[Long post warning:
sorry, I got carried away, but it’s been a while and I needed to
speak…]
I always had this
sneaking suspicion that ideas from Seasons 1 and 2 would start making
their way into the manga proper. Lately it seems as though we’re
venturing into Season 2 territory. (I can’t remember if Yana had
any input on the plot of Season 2 or not, but I think she may have?)
We’ve already had an instance of Ciel ordering Sebastian away
(Green Witch) and rings have been prominent in both the manga and
Season 2. Currently I think we’re headed towards a Hannah
situation.
One very important
point of Season 2 was showing how demons could learn compassion and
love, as the result of a human soul’s influence. Hanna Annafellows
consumed the soul of the child Luka and, if memory serves, she
learned to love as a result. I think her character design even
changed to reflect this, as did her personality.
Well, I’m starting
to think Sebastian is going to pull a Hannah on us at some point.
Now in the efforts
of full disclosure, Sebastian’s growth as a character is one of the
aspects of this manga I feel closest too. That being said, I didn’t
pull this out of thin air and this isn’t complete wishful thinking,
but it is of course influenced by my hopes and dreams for this manga.
XD
What is Known About
Demons
Part of our problem
with our understanding of demons in the Kuroverse is that we only
have Sebastian as an example. Other information has come from Ciel
and William’s rantings. We know they are beastly creatures who
consume humans souls and who are incapable of human emotions (as was
stated in the Blue Cult arc.) We know they are capable of
manipulating humans to accomplish a goal. Apparently three years is
a long time to go without a meal, because William remarks that
Sebastian is starving during their encounter in the Circus arc.
Despite his supposed
hunger, Sebastian seems to be in no rush to effect Ciel’s revenge
and thus consume his soul as payment. This issue has never been
addressed directly in the manga, so we don’t know the cause of
this.
Since we have
precious little to go on, we’re all pretty much in the dark when it
comes to understanding Sebastian’s inner workings. We can assume
from Will’s information that demons are quite nasty creatures:
luring their prey with lies, stealing souls, manipulating the
innocent. Sometimes the word “beast” comes up to describe demons
in the Kuroverse, and Sebastian fits that bill: sharp teeth, long
nails, and cruel and cold enough to brand a ten-year-old child’s
eye without a moment’s hesitation. This was Sebastian’s original
nature—but that does not necessarily mean it is his current nature.
That would require growth.
Sebastian’s Growth
If Sebastian is
capable of change, is there any evidence of this? Has he perhaps
grown a tiny bit beyond his simple, animalistic nature? We don’t
know if demons are capable of growth or not, but we actually have
seen Sebastian change, albeit slightly, throughout his three years
with Ciel. To wit:
He changed how he
treated Ciel when Soma and Agni (RIP) admonished him during the
Circus arc. Back then, he didn’t mind teasing Ciel, withholding
information, and being downright nasty to his master. (Remember how
he let him stay tied up during the Kidnapping Arc?) He’s changed
to the point where as soon as Ciel is in trouble, he goes running to
his side. He even disobeyed Ciel’s orders and put him to bed in
the Circus arc, which was in Ciel’s best interests. He’s shown
that he is capable of more than blindly following an order.
When Ciel said he
could go wild and act like a beast during the Green Witch arc,
Sebastiain remarked to himself that he enjoyed the game of playing
butler more. This shows that he has altered his behavior from his
natural state. A minor change, but a change nonetheless.
He was ready for a
quick meal when he first met Ciel, then changed his tune when he was
impressed by Ciel’s willingness to destroy himself. This shows
that he is capable of delaying gratification, though to be fair, he
believes the meal will be more delicious as a result of Ciel’s
development.
All of these changes
are in stark contrast to Sebastian’s beastly origins. He has shown
he likes the finer things in life: being a buter for a well-to-do
child and all the trappings that come with that. I would like to
think he would act differently if acting beastly were still his
primary motivation. It seems has he grown beyond that, however.
Sebastian’s
Emotional Landscape
I’ve always been a
bit mystified by the idea that Sebastian is an emotionless character.
