Makes Me Think About The Moment Where Percy Actually Died For The First Time I.e When He Bathed In Styx.

I'm a Percy Jackson apologist, not because I think he has anything to apologize for, but because people in this fandom tend to blame him for every little thing that goes wrong in those books, even if he had little or zero control over it or even made the objectively good or reasonable choice.

"Percy choked Nico in the last Olympian"

Percy was imprisoned by Hades himself, after Nico had (although, of course, unwillingly) betrayed him, in a cell, he was convinced would suffocate him, had just woken up of a nightmare of Typhon wreaking havoc in the US, with the gods doing very little to slow him down, and didn't even know it was Nico, he was attacking at first. He only realized it was him, after he had him already pinned to the floor and he let him go only a few moments after that. For all Percy could have known, Nico could have been a servant of Hades sent to kill him.

"Percy forgot to free Calypso."

First of all, not Percy's responsibility. Not at all.

Second of all, he did free her.

Percy stood before all the Olympians and, after winning the war for them, one of his demands was specifically that she (and other gods) should be forgiven. Let me be clear, Leo would not have been able to free Calypso from her island without this specific request. There was no possible way for Percy to know, that the gods would be assholes about it and wouldn't inform her of that. Hell, he even knew, that Hephaestus visited her from time to time to chat, so there was no reason for him to doubt that he'd just tell her.

"Percy killed Michael Yew in the battle of Manhattan"

Percy probably saved the entire Apollo cabin on that bridge. And as a reminder, it was Michael's idea to destroy it in the first place. Percy even told him to run before that. His death was without a doubt a tragedy, but by no means Percy's fault.

"Percy treated Tyson shitty after finding out he was a cyclops"

When? Give me one example in the Sea of Monsters were Percy was actively being a jerk to Tyson. Not something he thought, but something he actually did. He wasn't a fan of Tyson being his brother and denied it to other campers, yes. But, as a reminder, camp half-blood, or ar least some members of it, started to bully Percy after Tyson got claimed. The one place he thought he belonged to treated his friend and him by association like shit.

Still, he was on Tysons's side. He even defended him in front of Annabeth, his best friend might I add, and didn't stop spending time with him. They were a team during the chariot race, and even while thinking that Tyson might be a liability on their quest to save Grover, Percy refused to leave him behind, because he feared, that Tyson would be blamed for their disappearance.

I could go on and on and on, because that kid (and he is a kid, at the end of heroes of Olympus Percy is not even 17 years old) gets blamed for so much it's exhausting, but I 100% believe that nothing that Percy Jackson did was ever wrong and there is absolutely nothing he has to apologize for. Prove me wrong.

The Percy Jackson Fandom as a whole has this blind misconception that Annabeth is the smartest but Percy is this super powerful but dumb guy who can't do anything without Annabeth.

There is no evidence that proves Annabeth is the smartest, and let us break down the criteria for this.

1)Mythological knowledge:

Annabeth gets full points cause she has an exceptional amount of knowledge regarding almost all sorts of things.

Do we know anyone who knows myths better than her?

Nico and Jason most certainly have just as good theoretical information on Greek and Roman myths.

So, is this category inclusive to Annabeth? No.

Another point is that Percy is so good at adapting that even though he is unaware, almost always of who his opponents are, Percy ways manages to outwit them or beat them.

2)Quick thinking/Adaptation:

Percy Jackson wins no contest here.

Most newer demigods like Hazel and Piper have also shown the ability of quick thinking well.

Frank's tactical abilities are really underrated, along with Jason's .

3)Specialized weapons

The invisibility cap

(It was unusable through the whole of HoO.)

4)Power specific skill set:

Photographic memory

(It's an ability all Athena children probably have)

Natural aptitude for weaponry

(All children of war gods have this)

Trickery

I didn't say manipulation cause Percy is way better manipulator than Annabeth. It's not even comparable.

5)No. of Strategies made/ Perceptive ability/

Percy:

Tricking Crusty

Unraveling Ares's scheme

Unraveling Luke's betrayal

Figuring out use for Hermes's gift in SoM

Proving to camp of Luke's betrayal by tricking him

Helping in Tricking Atlas to lift the weight of the sky

Figuring out Kronos's plan

Planning the entire strategy of Battle of Manhattan

Tricking Gaea into helping him over Phineas

Tricking Chrysaur

Outwitting Geras

Annabeth:

Made the plan to kill Medusa

Taming Cerberus

Tricks Polyphemus, however, she directly copies Odysseus, so it's not an original tactic

Figuring out Quintus' true identity (along with Percy)

Activates Deadleus's defense mechanisms

Tricking priestesses of Roman deity

Tricking and trapping Arachne

I think based on all this, there's sufficient information that dispels the misebelief that Percy is somehow dumb and Annabeth is the smartest

frank: let me get this straight. thalia and jason’s domain is the sky, percy’s domain is water, and hazel and nico’s domain is basically the underground?

annabeth: yes

frank: but… can’t percy also create storms? that have clouds and lightning and thunder?

annabeth: yes

frank: and… and can’t percy also create earthquakes and make volcanoes erupt?

annabeth: yes

frank: so… in a way, doesn’t that mean everywhere is percy’s domain?

annabeth: yes.

annabeth: but don’t tell him. he hasn’t had that realization yet

JAY WHEN I CATCH YOU JAY!!

