Do we like Ciel Phantomhive?
A character from Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) (2006–present)
Our score: 5 out of 10. Brave, brilliant and loyal to his household, but cold and ruthless, and he'll sacrifice others for revenge. Back him with one eyebrow raised.
Ciel Phantomhive is the young head of a noble family in Victorian England. He runs the Funtom toy and sweets company and quietly does the Queen's dirty work, investigating crimes that the law can't touch. He lives in a grand manor with a small, chaotic staff of servants. His butler Sebastian is polite, elegant and impossibly capable. The story starts with Ciel already hardened well beyond his years, and with Sebastian bound to him by a contract.
Ciel is proud, sharp-tongued and sweet-toothed, and he's a genuine tactician. He can out-think adults, play any role needed in a case and give orders without blinking. He's also still a kid. He gets sulky, he's afraid of some things, and he has flashes of real warmth. He acts cold, but he does look after his household, and he feels guilty when innocent people get hurt on his watch.
His score sits in the middle because both sides of him are real. He gets results and shields people from far worse villains. But he'll do ugly things to people who stand in his way, and his single-minded quest for vengeance drags others into danger. He's an anti-hero, and he's easy to root for and hard to fully approve of.