I think he’s one of the most expressive characters in the entire
manga (that shocked face of his…always gets me.)
There have been
plenty of times when Sebastian has shown emotion and expression. He
is not a disinterested observer of humanity (that title goes to
Will,) but instead has become thoroughly involved in the lives of
those humans around him. Think of his differing reactions to humans
such as: Tanaka, Frances, Ciel, Lizzy, the Servants, Sullivan, and so
on. All of them elicit different responses from him. Of course,
this could all be mere acting, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
Let’s take his
reactions towards others off the table and just look at quieter
moments that might belie his inner thoughts:
In the Campania
flashback, he has a forlorn expression as he turns away after
watching Ciel address his parents. Ciel could not see his expression
here, and therefore would not benefit from Sebastian’s acting.He tucks Finny in
during the Murder arc. A small moment, but why bother with something
like that?He seems genuinely
impressed with Agni as an exemplary model of humanity. Why would a
demon be impressed by sterling goodness? (Shouldn’t he instead be
impressed by evil?)To me he looks a
bit regretful at the end of Chapter 128 when Ciel asks if he is lying
to him.He always treats
Tanaka with the utmost respect. It is in keeping with his station,
but I do believe he respects Tanaka as a person.Sebastian’s
expression during the Green Witch arc when Tanaka prevents him from
reaching out to Ciel looks quite heartbroken. From where I’m
sitting, I see someone who is so upset by the fact that they are
helpless to change a situation. He also has been by Ciel’s side
for three years, and now he’s been rejected. (Yes, he did snap
Ciel out of it rather harshly, but it had to be done.)Sebastian goes
through great pains to prepare Ciel for a world which containins
things “more evil” than a demon, as he says in the Campania
flashback. Sebastian is a teacher at the School of Hard Knocks,
apparently.
He shows concern
for Ciel on many occasions, but my all-time favorite is when he
regrets he cannot make Ciel a cup of tea to warm him up while he’s
in the midst of battling Bizarre Dolls out in the middle of the
ocean. (He also gave Ciel his coat in the Jack the Ripper arc, too.)There is also one
panel, very early in the manga, where Sebastian looks on at a
sleeping Ciel and muses to himself that this life isn’t so bad.
This moment is juxtaposed against a cat’s paw—the creature that
gives Sebastian the most joy in the world. If taking care of Ciel is
as enjoyable as petting a cat’s paw, then doesn’t this show that
Sebastian enjoys his time as Ciel’s butler almost more than
anything else? It also shows he’s capable of enjoying the company
of humans.Campania and the
efforts that Sebastian goes to to protect Ciel’s life. I don’t
know about you, but no matter how hungry I get, I’m not going to
get myself impaled through the gut for a meal, even if it were at a
4-star restaurant. Because if you’re dead, you can’t eat, you
know? Not only that, but Sebastian seemed genuinely taken by Ciel’s
praise at the very end.
His reaction to
Ciel’s order to burn the mansion in the Circus Arc is what really
sealed the deal for me. He is thoroughly shocked at his master’s
behavior and the nature of the order, and he even hesitates to carry
it out—when has he ever hesitated to carry out a direct order
before? I think he was taken aback by how shocking the situation
was.
It’s outside of
canon, but there is that dialogue from the seiyuu event that shows
Sebastian making a birthday cake for Ciel long after he has passed
away.
Take a snack break
and enjoy this little collage of the above moments:
Sebastian and Purity
It hasn’t been
touched on in the manga, but it’s a common idea that demons were
once fallen angels. Keeping that in mind, it seems as though
Sebastian is drawn to purity in a very earnest way. (I don’t mean
in the sense of him wanting to corrupt anyone.)
Outside their
interactions in the current arc, Sebastian has been nothing but kind
and respectful to Lizzy. Of course this goes along with maintaining
Ciel’s social status quo, but it’s something to keep in mind. In
addition to Lizzy, the other human whom has been elevated to friend
status is Agni, a truly pure and noble soul. It could also be said
that Agni’s love and devotion to Soma was almost childlike.
And there is that
little moment in the Circus arc when he stoops to pick up a doll at
the site of the abandoned workhouse.