I know, I know, I am so late to the ever-growing brainrot due to Epic now with the Underworld Saga out but I honestly needed to just sit with that thing for a while.

Polites was obviously expected, but the open arms reprise still hurt, especially with Ody deciding to abandon Polites's ideals, which are something he has considered to be a crucial part of him for a long time.

What made this more tragic is the fact that we as an audience know for a fact that the monster ideology is what will get Odysseus back home and would have also not gotten Polites killed and yet it's so much better that he doesn't have to witness his best friend become that sort of monster and he could instead die with some semblance of peace knowing for all the pain it got him Odysseus still believed in his ideals till his dying breath and only in death has Odysseus made peace with the monster he has to become and that he will never have to see it or know it happen especially because he was one of the catalysts that incited it. (It would destroy Polites to know that, but he doesn't. Therefore, he died in peace with his ideals held intact, and so did his best friend because Odysseus is no longer himself when he gets back!!!!!!)

Don't even get me started on Anticlea. Tell me it doesn't haunt Odysseus for the rest of his days. The hollow voice waiting and waiting unwavering in love as it fades for something that will never be a reality, not for Anticlea, not in her lifetime and him forever unable to soothe her even after he brings his mother's once futile hopes to fruition. And the tragedy that no matter how enduring a will and unwavering her beliefs, she is and has always been betting against Gods and for all their supposed benevolence they will not grant her only wish; that she dies with no semblance of an idea of what happened to her beloved son.

And Odysseus is the most tragic of them all for he knows all of this and more, has to feel and survive past it and watch his own descent into monstrosity as he falters at last in the face of a wretched Prophecy that seeks to upend all hopes of the haven he thought he would be returning to from the hell he has sailed through.

God the songs are so good and so just and so repulsively heartwrenching when you think on it for even a little while, I swear Jay and the whole Epic cast has written arguably the greatest masterpiece of a musical!

Hi! I'm a new fan!

I have a Question. So I had just stumbled across a book series called Percy Jackson and Im Low-key interested. (especially after I heard the plot of the first book (I also love the idea of a 12 year old Neurodivergent boy Kicking Ass) And I just had to wonder...

Is the series good? Is it worth reading? I wanna read it but I don't know if I'll be wasting my time reading something that won't be good so I just had to ask if it was a good series worth reading.

I saw the fandom of the series and honestly 99% of them low-key scare me.

I also found out there was a sequel to the OG series and I was also wondering if that was also good and if the sequel series is worth reading.

My advice is that you should definitely read the original series. No matter what anyone says, the fandom all agree that the original series was perfect.

Since Rick intended to write for kids, it's a bit PG, like no swear words or explicit scenes, but there's a lot of monster fighting and general bloodshed which may or may not defeat the point of it being initially intended for younger audience. Either way, it's also not very romance heavy if that's what you are looking for. It's more fast-paced and action-packed with a tertiary romantic subplot. That's the gist of it, and I am sure you are already familiar with the books theme.

Still, you should read the Lightning Thief (Book 1), and if you find yourself liking the whole thing, then you should continue. Since you liked whole neurodivergent kids' kick ass and be badass, you are absolutely going to LOVE Percy. He is the only main character who is literally the fandom favorite, and he is just that iconic. It also has a continuous escalating plot line, so once you read Book 1, you will definitely end up reading the whole original series.

Yes, there's a sequel to the original series, the Heroes of Olympus, and it's well liked as well. Of course, due to certain inconsistencies, readers, including myself, have our fair share of complaints, but that doesn't take away from the series too much as some of the most awesome and downright jaw dropping moments in the storyline come from Heroes of Olympus. But you can decide whether to read that or not later if you actually decide to go through with reading the original series.

When you do finish Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I suggest you read some shirt stories before you start Heroes of Olympus. The Stolen Chariot, the Sword of Hades especially.

And there's a crossover series Demigods x Magicians. If you are interested, it's a crossover between Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson. So you can check out other works like Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase series if you want to properly enjoy the crossovers. Personally, I absolutely loved Kane Chronicles(not more than PJO but close enough), and the Magnus Chase series is great as well, but personally, I ended up liking Kane Chronicles more. Not to confuse you too much, but there's other short stories as well that I haven't mentioned, which you can read if you want to.

