Grell Sutcliff

Grell Sutcliff is a character from the Kuroshitsuji anime and manga.

Grell is a Grim Reaper. They are part of the Retrieval Division of the Grim Reaper Dispatch. Grell initially posed as Angelina Dalles's butler and conspired with her as Jack the Ripper. They were suspended for some time as a result, but are now a fully active Grim Reaper.

Appearance
Grell has long, dark-red hair, shark-like teeth, and red-framed glasses which are accessorized with a chain with skulls. Their typical attire consists of a vest, gloves, a red and white striped bow tied around their neck, and red and black 11 cm high-heeled ankle boots. Grell also sports a red coat they confiscated from Angelina Dalles after fatally wounding her. After they took it, they now wear it slung off their shoulders, and the sleeves are up to their elbows. Therefore, they are described as "covered in red."

Grell has specially modified their Death Scythe to operate like a chainsaw because they think that the average Death Scythe is old-fashioned; they claim that their customized Death Scythe is of first-rate quality.

When posing as Angelina Dalles' butler, Grell has their brown hair tied with a red ribbon, and they would mostly dress in plain, black clothes.

Personality
Grell is over-the-top, flamboyant, and outspoken—they once told Sebastian Michaelis their wish to do some "vigorous exercise" with him, despite the latter's repulsion. They possess a strong predilection for the color red and believe that substances which reflect that color, such as blood, can be used to achieve beauty. They are a ruthless, bloodthirsty individual who is even willing to kill their own comrades once they lose interest in them. Grell is predisposed to resorting to violence in order to eliminate whoever annoys or hinders them, and has had numerous clashes with Sebastian; in one instance, upon encountering Sebastian on Campania, Grell immediately expresses their intention to have a "death match" with him and proceeds to attack him.

In Grell's personal view, human relations are not of great significance, and hence, they do not understand a human's reluctance to kill a person he or she cares about. They despise hesitation in their partners, and find that meaningless emotions serve as an impediment to one's goal.

Grell was, at first, dismissive of the Grim Reaper principles—which include the necessity to be neutral in human affairs—as evidenced by their unlawful partnership with Angelina Dalles. But, after a period of suspension, Grell begins to respect the duties of a Grim Reaper, enough to preach the importance of soul reaping to Ronald Knox at one point. However, due to how naturally impulsive Grell is, their adherence to the Grim Reaper rules remains questionable; for example, on one occasion, Grell was about to slay Aleistor Chamber, ignoring Ronald's cry that killing humans is forbidden.

Grell is very fond of using double-entendres and incorporating plays into their speech. They often put things in terms of theater, referring to Angelina's death as the "falling of curtains" and comparing their conflicting Grim Reaper and demon relationship with Sebastian to the famous play, Romeo and Juliet.

When posing as Angelina Dalles' butler, Grell is shy, awkward, and quite ineffective at their job, ruining even simple things like preparing tea and getting lost while driving a carriage.

Trivia

 * Grell's favorite color is red. Additionally, they like the scent of roses and musk, and dislike tea.


 * Grell is an okama.


 * "Grell" can either mean "gaudy," "lurid," or "grating/piercing" in German.


 * Grell's name bears a relative resemblance to Peter Sutcliffe, a British serial killer responsible for the death of thirteen women, also known as "The Yorkshire Ripper."


 * According to the official Kuroshitsuji's character popularity poll, Grell is the fourth most popular character in the series, with 779 votes. They are ranked among the "Devil Six."


 * In the early drafts of the series, Grell did not wear high heels.


 * It was the idea of Yana Toboso's editor, Mr. K, to make Grell a flamboyant character.


 * In the Durarara!! manga, a series that frequently references other anime and manga, two characters visit a manga store, and Grell's image is on the elevator in one panel.