I think it was you who pointed that out to us all.) 🙂
Sebastian also
covered Ciel’s…eye…when Bard showed him a naughty magazine, he
covered his eyes again to keep him from seeing the mutilated corpse
left by Jack the Ripper, and covered Ciel’s ears during Madame
Red’s joke. If demons enjoy corrupting their prey, why is
Sebastian taking such pains to protect Ciel’s innocence?
And, to reiterate:
he hesitated at Ciel’s order to burn the Kelvin mansion, and even
had a quiet expression on his face as he started the fire.
What this might all
come down to is either Sebastian’s origins as a former angel, or
perhaps the influence of a child’s soul. I’m not saying he
doesn’t have a nasty streak (he sure does love punishing the
guilty, that’s for sure…) or that he’s somehow becoming good,
but I believe Sebastian values purity and innocence, when one would
think a demon would be more attracted to the sinister aspects of
human nature.
Devil’s Advocate
Time
There are many good
arguments against Sebastian’s capability for growth and emotion.
Here’s what I can think of:
1. Sebastian is
merely acting to keep up appearances and fit in with society
I completely
understand this. No point in having a demon butler by your side if
he can’t pass for a human, right? The thing is: Sebastian doesn’t
seem all that concerned with fitting in. He does stupid things all
the time in front of people, like donning a unicorn suit, saying his
nose is better than a human’s, getting stabbed with a bunch of
knives at a party, and even coming back from the dead. If he wants
to avoid drawing attention to the fact that he isn’t human, he’s
doing a really terrible job of it.
On top of this, why
act when no one can see him? We’ve seen a few times where he’s
shown emotion when no one is watching. Why show a sad expression when
Ciel’s face is turned?
2. He’s luring
Ciel in with his demonly ways
Ciel already knows
he’s a demon, so there isn’t much point in this. I guess he
could use his acting to get Ciel to let his guard down, but how would
this benefit Sebastian? He’s already getting his soul. I think Ciel is a
strong character and he’s fully aware of his own (and Sebastian’s)
actions. I think he views Sebastian as a means to his end, as he
has no trouble using Sebastian for his purposes. While Sebastian may
have influenced him and schooled him in the School of Hard Knocks, I
think Ciel was out for revenge from the very start (he ordered
Sebastain to kill everyone in the hall.) It was more his being
captured and imprisoned that hardened Ciel more than Sebastian’s
influence, and if anything, Sebastian helped him to become a refined
and proper Earl. Ciel knows what he wants and he’s going to get
it; Sebastian is just along for the ride. (There is also the fact that Vincent was a bit shady himself, and Ciel is part of that lineage.) And let’s not forget that Sebastian raised Ciel to be prepared for the challenges he is going to face, which actually has Ciel’s best interests at heart, not Sebastian’s.
3. Demons aren’t
capable of growth
And people aren’t
capable of coming back from the dead, but we’ve seen that, haven’t
we? This manga is all about subverting our expectations, and it’s
been done brilliantly in the past with such things as the identity of
Jack the Ripper, the Bizarre Dolls, and Lizzy’s reveal. Didn’t
we all think there were werewolves at one point, too? There’s no
reason why we can’t be surprised again.
4. But Yana and/or
Editor K said demons don’t have emotions
If I were George
Lucas in 1977 and I had access to Twitter, I’d be tweeting up a
storm about how Darth Vader is DEFINITELY not Luke’s father.
5. But Sebastian is
cultivating Ciel’s soul…
I know, this is the
most damning evidence, and I’ve spent a long time trying to process
this panel. I am in no way qualified to make any solid
pronouncements about Japanese grammar, so take this with a huge grain
of salt, but from my rough understanding, it seems the English
translation left out a bit of a nuance.
A part of the 2CT is
that Sebastian already consumed one of the twin’s souls. As akumadeenglish pointed out here, this is what the “price to cross the
river” is believed to be. A demon consuming the soul of one
brother while the other lives echoes Season 2 quite strongly, and
I feel like we’re headed closer and closer to Sebastian pulling a
Hannah on us. The pieces are all falling into place.
