Let’s Talk About Percy Jackson’s Dad

Percy Jackson has finally hit the shores of Disney+—a day early, too! Based on the novels by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the latest adaption of the story, following the character of Percy, a demigod who discovers there is more to his father than his mother let on.

Riordan created a world in which the Greek Gods of old really exist, watching over us, and getting a little frisky, it would seem, given that there are a few dozen half-blood kids running around. Percy discovers he is one such being, half mortal on his mother’s side, and half god on the other. This revelation comes to a head after a school trip goes awry and Percy finds himself fighting for his life against his algebra teacher.

He quickly makes his way to Camp Half-Blood, where he meets others who are just like him. The only problem is, they all know who their parents are, but thanks to a minotaur squeezing his mother into sparkles, Percy has yet to discover just who his father is—until the second episode, which dropped at the same time as the first.

We soon come to discover that Percy is a son of one of the big three, Poseidon (Toby Stephens), ruler of the ocean and all its creatures. To be a son of the big three is a danger in itself. Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon had made a pact not to sire any more half-blood offspring, as (in this world at least) they were too powerful and the cause of WWII. Percy is currently the only offspring of these three, which places him in greater danger than most demigods considering he shouldn’t even exist in the first place.

Being the son of Poseidon allows Percy some control over his father’s domain. He can command water to an extent, breathe underwater, mentally connect with various ocean creatures, and draw strength from water. He can even create small hurricanes and earthquakes.

In mythology, Poseidon was a tempestuous character. Though many in modern-day times cast Hades in a bad light, it was more often Poseidon who was causing trouble or kicking off in some way. When it came to the naming of cities, Poseidon always liked to be a contender, and if a city did not choose him—such as in the case of Athens, which took its name from the goddess Athena—he was so enraged that he sent a flood to punish them.

Not exactly the best father material then, is he? Still, we must admit those powers are pretty cool, so maybe that’s the trade-off: kind of a terrible dad, but pretty cool abilities.

(featured image: Disney+)