Summary
- Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades appear in season 1 of Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, with other gods introduced as well.
- The actors’ costumes for their portrayals of the gods are true to the book’s descriptions of their modern attire.
- Season 1 follows the plot of the first book, The Lightning Thief, but it also includes characters that only debuted in the second book.
A handful of Greek gods appear in Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which covers the first book but also incorporates elements from the saga’s wider lore. Adapted from Rick Riordan’s book series, the show follows pre-teen Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) as he discovers that he is a demigod, one of the half-human children of the ancient Greek gods. This will not be the first time these versions of the Greek gods will be brought to the screen, as the Percy Jackson movies were the first live-action interpretation of the saga.
Over the course of the series’ five books, Percy meets all twelve of the major Olympian gods, as well as a variety of other figures from Greek mythology. Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 follows the plot of the first book, called The Lightning Thief. A few of the Greek gods are an essential part of Percy’s story in The Lightning Thief. However, some extra gods who do not show up in the saga’s first entry are part of season 1, which exemplifies how Disney’s Percy Jackson show combines different portions of the book series for the TV adaptation.
11 Zeus (Lance Reddick)
God Of Sky & Thunder, King Of The Gods
Zeus rules over all the Olympian gods and is known for angering his wife Hera by constantly having affairs. He and his brothers Poseidon and Hades are referred to as the “Big Three” in Percy Jackson. Zeus’ only child in the series is Thalia Grace, who does not become important until the second book.
In The Lightning Thief, Zeus believes that Percy has stolen his lightning bolt and is threatening war among the gods. Lance Reddick’s Zeus look in the show is adapted from Zeus’ description from the book, where he wears “a dark blue pinstriped suit,” conveying a sense of authority. Sadly, Reddick passed away in March 2023, which means that Zeus will likely be recast in future seasons.
10 Poseidon (Toby Stephens)
God Of The Sea
Riordan characterizes Percy’s father Poseidon as intense yet considerate of his son in the books. In Greek mythology, Poseidon also has control over storms, earthquakes, and horses, and is known for his rivalry with the goddess Athena, the mother of Percy’s friend Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries). Poseidon only appears at the end of The Lightning Thief, but Percy does receive a gift from him for his quest: his signature weapon, the sword Riptide. Percy also discovers his odd ability to communicate with horses in the first book.
Riordan’s version of Poseidon favors Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and sandals, as a modern interpretation of his association with the ocean. The show’s Poseidon upholds this, with actor Toby Stephens wearing a shirt and necklace that would not be out of place at the beach. Ironically, this is not Stephens’ first seafaring character. He previously played Captain Flint on the show Black Sails, a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
9 Hades (Jay Duplass)
God Of Death, King Of The Underworld
Percy and his allies believe that Hades has stolen Zeus’ master bolt, as a war of the gods would result in thousands of deaths and expand Hades’ Underworld kingdom. In the failed 2010 Percy Jackson movie, most of the gods are generic, wearing ancient Greek garments. Hades (Steve Coogan) is the exception, retaining Riordan’s habit of giving the gods modern clothes that allude to their powers. The movie’s Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) even suggests that Hades looks similar to Mick Jagger. Jay Duplass plays an equally charismatic version of Hades in the show, wearing a shiny, distinctive blazer.
8 Dionysus (Jason Mantzoukas)
God Of Wine & Festivity
In Percy Jackson, the god Dionysus has angered Zeus and is punished by having to be the director of Camp Half-Blood, where he is known as “Mr. D.” The movie made the mistake of cutting Mr. D, then awkwardly adding him in the sequel. The show learns from this and includes Mr. D from the start, played by Jason Mantsoukas. His messy hair and beard and vivid printed shirt convey Dionysus’ reputation as a party animal in Greek mythology. Additionally, the tiger pattern of his shirt references the tigers that appear in several myths concerning Dionysus.