Now to the most important part of your question; yes you are right that there's a lot of controversy and negative takes going on in the fandom right now but here's a simple fact: All these controversies, arguments, negativity are just results of everyone being extremely attached to certain characters and absolutely loving certain books to pieces. So don't worry about that and just enjoy the books. Those books were a huge part of a lot of people's childhood, and they are absolutely worth reading. (Would love to hear from you if you end up finishing Percy jackson and the Olympians).

Yes, absolutely yes. You should totally rant more. We really are on the same wavelength when it comes to Pjo stuff. Considering Percy grew up in New York I am pretty sure he learned to be skeptical of everyone's motives and just naturally try and extract as much information as he could.

Given that he tapped into his demigod strength a bit later, he may or may not have manipulated his way out of some fights.

It's can also be said that Percy deliberately tries to appear clueless or weak so his opponents almost always underestimate him, and so do his allies. Only extremely observant characters like Luke or Carter and certain gods and other characters with good senses like Hazel or Meg could naturally pick Percy apart as someone exceptional or threatening.

But when he battles, suddenly everyone is hyperaware of his sheer aura of power or his frightening gaze. If you remember, Leo calls the look on Percy's face to be so threatening that it has the same effect as Jason summoning lightning. Or the way Piper says the look on Percy's face made her want to run in Blood of Olympus.

But I digress. The point is Grover knows most of Percy's habits, so he does all he can to put Percy at ease. And since information about others seems to interest Percy and Grover naturally loves talking about other people, he is only too happy to help with that. [I bet even Aphrodite Cabin can't help but let Percy in on gossips]

Another headcanon that I so desperately want to be true is that since Charmspeak is Aphrodite Cabin's gift and Aphrodite is of the sea; the power is similar to sirens. And maybe just maybe Percy's superior persuasive skills could probably develop into an ability of its own. It is also why I believe Percy is definitely immune to charmspeak. After all it only worked on him because he was possessed by other creatures and even then it took a while. Might be a reach, I don't know but I do love that headcanon.

So yeah, they totally gossip, and I bet Rachel joins in. Who would hide stuff from the Oracle any way? So she is totally in on most secrets of campers, and she Percy and Grover totally gossip.

This turned long for no absolute reason, but I really loved your take on this, so I couldn't resist.

Percy and Grover are the two biggest gossips in the riordanverse and no one can convince me otherwise.

Percy/Grover knows when the other has just learned something juicy cause of their empathy link (that's been completely forgotten buy literally everyone, something I cry bout everyday).

Now don't get me wrong, Percy and Grover would never share/spread what they know outside of each other, they know how damaging rumours can be.

I just hc that Percy subconsciously seeks out information on other people as a sort of "passive" defense mechanism if that makes sense.

With how little people tell him (if they tell me anything at all) and how often everyone, even those closest to him, deliberately keeps him in the dark, his habit of seeking out "gossip" and "rumors" when he was younger steadily developed into a habit of seeking and hoarding whatever information he could find.

Like he doesn't need to know but he'd like too, and virtually nothing about his behavior towards the others would change aside from the fact he'd be more prepared to interact/deal with the person he's talking to/facing, more prepared to "code switch" in a way.

Which loops in well with the fact that many people (Grover, annabeth, Thalia, Bianca, Zoe etc) confide in Percy/tell him bout their pasts/secrets easily enough, and while Percy listens to and empathizes with them he rarely offers up his own experiences.

One of the only times I can remember where Percy tried to get someone to see/understand his pov with him was in TLT where he asked annabeth something to the effect of "what if it was your dad that was kidnapped?" and annabeth replied with something like "I wouldn't care" which understandably surprised Percy. I think that interaction is part of the reason why Percy never speaks about himself/his past with others, it's obviously not the only thing that contributed but I think it was a decent sized factor in maybe not creating but rather cementing the idea that Percy should keep his cards as close to his chest as possible, and if he ever had to share any of his cards I think he'd like to know how he should share them, like how he should phrase things and what points he should make yk?

The more he knows bout the person he may have to interact with, the easier it would be to "make a plan" so to speak (and by "make a plan" I mean that Percy wouldn't have to worry much bout stepping into uncomfortable territory if that makes sense)

Let's not forget that despite what everyone says and believes (both in universe and in fandom), Percy is not only smart as hell, he's also incredibly observant and he notices a lot of things, he'd find it real easy to build a profile on everything he comes into contact with.

Grover, due to the empathy link, did pick up Percy's habit and adopted it himself but he also just straight up likes to gossip

(This got kinda derailed/rambley and this hc is totally just me projecting onto Percy a lil, I stand by it tho.)

Respectfully, did Percy Jackson even have any character development throughout the original series?

He doesn't have any flaws. He chose to take the prophecy from Nico, but he was always going to be the prophecy child.

He's good at the start and good at the end with no development unless you count being traumatised and depressed from a war as development, which it's not.

Not trying to be rude, sorry if I seem rude.