There is also this
very interesting find by @white-queen-lacus: in the Weston arc,
Sebastian is reading a Latin poem about love transcending the bounds
of death. It could almost fit with Hannah’s situation: a soul
living beyond its natural end, to reach forth its love to its target.
Yana likes to sneak little Easter Eggs in this manga, so wouldn’t
that be quite the clue? Perhaps this all speaks to Sebastian
learning human compassion after having consumed the soul of a child.
(That post is here–go read it!)
In Conclusion
What
all of this means is that I think Sebastian consumed the soul of the
real Ciel like Hannah consumed Luca’s
soul. As a result, a dim understanding of human emotion was awakened
within Sebastian, which kindled the possibility for change.
He still lacks self-awareness, because
a child’s emotions are raw and undeveloped, but nevertheless, the die is cast. This is why Sebastian seems capable of a
very nascent form of compassion, expressed as tiny hints
that he is something more than just a savage beast. His potential for
change is still embryonic and fragile, and is dependent on the wishes
and whims of his master. It is Ciel who will determine what
Sebastian will become in the end, because Sebastian must abide by his wishes, even if that means reverting back to savagery. (And we’ve already seen hints of this, tragically.)
Sebastian has also let us
in on the fact that he enjoys his life with Ciel, along with all the
refined details of a butler lifestyle. And perhaps the fact that he
hasn’t brought Ciel to his revenge is a testament not only to
Ciel’s unique soul, but also to Sebastian’s enjoyment of his life with
Ciel. Why would he be in a rush to finish up something he finds so
enjoyable?
Sebastian reminded
us at the end of the Circus arc that what defines humans is the desire to keep going beyond the hills and far away—to break free of
their nature—to improve, to evolve, to change. Even though humans may never succeed in transcending their nature, at least they keep trying. Sebastian thinks that he, a demon, is incapable of this, but someday a flicker of realization might rise within him, a moment of clarity, no matter how fleeting; a tiny act, no matter how small, where he understands that somehow, despite his nature, he became something more.
And in that moment, that first dawning of Sebastian’s self-awareness, we, the reader, will be aware it of it before he ever could be: that he is becoming more than what he once was, and that perhaps he, too, is capable of reaching over the hills and far away…
If you have read this far, I applaud you and thank you for your time. XD But I do hope you take this all into consideration. Send counterarguments, comments, and anything else if you wish.
I really like your take on this, especially since it’s not an easy subject to address because everyone tends to interpret it in a different way. 🙂
Honestly, I find that it is actually very brave to look forward an actual character development for Seb, because I tend to take an easier road and just go by what Yana said personally xD which is that Seb sees humans as grasshopers so, while he
definitely finds them interesting (and by his own words, the most interesting is by far to play the butler in his and Ciel’s game), for now I don’t think he will ever come to feel anything besides this.
I know many were disappointed when they saw his reaction to Agni’s death and I can understand, but personally I was actually surprised that he bothered to say anything at all (about Agni being the epitome of a butler I mean) since Editor K said in the post I linked above that “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 fora grasshopper’”.
I think that the part of the supernatural being who wants to feel more in touch with humans is not supposed to be played by Seb in Kuro, but by Shinigamis, and probably
by UT in particular (unless, you know, UT already played that role and it destroyed his sanity).
Of course, I might be biased myself, or maybe I just take Yana’s words too seriously and she could still introduce more development for him later, but when I see his reaction to Ciel’s having a PTSD breakdown in the GW arc, or even the fact that he didn’t seem to be moved by Agni’s death, I still think her words are 100% in accordance with the events depicted in Kuro.
Not that it doesn’t mean it can’t change, but for now I just don’t happen to find it particularly glaring when he doesn’t react to a character’s death either. 🙂
It’s still an excellent post to read even if one disagrees though, because you have a really great grasp on Seb’s character! 😀
“Someone once asked me if I had learned anything from it all. So let me tell you what I learned. I learned… everyone dies alone.
But if you meant something to someone… if you helped someone… or loved someone… If even a single person remembers you… then maybe you never really die.
midnight-in-town 