This article discusses minor spoilers in Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic.

Black Butler: Book of The Atlantic, in short, portrays a tragedy taking place on a massive English luxury vessel that departed into the Atlantic Ocean and never made it to its destination. It's no question that this story line from Black Butler is heavily influenced by James Cameron's 1997 movie, Titanic.

The creator of the Black Butler series, Yana Toboso, draws direct inspiration from the famous film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Although Book of The Atlantic and Titanic tell vastly different stories, one following the supernatural investigation of a child sleuth and the other being a romantic retelling of a historical tragedy, it's difficult not to make the connection with all the similarities between the setting and certain events taking place throughout both movies.

10 The Titanic Isekai'd Into Anime and Became the Campania

The Campania and the Titanic are Almost One and the Same

Black Butler: Book of The Atlantic took place on a luxury passenger ship called the Campania, owned by "Blue Star Line." It departed the English city of Southampton in April, with its eventual destination set for New York in America. The vessel that is portrayed in the movie Titanic, which is based on the real-life tragedy of the titular ship sinking in 1912, shares several similarities with the Campania.

To begin, the shipping line introduced in Black Butler, "Blue Star Line," parodies the name "White Star Line," which is the actual shipping line responsible for operating the Titanic. The Titanic also shares the Campania's place of departure and destination, Southampton and New York, respectively. Lastly, both vessels set sail in April, with the Titanic departing on April 10 and the Campania on April 17.

9 Yana Toboso's Inspiration for the Ship's Name

The Campania's Name Pays Homage to the Real-Life Tragedy

Yana Toboso often names characters or elements in Black Butler after significant things in history or myth. The name of the ship in Book of The Atlantic, the Campania, might be inspired by the real-life ship that was most famous for rescuing survivors of the Titanic's sinking in 1912, the Carpathia.

The Carpathia is almost 10 years the Titanic's senior and served the Cunard Line another 5–6 years after rescuing Titanic survivors before sinking in July 1918. Toboso, known for integrating bits of actual history into the Black Butler story line, likely did deeper research on the Titanic after being inspired by the movie. Naming Book of The Atlantic's cruise liner "The Campania" might have been her way of paying homage to the story and tragedy she was basing the arc off of.

8 Book of the Atlantic's Opening Scene Is Taken Straight From Titanic

Ronald Knox was Almost the Jack Dawson of Anime

The opening scene of Black Butler: Book of The Atlantic mirrors the beginning of Rose's recollection of her experience on the Titanic, almost to a tee. Masses of people, rich and poor, are gathered around the docks in a chaotic horde to either board the ship or simply witness the spectacle that is the largest ship of its time.

There is a moment where the male lead, Jack Dawson, is hurrying to board right as the Titanic is about to set sail. It's similar to how Ronald Knox almost missed the Campania's departure. Ronald ran up the steps and jumped on board right as it was beginning to drift away. Afterward, the view of the passengers waving goodbye to those who stayed behind at the docks is identical to the countless farewells during the Titanic's departure, with both scenes displaying the mass of people either ship holds.

7 Titanic's Juxtaposition of the Rich and Poor

Rich or Poor, the Zombies ate Everyone on the Campania

The Titanic movie showed an obvious divide between its rich and lower-class passengers, especially through the eyes of its main character, Rose. One night, she attends a gathering of high-born elites, much to her displeasure. But, later in the evening, Jack convinces her to come along to a livelier party held on the lower decks.

While Black Butler: Book of The Atlantic doesn't focus too much on the juxtaposition between rich and poor, it is shown briefly. In one scene, Ciel and Sebastian are attending a party full of nobility for the sake of their investigation; in another scene, Grim Reaper Ronald Knox is seen sharing a few drinks with some passengers on the lower decks before he starts his job of soul collecting.

6 Edward Prioritizes Women and Children on the Lifeboats

Ciel Made Sure Elizabeth Made it Onto One

Early in the events of James Cameron's Titanic, a conversation between Rose and Thomas Andrews sheds light on the concerning detail that there aren't enough lifeboats to accommodate all the passengers, which becomes important later on when over 2000 people are scrambling for a place on the mere 20 available lifeboats.

