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| “ | Yes, Your Highness. | ” |
| —Claude Faustus | ||
Claude Faustus (クロード・フォースタス, Kurōdo Fōsutasu) is the demon butler of the Trancy household, and is referred to as the "Spider Butler."[1]
Appearance
Claude is a tall, bespectacled, and handsome man with short, black hair and golden eyes. He dresses in a dark suit and wears white gloves. His tongue is remarkably long; he is able to lick the bridge of his nose.[2]
Claude's contract seal.
Claude's contract seal with Alois Trancy is located on the back of his left hand. The mark only becomes visible when he is within Alois's proximity.[3] His demon form is a spider.[3]
Personality
Claude is distinctly apathetic; he speaks and acts virtually without emotion. He does not respond to direct taunts such as Alois Trancy undoing his buttons moments after Claude fixed them.[4]
Claude's personality drastically changes after he tastes Ciel Phantomhive's blood.[1] He begins to covet Ciel's soul and becomes erratic and bizarre; he would dance and make doilies.[citation needed] Having developed a strange obsession with Ciel's soul, Claude is determined to obtain it at any cost.[5]
Plot
Trancy Arc
Note: Events occurring in this arc only pertain to the second season of the anime and do not constitute canon material.
Appearing in almost the same way Sebastian Michaelis did to Ciel, Claude forms a contract with Alois and chooses to serve him as his butler. Time passes, and the next seen of the pair is during a sudden visit of Arnold Trancy, Alois' uncle, to the manor. Under his master's order, Claude restores the mansion to the way it was before Earl Trancy's demise, thus helping Alois keep the facade of actually caring for his father. Later that evening, a storm brews and a mysterious stranger appears at the Trancy manor. This stranger is then revealed to be none other than Sebastian Michaelis, bearing Ciel Phantomhive in a suitcase. When he is found out, Alois orders Claude to give chase, but Sebastian escapes by plunging the manor into darkness. Alois has an anxiety attack and orders the servants to restore light to the manor but insists that Claude stay by his side.[3]
Claude with his gold knives.
He is next seen on the same train Ciel and Sebastian board and presents them with an invitation to a ball hosted by his master.[2]
At the ball, Claude confronts Sebastian under Alois' order. A fight ensues.[6]After the battle, he and Sebastian speak alone and away from their masters. They agree that neither one is satisfied with Ciel; as he is without his memory of accomplishing revenge, his soul is incomplete. Since Claude wants a perfect Ciel to present to Alois and Sebastian does not want to devour an incomplete soul, the two then agree to a bargain in which Ciel will have a second revenge, this time on Alois. Claude is confident that he will be able to get Ciel away from Sebastian once this is accomplished; Sebastian is equally confident of keeping him. They seal this bargain by dripping their blood into cut white roses; each one first drops blood into a rose that subsequently turns red and then passes it to the other for a second drop which causes it to turn violet-black.[7]
Seeing as neither butler was defeated, they continue their confrontation at a second ball. This time, this is a private affair to which only Ciel was invited. The battlefield is set on an enormous chess board with Alois and Ciel watching from a balcony. During the first half of the battle, Claude commands the triplets and Hannah to attack in his place, but they are easily defeated. Before Claude attacks Sebastian he stalls the fight as it was then time for tea. Both butlers withdraw and call a ceasefire to prepare tea for Ciel and Alois.
When the battle resumes, Claude pulls an ancient demonic sword, "Laevateinn" out of Hannah's mouth and challenges Sebastian to a duel. He manages to corner him in a mass of spider threads, sturdy enough to cut through steel. But as it seems Claude has the upper hand, both butlers hear sounds in the mansion and rush in to see Ciel confronting Alois. Claude stops Ciel before he can deliver the death blow by grabbing his sword. As Ciel flails, he slaps Claude and leaves a trail of his own blood on Claude's cheek. Tasting Ciel's blood leaves Claude in a stunned state until Sebastian calls his attention. Claude ignores his wounded master, who is pleading for his help, continuing instead to taste and analyse Ciel's blood. This suggests abandonment of the contract.[1]
Claude and the demon sword.
