The Entire Percy Jackson Timeline Explained
"Percy Jackson" is a wildly successful fantasy book series by Rick Riordan. The Greek gods and monsters property inspired a film franchise that the author famously despises for its divergence from his novels. "To me, it's my life's work going through a meat grinder when I pleaded with them not to do it," he told Entertainment Weekly in 2020. "So yeah. But it's fine. All fine. We're gonna fix it soon."
The fix that Riordan was referring to here is the upcoming Disney+ series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," which is set to debut in December 2023. The new adaptation features age-appropriate and diverse up-and-coming youngsters as the core trio, as well as many familiar faces as the other heroes and villains. The "Percy Jackson" book series has a wonderful sense of humor and god-tier action-adventure sequences. It also has a timeline that spans, well, all of time.
So, whether you're a ride-or-die member of the Percy Posse or fresh to the demigod game, this timeline will help chart Percy's journey from misunderstood "bad" kid to bona-fide hero over the course of the "Olympians" series. But be warned: Book spoilers lay ahead.
Percy is born a demigod
The son of mortal Sally Jackson and the god Poseidon, little Perseus "Percy" Jackson was born a bundle of demigod defiance. Even though Percy's life came from a meet-cute in Montauk and an altogether lovely seaside romance, his young life would soon become the stuff of legend — for better or worse.
Percy's birth violated an oath taken by the so-called Big Three gods (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) to not sire any more children in case one of them grew up to fulfill The Great Prophecy. That prophecy foretold a child of the old gods either saving or destroying Mount Olympus when they turned 16. Of course, gods being gods, they broke the rules from time to time. Whether it be the Big Three or the general pantheon, the gods in the world of "Percy Jackson" can't seem to stop siring demigods.
While demigods are still mortal, they tend to have superpowers of some kind, as well as dyslexia and ADHD. Most demigods can see through the Mist — a magic smokescreen that protects the world of gods and monsters from being perceived by human eyes. For example, under the Mist, a noble sword might look like a clicky pen. Percy's mom, though mortal, has "clear sight," meaning she can see through the Mist. So can young Percy, which proves seriously confusing for the poor kid, who doesn't learn about his demigod status until he's 12 years old.
Percy's school struggles
Prior to finding out about his true nature, Percy is just a New York City kid dealing with the usual school struggles those with ADHD and dyslexia face. He grows up thinking that his father was lost at sea. He can't stand his awful stepdad Gabe Ugliano — aka "Smelly Gabe" — who his mom is only with because Gabe's smell helps protect Percy from being seen by most gods and monsters.
The first novel, "The Lightning Thief", references Percy's expulsion from multiple schools. "Bad things happen to me on field trips," Percy tells readers. Bad things like Greek gods and monsters trying to capture Percy — when he isn't endangering his own life by accidentally dunking himself and his fourth grade class into a shark tank. Young Percy seems to have more water-based "accidents" than your average kid.
Percy is a target for more than just monster bullies. Regular kids bully him, too, often picking on him and his best friend Grover Underwood. Percy fiercely defends Grover and himself — which gets him into more trouble. Even though most teachers never seem to believe Percy's good intentions or accurate monster concerns, one is always looking out for him: Mr. Brunner, his favorite teacher. When another teacher, Mrs. Dodds, transforms into the Fury Alecto and tries to kill Percy on a field trip, Percy is able to fight her off with Riptide — a sword disguised as a pen, given to him by Mr. Brunner.
Percy goes to camp
Percy's whole world gets rocked during a beach getaway with his mom. He's in danger, and Grover shows up to warn him — and also reveals his goat legs. It turns out that Grover is actually a satyr, and he's been looking out for Percy. Grover urges Sally to take them to Camp Half-Blood for safety. Sally gets the boys in the car and hits the gas — but they're attacked by a Minotaur in Montauk.
The Minotaur makes Sally disappear, and Percy stabs the beast in retaliation. He gets Grover to safety, then passes out. He wakes up in Camp Half-Blood, where the tough but friendly Annabeth Chase is taking care of him. Annabeth is the daughter of a mortal and the goddess Athena, and she ran away from home at a young age because she was convinced her family hated her for the trouble her ADHD and monster attacks caused. She's lived at Camp Half-Blood for some time, calling this special summer camp for demigod children home.
