Baron Kelvin

"He will also be wrapped up in beautiful thorns and become an evil flower, won't he? In that world of darkness would he become the only great cold moon? Completely out of reach. No! I want to touch him. I want to be a special person."

- Baron Kelvin

Baron Kelvin is one of the foremost antagonists in Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji manga. Kelvin is the creator and financial supporter of the Noah's Ark Circus, and is referred to as "Father" by the first-tier members.

History
Five years ago, Kelvin met Ciel Phantomhive at a party hosted by Vincent Phantomhive, who he came to view as special and beautiful. After desperately researching the Phantomhives, Kelvin unearthed the "Evil Noblemen," and concluded that only special people could approach other special people, when Diedrich had led Vincent away. Kelvin decided to undergo numerous plastic surgeries in order to become more beautiful to suit Ciel. His wife became disgusted with his obsession and left him, but he did not care as long as he could get closer to Ciel as a result.

When he received news that the Phantomhive family had been killed, Kelvin was very upset, and stated that his life had no purpose anymore. Some time later, he acquired knowledge that Ciel is alive and was to be used as a sacrifice. However, he could not attend the ritual sacrificing, as he had recently undergone another surgery and was forced to remain bedridden for a month.

When he learned that Ciel had survived the sacrificing and had slaughtered all of his attackers, Kelvin had the Noah's Ark Circus kidnap children in an attempt to lure out Ciel; in this, he succeeds.

Noah Ark's Circus Arc
Kelvin is first referenced to by the Noah's Ark Circus first-tier members as "Father", as he is the one that finances their circus. Ciel Phantomhive orders Sebastian Michaelis to find out his real name, and after seducing Beast, he learns that Father is actually Baron Kelvin.

When Joker later returns to his mansion, Kelvin is surrounded by lifeless children. He is excited by his appearance and inquires if "he" is with him, presumably a reference to Ciel. Joker says he is not, and that he believes the circus may have been marked by Scotland Yard. Father is convinced that the newcomers who invaded their tents must have been Ciel and his butler, and orders Joker to prepare a feast for their arrival. When Joker is worried about the others back at the circus and questions if they should issue orders, Kelvin gets angry and implies that he is in control of the fate of Joker's brothers and sisters still at the Renbon Workhouse; this subdues Joker into doing what he wishes. Happy at his agreement, Kelvin asks Joker to take a picture with him, declaring that he wants a new picture of a "devoted son and happy father."



Subsequently, Ciel and Sebastian enter the mansion of Kelvin, who they learn has been waiting for them. After witnessing a grisly and horrific circus performance, put on by untrained, brainwashed children, which Kelvin finds hilarious, Ciel pulls a gun on Kelvin; Joker rushes to his rescue, but Kelvin refuses his aid as it may harm Ciel. Ciel then requests to see the other kidnapped children. Kelvin eagerly complies, leading Ciel to his basement, and states that he has something he would like to show Ciel anyway.

Kelvin has remade the basement into the room Ciel was sacrificed in, and even has children waiting in locked cages for a reenactment. He reveals that he has been obsessed with Ciel for five years, and wants to be a part of the day that Ciel was sacrificed. Ciel shoots him, appalled, and Kelvin cries, shocked by the attack. Ciel tells him if he wishes to die like the people who witnessed his sacrifice, he should beg his demon (i.e. Sebastian) to do it.

Kelvin is forgotten for a while, when Doctor goes in the room and reveals that he is just as sadistic and twisted as Kelvin is. Ciel orders Sebastian to kill them both, which he does by dealing Doctor a fatal blow and stomping on Kelvin's head. Sebastian then sets the estate on fire, and they leave the bodies there.

Appearance
Kelvin is completely wrapped in bandages with only his left eye and mouth revealed. He dresses in a formal suit, which befits his position as a baron. Additionally, he is wheel-chair bound because he is missing both legs, after Doctor had implemented surgery on him.

Before his plastic surgery, Kelvin wore glasses, had hair, and could walk. His undue obsession with Ciel Phantomhive, as well as his excessive desire to become more beautiful for him, eventually impelled him to drastically modify his appearance.

Personality
In the past, Kelvin was well known for his philanthropic activities. He had welcomed children into his home and helped them survive when they had been abandoned, abused or otherwise neglected by their parents. To his superiors, especially Vincent Phantomhive, he was timid, meek and humble, but he highly respected them.

However, his kindness and generosity was affected significantly when he encountered Ciel and consequently developed an inordinate obsession for him. Currently, Kelvin presents himself as a vulgar, depraved, and perverted individual with an uninhibited interest in Ciel Phantomhive. Moreover, he is rather oblivious to how his corrupted thought processes appear to others, as he seems surprised when Ciel articulates his aversion to Kelvin's speech and actions. He holds a blatant disregard for all children except for Ciel; in fact, he deems it amusing for children to die gruesomely, and strives to recreate the day Ciel was sacrificed. He also expends children as materials for Doctor's experiments with making artificial limbs.

Kelvin uses his access to the first-tier members' brothers and sisters in the Renbon Workhouse and his ability to aid or hinder them, to control the first-tier members and get them to do his bidding, as unsavory as they may find it. Later, Ciel and Sebastian discover that Kelvin had lied about keeping the other children at the Renbon Workhouse alive, and that he most likely allowed Doctor to kill them for his experiments with artificial limbs. However, this did not stop him from continuing to pretend they were alive so he could maintain his influence over the circus members, particularly Joker.

Quotes

 * (Referring to Ciel, Vincent, and Chlaus) "I just couldn't take my eyes off of those three. In the dark night they were like a silently rising moon floating in the sky. I understood at the moment that these people were special people. Since then I desperately researched the Phantomhive family. I wanted to know exactly why they were so special. Then I knew. The true face of evil noblemen. Underneath beautiful flowers there were thorns. I couldn't help falling in love with what was under the rose."


 * "Isn't it true? I raised you to be a good child. You do want your siblings still at the Workhouse to be raised into splendid adults also, right? The good little Joker will listen to what Father says, right?"


 * (Referring to the Phantomhive family) "Special people can only be touched by other special people. I'm too ugly to even think about touching them. My wish to be wrapped in that velvety world of darkness would never be granted."

Trivia

 * Kelvin is frequently associated with the nursery rhyme Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son, as he signs his name in a letter to Joker as "Tom the Piper's Son" and has the lyrics to the rhyme relayed in several scenes relating to him.