'Black Butler' season 2 ending explained: Here's how Ciel's soul was stolen

Black Butler II is a 2010 anime series set in Victorian London in which a 12-year-old orphan named Ciel Phantomhive ignores all dangers and searches for his parents' killers with the help of a demonic butler named Sebastian. The series stars Jessica Cavanagh, Daniel Fredrick, Chris Ayres and Todd Haberkorn in lead roles. The series garnered plenty of attention for its performances, script and scene. For viewers who failed to understand how the series concluded, here is a look at Black Butler 2 ending explained.

Black Butler season 2 ending explained

According to CBR.com, Ciel is a conflicted anti-hero on a quest for vengeance, while Alois is a spoiled, obnoxious boy who enjoys cruelly bullying Hannah, his maid. Despite Ciel's methods, the audience understands his rage as a result of pain and trauma, seeking revenge but leaving innocent people alone. Alois, on the other hand, is cruel for no other reason than shock value and to establish himself as the season's antagonist.

While the first season built a mystery by subtly leaving hints for the audience to pick up on, ultimately weaving all of the pieces together to form a complete puzzle, the second season was anything but subtle, prioritising exposition over everything else. However, the supernatural elements suffer from the same lack of subtlety. In season two, these elements are out in the open, where any ordinary civilian could come across them at any time, leaving one to wonder how these demon butlers have gone unnoticed.

Black Butler season 2 ending

In the end, the reason Ciel's soul was stolen was that Sebastian was accused of causing a chain of events that resulted in the destruction of Alois' village and the death of his younger brother. However, it is later revealed that Sebastian had nothing to do with it and that Hannah was the true perpetrator, leaving viewers to wonder what the point of this season was other than to haphazardly bring Sebastian and Ciel back to secure viewership. While the first season's ending was solid and provided a satisfying conclusion, the second season's ending appeared tragic and was anything but satisfying, leaving many fans confused and disappointed.

Black Butler II plot

Black Butler II introduces a new butler and young master in late-nineteenth-century England, one year and three months after the dramatic conclusion of the original series. Alois Trancy, the sadistic yet cheerful character, has been through some difficult times. He was kidnapped as a baby and forced to work as a slave in a village. He gradually lost his parents, best friend, and everyone else he knew. Alois eventually returned home and became the head of his mansion, but he has been behaving strangely ever since. Even stranger, he returned with Claude Faustus, an enigmatic, emotionless butler of incomprehensible talent.