Percy learns a lot at Camp Half-Blood. Mainly, that he is the son of a Greek god, and his favorite teacher, Mr. Brunner, is actually Chiron — a centaur. Other Greek gods moonlight as camp counselors. Dionysus, the god of wine, is known here as Mr. D. He's often grumpy about the fact that Zeus forces him to run the camp and to drink cola instead of wine. Camp Half-Blood is a nice mix of friendship bracelets and battle training: Demigod tweens and teens learn how to battle monsters like the Minotaur — and maybe even vengeful gods.
Percy makes friends and enemies
At Camp Half-Blood, Percy grows close to bestie/crush Annabeth and cements his relationship with Grover. He clashes with rival Clarisse La Rue, and he also connects with teenager Luke Castellan, who acts as his mentor figure of sorts. While the kids train, Percy learns about the different cabins at Camp Half-Blood, each dedicated to the offspring of different gods. Unclaimed demigods are assigned to Hermes' Cabin until they are claimed — or they stay in Cabin #11 if they aren't.
Being claimed is a big deal and can be a real sore spot for those that don't get to experience this. Luke is unclaimed when Percy meets him, despite having spent a significant amount of time at Camp Half-Blood. Major and minor gods are portrayed as flaky in the series: Sometimes they don't claim their children out of vanity, general abandonment, or even plain old lack of awareness that they sired a demigod in the first place.
Percy's discovery of his dad's identity is a mixed bag. Knowing that it's Poseidon doesn't erase any feelings of abandonment, even if Percy can now better understand his special swordsmanship and water-summoning skills. Percy being a child of one of the Big Three is also dangerous, as it marks him as an enemy of Zeus and Hades — two jealous gods, mad with Poseidon for breaking the oath.
The Master Bolt is stolen
The fact that Poseidon is Percy's father is a huge deal. He's the first demigod in his family line for three generations, and Zeus thinks Poseidon is trying to overthrow him by fulfilling The Great Prophecy with Percy. So, when a lightning bolt belonging to Zeus is stolen, Percy and his buds go on a quest to essentially clear Poseidon and Percy's names. They set out for Los Angeles, the home of the likeliest thief: Hades. Zeus suspects that his Underworld-ruling brother is helping whichever demigod will ultimately fulfill The Great Prophecy.
However, when Percy confronts Hades, Hades reveals that his Helm of Darkness has also been stolen. Hades suspects Percy of taking it along with the lightning bolt in an attempt to seize power. Hades even threatens Percy's mom, but his plans are cut short when Percy discovers that the thief is actually Ares, the god of war. Percy fights Ares, and the Furies help free his mom in exchange for the helm. Percy steals the Master Bolt back for Zeus, and he and his friends set their course for Mount Olympus.
Percy meets his makers
Percy brings the Master Bolt to Mount Olympus, which is actually the Empire State Building. There, he meets Zeus — and, briefly, his dad. Later, back at Camp Half-Blood, Luke reveals that he was the true lightning thief and that he set Ares up. Percy is floored by Luke's betrayal — and that's before Luke tries (and fails) to kill him.
It turns out that Luke is in league with Kronos, a Titan god and the father of Zeus. Titans are another line of immortal gods that pre-date and rival the Olympian gods, but they are just as selfish and vengeful. For example, in order to avoid the negative outcome of an earlier prophecy, Kronos ate all of his children so they wouldn't be able to steal his power. Too bad his wife, Rhea, hid Zeus from him. Zeus managed to trick Kronos into barfing up the rest of his siblings, and Kronos has never quite gotten over it.
Kronos is trying to manipulate The Great Prophecy to regain control over all gods. He's managed to trick Luke into being his minion because of Luke's thirst for revenge against the gods. Luke hasn't been properly claimed by his dad, Hermes, and he has seen a lot of demigods in pain due to the whims of the gods. In an emotional moment, Percy is forced to fight Luke, but he escapes.
Percy and friends fleece the bad guys again
After his fight with Luke, Percy agrees to return to Camp Half-Blood the next summer. The second book in the series, "The Sea of Monsters," kicks off with Luke framing Mr. D for poisoning Thalia's Pine Tree — a magical tree that marks the protective border of Camp Half-Blood on Half-Blood Hill. The tree's origins date back to long before Percy arrived on the scene, when Zeus's own oath-breaking child, Thalia Grace, chose to save her friends (including Luke and Annabeth) by sacrificing herself during an attack. In order to keep her soul from going to his hated brother Hades, Zeus turned her into a pine tree.