The next day. Claude changes the bandages on the sword wound Ciel gave Alois, remarking that the wound is shallow, and that Ciel could probably have done better if he hadn't been so angry. Alois asks if the scent of his blood makes Claude hungry, and he says yes, but then smiles at Alois and leaves. In a flashback, Claude is seen appearing as a giant spider when Alois (then called Jim) first speaks the summoning chant. He is annoyed that he has been called by someone who has no wish in mind, and says that they will form a contract once Jim knows what he wants. Later, when Jim has become Alois Trancy, Claude tells him that it was a demon, Sebastian Michaelis, who destroyed his village under the command of his former master, and that Sebastian has a new master named Ciel Phantomhive. He adds that Sebastian is more attached to this new master than a demon under contract should be, leading Alois to decide that taking Ciel away will be the most fitting punishment for Sebastian. When Alois has dragged himself from the wrecked coach, Claude appears again. Alois grovels at his feet, calling Claude "My Highness" and begging him never to leave, but Claude coldly says, "What a thing to say to a mere butler," kills Alois, and takes his ruby ring. He says that a soul so lowly and cheap as to give its love to a butler could never tempt his appetite, and tucks the ring into his coat, saying he has a use for Alois' soul. He asks Grell Sutcliff if he'll try to take it, but Grell declines, saying he'd rather just watch how this plays out.[8]
Claude presents the ring which possesses Alois' soul to the Trancy household. After two bad guesses from the triplets as to what he's to do with it, Hannah finally remarks on the change of the furnishings colours--all that were dark blue had been changed to midnight blue. Claude declares her to be correct. "Unaware of noticeable things, just the slightest change," he continues. "At the root, their souls share something in common. With them it's their past." He is speaking of the souls of Alois and Ciel. It is shown that he is keeping a close eye on Sebastian and Ciel as they embark in another assignment from the Queen when Sebastian becomes occupied in a fight with William T. Spears, Ciel is arrested by the police who believe he's Alois Trancy and is identified by Hannah as Alois. Ciel is then tortured, which Claude and Hannah override. While Ciel is in a weak state after heavy and severe treatment Claude begins hypnotizing him and then places Alois's ring on Ciel's finger causing Alois's memories to mix in with Ciel's memories; this causes Ciel to believe that Sebastian was the cause for the death of his parents and his "brother," Luka Macken. When Sebastian finally reaches Ciel, Ciel pushes him away and refers to Claude as his butler. Claude then whispers to Ciel to order Sebastian to leave his sight, which Ciel does willfully. Claude then takes the weak and tired Ciel back to the Trancy mansion where he is warmly welcomed.[9]
Claude wakes Ciel up and hands him a cup of Earl Grey tea and begins the morning ritual of dressing him. When Ciel asks where Alois went to, Claude declares proudly that Ciel killed him during their duel. Ciel comments that it was not the stab that killed Alois but his weakness, which impresses the demon. When Claude puts on Ciel's socks, Ciel hears commotion from outside--Sebastian is knocking down the trees around the manor in a fit of jealousy--Ciel orders Claude to put an end to the noise and Claude smiles and slyly replies with, "Yes, My Lord," then kisses Ciel's foot. Disgusted, Ciel kicks him away which Claude warmly accepts. Claude then goes out and mocks Sebastian by commenting on how the Sweet Briar flower will suit his young master.
