Percy Jackson is the eponymous hero of the best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. He made his debut in The Lightning Thief at just 12 years old, where he discovered the shocking truth about his parentage: He is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and the god Poseidon. Beyond his own series, he was one of the protagonists in the Heroes of Olympus series and has since appeared in other spin-off novels and series from Riordan. If you want to know everything there is to know about Percy Jackson, dive right in.
*Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.*
Who is Percy Jackson?
Percy Jackson's full name is Perseus Jackson. Born in 1993, he is the son of the god Poseidon and a human woman named Sally Jackson. Although a mere mortal, Sally has the special ability of seeing through the Mist, which allowed her to meet and fall in love with Poseidon. Sally named her newborn Perseus after one of the few figures in Greek mythology that found a happy ending, wishing the same for her son. Percy has very few memories of his father because Poseidon was forced to leave Sally and Percy to protect them from Zeus, who would be angry if he knew his brother had fathered a child. Demigods are considered powerful, and Zeus views them as a threat to his own position.
As a young child, Percy's demigod status was apparent when a snake attempted to attack him and he managed to strangle it. This was a wake-up call for Sally, who knew that demigods had a particular smell that drew monsters, and her son's scent was very strong. Worried for Percy's safety, she married Gabe Ugliano, known as "Smelly Gabe" for his overpowering body odor. Sally's hope was that Gabe's stench would mask her son's scent from monsters. While this worked for the most part, Gabe was cruel and abusive to both Sally and Percy. He was finally petrified by Medusa.
As Percy grew older, strange and inexplicable things often seemed to happen around him—for which he repeatedly got blamed. Percy was expelled from six schools for many accidents that were actually the result of Greek monsters trying to attack him.
How is Percy Jackson described in the books?
Percy has tanned, olive skin and disheveled black hair. He has sea-green eyes, which he inherited from Poseidon. Although he is not extremely fit at the start of the series, his training over the course of the books results in a muscular, lean frame. He's often described as quite good-looking, bearing a striking resemblance to his father. He temporarily has a gray streak in his hair after the events of The Titan's Curse, but appears to have lost it by the events of The Mark of Athena. He is also considered brave and loyal, but he tends to have a short temper, especially if he sees bullying occurring.
As a child, Percy is diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. But what might be perceived as disabilities by humans are actually assets to a demigod—Percy's ADHD is a result of a natural-born instinct for self-preservation, a hyper-vigilance that makes him seem easily distracted. Percy has the ability to take note of his opponents and analyze their weaknesses and anticipate their next moves very quickly. Percy's dyslexia is a result of his brain being hardwired to read and understand Ancient Greek rather than mortal languages. Percy is also naturally athletic and, with training, becomes a skilled swordsman with superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, and speed.
Percy Jackson’s Skills, Weapons, and Abilities
Percy also has special abilities with water, which he inherited from his father, Poseidon. Gifted with hydrokinesis, the power to manipulate water, he can dry anything wet in a flash, turn water into solid objects that he can grab hold of, create air bubbles for others underwater, and propel himself and others through water. He also has hydrogenesis, the ability to create and summon water out of thin air. This power is a bit harder for him to master. Water doesn't harm him, so he doesn't have to worry about extreme water pressure hurting him. His more limited but related talents include toxikinesis, controlling poisons or substances that are water-based, and being able to understand how ships and other water vessels operate—even controlling them via telekinesis.
In addition to these impressive abilities, Percy has several magical items that lend him even more power. He is in possession of a sword called Anaklusmos or Riptide. Riptide looks like a regular ballpoint pen when not in use, but when uncapped it becomes a three-foot Celestial Bronze sword. As a pen, it always returns to its owner's pocket. Riptide was once Hercule's sword and was gifted to Percy by Chiron. He also has a wristwatch that can be turned into a shield; the Minotaur's horn, which he got after battling the beast; and the Golden Fleece, which he retrieved on a quest and used to heal his friends.
Percy Jackson’s Key Relationships
Grover Underwood
One of Percy's most significant relationships is his friendship with Grover Underwood. The two met in middle school and bonded over Percy's defending Grover from bullies. But unbeknownst to Percy, Grover is a satyr sent to be his guardian—it's Grover who helps Percy get to Camp Half-Blood and realize his true identity. Grover is often by Percy's side through his adventures, and they've saved each other's lives multiple times. Grover and Percy eventually establish an empathy link, allowing them to share what the other is feeling, which comes in handy when either is in danger.
Annabeth Chase
Percy's other significant relationship is with Annabeth Chase, Percy's friend-turned-love interest and eventual partner. Annabeth is the daughter of Athena, and she nurses Percy back to health after he's attacked by the Minotaur in The Lightning Thief. She dislikes him at first, but they become good friends over the course of the series, and eventually Percy confesses his feelings for her. Their relationship deepens in the Heroes of Olympus series. Percy imagines himself going to college with Annabeth and eventually marrying her.
Tyson
Another significant relationship for Percy is with Tyson, his half-brother. Tyson first appears as a fellow student in Percy's school, where Percy mistakes him for a monster. When Poseidon reveals that Tyson is his other son, Percy slowly begins to accept him. When he believes that Tyson is killed in an explosion, he's devastated. But when it's revealed that Tyson is alive, a grateful and relieved Percy fully embraces him.
