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| “ | I do love red the most. Hair, clothes, lipstick, I love them to be red. | „ |
| ~ Grell Sutcliff |
Grell Sutcliff is a major antagonist in the manga and anime Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji. She appears as the main antagonist in the Jack the Ripper Arc. Later in the series, Grell returns as a supporting anti-heroic character and occasional allies with to Ciel and Sebastian.
She was voiced by Jun Fukuyama in Japanese and Daniel Fredrick in English.
Biography[]
Jack the Ripper[]
During the Jack the Ripper Arc, Grell is first seen as the clumsy and shy Butler of Madam Red, who is also known as Angelina Dalles. Despite her nervous appearance, it is later revealed that she is a fully trained Grim Reaper, also known as a Shinigami or Death God. Throughout the anime and during the Arc, Grell is shown to be ineffective at her Butler job, ruining and messing up the most simple of tasks and continuously attempting to commit suicide. Sebastian Michaelis, the Demon Butler of Ciel Phantomhive, stops Grell from killing herself which allows Grell's affections for the Butler to increase. Grell later stops the acts when the servants of the Phantomhive Household in the anime hesitate from trying to stop her from killing herself, and usually tries to attract attention to be noticed by Sebastian. Additionally, Grell presented as male throughout that posting my dressing in a more masculine manner and refraining from using female language refer to herself as she is later seen doing. When Madam Red begins the Jack the Ripper murders, Grell follows her around and reveals herself after one of the murders, claiming she understood her feelings because she could not have children of her own. Grell agrees to help her in the killing of prostitutes.
As the episodes progress, Ciel and Sebastian find out that Angelina and Grell are Jack the Ripper. During a brief confrontation, Grell flirts with and attacks Sebastian with her Death Scythe and nearly slices the demon's arm off. When Angelina hesitates to kill Ciel, Grell insists she does it; when she still refuses, Grell angrily slashes at her and kills her with her scythe. Ciel then commands Sebastian to finish the job, and Sebastian agrees, attacking Grell to the point where the Reaper is faceplanted into the ground, weak and beaten after Sebastian uses his tailcoat to jam Grell's scythe. Sebastian kicks Grell and unjams the scythe by removing the tailcoat, and raises it in preparation for a killing blow, as Grell pleads to be spared. Sebastian immediately declines, and brings down the scythe; only for the whirring scythe to be stopped short by another.
Another Grim Reaper named William T. Spears arrives and states to be there to collect Grell, who is overjoyed by William's appearance. William leaps down onto Grell, smashing her face into the pavement. In the anime, he announces all the rules Grell had broken (killing those not on the To-Die list, modifying her scythe without authorization, and attempting to reveal classified information about the murderers of Ciel's parents) as she begs for Sebastian to spare her life. William, much to his disgust, then thanks Sebastian and drags Grell away by her hair.
Circus[]
A couple of months later, Grell returns in the Circus arc, in which she is granted permission to possess her death scythe again after a period of punishment by the Reaper council. Grell is ecstatic and eager to begin reaping again. She is seen reaping some of the souls of Noah's Ark Circus, including that of Beast's, and getting jealous when seeing Beast and Sebastian having sex in her cinematic record. Grell goes on an angry tangent and vows that she will one day meet Sebastian again and have another blood pumping battle.
Appearance[]
Grell as a butler.
As a Butler, she has long waist length brown hair tied back, green eyes, and wears a butler suit and red ribbon around her neck, along with large glasses. As a Grim Reaper, she has long red hair, green eyes, false eyelashes, sharp teeth, red-framed glasses, which are accessorized with a neck chain adorned with skulls. She wears a suit like other Grim Reapers with gloves and a tie, high-heeled ankle boots, and a red coat that she took from Angelina's corpse, which she slings off her shoulders and wears around her elbows.
Personality[]
Grell is shy and clumsy as a Butler in her human form, although, in her Grim Reaper form, she is hyper and flamboyant, and finds guys generally attractive, although it is been noted that she had feelings for Madam Red. Grell is devoted to the point of obsession when in love. As a character who wears her heart on her sleeve, she falls in love several times throughout the series.
Grell is also extremely vivacious, effervescent, straightforward, over-the-top, outspoken, and cheerful, as she tells Sebastian Michaelis that she wishes to do some "vigorous exercise" with him, despite the latter's repulsion. She possesses a strong predilection for the color red and believes that substances which reflect that color, such as fresh blood, can be used to achieve beauty, which she highly values.
Despite Grell's inappropriate behaviours, she values good manners, displaying them in her attempts to show "professional courtesy" to Sebastian, who she initially refers to formally, and in her polite waiting on the Undertaker. Grell is also quick to criticise impoliteness when it is displayed towards herself, even from Sebastian.
She can also be a very ruthless, unpredicable and dangerous individual who is willing to kill her own comrades once she claims to have lost interest in them. She often puts things in terms of theater, referring to Angelina's death as the "falling of curtains," and comparing her conflicting Grim Reaper and demon relationship with Sebastian to the famous play, Romeo and Juliet. Despite her combattive personality, Grell does have a softer side which can be seen when she compliments some choir boys or when she addresses her "dear viewers."
An extension of Grell's being an actress is that she is shown to be skilled in deception. This trait is visible in her butler persona and when she deceives the Reaper jury to regain her death scythe. Despite her expressive and unbridled personality, this trait can sometimes call into question the truthfullness of her words.
Grell is highly sadomasochistic. She is both attracted to men who are violent and disrespectful towards her and prone to utilising playful violence towards those who she is interested in. Grell claims that "love and death always walk hand in hand". Thus implying that some of her more morally questionable behaviours (such as Angelina's murder) stem from a twisted idea of how love should work.
In her own way, Grell is extremely loving. She is constantly affectionate towards William, Sebastian and to a lesser extent the Undertaker. Grell admits that she was loving towards Angelina as well, before Angelina sided with Ciel over Grell.
Grell makes statements regarding how women should be treated which seem to contradict her own behaviours. Such as how she will scold male characters for their poor treatment of women, including herself, while she is willing to insult, demean and even kill women if she is angered by their behaviour.
Powers and Abilities[]
Weapons[]
- Death Scythe: Grell's Death Scythe had been illegally modified by Grell Herself, in order to reap souls and view Cinematic Records as any scythe would, although the scythe is a chainsaw and can cut through anything. The scythe is confiscated at the end of the Jack the Ripper Arc, but later given back to her in the Circus arc, and in season one's ending, in the final episode.
- Scissors: In replacement for her scythe, Grell was given a pair of useless kids' scissors, although they are later shown to be nearly as sharp as her scythe.
Quotes[]
| “ | Red is the color of fiery passion and I'm flaming! | „ |
| ~ Grell Sutcliff |
| “ | With all these handsome men in front of me I’m not gonna just leave like Cinderella! | „ |
| ~ Grell Sutcliff |
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- In the Durarara!! manga, a series that frequently references other anime and manga, some characters go to a manga store and Grell's image is on the elevator in one panel.
- Grell's name bears relative resemblance to Peter Sutcliffe, who was a British serial killer responsible for the death of thirteen women and is dubbed "The Yorkshire Ripper".
- Grelle loves the color red, as it is "the color of passion". Being the reason she stole Angelina's red coat; stating that it no longer suited someone who had dulled and lost their passion.
- In the Emerald Witch arc, Grelle is shown to own a proper trenchant for cold weather; though it's red to suit her tastes.
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 Villains
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Aristocrats of Evil Other Nobles Demons Grim Reapers Fallen Angels Noah's Ark Circus Other | ||