When he is brushing Ciel's teeth he accidentally loses concentration and gets Ciel slightly wet, and Ciel frustratedly says that he is useless and how Sebastian would never make such a mistake. But then Ciel pauses, Claude explains that it would be best if Ciel made a contract with him and therefore complete his revenge against Sebastian, Ciel however says that he does not need help from Claude and is shown to be reluctant about making a contract with Claude. Claude reminds him that Sebastian is a demon and would be difficult to defeat alone. This irritates Ciel, and Claude adds that Ciel does not have to decide now. Claude then walks out of the room, opens a window and loudly declares, so Sebastian will hear: "Ciel Phantomhive's soul . . . is good. A truly good thing!" He then orders the triplets to go after Sebastian.[10]
Later on, when Ciel breaks a mirror, Claude attempts to comfort him, but only to be met with aloofness. Claude then orders Hannah to clean up the mess, but then Ciel demands that Hannah accompany him to his bedroom and Claude stay to clean up the mess. Although he is confused by this he goes along with the orders. When Claude and Sebastian encounter each other again that night they break the contract they made earlier and fight. Claude describes how he will make Ciel his by straining the contact between Ciel and Sebastian and once Ciel is his he will never let him go. Then they both hear Ciel's voice cry out: Sebastian, as he climbs a clock tower. Claude declares Sebastian to have been caught out and is now no longer a butler. However Ciel then cries out for Sebastian's help insisting that he'll climb higher and higher to the top, however when he smiles which is similar to Alois's smile they both know that it is not Ciel but Alois controlling him. Hannah confirms this and finally Ciel makes it to the top and threatens to jump.[10]
Claude and Sebastian have to race through a maze and answer questions based around Alois. If they get the questions right they can pass through; however, if they get the questions wrong, they are held back. Alois has given Claude every advantage to easily pass though, allowing any of his answers to be correct. The first question (i.e., "Why did Luka contract with Sebastian Michaelis?") was answered truthfully by Claude that it was Hannah who made a contract with Luka, and the fact that Hannah had such a strong attachment with Luka fascinated him. When Claude comes to the last question (i.e., "Why did Claude Faustus murder Alois Trancy?"), he again answers truthfully that it was only to gain Ciel. Sebastian also arrives just in the moment when Ciel overcomes Alois's control. Afterwards he is not mad at Sebastian and declares him to still be his true butler. However Alois overrides Ciel once again, then he and Hannah go into the tower.
Claude in the maze.
Claude and Sebastian race to the top, but both are too late and Hannah has made a contract with Alois, in Ciel's body. Alois says to Claude for the last time that Claude will always be his Highness and that he wanted his love only. Then he collapses into Hannah's arm, and she now owns Alois and Ciel's soul.[11]
He later rows a canoe with Sebastian as Hannah sings a lullaby to Alois in Ciel's body. They reach a secluded place called the "Demon's Sanctuary" and Sebastian uses the demonic sword from Hannah's body to duel with Claude, with the loser being killed. The battle ends and Claude loses and acknowledges Alois's existence. Hannah is last seen beside Claude's corpse, saying that the love amongst the four of them (Luka, Jim, Claude, and Hannah) will bring them to Nirvana. She pulls the sword out of Claude and lies down beside him, as the whirlpool surrounds them, seemingly killing them all.[12]
Quotes
- (To Alois Trancy) "Yes, Your Highness."
- "Day into night, sugar into salt, living to dead, and silver into gold. That's what makes a Trancy butler."[13]
- "Passion into insincerity, lies into truth, and a stray dog into an earl. That's what makes a butler."[12]
- (To Alois Trancy) "I am your loyal servant. Even if you do not try to attract my attention, I want to greedily devour you to the very end."[3]
- "Ciel Phantomhive, I will pierce your soft skin with my needle... and slowly suck out your sensual soul."[9]
- (Referring to Ciel Phantomhive) "His soul dwells in darkness, yet remains unstained by it. It's vexed us, tantalized us, driven us mad."[14]
- "This death that I greet as the fight over the young master's sweet soul ends still gives off a rich fragrance even as I wither away."[12]
- "A long, long idle life as a demon... If Alois Trancy has created a stir in it his soul might have been worth tearing apart as well."[12]
Trivia
- According to the official Kuroshitsuji character popularity poll, Claude is the sixty-first most popular character in the series, with one vote. He shares this spot with Funtom Corporation's unicorn, Johann Agares, McMillan, Peter and Rian Stoker, who also received one vote.[15]
- Claude is the second demon to appear in the Kuroshitsuji series.[3]
- His surname, "Faustus," may be a reference to the Faustian contract or the tale of Doctor Faustus, which involves selling one's soul to the devil.[16]
- The name Claude means "disabled," while his surname, Faustus, is Latin for "lucky."[citation needed]
- Claude's style of dance is typically referred to as tap dancing; however, with the Spanish influences that surround this behavior (notably Alois posing and exclaiming "Olé!" after witnessing one such performance), it is more likely that Claude dances flamenco, a traditional Spanish style of dance that focuses on the sounds made with the feet.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 7
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 4
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 1
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 1
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 10
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 5
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 6
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 8
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 9
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 10
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 11
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Kuroshitsuji II anime, Episode 12
- ↑ SPOT02 on official site, or PV
- ↑ Kuroshitsuji II anime; Episode 11
- ↑ June 2015 Issue of Square Enix's GFantasy Magazine
- ↑ Wikipedia:Doctor Faustus (play)
Template:Trancy Household Template:Demons