Sebastian's Use Of Body Language To Assert Dominance

Sebastian's Use of Body Language to Assert Dominance

Manga spoilers.

Sebastian may be relatively tall (although not even in the top half of butlers in kuro when it comes to height), but he is not physically intimidating. Both Mey-Rin and Baldroy initially describe him as a 優男, basically a tall, slender man who looks gentle and delicate.

This is advantageous as a butler, who should fade into the background when serving. However, as a demon and an instrument of the Queen's Watchdog, Sebastian utilizes body language to assert dominance and control.

We can see this in his aggressive eye contact, physical touching, and invasion of personal space.

He's communicating that he's in control of the situation,

ensuring he gets what he wants with minimal fuss.

The only person I remember being uncowed is William.

Rarely, we see others use the same tactics on Sebastian himself. Sometimes successfully unsettling him:

Sometimes not:

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian's body language with Ciel contains enormous variation. In the beginning he has no respect for Ciel and communicates that, although he's temporarily in his service, Sebastian is the one in control.

Even after he settles into his role as a butler, Sebastian frequently shirks etiquette with his master.

Sometimes he uses authoritative body language to correct Ciel's childish or indecorous behavior.

At other times, the situation is so dire that Sebastian decides to immediately take charge, signaling this to Ciel by suddenly dropping any pretense of deference.

(Some of this is also clearly fanservice, but this post is attempting a Watsonian rather than Doylist explanation.)

Outside of these situations, and especially in front of others, Sebastian's body language toward Ciel is perfectly deferential (although sometimes at odds with his antagonistic or teasing words)

When acting as a butler, he refuses to sit in his master's presence, standing when Ciel enters a room and giving him the most authoritative chair.

He often waits for Ciel's signal before acting.

And when Ciel displays the strength that called to him across dimensions, Sebastian even humbles himself and bows to him on bended knee.