#Name reveal

[lydybyrd]

🌿Theowyn Lavellan

[scarletbegoniaz]

Sleepy Kelsey 😴 but I felt cute.

[diakitty]

O!Ciel's real name and why not knowing it matters.

! Spoiler warning !

I want to share a thought that came to me about a year ago. Many fans of the manga "Black Butler" often wonder about the real name of O!Ciel (later, the young master) and put forth various theories on this matter. It sometimes gets to the point where people leave the fandom for a while, returning only to ask about the name reveal, completely losing interest in other, more significant events in the manga. Then I asked myself: do we really need to know his real name?

With this ring on not, I — «Ciel Phantomhive», am the head of the Phantomhive family. (Vol. 1, ch. 2)

In this article I will mainly use screenshots with the official English translation by Yen Press, as it can be challenging to find Japanese ones. Additionally, my knowledge of the Japanese is extremely limited. However, I also consult various Japanese sources and materials available on the internet. I am aware that even the official translation may not always be accurate. Toboso puts a lot of meaning into the text, and some of it may get lost in translation. However, in the context of this topic, there should not be any problems.

First, let's touch on an equally important thing, the very essence of names. Our name is what defines who we are. It represents our identity, our individuality. When you know someone's name, it breaks down barriers and makes the person feel more open and honest. Additionally, there are charactonyms, which are commonly used in the media. Charactonym already provide the viewer or reader with some information about the character and give them a chance to reflect on the character's personality. However, if a character doesn't have a name, it becomes more difficult to read through them. Does this apply to the young master? Let's find out.

(Vol. 13, ch. 62)

From the very beginning the young master hid a lot from us: his controversial motives and a mysterious past that was gradually revealed in the smallest details until it reached a turning point. At that moment, the reader realized that they didn't really know anything about him. It turns out that the younger Phantomhive has been deceiving everyone for a long time, including you.

(Vol. 26, ch. 129)

Why did the young master took his older brother's name after his death?

I've often heard people make the following assumptions:

He was an unloved child and envied his older brother.

To avoid legal issues and to get the inheritance and title right away.

For Ciel's sake.

The first one can be immediately put aside. The assumption that the younger brother was not so loved in the family is refuted by the manga itself, you don't even need to dig far.

(Vol. 26, ch. 133)

My sweet nephews. (Vol 3, ch 10)

The young master was loved no less than Ciel. People often suggest that he is an "unloved younger son", basing their argument on the following frame:

The young master deluding himself, succumbing to the manipulations of the demon. (Vol. 27, ch. 137)

However, no one told him that he was unloved and that they would be upset if he comes back. (Edited. I do believe there was some pressure with the whole heir thing, which planted seeds of doubt in a little child, but overall his family did loved him) He compared himself to Ciel. He looked up to him, but at the same time, he felt inferior and didn't see his own strengths. Instead focusing on his weaknesses. It was precisely because this child was not capable of loving himself that he decided that the (self-proclaimed) "weak spare" should not have survived.

The second assumption also irrelevant, because the young master had no idea of becoming the first heir and taking on the role of the queen's watchdog. He didn't let the fact of not becoming an earl get to him. Instead, he decided on what he wanted to dedicate his future to, aiming to become a worthy younger son that everyone would be proud of.

(Vol. 26, ch. 132)

And the third assumption is the one I personally follow!

(Vol. 28, ch. 140)

The young master suffered a lot during that time time in the cult, which greatly weakened his mental state and worldview, but he wasn't a bad child. He loved his older brother, even more than himself. That's why he decided that only Ciel deserved to be saved. He buried his true self and became Ciel, strong and invincible, the kind of Ciel that his older brother could not become.

(Vol. 27, ch. 137)

And I think that at that moment everything we knew about the young master, his motivation and the name itself began to take on new meanings.

(Vol 2, ch. 8)

The younger brother is gone. He disappeared forever, along with the essence of the real Ciel. Only "Earl Ciel Phantomhive" remains...

〞Earl Ciel Phantomhive〟— is I! (Vol. 28, ch. 147)

...And that's all we need to know.

Will the reveal of the young master's real name affect anything?

...No. It will just ruin all the charm and depth of this story, nothing more. The young master rose to prominence, becoming the owner of the esteemed company «Phantom» and the queen's watchdog. He took on the name Earl Ciel Phantomhive, leaving his past behind. After all, we cannot retrieve what we have lost. I am completely sure that the name will not be revealed, no matter how much some people would want to.

Other characters whose real names we don't know.

It's funny that while going on and off about the name of the young master, everyone seems to forget that there are still many characters in this story whose names we don't know. Without going far, we have Sebastian, Undertaker, most of the circus troupe. Moreover, we don't know if they have names at all. Take Sebastian as an example — he was given a name of the young master's dog. We know that this is not his true name, as he could have served many other people who gave him different names. Do we need to know the specific names? No, it doesn't affect anything. All that matters to us is that he is now Sebastian, the faithful dog of the young master.

I can only believe that the Undertaker's name will be revealed at some point in the future. It may be very significant in the context of his background.

And that's all. While being part of the fandom, I managed to see only one person who, like me, does not consider it necessary to know the young master's birth name. Therefore, I hope that someone else will find my thoughts on this matter interesting. Thank you for reading! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

[livelaughlovelams]

[bookworm-fangirl1]

so I don’t know if I should share my real name for everyone so

if anyone wants to know

comment and I will dm you my real first name

[dogs-love-bacon]

This is Spiff!

As a dog from Roswell, I wanted him to have a space-themed name. My brother suggested Spacedog Spiff, inspired by Spaceman Spiff from Calvin & Hobbes, and that perfectly suited this JRT-dachshund mix!

[disventureoop]

…

I just came out as trans…

There’s tension between be and my boyfriend now….

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

edit: I swear to god, my parents might never know because the last time I brought the LGBTQ community I got a full hour lecture on why it’s not okay 😭😭

edit 2: my boyfriend broke up with me, no harsh feelings, just said he wasn’t gay

[dtchia]

Is your name actually Datchery?

KinitoPET do be leaking out my information 😔

[pleasesetmywagononfire]

Oh fuck it NAME REVEAL

Hey Yall I’m Mila, feel free to call me that if you want!

[gigisriley]

if chapter one isn’t done by the end of this week i’m unhinging my jaw and eating a shoe whole. quote me on that.

[mushroom-girl89]

So I figured that it's time for me to do a name reveal(only my first name) :

So my real name in irl is Rossella but the English "version" of it is Scarlet sooo you can call me Scarlet if you want

Or still Mushroom

Like it's your choice

[madwoman25]

I got 20 followers! Thank you so much! I'm gonna reveal my name soon! my name is.......

MyMy!

Haha! That's just my nickname, but at 25 followers, I will reveal my real name, what do you think my name is. Here are the letters scrambled.

YAMAA

Reblog your guesses!

[jatcv]

Today is the day….

Happy birthday to my ego who, I’m going to reveal her name!

Her name is

JAZZY.EXE

Or

J.EXE for short

[xoluvx]

Hii, i’ve been reading your fics and love them, but still don’t know your name… if you’re comfortable can you tell it? thank u 😊

Oh hi baby ty 💖

Dia at your service ☀️🫶💖

[bookworm-fangirl1]

what if I…

put my actual first name in my next intro post?

I’m not gonna change my tags

I don’t have that kind of energy

idk

should I?

[broken-faucet-of-feelings]

Emotional Emilie

destroys herself mentally.

she writes all of her poison

in the margins of her memories.

she pins wolfsbane in her hair

to match the tint of her extremities.

she taught herself to hide

and makes her bed between parentheses.