Worry not. It's a perfectly reasonable question and should usually be applied to most character studies. Also, buckle up. This is going to be long. Very long. It took me a while to get the time to post this and even more time to actually get my thoughts together. Like a lot of time. (To anyone who doesn't want to read the horrid mess of a post this is there's a partition at the end, after which all the most important points are summarized. ) Just skip to that, but hopefully, someone reads this whole thing because it took me eons to write.

I can see why you think that way, and it is contributed more so by Rick's absolute incapability of not recycling the dead horse that is the original pjo dynamics. He has inhibited character growth from almost every single character where all their epiphanies and character change in the end amounts to nothing, and they regress back to how they used to be, and any and all deviations their personality had are either dismissed or suppressed.

Percy is the victim of the latter. In the first book, he was a child, not particularly concerned with saving the world or being a halfblood. His life had been worse enough, and the halfblood situation had made it abysmal. Percy was living goal by goal. He wanted to get through the field trip, then through the semester, then through the Gabe interactions all so he could finally see his Mom, the one good thing about his life. Then that upends completely, and his only reprieve, the trip to Montauk, his safe place becomes the start of a series of grand tragedies in his life.

Sure, he stayed at the Camp, not willingly but for safety. He had nowhere to go, his life had been turned upside down, his mother was dead, and he wanted to go home, to have his mother back. He couldn't have cared less about the Gods and the world ending, but as soon as Chiron mentions Underworld, Percy is back on solid ground. He has a goal again. Get Sally back. He does everything to reach that goal. He fights monsters, prays to a godly father he refused to acknowledge beforehand, manipulate the press and the Gabe situation, bargain with immortal deities and such, and negotiate his way out of most of those bargains. All the while keeping in mind that he has a traitor to deal with, but Percy is the definition of "deal with one thing at a time. If it's not an immediate concern, it can wait." He does all that and is rewarded for it by being able to live, getting his mother back, and a taste of the life he has doomed himself to, and he almost seems to accept it. He even wonders if Camp Half Blood could be his home.

We see Percy do this throughout all the books. He is constantly changing his intentions, his goals, and his opinions on everything. He is also caught in his internal conflict of being with or against the Gods. The thing is, Percy has very little time for reflection as he is jumping from one existential threat to another, and yet he still manages to grow in the small ways. You need to see it individually book wise rather than over the whole series as Rick messes up terribly with character arcs and developments of literally every other character.

He begins by not caring about Poseidon's existence or his proximity, but in the end, he, too, is beholden to the intrinsic need of having a father. He, too, wants Poseidon to care for him like a father and is therefore hurt by being called a mistake. He knows Poseidon claimed him as a weapon against Zeus so he could rectify someone else's mistakes and restore Poseidon's reputation; who if not Percy would understand this manipulation the best? But the best lies are the ones you want to believe in, and so Percy keeps his silence because, of course, he wants to believe his father genuinely cares for him and loves him. Who doesn't?

He didn't want to be the hero, but by the end of the first book, when he is called one, he doesn't dislike the feeling. He accepts if only a little that this is to be his life now, and as the series progresses, he adds to the pros and cons.

In the Sea of Monsters he is very happy that Gabe is gone and it's just him and his mother again but by the end of it he has gained a new family member in Tyson and is very happy of the fact. He even manages to get over his initial hostility of Clarisse somewhat when he understands her situation.

Titan's Curse is all about Percy learning about the number of forces at play in the world of demigods. He tries to get along with the Hunters and Thalia; it doesn't work. He ends up almost losing Annabeth, someone who he considers a close friend by now. And so we see Percy spiral a little, show more of his anger issues as he interacts with Thalia or even Young Nico just after Annabeth falls from the cliff. Angry and impatient, he goes on his own quest.

I know most readers remember it as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover or the main cast always working together, but it's almost never like that. Somewhere along the way, Percy always ends up doing his own thing, which works because he best works on improvisations. It's Percy's plans that always end up working the most more so than Annabeth's. Just putting it out there.

Then it's just Percy having the worst month of his life. Annabeth is in mortal danger. No one seems to be hearing his opinions between Thalia and the Hunters. Then Bianca dies and Percy because he is Percy is completely and utterly guilty over it.

Note that Percy says he will do his best to keep Biancs safe and not outright promise to keep Bianca safe. But his non-existent self-esteem and other factors withstanding he blamed himself for it completely. Then Zoe dies, and Percy has lost yet another person he thought he needed to keep safe.

Percy is angry at the gods, but he is not surprised by their actions. But he is Percy, and he is determined to change the ways of Olympus, so he pressures the Council and his father to keep the Ophiptaurus, the very creature that threatens to topple their rule. It's his small was of rebelling, and Percy is always rebelling against the gods in his own way, almost never playing into their hands because as much as he despises Luke, he agrees with Luke too and unless he finds a better way to deal with the situation than what Luke is employing he too would have to one day follow in Luke's footsteps.

