Ciel Phantomhive

"I did not return to Phantomhive for the sake of the previous head. I returned for myself. All I want is to give those who betrayed and defiled the name of Phantomhive a taste of the humiliation and pain . . . that I suffered. Checkmate."

- Ciel Phantomhive

Earl Ciel Phantomhive (シエル ファントムハイヴ, Shieru Fantomuhaivu) is the main character of the Kuroshitsuji series. Notoriously known as the Queen's Watchdog, he is the head of the Phantomhive noble family and the owner of Funtom Company. Ciel is the son of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive.

Background
The Phantomhive family has, for years, been well known for making toys and sweets for small children. However, they are also the Queen's watchdogs; the Phantomhive family keeps an eye on black market dealings in ways that Scotland Yard isn't able to. Ciel Phantomhive is the heir to this legacy.

Earl Ciel Phantomhive is the business-savvy, twelve-year-old (later thirteen-year-old) head of the English Phantomhive noble family, taking over after the deaths of his parents, Lord Vincent and Lady Rachel Phantomhive. He also runs Funtom Company, which manufactures toys and sweets, and later adds a food branch after winning a Royal Warrant. His right eye, which is usually covered with a black eyepatch, bears a pentacle sign of the Faustian contract which binds the demon Sebastian Michaelis to his will. He also has a brand burnt into his back from when he was sold as a slave after his house was burnt down.

Ciel is engaged to his cousin, Elizabeth Middleford. He sees her as an important friend and someone he needs to protect. His parents were killed and his mansion was set ablaze on his birthday, a reason why he does not like to celebrate the occasion. This tragedy causes him to not want to lose anyone important again.

Despite his young age, he runs the family company and, as such, is quite busy much of the time though he still finds time to go out investigating dubious legal matters.

Throughout the series Ciel's height has been used as a tool of mockery due to his short stature. He grows by 6 cm in the second season, but still remains shorter than the other characters, thus continuing the comical relief. Sebastian enjoys teasing Ciel about this fact. In the manga he does not grow taller.

The young earl is far more composed and mature than would be expected. He remains distant from others, aloof, preferring to spend his time on work for the company. He is oftentimes selfish and not able to fully empathize with people. However, he does express occasional concern for the well-being of those close to him.

As a side note, Ciel seems to enjoy drinking tea a lot (he is adept at distinguishing between them as well) and sweet desserts. He has asthma (inherited from his mother) and dislikes being around cats because they trigger his allergies.

Appearance
Ciel is a rather short teenage boy with navy blue hair and eyes and body dimensions that are described by Nina Hopkins as "slim" and "delicate." Ciel typically dresses in a way that suits his noble standing, and has a very extensive and elegant wardrobe.

Ciel nearly always wears a black eyepatch with a single cord over his right eye; this is to hide the location of his Faustian Contract with Sebastian Michaelis. However while in disguise, he wears a medical-looking white patch that fastens over his ear with two cords. Ciel also has a brand on the left side of his body from his time as a slave in a cult. In the manga, the mark is on his back; in the anime, it is on his chest.

Ciel sports two rings: one, which he wears on his left thumb, is an ornate silver piece that holds an emerald-cut deep blue stone. It is a one-of-a-kind family heirloom that had been passed down for generations. The other is a gold signet ring in the form of the Phantomhive crest. Ciel wears this on his right hand, and uses it to stamp the wax seal on documents. The seal was given to him by Angelina Dalles upon his return, who told him that it was the only ring that had not been destroyed in the fire that killed his parents.

Personality
Ciel is like a boy with no feelings .He is an arrogant, shrewd, and sagacious thirteen-year-old boy, who holds numerous exalted positions: the head of the Phantomhive household, the chief manager of a chain of Funtom Companies, and the Queen's Watchdog.

As the Earl of the Phantomhive family and a distinguished nobleman, Ciel is very strict and proud, accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle. He refuses to abase himself by dwelling in a meager environment for long. Thus, he has considerable difficulty dressing himself and doing household chores if left on his own. He is stern on his orders, especially in the assertion of his authority, and he expects his butler, Sebastian Michaelis, to complete them without any shortcomings. Ciel often finds it entertaining to challenge Sebastian in the areas of both strength and skill. He and Sebastian frequently work together, and only the latter seems to be fully aware of Ciel's schemes. Furthermore, Ciel has a relatively cold outlook on life; his principal goal is for those who have betrayed the Phantomhive family to experience the same level of humiliation and suffering he did. During his time as a slave to cultists who subjected him to atrocious cruelties, he was branded with a mark he absolutely does not want other people to see. In addition, Ciel possesses unwavering determination; instead of moping around hopelessly, Ciel chooses to die without regrets by working hard to fulfill his revenge, despite his aunt's insistence that he should lead a happier life. He often compares predicaments to games, such as chess, willing to gamble with his life on the line to win them.

