Summary

• Percy Jackson's deviation from Greek myths gives his story a unique twist, making it unrecognizable if stuck to the original mythology.
• The show stays faithful to Rick Riordan's books and Greek mythology, with important changes like Percy's legendary counterpart being Perseus.
• Riordan's decision to make Percy the son of Poseidon over Zeus adds complexity and sets up incredible stakes for the character's journey.

Percy Jackson's story deviates from the Greek myths concerning the identity of his Olympian father in Percy Jackson and the Olympians and his story would be completely unrecognizable had Rick Riordan stuck to the original mythology. By and large, the show's first season stays faithful to both Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief and the Greek mythology from which the story takes inspiration. One of the most important changes concerns the 12-year-old hero's legendary counterpart, Perseus, whom Percy is modeled after.

Being based on Perseus, Percy accomplishes similar feats to the hero of myth, all while proving to be his own unique kind of demigod. The Percy Jackson show makes changes from the books, but the change of Percy's father is one made to the myths in both the books and the TV series. Had it stuck with the original mythology, his story would be wildly different.

Poseidon Is Not Perseus's Father In The Greek Myths — Zeus Is

Rick Riordan had his reasons for changing the mythology.

In the myths, Perseus is actually the son of Zeus (played by Lance Reddick). Perseus is both half-brother and great-grandfather to Heracles (known in Roman mythology as Hercules); both demigods were sired by Zeus, and Heracles's mother was a descendant of Perseus. When King Acrisius discovers his daughter has given birth to Perseus, the child prophesied to kill him, he locks them both in a chest and throws them into the ocean to die. Zeus saves his son to become the demigod hero he was meant to be.

Author Rick Riordan acknowledged this change of story in a brief statement on his site's Frequently Asked Questions page under the question, "You got something wrong from Greek mythology! Why?": "I stick pretty closely to the myths, but I do favor some versions over others. Where I do bend the stories—like giving Athena demigod children or making Percy the son of Poseidon—I try to explain myself in the books."

How Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson Character Compares To Perseus's Myth

There are some similarities, despite the changes.

Despite their parental differences, Percy and Perseus share several similarities. Most obviously, both defeat and behead the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa, and use her head as a weapon to turn enemies to stone. However, Percy only petrifies one enemy with the cursed woman's eyes, while Perseus uses them to subdue several figures in the myths.

Both receive flying shoes as a gift: Perseus gets them from Hermes, and Percy Jackson from Hermes's son, Luke. Hermes aids Perseus in slaying Medusa and gives the demigod his winged sandals so he may escape her lair after beheading her. In a different turn, Luke gives Percy his shoes so they will drag him down into Tartarus, where Kronos lies trapped in pieces.

No strangers to oracles and prophecies, Percy and Perseus find themselves caught, the latter from birth and the former from his realization as a demigod. Perseus also uses Hades's Helm to become invisible in the mythology, which Percy never does in the show. He returns it to Hades immediately to free his mother from the Underworld, as shown in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 finale.

Why Rick Riordan Making Percy The Son Of Poseidon Was The Right Choice Over Zeus

Being the son of Zeus would have been too easy.

Riordan knew what he was doing by making Percy the son of Poseidon instead of Zeus, the strongest of the Big Three and king of the gods. He explained why he chose the sea god from among them all in a 2011 interview with The Guardian: "I've always liked Poseidon because I love the sea — how it can be so calm and gentle one day, then angry and violent the next. I also wanted Percy's dad to be powerful, but not too powerful. If his dad was Zeus, that would make his life too easy, and it would've been too obvious."

Zeus and Hades are also the more renowned Olympians; Poseidon is among the least known, giving Percy the perfect mythological platform to forge his own character as Poseidon's child instead of standing in anyone's shadow. By turning his mythological father, Zeus, into a major obstacle in the show, Riordan also sets some incredible stakes for Percy and his story.

Revealing Percy as the son of Poseidon also allowed Riordan to weave a more complex story for his character. For example, because Poseidon and Athena hate each other, Percy's friendship with Annabeth is all the more meaningful. Though it would be amazing to see Percy with electric powers, there's no doubt he's born to be the son of Poseidon in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is streaming on Disney+.