Now Percy, who trusts Chiron, even thinks of him as a secondary father figure realizes that Chiron for all his compassion for mortals and demigods will always in the end do the bidding of the Gods'. So he makes the snap decision to hide Nico's parentage from Chiron and from everyone else because Percy realizes no matter how much he loves or cares for certain people in his life, they are beholden to answer to a higher power he cannot gainsay, so he will have to take some secrets to the grave. He learns that in the end, some things he needs to shoulder himself.

And of course, the guilt of Bianca's death is no lesser, so he does the only thing he thinks can give him some relief from it. He takes the prophecy for himself, saving Nico and hoping it's enough to alleviate himself of this bile inducing sensation in his gut called guilt that is swallowing him whole.

Now, the Battle of Labyrinth is the most crucial. This is the book with maximum stress on Percy from all ends. From Sally dating Paul and Percy having to prove he is worth Paul's confidence in him in Goode, from Annabeth who is quite literally snippy and passive aggressive through the whole book either due to Rachel or due to her own prophecy even though Rachel and Percy are the two people who got them all out. Then there's the Nico situation. He knows Nico is spiraling, which is making Percy spiral and further strengthening his own guilt. And on top of all this, the Luke situation. Percy is literally caught between an enclosed space, with all four sides closing in on him rapidly while he is fending off mortal danger.

All this repressed tension is fully let loose when he explodes Mt. Helen's. And this is the tipping point. Percy wants to take the choice of Calypso's Island if only briefly and not because he loves her or anything of the sort but because it's his one escape. From everything from his own doomed prophecy. Yet again, Percy is trapped by his own fatal flaw. Personal Loyalty. So he chooses to carry out his responsibility because he has given himself no other choice.

If that wasn't enough of self-realization, he is faced with the horrifying realization of the devastation his power has wrought. His loss of control has single handedly released the greatest threat to Olympus. Hephaestus tells Percy he doesn't know the limits of his own, and by the gods, does that terrify Percy. Up until now, Percy knew his powers were dangerous, but now he knows that he is also dangerous; that he is the real danger. And it's not a reality he wants to ever confront, so he coils his power and holds it tight in a leash. (It's why Percy's burts of power always begin with an unraveling sensation in his gut or something breaking inside himself)

He is somewhat soothed by Poseidon's reassurance because not only does Poseidon not blame him, he also solidifies Percy's faith that he is doing the right thing. And if Poseidon sprinkles in the fact that Percy is the favorite child then who is he to deny himself the comfort of such sweet lies because, of course, Percy thinks it's a lie and of course Percy basks in it. He knows better than to trust gods, he knows better than to trust even his own allies because at the times like this, they will do and say anything to appease him, after all the fate of Olympus depends on him, does it not? And neither the Gods nor the demigods will risk a falling out with him at times like this.

He asks his father if he can help but is denied because he is needed here. Then he does his job as told, and Charlie dies. It's on him. He is struck with twice as much guilt. Over Beckendorf, and then over the state of Atlantis. He asks again if he can help his father and is denied again yet scorned by his father's family, for he can't even help them with the mess he started (or so he believes).

This is why Percy goes with Nico's plan of using the Styx. Because he assumes Nico of all people who already hated him has no reason to curry for his favor. But he makes a mistake. After all, Nico needs his father's favor, and Hades needs Percy gone. Percy can't really blame the kid, but he does anyway because why not? He is angry, he is furious, and everything is slipping from his fingers. He is going to die. Everyone is going to die, and it's all on him. It's all his fault, AGAIN. So he rages at Nico because for at least one single moment, he wishes this were someone else's burden, especially Nico's, but Percy's taken it for himself, and it's too late to back out now.

So he fights and manipulates and negotiates. Titans, River gods, his own demigods. Because don't forget Percy knows there's a mole and that's also his problem. Everything is his problem. All that work and so many dead. Silena, Michael, Ethan, and many more on both sides, and he is trying everything he can to make it better to fix things because, again, he thinks it's his fault. Imagine doing all that, and Rachel tells him he is not the hero, and Percy bristles because no, he doesn't want to be a hero, but of course, it offends him. Because, if he's not the hero, then it's not his burden, and then what the hell is he doing all this for if, in the end, he is not the hero that can save Olympus? Does that mean he read the prophecy wrong, and now he is going to get everyone killed because he wrongly assumed he isn't the hero. He is angry and impulsive, and he snaps at even Hermes. Because now HE is spiraling.

And somehow, it's all over with Luke killing himself, and it dawns on Percy, the truth. So despite all the hate because why wouldn't there be hate, Luke has singlehandedly tried to kill Percy more than Percy can count, and he calls Luke the Hero. Makes the choice because he believes in Annabeth's faith and Hermes's faith in Luke. It pays off and that's all that matters.

