Percy Jackson
This article is about the character. For the fandom, see Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Perseus "Percy" Jackson |
| Occupation: | demigod, head counselor, praetor (previous) |
| Relationships: | Poseidon (father) Sally Jackson (mother) Gabe Ugliano (ex-stepfather) Paul Blofis (stepfather) Estelle Blofis (maternal half-sister) Tyson (paternal half-brother) Triton (paternal half-brother) Amphitrite (stepmother) Estelle Jackson (grandmother) Jim Jackson (grandfather) Annabeth Chase (girlfriend) |
| Fandom: | Percy Jackson and the Olympians Heroes of Olympus |
| Other: | born 18 August 1993 |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Percy Jackson is the protagonist and narrator of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, as well as one of main protagonists of its sequel series, Heroes of Olympus, and a minor character in the spin-off The Trials of Apollo. The original series follows him from the age of twelve to sixteen, during which he grows up in a dangerous world of modern-day Greek Mythology and is the subject of a dangerous prophecy.
Canon
Percy is a demigod, the son of Greek god Poseidon and Sally Jackson, a mortal woman with the ability to see through the Mist — a magical force that normally stops Mortals from seeing gods and monsters. Due to an oath made by Poseidon, Zeus and Hades, Percy’s existence is a dangerous and outlawed thing, as it could mean their destruction due to the nature of Big Three children. As a result of his heritage, Percy’s powerful scent made him a prime target for monsters and was stalked by them at a young age, but was the only one who could see them.
Because of his ADHD and dyslexia, and his penchant for getting into trouble, Percy was deemed a troublemaker and was expelled from six boarding schools for six consecutive years. As a result of being sent to boarding schools all the time, and the abusive environment in his home life, Percy is often prone to make self-deprecating remarks and has a low self-image. Despite, or perhaps because of this, he is described as friendly, brave, caring and loyal to a fault, the latter of which is in fact his fatal flaw. At the age of 12, Percy finally grows into his godly heritage and arrives at Camp Half Blood, a place for demigods to train, where he comes to the attention of the Olympians and their world after Zeus’ master bolt is stolen, and Percy soon discovers he is part of a Great Prophecy that will determine the fate of Olympus and the entire world.
As the son of Poseidon, Percy inherited his power, though he admits it is particularly sea-oriented: he can manipulate boats with words and gestures, is able to navigate the ocean easily despite no prior experience, controls water in all three phases, and is even able to breathe underwater, among other things. He also shows the ability to control earthquakes and storms, which also somewhat fall under Poseidon’s domain.
Percy in Fandom
Percy’s characterization, his status as first-person narrator, and Rick Riordan’s own lack of detail in backstories and personal life has led to diverse interpretations of Percy’s character in fanworks and meta.
Racebending/Ambiguous Ethnicity
One of the more popular tropes, especially on Tumblr. Despite being created as an avatar of the author’s son and having been played by two white actors, Percy’s race in the books has never been explicitly stated, and his complexion has been described as Mediterranean in-canon. Due to this, and his address being in East Harlem, which is populated primarily by people of Hispanic background, it is popular to headcanon him as being Latino. Another common race headcanon is black Percy, and in some cases as Afro-Latino.
Dark Percy
Seen since the fandom’s FF.net days and gaining more traction following the release of House of Hades, where Percy shows a darker and more dangerous side of himself and begins to question his morality. Often leans into his growing resentment to the gods (whether because of their abandonment or the death of someone he loves), and usually has Percy turning his back on Olympus and the camps and fighting against them. Some examples will show Percy siding with the Titans or some primordial forces, usually Chaos. These last ones also tend to have him being betrayed by his fellow friends and campers, further cementing his hatred.
Abused Percy
An equally popular trope that generally centers around pre-canon times. While Percy and his mother were physically and emotionally abused in the books by his stepfather, this is not seen in detail and it is rarely mentioned again. Conditions vary: some fics explore Percy’s abuse and the repercussions it has on him in the present; others center around Percy being abused and saved by someone else, and tend to present him as a hapless victim.
Suave Percy
This Percy is usually sarcastic, (more so than his canon counterpart) witty and quite popular, along with being openly flirtatious — this despite being self-described as hanging out with uncool people and being obtuse of romantic matters. This tends to overlap with punk and/or skater!Percy, which were popular and common tropes in fan art and fanfic.
Pairings
Het
Slash
It’s also quite popular to ship Percy with the Olympians (of either sex). Crossover pairings with characters from other Riordan series are less common, but as of Son of Sobek Percy/Carter has gotten attention.
Percy-centric Fanworks
Fan Fiction
- jump into that water and see for yourself - "So." "So." "What exactly brings you here today, Percy?" / Choosing good, even when the whole world screams for you to do otherwise. by Kealpos
- A Crown of Golden Leaves- Annabeth, a lady from the declining polis called Athens, must marry the Heir Apparent of Rome in order to save her country and the rapidly expanding world from a threat even the gods couldn't foresee. by TheDragonRider
- 911- Percy and Annabeth has been best friends since first grade. A certain explosion leaves them living in an orphanage causing them to be even closer than ever before. Slight Percabeth. by shia_f
- Children of Loss- The Lotus Hotel, paradise for the right price. Nico collapses in front of the Lotus Hotel and is taken in by the manager, Percy. But is this really paradise? by SonofHades
- Shattered- The world is hardly ever what it seems. We have seen our heroes fight monsters, gods, titans, and even the very Earth itself But, there were rules and procedures to be followed A clear defined path to victory. Now the enemy has no limits, no safeties, no restraints. Or Mortals aren't as blind and powerless as the gods seem to think... by BobInTheComments
- Murkiest Intentions- On Isla Nublar, one wrong move could mean certain death. Park manager Annabeth Chase is certain that adding the raptor paddock with their infuriating new trainer, Percy Jackson, is the epitome of this idea. But they find that here in Jurassic World, the secrets that lie in the shadows just might be more dangerous than the dinosaurs themselves. by inkncoffee
- Son of the Western Sea - All myths are true. Beyond the edge of Western Civilization lies the rest of the world. After the Second Olympian War, a restless Percy Jackson sails for the horizon, and never stops. by Mac_Ceallach
- Three - One life is not enough for love; Percy and Annabeth try for the Isles of the Blest, but it seems that fate is not always kind to them. by icy roses
Fan Art
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fan Vids
- Hall of Fame by Archiekins
Archives & Fannish Links
- Percy Jackson works at AO3
- Percy Jackson works on ff.net
- Stories tagged percyjackson on Wattpad