Black Butler: Book of Murder

Black Butler: Book of Murder

Year: 2014

Runtime: 116 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Noriyuki Abe

AdventureMysteryAnimationAction

At the Queen's request, Ciel and his loyal demon butler Sebastian host a lavish dinner party for London's elite underworld figures. The elegant evening takes a dark turn when a prominent guest is discovered murdered in his room. Isolated by a severe storm, Ciel and Sebastian must investigate the high-class attendees, including the famed author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to identify the killer before suspicion falls on the host and his staff.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Black Butler: Book of Murder (2014)

Trace every key event in Black Butler: Book of Murder (2014) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Queen tests Ciel's loyalty

The Queen decides to test Ciel's loyalty after suspecting he omitted information about the killed captive children from Noah's Ark Circus. Her butlers arrange a banquet at the Phantomhive mansion to trap him and gauge his obedience.

Phantomhive Manor
2

Banquet for Lord Georg von Siemens

A banquet is held at the Phantomhive mansion for German banker Lord Georg von Siemens. After the banquet, Siemens is found murdered in his guest room, and suspicion falls on Ciel while everyone else has an alibi.

Night Phantomhive Manor
3

Ciel is confined to Doyle

With Siemens murdered and no solid alibi for Ciel, he is confined to one of his guests—Arthur Conan Doyle. The confinement increases tension as the investigation proceeds.

Phantomhive Mansion
4

Sebastian is killed; a fellow guest dies

That night, Sebastian is killed, and in the morning another guest is found dead. Doyle surmises that three different people could have committed the murders, as a single killer could not have done all.

Phantomhive Mansion
5

Reverend Rathborne arrives

A mysterious Reverend Jeremy Rathborne arrives to investigate the murders. Sebastian had previously asked Rathborne to come, signaling a deeper layer to the case.

Phantomhive Mansion
6

Snake and Noah's Ark Circus connection

One of the murders is revealed to be done by a trained snake hunting Ciel's scent. The snake is sent by Snake from Noah's Ark Circus to avenge his friends, connecting the case to the circus.

Noah's Ark Circus
7

Siemens fakes his death, then is killed by Woodley

Siemens had faked his death as a joke but is eventually murdered by Woodley. Woodley wanted to frame Ciel to safeguard his own diamond business.

8

Doyle uncovers inconsistencies; Rathborne's secret

Arthur Conan Doyle notices inconsistencies in the case and learns that Rathborne is actually Sebastian in disguise. They had known the culprit all along—Earl Grey, the Queen's butler.

Phantomhive Mansion
9

Mastermind revealed: Earl Grey orchestrated the plot

Earl Grey, acting as the Queen's messenger, had been sent to kill Siemens at the banquet to slow Germany's financial growth. Simultaneously, the plan included punishing Ciel for the Noah's Ark Circus incident.

10

Ciel and Sebastian frame Woodley

Ciel and Sebastian engineer the framing of Woodley as the killer, exposing him as corrupt. The truth of the case closes the investigation and vindicates Ciel.

Phantomhive Manor
11

Doyle's career path is influenced

The experience with the case inspires Doyle and sets off his future career. This outcome ties into the broader mythos surrounding Doyle's detective writing.

12

Snake invited to Phantomhive Manor

At the end, Ciel invites Snake to live in the Phantomhive manor to earn his trust and prevent another attempt on his life. This gesture marks a tentative alliance with the circus friend.

Phantomhive Manor

Last updated: January 08, 2026 at 12:00

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Black Butler: Book of Murder (2014) Timeline Questions Answered – Chronology FAQ

Find frequently asked questions about the Black Butler: Book of Murder (2014) timeline, including chronological order, nonlinear jumps, cause-and-effect links, and scene sequence clarifications. This timeline FAQ helps explain when key events happen, how moments connect, and why the story unfolds in that specific order.

Q1

Why was Lord Georg von Siemens targeted for murder?

A.

