How To Navigate Black Butler So It’s Faithful To The Canon

Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Black Butler manga, anime seasons 1-4, and the movie Book of the Atlantic.

Summary Some Black Butler episodes deviate from manga order, with season 1 combining canon and original content.

Black Butler II is non-canon and can be skipped, while Book of Circus to Public School Arc are more faithful adaptations.

Black Butler (2008) and Black Butler II tell a unique story, deviating from the manga, leading to an unexpected conclusion.

Yana Toboso’s supernatural gothic series Black Butler has enjoyed enduring popularity since its first publication in 2006 and first anime adaption in 2008. The manga is over two hundred chapters and counting, and a fourth season of the anime dropped on Crunchyroll in April 2024, with a fifth season confirmed for release sometime in 2025. While fans are ecstatic to see this beloved classic continue to thrive, those fully up to date on the story will notice that most seasons have been adapted and titled in ways that can make it difficult for canon-oriented viewers to determine how best to watch it.

Season 1 of Black Butler both follows and strays from the manga at various points, and some episodes do not follow the manga chapter order. One arc, Book of Murder (2014), was adapted into only two episodes, each one hour long – neither of which appear on Crunchyroll.

The following arc, Book of the Atlantic (2017), was a feature-length movie, adaptating the entire arc from the manga as opposed to using a serialized OVA or televised anime.

Black Butler and Black Butler II: What to Watch and What To Skip (and What to Read)

Some Episodes Are Not in Order, or Completely Non-Canon

Black Butler (2008), which is season 1 of the series, interweaves events from the manga and original content in the first fifteen episodes to build its story, after which the remaining ten episodes veer from the canon completely. It is also important to note that some episodes are only partially faithful to the manga, and some chapters were not adapted. The table below lays out the proper episode order and content missing from season 1.

Season 1 Episode / Manga Chapter Order Notes Season 1, Episode 1 - His Butler, Able / Manga Chapter 1 - That Butler, Able Only minutes 00:00-14:36 are canon Season 1, Episode 3 - His Butler, Omnipotent / Manga Chapter 2 - That Butler, Omnipotent Grell does not appear in the manga chapter. Season 1, Episode 2 - His Butler, Strongest N/A Manga Chapter 5 - That Butler, The Busiest Optional filler Season 1, Episodes 4 - 6 "Red Butler Arc" Manga Chapter 14 - That Butler, Hunting Introduces Marchioness Frances Midford, Ciel's paternal aunt Season 1, Episodes 13 - His Butler, Freeloader Part 1 of the "Indian Butler Arc" Season 1, Episodes 14 - His Butler, Supremely Talented Part 2 of the "Indian Butler Arc," ignore minute 21:17-21:45 Season 1, Episode 15 - Competing / Manga Chapters 21 & 22 Part 3 of the "Indian Butler Arc," minutes 14:01-20:40 are non-canon and Ash does not feature in the manga

Black Butler II can be skipped completely, as it is entirely original content with no connection to the manga. The Black Butler II OVAs are also non-canon, though "Ciel in Wonderland" parts 1 and 2 and "Welcome to the Phantomhives" are fun bonus episodes for fans interested in side content.

It's Mostly Smooth Sailing from Book of Circus Through to the Public School Arc

These Adaptations Have a Few Keynotes When Approaching the Correct Watch Order

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Four years after Black Butler II, Book of Circus released with the two-part OVA Book of Murder following close behind, both episodes of which are often considered OVAs. Book of Circus is entirely canonical except for episode #1, which serves to reintroduce Ciel's and Sebastian's characters and dynamic after the four-year break between seasons. In 2017, the feature-length movie Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic hit theaters.

Despite being only two episodes and a movie respectively, Book of Murder and Book of the Atlantic are fully canon to the manga, and can be watched in chronological release order. The latest series release is the Public School Arc, which is the series' official season 4. There are also a few manga filler chapters that can be read between seasons for fans interested in a bit more content. Though season 5, The Emerald Witch Arc, will not be out until sometime in 2025, based on previous installments, there is a good chance it will also faithfully follow the manga.

Season / Series Entry Release Year Episodes / Notes Manga Chapter 37 - That Butler, Brand New N/A Optional filler, introduces Nina Hopkins, Ciel's Tailor Black Butler: Book of Circus, season 3 2014 2-10 Black Butler: Book of Murder 2014 1 & 2 Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic 2017 Full Movie Manga Chapter 66 - The Butler, Frenzy N/A Optional filler, Easter Holiday Black Butler: Public School Arc, season 4 2024 All

Though Lacking in Canon, Black Butler and Black Butler II are Still "One Hell of a Ride"

Ciel and Sebastian’s Fate Takes an Unpredictable Turn

Black Butler (2008) and Black Butler II, or seasons 1 and 2 of Black Butler respectively, came out during a time when it was very common for an anime to deviate from its manga. This was often because the manga was still ongoing, thus leaving room for studios to take liberties with the plot. Both seasons 1 and 2 adhere to this practice as well, offering a unique take on the story of protagonist and child earl Ciel Phantomhive and his contractually-bound demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, as well as its ultimate conclusion.

Both the manga and Black Butler (2008) follow the duo as they navigate a Victorian England plagued by kidnappers, killers, and supernatural beings, all while searching for those responsible for the deaths of Ciel’s parents and his suffering at the hands of demon-worshipping cultists. Unlike the manga, which has yet to reveal the culprit, season 1 turns Queen Victoria and an original character named Ash, an overzealous and murderous angel masquerading as a white-clad butler, into Ciel’s archenemies. Ultimately, the queen dies from disturbing body modifications granted to her by Ash, and Ash is defeated by Sebastian in a epic final battle atop the incomplete London Bridge. Sebastian later claims Ciel’s soul as promised after a bittersweet last conversation between master and servant.

Black Butler II is the infamous, entirely non-canonical season 2 of the anime that many fans tend to either have a love-hate relationship with or pretend never existed. It introduces the unhinged young earl Alois Trancy and his enigmatic, spider demon butler Claude Fautus, who at first appear to be the new mains of the series. However, Ciel is revealed to be alive, with no memory of obtaining his revenge thanks to Claude, and that is soul in no longer fit for consumption.

Sebastian is forced to make a deal with Claude: the spider demon and Alois will become Ciel’s new targets and Claude will be permitted to battle Sebastian for Ciel’s soul. In a bizarre twist, Alois’s maid Hannah is revealed to also be a demon, who turns Ciel into a demon at Alois’s behest. Alois, Claude, and Hannah all essentially die, and Sebastian becomes bound to Ciel for all eternity.

Custom Image by Nicole Eckert

Though Black Butler (2008) and Black Butler II lack many significant elements of the canon, the series as a whole is still going strong more than a decade and a half after season 1’s premiere. It is difficult to determine how well the series would have faired past 2010 had fans not come to love the early anime—most of it anyway—so much. For all its flaws, the story told by seasons 1 and 2, if nothing else, serves as an enigmatic yet compelling comparison to the Black Butler canon that is more than worth a watch.

Seasons & Other Releases Release Year Where to Watch Black Butler, season 1 2008 Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+ Black Butler II, season 2 2010 Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+ Black Butler II OVAs 2010 Crunchyroll Black Butler: Book of Circus, season 3 2014 Crunchyroll Black Butler: Book of Murder 2014 DVD & Blu-ray Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic 2017 Crunchyroll Black Butler: Public School Arc, season 4 2024 Crunchyroll Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc, season 5 2025 N/A