The Fandom Is Not Exaggerating the Importance of Riptide in ‘Percy Jackson and The Olympians’
It’s Greek mythology time once again now that the first episodes of Percy Jackson and The Olympians are finally streaming on Disney+. This new adaptation of Rick Riordan’s incredibly popular saga in which Greek gods, goddesses, demigods, and monsters are all real and capable of wreaking havoc on the modern world has been long-awaited by fans everywhere, especially after the short-lived attempt at a cinematic franchise in the early 2010s.
This new show was teased through a series of promotional material, most of which was set to an epic orchestral cover of Australian songwriter Vance Joy’s 2013 song “Riptide”—something that immediately made fans’ expectations for the show skyrocket, and with good reason. Riptide is a pretty significant element in Percy Jackson’s story, after all.
What is Riptide in Percy Jackson?
Riptide is none other than Percy Jackson’s sword, which is, of course, named like every good sword belonging to a hero should be. Its actual Greek name is Anaklusmos which translates exactly to “riptide,” a name that is fitting for someone who is the son of the sea god.
The sword—a medium-length xiphos, a double-edged sword part of the standard arsenal of Greek hoplites, or infantrymen—is made of celestial bronze, a metal that is deadly to monsters, demigods, gods and the like but is absolutely harmless to humans.
Still, it’s not like Percy walks around with a bronze sword strapped to his hip at all times—this is the world of Rick Riordan, after all, where everything is played with a twist. So Riptide usually stays in Percy’s pocket in the shape of an unsuspecting pen that turns into a sword as soon as its cap is taken off. It also has another unique and pretty useful ability—no matter where Percy drops it, Riptide will always find its way back into his pocket unless he’s the one to willingly give it away to someone else. Something that’s definitely bound to come in handy in a fight.
We actually saw how Riptide came into Percy’s possession in the very first episode of Percy Jackson and The Olympians. Mr. Brunner gives it to him while his class is on a field trip to the Met, knowing that he’ll soon have to use it to defend himself against Mrs. Dodds—soon-to-be-revealed as the Fury Alecto.
Considering that Mr. Brunner is none other than the centaur Chiron, wisest of his kind and legendary teacher of heroes, Achilles included, it makes perfect sense for him to be the one to give Percy the sword that he will carry throughout all his adventures.
(featured image: Disney+)
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