Finally finally it is all over. the Gods owe him, and finally, he has an answer on the path he wants to take to change the gods. He denies immortality because he is Percy Jackson, he is Sally Jackson's son and he knows better than to let others dictate the flow of his life, because he has better plans than wasting away inside for eternity, dancing on someone else's tune. He fights for the demigods, the non-Olympian gods and their children who Olympus has failed to do justice to, for Nico, and in some way for himself.

Then it's not over at all because Rachel has taken Blackjack and Percy knows the truth of the Oracle and he loves Rachel far too much to let her even try. But it works and she is okay; he can't be with her but she is alive and she is okay and Percy is extremely grateful for that.

But then there's a new prophecy, and even though he tries to find some peace with Annabeth, he knows it's not over. It's never over for him. But he can forget about it until he can no longer afford to ignore it.

___________________________________________

Of course, Percy repressed his trauma. The last time he let it out, he released the literal bane of the gods out. Do you think Percy could live with something like that happening again? What choice does he have? There's no one who can understand him. NO ONE. Not even Annabeth.

You can see him accept his role as a leader and grow more into it. In son of Sobek or even in Son of Neptune. He is more serious and more authoritative because he has so many people depending on him, so many expectations hanging on him. We can also see Percy's anger issues get out of hand. He is spiraling, the readers know he is spiraling, and Percy knows, but he can't do ANYTHING. HE IS LITETALLY DYING OR BEING ATTACKED, HE CAN'T, HE JUST CAN'T.

BUT WE KNOW IT'S THERE BECAUSE WE CAN SEE HOW MUCH PERCY HAS GROWN INTO SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. AND HE CAN'T ACT ON THEM MOST OF THE TIME BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE ARE DEPENDENT ON HIM AND HIS FATAL FLAW WON'T ALLOW HIM TO PUT HIMSELF OUT OF HIS MISERY.

BUT WHEN HE HAS DONE EVERYTHING HE POSSIBLY COULD, AFTER HOUSE OF HADES, HE LETS POLYBOTES'S POISON CHOKE HIM, ALMOST KILLING HIM IF JASON HADN'T INTERVENED. THANK GOD FOR JASON GRACE.

Percy was this sassy, heavily independent, "I do my own thing" kid and now he is someone with more responsibilities than anyone with most of his free will stripped and most of his hopes ruined or deemed impossible. IT'S TRAGIC AND IT'S EXCRUCIATING AND HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE HE THINKS IT'S MAKING OTHERS HAPPY. IT'S SUCH A HORRIBLE SITUATION. IMAGINE BOOK 1 PERCY? HE WOULD HAVE LET IT BLOW UP IN EVERYONE ELSE'S FACE BEFORE HE EVER LET HIMSELF BE SO BROKEN.

I have seen so many people say how Percy is the standard hero who is always good and never makes bad choices, and I wonder which books they read. Percy always makes the supposed "right" choices at the cost of himself. His fatal flaw enabling his moral compass and the sheer guilt of the lives lost. He can't escape. He hates the gods, he hates the quests but he loves his family and friends so dearly, there's nothing he wouldn't do for them which means Percy is suffocating, drowning, choking in his own misery, his repressed trauma,his self loathing and being crushed to death by the weight of lives, responsibilities and expectations only he can hope to fulfil.

And one day Percy won't be able to take it. His lapses of control will increase in magnitudes so great, his inner rage will level the world. Destroyer, like Athena predicted, Destroyer like Kronos wanted and Destroyer like his name means.

Not every hero needs a villain arc. Percy is inspiring because after all this shit and all these horrors. He is still good, but WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE TOLL OF IT. PERCY IS STILL GOOD BUT AT WHAT COST? LOOK WHAT IT'S DONE TO HIM.

Rick has such a great potential for an arc like that but he is going to fuck it up, I know he is but I hope readers realize where it's all leading to and how much Percy has changed and how much he has sacrificed. Also, @hermesmyplatonicbeloved , @ogjacksonsimp , @cynicalclairvoyantcadaver , @helenofsparta2, @fourcornersofcreation thoughts? Did I stray too far from the canon, or am I getting it right at least a little? Because this post took days, I have no idea what it has devolved into.

Unlike Annabeth apologists, we have Percy Jackson defense squads. After all the icon and legend that is Percy Jackson needs to be defended from all the baseless and self invented slander haters have been throwing at him for years and obviously missing because what is there to hate in the one character in PJO that has done nothing but help others, protect others and save the world.

Bruh. Is there another edition of the Percy Jackson series that I haven't seen floating around? Or are people just that out of it?? Like. even if you don't think that Annabeth is abusive, the judo-flip scene should be enough to make ppl think twice about making this statement.

hi hello! i hope you're having a good day

i love reading your writing and analysis/takes on percy jackson ( the character and franchise ), and i wanted to know your opinion on perpollo. just anything you have to say on the topic. i find it so interesting as a concept itself and when it's explored.

