Black Butler is a manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso, an artist who resides in Yokohama. She first wrote a six-chapter manga called Rust Blaster in 2006 before publishing her smash-hit manga Black Butler on September 16, 2006, and it has been going on strong ever since.
It has received various anime adaptions, and OVA, a movie, as well as video games and musicals. Over the years, Yana Toboso has given us quotes to match the theme of the series. Some morbid, some hopeful. In a manga abundant with great quotes, here are the ten best ones from Black Butler. Be aware of spoilers as you read this article.
10 "HOW SAD SHOULD IT BE... THAT LAUGHTER SHOULD VANISH FROM THIS PLACE."
We are beginning this article with the most surprising plot twist of Black Butler up to that point. Undertaker, the crazed man who posed as a mortician, is a Grim Reaper that was famed for doing his job perfectly. He even has the coolest looking Death Scythe among the others.
What makes this quote so great is that Undertaker says it when he is revealed to be the mastermind behind the Bizzare Dolls. Also, Undertaker is frightening when he's not laughing. Ironic since that's what we saw all the time.
9 "TO GREET MY MASTER IN A TIDY MANNER EVERY DAY. THAT IS A MAID'S DUTY. THE HOUSEMAID SHALL PURGE THE FILTH FROM THIS MANOR!"
Remember back when we all thought Mey-Rin was nothing but a clumsy and ditzy maid that couldn't do anything? Those were some good times. With the Noah's Ark Circus Arc and Black Butler: Book of Circus, however, we all discovered how amazing the Phantomhive servants truly were.
Mey-Rin is an excellent sniper who doesn't use scopes in any of her guns because of her eyesight. As she was shooting down the intruders who attempted to infiltrate the manor, Mey-Rin declares this statement proudly as she snipes them from the rooftops.
8 "I WOULDN'T BE HERE IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU! I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT DESTROY, BUT YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO GROW! YOU MADE ME FROM #12 INTO FINNIAN!"
We may not know everything about the Phantomhive servants, but what we do know is enough to give us an idea of what lives they lived. While we are getting an in-depth look at Mey-Rin's past right now, we got some more information on Finnian's life in the Emerald Witch Arc.
Finnian was a government experiment that got injections every day and was forced to kill his friends. After Sebastian scouts him for his super strength, he is brought to the manor, where Ciel gives him his name. This meant a lot to him because he never had a name, only a number, and made him a person.
7 "IF SOMEONE MEANS ANY HARM AGAINST THE YOUNG MASTER IN THIS MANSION, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE, THOSE SERVANTS WILL HAVE NO MERCY ON THEM."
A lot of fans forget about Tanaka, the previous head butler of the Phantomhive household. Many think this old man cannot do much as he was mostly shown in chibi form drinking a cup of tea, laughing iconically. You would be wrong to underestimate the head butler that used to work for Vincent Phantomhive, the former Queen's Watchdog.
He knows Bartitsu, a martial art and self-defense method developed in England in the 19th century. He also has a sword and can cut bullets in half. It would be wise to think twice before you insult Tanaka.
6 "THERE MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT LURKING BEHIND THE ENDING CREDITS."
Everyone has thought about what comes after death, but no one has acted upon this curiosity as much as Undertaker. We learn in Black Butler: Book of Atlantic that Undertaker has an unhealthy obsession with death. We already knew he was an odd one, but to have the interest to resurrect the dead is a scary one.
Undertaker messes with the deceased's Cinematic Records, the history of a human while they lived, and wishes to see what's after the end. This quote hits harder when you discover he used to be a Grim Reaper. What has he done for all these years to make him think this way?
5 "I'M FINE WITH NOT BEING CUTE... IF IT MEANS I CAN PROTECT YOU!!"
Black Butler: Book of Atlantic didn't only give us the huge plot twist on Undertaker. It gave Elizabeth Midford, Ciel's fiance, some much-needed character development. While she was depicted as a cute little lady who is deeply in love with Ciel, she is an excellent swordswoman.
As she is about to be killed by the Bizzare Dolls aboard the cruise ship, Elizabeth tearfully states she wanted to stay cute for him. She then takes two swords off the walls and begins to protect him, thinking that she doesn't mind if she isn't cute as long as she can keep him safe.
4 "IF YOU DISAPPEAR, I WILL BE MOST DISTRESSED AND WORRIED. BECAUSE IF MY MASTER IS NOT HERE, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE YOUR BUTLER."
Sebastian Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive's relationship is one built on a Faustian contract. It isn't one built on trust and friendship, but during the years they spent together, it would be odd not to have some attachment. Being a demon, Sebastian isn't one to have emotions.
However, we got an insight into his feelings when he thought this during the Emerald Witch Arc in an extra chapter. While we saw at first that the thought of eating Ciel's soul was the most appealing, it seems he has had a slight change of heart over the years.
3 "ONLY TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE EXIST IN THIS WORLD; THOSE WHO STEAL AND THOSE WHO ARE STOLEN FROM. SO THEN, TODAY, I JUST STOLE YOUR FUTURE. THAT'S ALL."
Trauma can do a lot to a person, as seen with many of the characters during Black Butler: Book of Circus. After it is revealed that the circus trope is kidnapping children for a perverted baron so they can protect the orphanage they grew up in, Ciel is disgusted by them all.
The baron even created a replica of the cult Ciel got kidnapped by and acted cheerful about everything. While Joker admitted that the baron did a lot of wrongdoings, he pleaded with him not to steal the kids' futures. This is what he said in response.
2 "I AM CIEL PHANTOMHIVE. THAT IS MY ONE AND ONLY NAME."
At first glance, this quote doesn't seem like there is anything wrong with it. But if you have caught up to the manga, you will understand why this quote begins to hold a lot of significance. While we fully understand what happened when Ciel got kidnapped, we also discovered a fan theory that turned out to be true: the two Ciel theory.
The Ciel that has been the main character of the manga isn't Ciel, but his younger twin brother. He has been lying about who he is to get revenge and the only one who knew this was Sebastian. We still don't know this child's name, but you've got to admit that he has acted very well for the past three years since he returned home.
1 "I AM SIMPLY ONE HELL OF A BUTLER."
This is the most memorable quote from the Black Butler series as well as one that people who didn't watch the series most recognize. This quote isn't just the best in the series. It's one that's full of truth. In Japanese, he says, "akumademo shitsuji desu kara."
It's wordplay. "Akuma" means "demon" in English, and "akumademo" means "thoroughly." Whenever Sebastian states this, he is telling you that he is a demon as well as a butler. He says he tells no lies, but he never directly mentions the truth, either.