Character Breakdown: Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians

A friend of mine suggested Percy Jackson for me in my early teen years and I am so glad he did. I devoured all the books and Percy has become one of my all time favorite characters. In fact, the Percy Jackson books are what I tried to mimic in style (terribly I might add) in my first novel. That's why he's today's character breakdown.

Oh, and a word about the movies. I thought they were okay. Not terrible, not great. (But what's with Annabeth? She's blond.) But they're like the only pictures you can find out there for Percy Jackson, so I'm going to use them for this post.

Personality

• Humorous. The first thing that stood out to me about Percy was his wonderful sense of humor. He's sarcastic and likes to make jokes to lighten the mood or cover up what he's actually feeling. His humor is one of the first things that endeared him to me.

• Oblivious. Percy can sometimes overlook the most obvious things, like people's feelings and he doesn't always figure out things first. But as several people point out, Percy make act dumb sometimes, but he's actually smarter than he lets on.

• Defiant. While it may get him in trouble, Percy isn't the sort to sit down and shut up, especially when he's facing injustice. He doesn't like bullies and won't let the Olympian gods just boss him around. When they try to use him, it never works out well for anyone.

Virtues

• Loyal. Percy is loyal to a fault. If he gives his word about something, you can be sure he'll keep it. He never abandons his friends.

• Natural leader. People look up to Percy and trust him to lead quests and battles. Over the course of the books, he's become an even stronger and more mature leader. He understands making difficult choices and going with his instincts.

• Brave. Not just anyone could face giants, titans, and even walk through Tartarus. Percy is always willing to be the first one into a fight. His bravery and loyalty are two of his defining features.

Flaws

• Too loyal. Every hero has a fatal flaw. Percy's is his loyalty. He will not leave you even if that means he gets himself killed. He protects everyone around him, even the bad guys sometimes.

(This is also a great thing to think about with your own characters? What is their fatal flaw? Is it something good, like Percy's, that can be bad?)

• Acts without thinking. He's also impulsive. He has a tendency to jump in straight away without thinking and get himself in trouble. Which makes Annabeth frustrated with him.

• Overly responsible. Percy tends to be the one who takes responsibility for everything. If something goes wrong on his watch, he blames himself. Even if he couldn't have done anything to stop it.

Skills

• Sword fighter. Riptide is Percy's sword and he's a master with it. It can turn into a pen and back, which is cool. You don't want to be facing Percy when he's got his sword in hand. He'll turn you into monster dust fast than you can say "schist".

• Demigod. Part of being a demigod means you have fast reflexes and an inborn ability to fight. Percy's no exception. 

• Can control water. Percy's godly father is Poseidon, granting him control over water, which is wicked awesome. He can create waves, control boats, and also talk to horses (which apparently Poseidon made or something).

What Makes Him Interesting

• His disabilities. Percy has both ADHD and dyslexia. The whole reason Rick Riordan created this character is because his son is like that and he wanted to give a hero. Now hundreds of kids look up to Percy Jackson as a role model. I like how Percy never lets his disabilities stop him or gives up because he has them.

• His life. Being a demigod, Percy sort of leads a double life. He has his regular one, with his mom, stepdad, sister, and girlfriend. And then he has his hero one, full of gods, demigods, and monsters. Percy's under a lot of pressure, but he handles it well. He's even going to college now.

Let's talk! Have you read any Percy Jackson books? Who's your favorite character? What do you think about fatal flaws? Tell me in the comments.

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