7 Ares (Adam Copeland)
God Of War
Ares, son of Zeus, is brutish and is known in mythology for his long-term affair with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends run into Ares, prompting the title of the chapter “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers.” Episode 5 has the same title, implying that his plot point remains. However, Ares is not as helpful as he initially seems. Adam Copeland’s version of Ares wears leather jackets and arrives via motorcycle as he did in the book. Ares’ daughter Clarisse La Rue (Dior Goodjohn), Camp Half-Blood’s resident bully, also appears in season 1.
6 Hermes (Lin Manuel-Miranda)
God Of Travelers, Thieves, & Merchants, Messenger Of The Gods
Hermes is also a son of Zeus and generally has a positive, trickster disposition in most stories and adaptations. His cabin at Camp Half-Blood is overfilled because many of the demigods do not know who their godly parent is, so they are grouped under the god of travelers. Hermes’ son Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell) is also an important character in the series. Lin Manuel-Miranda wears a casual hoodie and eagerly greets the demigods at a casino, in line with Hermes’ carefree personality. Hermes actually does not appear until the second book, meaning his addition in season 1 is a deviation from the source material.
5 Hephaestus (Timothy Osmundson)
God Of Blacksmiths, Metalworking, & Fire
Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera and is married to Aphrodite. Hephaestus also does not appear in The Lightning Thief, but Percy and Annabeth get caught in the Tunnel of Love, a trap he designed for his wife and her lover Ares. Hephaestus first appears in the fourth book when Percy and the others visit his workshop while navigating the Labyrinth. Timothy Osmundson wears rugged work clothes because of Hephaestus’ status as a master craftsman.
4 Chiron (Glynn Turman)
Teacher Of The Demigods
In Greek mythology, Chiron is a centaur who is known for training the demigod heroes, most notably Achilles and Hercules. He therefore lives and works at Camp Half-Blood, where Percy and the other demigods live and train. Chiron is a trusted ally throughout the series and is a comforting presence to the demigods, who flock to the camp to escape monsters pursuing them. As Chiron, Glynn Turman wears a tie and tweed jacket to establish that his character is primarily a teacher.
3 The Fury Alecto (Megan Mullally)
One Of Three Furies
Percy and the other demigods are constantly hunted by monsters of Greek legend. At the beginning of the book, Percy is dealing with his difficult teacher, Mrs. Dodds. Percy tells Grover that doesn’t “think Mrs. Dodds is human,” which turns out to be true. When they are alone she transforms into her true monstrous form, and Percy is barely able to defeat her. This all happens before Percy is told he is a demigod or arrives at Camp Half-Blood, so the attack has an element of both horror and mystery. Megan Mullally wears black leather as Mrs. Dodds did in the book.
2 Echidna (Suzanne Cryer)
Mother Of Monsters
In Greek mythology, Echidna is a half-woman, half-snake being who is the mother of many famous monsters, including the Typhon and the Chimera. She appears in The Lightning Thief when Percy and his friends visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis while they are on their quest. She appears as a woman holding a chihuahua. After Grover and Annabeth leave via the elevator, leaving Percy alone on the landing with Echidna, her dog transforms into the Chimera and Percy is forced to dive off the Arch into the Mississippi River below.
1 Medusa (Jessica Parker Kennedy)
Gorgon Who Turns People Into Stone
Medusa is one of the quintessential adversaries of the demigods, who is defeated by the hero Perseus, Percy’s namesake. She was cursed by Athena to have snakes for hair and turn anyone who looked at her into stone after Medusa and Poseidon had a tryst in Athena’s temple. Because monsters reform in Percy Jackson, she is alive and well to challenge a new generation of demigods.
Both in Greek mythology and in Percy Jackson, the demigods behead Medusa and then use her head to turn another opponent into stone. Percy and his friends also encounter Medusa on their quest to retrieve Zeus’ master bolt. Portrayed by Jessica Parker Kennedy in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show, Medusa wears a vintage dress and hat with a delicate veil, to convey a sense of mystery and a deadly threat lurking beneath a pretty exterior.
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