I am sorry for the delay. I hope you and everyone else who sent me asks has found the pinned post regarding my hiatus. I will answer as many asks as I can in this week but I have exams coming up so I won't be very active for a while after this.

Back to the point, I really like the possibilities that the Perpollo ship presents. I know I have not made any Perpollo centric posts but given its popularity and how many prominent blogs have analyzed it along with some of my mutuals @ackerlikesmen , @deliajackson , @hermesmyplatonicbeloved I really haven't felt the need to. They will probably have great stuff to add on or correct in my analysis.

I have mixed opinions on the ship. My parameters for analyzing this ship may not align with you, but I just feel better when factual and practical nuances are considered. This is one of the few ships where the cons can be used as tropes to further bolster the pros of the ship. So let's start with that:

PROS:

1.It's a mutually respectful relationship with no toxicity.

Apollo greatly respects Percy even before the events of Trials of Apollo. He votes to save Percy in the Titan's Curse and also actively helps him and begins respecting him after he saves Artemis.

In Singer of Apollo, Apollo tells Percy that he is Apollo's favorite hero.

In the Hidden Oracle, when Apollo realizes that he is human, he wants Percy to be his master. Apollo the ( God of Ego) thinks that if anyone is worthy of commanding him it's Percy.

When Meg is being hesitant about trusting demigods, and Apollo wants to prove that some of them are good and reliable, he picks Percy as the prime example. Not anyone else of the Seven or even his own children but Percy.

In their initial conversation where Apollo is still repulsively high handed and egoistic and considers Percy declining him as self-centered he doesn't complain too much on it an even follows up by the thought that Percy has done him much goodwill. And this is before his transformation so Percy is that influential that even pre ToA Apollo can't really pick faults at him.

Now Percy began with disliking Apollo as much as he dislikes any gods. But he does remember Apollo thanking him at the end of Titan's Curse and declines Apollo's offer for free Archery lessons.

Percy acknowledges the change in Apollo and respects Apollo for it. Despite his annoyance Percy is one of the few to help him initially and consistently throughout the series.

2. Common family/friends circle and culture

Initially, one would question why this matters, but I think it's generally a comforting space to be involved with someone who knows your roots and is on good terms with your family. It's both wise and fosters a stronger bond. It's even more reassuring and I dare say easier when a couple shares similar cultures/family roots. It automatically trumps the trial and error phase of adjustment with another person's family and cultural norms.

Percy is a family oriented person and therefore likes that Apollo respects and thinks highly of his mother and his family.

Apollo is despite his progress, someone who considers status quo important, and he appreciates that Percy is such a high profile person on Olympus and obviously the most influential out of all demigods. Plus, he is a sea prince.

Percy is on good terms with Apollo Cabin and Will, Kayla, Austin and formerly Michael all respect Percy and are fond of him. Percy despite being mid battle and exhausted from his fight stopped everything and looked through the bridge rubble to try and save Michael and retrieve his body.

Percy is the only male demigod Artemis acknowledges and likes and he has saved her before and they are on extremely good terms. Apollo loves his sister very much so it's unlikely he would accept someone who wasn't on good terms with Artemis. No other demigod has that advantage.

Percy and Apollo also have an exclusive friend in common being Rachel, who is Apollo's Oracle and Percy's very good friend. In fact, Rachel was led to being the Oracle by meeting Percy and Apollo adores Rachel.

Percy is possibly the demigod that has been through the most hardships and Apollo has had a taste of what demigod hardship is like so he knows what it is like being in Percy's situation. And there's full understanding there.

Percy knows many gods and is aware of godly ways so he isn't a novice to divinity or the world of gods or what gods do in general. So, it's unlikely that Apollo's functions, roles and responsibilities will cause any misunderstandings between them.

3. There is no god mortal power gap that usually exists.

Percy is a prince of the Sea and Poseidon's favorite child. He has also been offered godhood before and is hailed throughout Olympus as it's Savior twice. Essentially, he is on equal footing with Apollo.

He might be mortal but given his high profile status in Olympus and in both camps, Apollo [yes Apollo already absolutely respects and thinks highly of Percy] would not be able to mistreat or hurt Percy in any major ways.

4. They have similar goals of bettering lives of demigods and are both in positions to do so and therefore collaborate frequently even in their work life. This is healthy in a relationship.

5. With Sally's own affair with Poseidon, Percy and Apollo dating create a nice sort of generational parallel.

6. Percy respects the domains Apollo stands for, and that's very important, I think to a god. Percy is grateful to healers, is friends with the Oracle and is Rachel's protector to some extent, is fond of music and is fairly artistic (writer as he does write/ narrate the whole orignal series himself) on his own. Though he sucks at Archery, it seems to amuse Apollo rather than anger him, and he offers Percy archery lessons from himself, so that could be a fun dynamic.