Siemens was targeted because Woodley, a businessman whose diamond business Ciel was planning to destroy, wanted to frame Ciel for the murder. Woodley killed Siemens after the latter faked his own death as a prank, using the chaos of the banquet to place blame on Ciel and prevent his legitimate business takeover.

siemensmurderwoodleydiamond businessframe job
Q2

Who killed Siemens at the Phantomhive banquet?

A.

Siemens was killed by Woodley, who had been corrupted and wanted to protect his diamond business from Ciel's legitimate takeover. The murder was committed during the chaos following Siemens' fake death prank, allowing Woodley to frame Ciel for the crime.

siemenskillerwoodleymurder weaponframe job
Q3

Why did Earl Grey orchestrate the murder plot?

A.

Earl Grey, the Queen's butler, was tasked with killing Siemens to slow Germany's financial ascent by eliminating the German banker. Simultaneously, the Queen used the situation as a test of Ciel's nerve as her 'Guard Dog', framing him for the Noah's Ark Circus incident to gauge whether he could handle the pressure of false accusations while serving the Crown.

earl greyqueenpolitical motivegermanyguard dog test
Q4

Why was Sebastian disguised as Reverend Rathborne?

A.

Sebastian had secretly invited Reverend Jeremy Rathborne to investigate the murders, but at some point disguised himself as Rathborne to manipulate the investigation from within. This allowed Sebastian to guide Doyle's detective work while maintaining control over how the truth unfolded.

Earlier in the timeline, Sebastian is shown asking Rathborne to come investigate, hinting at his later deception.

sebastianrathbornedisguiseinvestigationmanipulation
Q5

How was Snake from Noah's Ark Circus connected to the murders?

A.

One of the murders was committed by a snake trained to hunt Ciel's scent. The snake was sent by Snake, a former performer from the Noah's Ark Circus, to avenge his friends who had been killed. This connected the present murder case to Ciel's previous involvement with the circus.

snakenoah's ark circusrevengesnake attackcircus performers
Q6

Why did Doyle suspect three different people committed the murders?

A.

Doyle realized that no single person could have committed all three murders due to the physical impossibility of being in multiple places at once during the timeline of events. His observation that three separate murderers were involved became a key clue in unraveling the case.

doylethree murderersalibiinvestigationlogical deduction
Q7

Why did Ciel invite Snake to live at Phantomhive Manor?

A.

Ciel invited Snake to live at the manor as a strategic move to win Snake's trust and prevent future assassination attempts. By bringing the potential threat close to himself, Ciel could monitor Snake and neutralize the danger of another circus-related attack on his life.

snakephantomhive manortrustpreventionstrategic alliance
Q8

What was the Queen's test of Ciel's loyalty really about?

A.

The Queen suspected Ciel had omitted information about the killed captive children from the Noah's Ark Circus in his report. To test his loyalty and obedience, her butlers orchestrated the entire murder scenario at the banquet to see if Ciel would remain loyal under false accusation and pressure, essentially testing his worth as the Queen's 'Guard Dog'.

queenloyalty testguard dognoah's ark circusciel's role
Q9

Why was Sebastian killed during the banquet?

A.

Sebastian was killed that night as part of the complex murder scheme orchestrated by Earl Grey. The kill was part of the overall plan to create chaos and place Ciel under maximum duress during the Queen's test. The specific details of exactly who physically carried out Sebastian's killing were part of the larger conspiracy.

sebastiandeathkilledconspiracyqueen's test
Q10

How did Doyle uncover the truth about the murders?

A.

Doyle noticed inconsistencies in the case that didn't add up, particularly regarding the three separate murderers and the political motivations behind the crimes. His detective instincts led him to discover that Rathborne was actually Sebastian in disguise, and that the Queen had known the true culprit (Earl Grey) all along.

doyledetectivetruthinconsistenciesdiscoveryconan doyle
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Black Butler: Book of Murder Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Black Butler: Book of Murder

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