Percy Jackson’s Love Interests
Besides Annabeth, Percy's other love interests include Rachel Elizabeth Dare, his human friend in the human world. Rachel likes Percy as more than a friend, but eventually realizes they can never be together as she's destined to become the next Oracle.
He also has a brief flirtation with Calypso, daughter of Atlas, who is stranded on Ogygia. She saves Percy and asks him to join her in immortality. While Percy is briefly tempted by her offer, he turns her down. He considers Calypso to be his biggest "what if."
Other Friends of Percy Jackson
Percy is friendly with Jason Grace, a Roman demigod—even though they have a slight rivalry with one another.
Percy is also friends with Jason's sister, Thalia, whom he meets when he uses the Golden Fleece to return her to her mortal form.
At first, Percy finds Nico di Angelo, another demigod, very annoying. Eventually, however, they become good friends.
Percy has a strong friendship with the adult Chiron, a centaur, a part horse and part human creature, that he first met in full human form as a teacher at his middle school. Mr. Brunner always had his back when Percy was blamed for accidents in the mortal world,. As Chiron, he is a good mentor to Percy at Camp Half-Blood.
Blackjack, a pegasus, is another non-human and non-god companion to Percy. He saves Blackjack from the Titan Army, and afterwards, the trusted winged steed always arrives when Percy is in trouble.
Percy Jackson’s Enemies
Percy's rivals include Luke Castellan. When Percy first arrives at Camp Half-Blood, he likes Luke and considers him a friend and mentor. Luke helps him train to be a better swordsman, and offers him friendship and support. But Luke is revealed to be the true lightning thief, and Percy realizes that Luke was using him the entire time.
Percy's worst enemy is Kronos, King of the Titans, who, as the father of Zeus and Poseidon, is technically his grandfather. Threatened by others with power, Kronos wants to destroy all of the gods and demigods.
What happens to Percy Jackson throughout the series?
Percy is first introduced in The Lightning Thief, when he survives a Minotaur attack and discovers his status as a demigod. At Camp Half-Blood, he learns more about his past and future, and begins training. However, it's not long before Percy is accused of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt and, with the help of his friends Grover and Annabeth, must clear his name. Percy ends up traveling to the underworld and revealing the true thief while also saving his mother from death.
In The Sea of Monsters, Thalia's Tree, which both protects Camp Half-Blood from monsters and shields them from the mortal world, has been poisoned. To save the camp, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece. But he needs the help of Grover, who's been kidnapped. Joining forces with Annabeth and his new friend Tyson, Percy sets out to rescue Grover and bring back the Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters, aka the Bermuda Triangle—running into old enemies along the way.
In The Titan's Curse, Percy and his friends learn of two new demigod siblings in need of their help—but when they set out to rescue them, their ally, the goddess Artemis, goes missing. She was hunting a mysterious monster before she disappeared, which leaves everyone on Olympus unsettled. What could be powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? What's clear: Artemis is needed in an important upcoming solstice vote about war against the titans, and it's up to Percy and his friends to find her before it's too late.
The Battle of the Labyrinth sees Percy facing one of his toughest challenges yet: high school. He is surprised by demon cheerleaders and the reappearance of former flame Rachel Elizabeth Dare, as well as signs indicating that the titans are gaining power. With Camp Half-Blood in more danger than ever, Percy and his friends must enter the underground labyrinth so Annabeth can fulfill a prophecy—and they can all find a way to keep their beloved camp safe.
In The Last Olympian, Percy's life is interrupted once more with a message from Blackjack: The titans are about to make their move from Luke Castellan's cruise ship in the Sea of Monsters. Percy throws himself into the fight but is alarmed to find the odds stacked against him and his friends at every turn. Then, he discovers a terrifying prophecy that could spell out his end, In the ensuing battle, which rages in Manhattan, Percy must face numerous choices that will affect not only his future but the fates of everyone he loves.
Percy appears in Heroes of Olympus series but not as a protagonist. He is not in every book; in fact, he spends much of the series missing while his friends search for him, but eventually returns. Percy also appears as a secondary character, and as a young adult living on his own, in the Trials of Apollo series. He is mentioned and makes a few brief appearances in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series as well.
How does the Percy Jackson of the films compare to that of the books?
Percy Jackson's story has been adapted numerous times for screen and stage. The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters were adapted into two feature films starring Logan Lerman as Percy. Percy was aged up in the films to appeal to a wider audience. Rick Riordan has famously said he wasn’t a fan of the changes the films' producers made, and he hasn't even watched the movies. In 2020, Rick Riordan announced that he was working with Disney+ to develop the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as a TV show for the streaming giant, with plans for each season to cover one book in the series. The project is still in development—so now is the perfect time to get caught up on Percy Jackson and the Olympians saga before the next adaptation hits the small screen. It's all narrated by Jesse Bernstein, who brings this fantastical world believably to life and captures the voices of not only Percy and his friends but also an array of mythical gods and monsters.