7. Percy and Apollo are very complementary, and their dynamic can really help both of them.

Percy has extreme self esteem issues and Apollo, proud and egoistic as he is can help Percy develop self assuredness and inner confidence. Apollo is narcissistic without understanding how damaging his narcissism can be. He learns about as much from his Trials so he can and I think he would like to learn from Percy his compassion and humility. I think they could really help each other and match each other quite well.

They are both very open-minded, so they can always try out new interests that the other likes and can develop completely new hobbies together. They both like not having important tasks thrust upon them, lol so they can find ways to dodge godly affairs together.

CONS:

1.Apollo's lovers often meet disastrous ends either at his hands or another's.

Percy is the one person who deserves to have a very relaxing and enjoyable life devoid of any excess trouble after all he's been through. So another death prophecy might not be something Percy wants and given how tormented Apollo is by memories of his past lovers, another relationship might not be the best idea especially with one he thinks of so highly. Apollo might intentionally stay away from Percy to not bring him any misfortune.

2. Percy dislikes gods.

No matter what, after all that's been done to demigods and all the wars they have suffered are direct results of godly mistakes. He generally tolerates gods and likes only Hestia and Poseidon and has antagonistic take on all other gods, rightfully so.

Therfore Percy might not be at all interested in pursuing a relationship with a god, changed or otherwise. He might have come to see eye to eye with many gods and he clearly respects Apollo now, it might still be a bit too far of a leap for him to consider getting together with a god.

3. Percy wants a quiet and peaceful life

Apollo loves grand things and grand gestures. He also loves being the center of attention as you know he is quite literally the Sun God. It might not align well with Percy's mindset for thea future or Apollo's mindset for a relationship.

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There can be a compromise found for all of these. And they all make for good fic ideas.

For the first one,Apollo being extra careful towards Percy's safety or considering the threat of Apollo's own enemies targeting Percy and making arrangements accordingly might help along with Percy's own reassurances as a powerful demigod.

Secondly, Percy might be convinced through seeing things with Apollo's eyes that even those inside Olympian systems suffer the wrath or Zeus regularly and chafe under the chains of ancient and archaic rules. He might decide to help them so that they can better help their own children. And he has made exceptions for certain gods before. Like Hestia, Pan and his father. So it's not far fetched to think that Apollo could also be potentially added to the list.

Lastly, Apollo might make Percy realize that wanting a peaceful and quiet life doesn't mean he should give up perks of enjoying his powers or his status and can and should be able to experience the joys of both.

That's my honest thoughts on Perpollo. I like them. I like their dynamic. I certainly have enjoyed my fair share of Perpollo fics and they could make a great pair together. But regardless of that, they can really help and understand each other. I love and I mean absolutely love the fics where Apollo hypes Percy up. I need more of those fics so would love recommendations. Also, fellow greek mythology enthusiasts, feel to chime in with obscure Apollo facts.

Louder, for willfully blind people in the back and, of course, the amnesiac Rick Riordan himself.

you know what? enough with the "Percy is just another dude" trend. He does not look like another dude. Hazel, a powerful big three kid saw him once and thought he was a god.

Percy was offered immortality 3 times before his 18th birthday. The Olympians, who chronically cannot agree on anything unanimously decided to grate Percy godhood. not immortality. godhood. Poseidon, who has literally tens of thousands of children decided that Percy was his favorite. As soon as Percy discovered he was a demigod he started kicking godly ass and never stopped, even in fucking Tartarus.

I need people to start realizing this. immediately. enough with the "he's just a plain dude." no. No. NO. from the get go they see that Percy completely out of their league. camp jupitar saw this and promoted him to praetor in the space of a WEEK. they merely glimpsed the potential and they tried to hang on to him.

Percy's profs at NRU recognize his intelligence (4 languages under his belt before 18 without consistent learning disability accommodations), and offer him a specialized program and he becomes one of the youngest demigods/leggionnares to earn a masters/PhD. In a shockingly short amount of time. they test his IQ and he's a veritable genius.

He joins the basketball varsity team and redos all their strategy plays and his teammates realize that yeah. this is the guy that camp up with the strategy to take down typhon. this is the guy that led the defense against Kronos. they can believe it. after one rousing speech by Percy he has them all ready to fist fight Jupiter himself. they fucking smash every single other college team off the board; it's like nothing anyone's ever seen before. every single one of them get multiple professional offers to join national/international teams.

his classmates occasionally see him hanging around new rome with people they don't recognize. except praetor Reyna does and she fucking gasps and kneels and it turns out his friends he like to hang out with casually? fucking Olympian gods. Hermes. Mercury. Apollo(n). Poseidon. Neptune. Artemis. Diana. they visit on his schedule. they do shit for him. because he's the one that saved their asses. and they fucking know it.

just. enough with the "he's just a normal guy, Percy Jackson." no. No. NO. the man is single handedly responsible for the fact that Olympus still stands and western civilization still exists. He is light years out of everyone's leagues.

Respect Percy Jackson.