why I think that Sebastian is the protagonist [of this series].They both are the lowest of the low, but I enjoy drawing Sebastian (except his face) since he is an 'elite trash' that genuinely lacks sense of shame and moral sense."
** Her team and Toboso also think of him as a "noukin shithead.""'noukin (脳筋＝脳みそ筋肉)' literally means 'muscle brain' and usually refers to someone who tries to solve everything using his 'muscles', i.e. his muscular strength or physical power, rather than acting rationally by using his brain. It does not mean that the person is aggressive or violent, it's just that they do not think that much before they act.^^; A good example for a 'noukin' character in the Kuro series is Greenhill from the School Arc. Another fine example for Sebastian being a 'noukin' is chapter 102, where he tried to destroy the tank solely with his kick and a punch, i.e. with physical power" Because of that, Toboso once wanted to let Sebastian "stand on a piano and play 'Rondo alla Turca' with his bare feet." She discarded this idea because she was unsure whether she could draw it; however, she is open to include that scene in the future if the plot necessitates it."My team and I do not only consider Sebastian to be 'handsome and competent' but also think of him as a '*noukin sh*thead'. We would consequently get confused when the anime staff, [on the contrary], treat him so gently.In my opinion, Sebastian doesn't really think that much about his behaviour. ^^; [...]I mean, if necessary for the plot development, it is perfectly fine for Sebastian to stand on a piano and play 'Rondo alla Turca' with his bare feet. I once [wanted to include this scene in the manga but] gave up on this idea since I wasn't sure if I can draw it. However, maybe I can do it now."
* Toboso's unit to measure her characters is "1 Sebastian."
* Toboso has stated, that although she has created Sebastian, she sometimes thinks of him as unappealing as he is pedantic, arrogant, and not someone people would want to be friends with.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide; page 7
* Toboso modelled Sebastian's eyes after Irish actor Stuart Townsend's eyes.Sebastian's eyes — akumaddenglish on tumblr
** Furthermore, when she draws Sebastian, Toboso has the "image of a peculiar, reptilelike yet handsome character with *'Sanpaku eyes' in mind." One A-1 Pictures staff member once said that "It's hard to draw Sebastian since the features of his face are rather simple and he's not an overly handsome character. Generally speaking, handsome characters with small irises are rare in animes."Yana Toboso on Twitter"I've been asked 'If Undertaker is the most handsome character, then what about Sebastian?'. Well, when I draw him, I have this image of a peculiar, reptile-like yet handsome character with *'Sanpaku eyes' in mind. One of the A-1 pictures staff once said 'It's hard to draw Sebastian since the features of his face are rather simple and he's not an overly handsome character. Generally speaking, handsome characters with small irises are rare in animes.'" -Toboso
* In early drafts, Sebastian's hair was styled with a 7:3 ratio parting.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide, page 92 But because Toboso's editorial staff and colleagues did not like the hairstyle, she had to move his parting to the middle.Kuroshitsuji Character Guide, page 94
** She also wanted to tousle his hair in his "demon" form.
* Toboso once drew the Phantomhive household celebrating Tanabata and writing their wishes on tanzaku; Sebastian's wish was "that the servants don't idle but do their job.""I hope... [...] Sebastian: ...that the servants don't idle but do their job."
* In the Victorian era, butlers were called by their last name; Sebastian should technically be called Michaelis by Ciel and Mr. Michaelis by the other servants.
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Anime=
* Whenever Sebastian was summoned in the manga, he appeared in his true demon form; in the anime, he appears as a crow or raven accompanied by a rain of feathers.Kuroshitsuji anime; Episode 24
* In the first season, Sebastian briefly remarks that he met an ancient Egyptian mummy when it was alive, identified as Smenkhkare who reigned about three thousand years ago.Kuroshitsuji II anime; Episode 4 He also claims to be responsible for the spread of the Black Death that occurred five hundred years prior.Kuroshitsuji anime; Episode 20
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Musicals=
* Sebastian is portrayed by various actors in the musicals:
** By Yuya Matsushita in That Butler, Friendship and The Most Beautiful DEATH in the World. Matsushita also performed the first ending theme of Kuroshitsuji II, Bird.
** By Yuta Furukawa in Lycoris that Blazes the Earth, Noah's Ark Circus, and Tango on the Campania.
** By Toshiki Tateishi in The Public School's Secret.
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==References==
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