As the executive chairman of the Funtom Company, Ciel exhibits business acumen and impressive keenness in management affairs. Cunning and artful, he successfully administers sister Funtom Companies simultaneously; his greed is described as "knowing no boundaries" for when he learns that a performer could double the sales of his new product, he immediately puts up advertisements of her for promotion.

As the Queen's Watchdog, Ciel demonstrates great loyalty to Queen Victoria and aims to accomplish all tasks she assigns to him. He is undaunted by dense mysteries and macabre cases, as he is confident that he will be able to solve them all. He is readily prepared to resort to dishonest measures such as bribery, provided that he can gather more information and finish his job swiftly and efficiently—though, he claims it is simply flexibility on his part. As his duty sometimes obligates him to disguise himself, he is quite a versed actor; unscrupulous, he has no qualms about lying and has faith that neither do humans in general. He is merciless with his enemies, and does not hesitate to command for the utter eradication of them.

Ciel displays signs of posttraumatic stress disorder due to his savage mistreatment as a slave to a perverse cult. He occasionally has flashbacks of the traumatic event and becomes completely unaware of his surroundings while suspended in the disturbing, vivid memory. Due to this horrific past, Ciel seldom smiles; he had once admitted that he has forgotten how to smile happily. Ciel does show genuine concern for the well-being of those close to him; for instance, he jumped in front of a bear to guard Elizabeth Midford, and had sworn to protect her from a horde of violent Bizarre Dolls. He would also pay ample attention to the needs of his servants, for when he had heard that they desired new items, he went shopping with them and provided them with necessities.

Although he usually presents a solemn demeanor, Ciel can be rather childish at times. He is exceedingly competitive, which he acknowledges himself. He is unsatisfied with draws, and will refuse to quit until a victor is declared. Sebastian has noted that because of Ciel's talent in competition, Ciel overestimates his skills to the point that he thinks he can never lose. This is why Sebastian is careful to make sure that Ciel will be gradually humbled by a decisive defeat and the guidance of an adult he respects. Despite his weak physical constitution, Ciel is competent with shooting; he always carries a gun in order to defend himself and has one under his pillow when sleeping. Ciel is very fond of sweets, and is allergic to cats. He had inherited asthma from his mother.

History
Ciel was a regular child in the past who maintained a cheerful disposition. As a child, he suffered from poor health, being afflicted with asthma and allergies to cats.[citation needed] He would often smile and play with his family and Elizabeth, his fiancee and cousin. Elizabeth said that when his parents were alive, the Phantomhive manor was full of smiles.

On his tenth birthday, he was running through the manor until he came across his dead mother, father, and dog. He calls for help, and runs into Tanaka, who urges the young boy to flee. Before he can say much, however, Tanaka is attacked from behind by an unseen assailant who then grabs Ciel.

Ciel was then sold, and his kidnappers comment that he is "rare" and is worth more than two people. Someone buys him, and his new owners brand him, giving him the mark of a "noble beast." He cries, saying that he's hurt and dirty and he wants to go home. He is next seen chained in a cage while masked adults look on, remarking about what a splendid evening they will have. Ciel sadly wonders why no one is there to help him. One of the masked adults then places him on a table for his sacrifice, and he is stabbed while the rest look on gleefully.

Sebastian is summoned to him, although how is not shown. He appears in his true demon form and tells Ciel that what has been sacrificed will never return. Sebastian asks Ciel if he wants to make a contract and have his wishes granted or not, to which Ciel says that he wants power to take revenge on those who did this to him. The ones who tried to sacrifice him try to stop him from talking, but Ciel agrees to make a contract. Sebastian asks him where he wants his seal, saying that the more visible it is, the stronger the contract is. Ciel tells him that anywhere is fine and that he wants a power stronger that anyone else's; Sebastian calls him greedy and decides to put it on his right eye. Ciel screams, then commands him to kill his attackers. Sebastian then burns down the building, and Ciel orders Sebastian to protect and never betray him, to obey his orders no matter what, and to never lie.

After that, the first place they go is to the Royal Hospital where his aunt worked; he is reunited with Tanaka there, and she arranges for a carriage to bring him back to his manor. He and Sebastian view the ruined manor, then go to his and his parents' graves. Sebastian leaves briefly and when Ciel returns, he finds the manor has been rebuilt by the demon. Ciel later takes his place as the Earl of Phantomhive and the Watchdog of the Queen.