The Contract Between Ciel Phantomhive And Sebastian Michaelis, Explained

Key Takeaways

• A Faustian contract binds Black Butler’s main characters in an unbreakable pact with specific conditions.
• Summoning a demon requires desperation and disbelief in god, leading to a painful contract seal.
• Ciel and Sebastian’s unique contract forces Sebastian to stay loyal until Ciel’s revenge, linked to a seal on Ciel’s eye.

With an urban gothic theme and demonic entities running amuck, Black Butler’s narrative is quite compelling and complex. At the core of this intricate premise is Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis’ Faustian Contract, a contract that binds the human-demon duo in an unbreakable pact that can only be undone once the initial conditions have been met.

This contract isn’t as simple as any other agreement, as this binding pact is laced with several intricate rules that dictate its principles. However, Ciel and Sebastian’s contract is even more unique, largely due to the specific conditions set by Ciel at the time the pact was forged. These unique specifications have led to the complex bond between the two characters, making them almost inseparable.

What Is a Faustian Contract?

A Deal With the Devil

The Faustian Contract is the basis of Black Butler’s storyline, as this deal with the devil is a binding pact that cannot be broken until the terms of the contract come to pass. The very first step to forming such a contract is summoning a demon, which is arguably the most difficult step in the process. While it’s possible to seek out a specific demon if the human is aware of their existence, this usually isn’t necessary. More often than not, the demon is summoned as a result of the person’s desperation.

However, this desperation must be coupled with a lack of belief in god, which opens up an opportunity for a demon to be summoned. Once the demon is summoned, the human still has an opportunity to back out of the contract. However, if the human issues a command to the demon, the two will have to go through with forming a contract. Before the contract is formed, the human and demon have to work through the details, including how the demon will serve its new master.

The details of the contract have to be specific, as vague and subjective conditions can be abused by both parties. Once the details have been finalized, the final part of the contract involves placing the contract seal on the human. This process can be rather painful for the human, although this depends on where the seal is placed. Ciel’s seal was placed on his eye, a rather vulnerable part of the body which led to unbearable pain for the boy.

What Makes Ciel and Sebastian’s Contract Unique?

The Contract Binds Sebastian to Ciel’s Side

There have been many instances of human-demon contracts within the Black Butler universe, yet Ciel and Sebastian’s contract stands out due to its novelties. Firstly, it’s quite rare for someone this young to enter a contract with a demon. However, the intensity of Ciel’s desperation to exact revenge on those who killed his parents led to Sebastian’s accidental summoning.

Secondly, Ciel’s conditions were structured in a way that forced Sebastian to stay by his side for a much longer time. By asking to gain the power to obtain revenge instead of ordering Sebastian to kill his parents’ murderers meant that Sebastian has to stay by Ciel’s side until he can finally obtain his revenge. Moreover, Ciel set a few conditions that bind Sebastian to his side permanently.

• Sebastian must obey Ciel’s orders unconditionally, no matter the severity of his commands.
• Sebastian must never lie to Ciel.
• Sebastian must protect Ciel until he obtains his revenge.

These three terms and conditions were set in a way that forced Sebastian to stay loyal to Ciel. The final clause of the contract ensured that Sebastian would stay by Ciel’s side, since there was no other way to protect him. However, by agreeing to these terms, Ciel has forfeited the rights to his own soul. As soon as Ciel obtains his revenge, his soul will be for Sebastian to consume, which would conclude the contract between the human-demon duo.

I want… power… the power to take revenge on the ones who did this to us!!

The Significance of the Placement of Ciel’s Seal

Ciel’s Seal Is Placed On His Right Eye

The placement of the contract seal might seem like a trivial aspect, yet this determines the strength of the contract. The intensity of the bond is determined by how visible the seal is, meaning the location of the seal is highly crucial. In Ciel’s case, he asked Sebastian to place the seal on his right eye.

Despite being a somewhat painful process, the placement on Ciel’s eye is rather significant. The eyes are the most visible part of the human body, meaning the strength of their bond is at its highest. Whenever Ciel gives an order to Sebastian, the demon has no other choice but to obey his master’s commands, largely due to the intensity of their bond. While Ciel normally keeps this eye covered with an eye patch, he tends to take it off while giving Sebastian an order, signifying the placement of the seal.

Black Butler is available to stream on Crunchyroll.