Kuroshistsuji is a mystery anime, but the answers to that mystery might not be easy to understand. Let us try to do it together.
Kuroshistsuji or Black Butler is a mystery story vaguely following a manga by Yana Toboso of the same name. It is campy and funny at times, but it is also bloody and horrifying when it needs to be. It is a lot of fun even if you do not understand everything that is happening. And at times, especially when the anime gets away from the manga, it might be even more confusing.
Synopsis
Black Butler follows the misadventures of a (very) young earl named Ciel Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian in a Victorian setting (Ciel actually serves Queen Victoria). Ciel is literally a child, even though he rarely behaves like one. As for the setting, there is a magical twist to it. In this world, you can meet demons and demon dogs, angels, and even reapers, who, apparently, are slaves of bureaucracy. If all of this sounds fun to you and you have not watched the series yet, keep in mind that we are about to spoil it all.
Feel free to come back after you watch the series, though!
The Main Plotline
The main plotline is that Ciel's family is dead and he was used by a cult to summon a demon. Eventually, a demon appeared – Sebastian – and he made a pact with Ciel to help the boy get his revenge in exchange for Ciel's soul. As Ciel searches for those responsible for his parent's deaths, he gets into different kinds of trouble and solves a couple clever mysteries. And there are sweet filler episodes to take a look at, too.
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Manga Divergence Reinforces Confusion
The first one of the three anime series diverges from the plot of the manga quite early on. After the sixth episode out of twenty-four, the anime is completely different from the manga. It does not help that characters who were supposed to be dead are alive in the second series, which follows that divergent plot. And the third series just offers a reboot of most plotlines. Which is fair: having fun with the characters is more important than having them stay dead because a series got away from the manga. But again, it does not help much to understand what is happening on the screen.
Second Series and More Confusion
A lot of questions emerge from the continuation of the first season's plot performed by the second series, too. Why did not Sebastian just eat Ciel's soul once he got it back? You could argue that Ciel had no memory of the contract being concluded, but in the first series, it did not matter what Ciel thought; the true revenge had to take place. Perhaps, the lack of memories could affect the taste of the soul. And in the end, if the soul was eaten, we could not have had another series, which is probably the actual explanation. In the end, Sebastian remains tied to Ciel for our viewing pleasure, and you can explain it however you like.
His Butler, Explained
The first season was great and had amazing episodes, which fit the pseudo-historical mystery vibes perfectly. But it might not have been the most cohesive or generous with explanations.
If you go back through the stories that appeared in the first series of Black Butler, you might notice that a lot of the storylines are directly connected to the main antagonist, who is an angel or, possibly, a fallen angel, and who seeks to purify. It is not entirely clear why they want it or how killing off Ciel's family would purify anything, but that is the angel's goal. The angel, by the way, can be both female (Angela) and male (Ashe), and throughout the plot, many are fooled into believing them to be separate entities.
Angela/Ashe has multiple run-ins with Ciel, and while Ashe keeps his identity under wraps longer, Angela outright kidnaps Ciel, attempting to purify him without killing him. Presumably, what makes him unclean is the hatred he feels for those who killed his family.
The constant mentioning of Ciel's family dying tragically is there, but you never get a good explanation of why they were killed or how; not from the first season anyway. Closer to the end of the first season, another crumb of information is revealed; Ciel was branded by those who kidnapped him. However, when the cult that was using the same symbol is destroyed, Sebastian refuses to take Ciel's soul. Apparently, there are more people responsible for Ciel's suffering, and since the contract was for Ciel to get revenge, it cannot be fulfilled without proper retribution for all the guilty.
In the end, the killing that allows the contract to close is that of Ashe/Angela. To kill them, Sebastian has to turn into his true form, and he asks Ciel to close his eyes for that. That is why the main thing we see of that true form is black stiletto heels.
The stiletto heels make a return in the opening to Black Butler: Book of Circus. Apparently, demons are very particular about what they wear, and who knows, they might not even be male or female. Perhaps, Sebastian has a female form, and it is the stronger one.
Conclusion
We hope that clears up some things. At the very least, we know what the revenge was for (loosely) and who was responsible (maybe). The first season of Black Butler might not be the most cohesive, but it is interesting, with many mysteries and opportunities to rest from all the darker elements and watch the funny shenanigans of Ciel and his servants.