The crew starts prioritizing the safe escape of women and children. In Book of The Atlantic, when the Midfords are protecting the passengers and guiding them to the lifeboats, Edward starts parroting the same policy of saving the women and children first. Another related similarity is when Ciel and his company are eventually reunited with the Midfords; there is still work to be done for Ciel and Sebastian, so, just like what Jack attempts to do with Rose, Ciel sends Elizabeth off on a lifeboat without him. Though, in Ciel's case, Elizabeth actually stays on.

5 Ciel and Elizabeth are the Ship on a Ship

Unlike Jack and Rose, They are the Couple That Survives

The main focus of Titanic, apart from covering the magnitude of the tragedy, was the romance between Jack and Rose. The romance in Book of The Atlantic is seen between Ciel Phantomhive and his fiancée, Elizabeth Midford. And, similar to Jack and Rose, Ciel and Elizabeth do everything they can to ensure each other's survival.

Both Ciel and Rose risk their own safety to save their respective love interests from drowning in an area that is flooded with ocean water. Afterward, both they and their romantic partners have to fight through constant danger in order to survive. At the very least, Ciel and Elizabeth make it to a lifeboat, though Ciel doesn't go with her. Unlike the tragic couple in Titanic, Ciel and Elizabeth both survive and are reunited later.

4 An Iceberg Takes Down the Campania

The Iceberg is the True Villain in Book of the Atlantic

One of the most well-known facts about the Titanic and James Cameron's movie of the same name is that it was capsized by an iceberg. Seeing as Book of The Atlantic is based on the Black Butler manga arc that was inspired by the movie, it was only natural that the Campania went down the same way.

Both the Campania and the Titanic collided with a large iceberg that the lookout crew was unfortunately too late in giving any warning to. Upon impact, the sharp edges of ice scraped along the vessel and severely damaged the hull of the ship, which resulted in the watertight doors closing and the lower decks being flooded. After their respective crashes, both the Campania and the Titanic were estimated to sink within the hour.

3 The Campania Splits in Two and Goes Vertical

At Least Sebastian is Able to Leap to Safety

Book of The Atlantic's Campania splits in two the same way that the Titanic did after an iceberg damaged a number of the ship's water-tight compartments. This eventually leads to one half of the vessel sinking faster than the other, making the ship go vertical before its own weight causes it to break in half and crash flat onto the water. The ship then goes vertical again and is soon completely submerged in the cold ocean.

Ciel and Sebastian's ascent towards the ship's stern is much faster and less chaotic than Jack and Rose's efforts to avoid sliding down the decks as their ship turns over, though the former pair has the advantage of Sebastian being a demon with superhuman abilities. And, unlike Jack and Rose, who weren't so lucky, Ciel and Sebastian were able to find a lifeboat.

2 Book of the Atlantic Mirrors the Dark Lifeboat Scene

The Noises That the Campania Survivors Hear are Horrifying

One of the final scenes in Black Butler: Book of The Atlantic is when Ciel and Sebastian finally escape the sinking vessel and make their way onto a lifeboat. However, they're faced with the relentless danger of the Bizarre Dolls, which are able to swim and are unbothered by the cold. The rest of the cast, however, is a safe distance away on the other lifeboats.

This scene is a grim nod to one of the final parts of Titanic, where all the lifeboats had safely rowed away from the chaos, but, in the cold and empty night, the screams and pleas of the passengers who were left behind still echoed loud enough for the survivors to hear. In Book of The Atlantic's case, what the survivors heard were the terrifying roars and grumbles of the Bizarre Dolls as Sebastian worked tirelessly through the night to fend them off.

1 Grell and Ronald Parody the Famous Titanic Scene

Thank Goodness that Ronald Doesn't Draw Grell "like one of his French girls."

In a random moment of Grell's need for drama and spectacle, she has Ronald hold her at the bow of the ship as she spreads her arms wide against the sky. This is the biggest allusion that Black Butler: Book of The Atlantic has to James Cameron's timeless movie.

Grell and Ronald imitate one of the most iconic scenes in Titanic with Jack and Rose, which also happens to be the pivotal point of the romance between the latter pair. There is hardly any love shared between the two Grim Reapers, however, as Grell's affections are aimed towards Sebastian. But it is a good thing that Grell didn't ask Ronald to draw her nude in the next scene. Although, if there had been more time, there's a high chance that she would have made the request to Sebastian.