Meanwhile, Grover has been trapped in the Sea of Monsters, known to mere mortals as the Bermuda Triangle. He communicates with Percy using the empathy link between them to ask for help. Percy and his friends set out on a double quest: They plan to save Grover and bring back the Golden Fleece (an ancient object with incredible healing powers) so they can save Thalia's tree — and ultimately, Camp Half-Blood. Percy succeeds, but when the power of the Fleece resurrects Thalia fully, he unwittingly plays into Luke and Kronos's plan to manipulate The Great Prophecy.
Percy heads to the Hoover Dam
Percy makes new friends and saves his old ones during "The Titan's Curse," the third book in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. In this entry, blood is spilled and the Winged Figures of the Republic that guard the Hoover Dam help Percy and his friends trick Atlas into carrying the weight of the world again.
Things get off to a bad start when Annabeth takes a nasty tumble. She, Percy, and Grover head out searching for more demigods to bring back to Camp Half-Blood. They discover demigods Bianca and Nico di Angelo at a school, and Annabeth falls off a cliff while battling a manticore/teacher for them. The group is separated from Annabeth, and Percy fears for her fate. He demands to rescue her but Mr. D refuses to let him leave camp due to the danger involved and his doubts that Annabeth survived the fall.
When Percy dreams that Luke and the Titan Atlas have tricked Annabeth into holding up the sky at the Hoover Dam so that Kronos will have even more power, Percy leaves Camp Half-Blood to rescue her. Nico begs Percy to look out for his sister, Bianca, on his travels, and Percy promises he will.
Percy fights skeletons and The Great Prophecy
Percy heads for Annabeth and the Hoover Dam, where his dreams and Annabeth's left-behind Yankees' cap have hinted she might be. In New Mexico, Percy, Bianca, and Grover are attacked by skeleton soldiers. They all fight, but they can't quite halt the seemingly unstoppable skeleton attack.
The trio ends up in the Junkyard of the Gods, a place somewhere in Arizona where old and useless objects are thrown out by various gods. Ares and his lover Aphrodite are there. They pick up on the romantic feelings Percy is developing for Annabeth — and the ones that she has for him. The kids poke around the junkyard, but when Bianca accidentally activates a killer Talos prototype, tragedy strikes.
The defective machine takes Bianca's life. Later, Percy helps Annabeth get free from the dam and escapes being put to death by the gods when the Olympians hold a vote to eliminate those demigods who might fulfill The Great Prophecy. Later, Percy breaks Nico's heart with the news about Bianca — and discovers that Nico is a son of Hades. Percy keeps Nico's secret so that he isn't targeted by Kronos (or the other gods) in an attempt to manipulate The Great Prophecy.
Percy's feelings for Annabeth grow
Gradually, Percy and Annabeth go from genuine buddies to teenagers in almost-love. By the fourth book, "The Battle of the Labyrinth," Percy and Annabeth know they have feelings for each other, even if they don't quite know how to match them up. Percy begins the story worried about his freshman orientation and the fact that Luke — who everyone thought might be dead — has shown up again. Luke is panicking about the power Kronos has over him and Kronos's threat to fully take over Luke's body, using him as his host. In a last-ditch effort to avoid such a fate, Luke asks Annabeth to run away with him. While Annabeth is conflicted, she ultimately refuses and Luke flees.
Percy and Annabeth struggle with their mixed feelings for each other in the aftermath. They concentrate on seeking out their next quest subject, Daedalus, who they think can help enforce Camp Half-Blood's borders to protect it from Kronos's attacks. Daedalus betrays them and Kronos wages war, using an almost fully-possessed Luke to do so. However, Kronos and Luke are forced to retreat after Grover releases Pan's panic into the battle. Percy returns home to his mom and her new partner Paul, who is an upgrade on Smelly Gabe in every way. Here, he celebrates turning 15 and having saved Camp Half-Blood with Annabeth and Grover once again.
Percy attacks the Titans and passes on immortality
Percy and his friends, now 16, fight for their lives and the fate of Mount Olympus while New York City snoozes in "The Last Olympian," the fifth book in the series. Percy draws on all of the powers he's developed and the connections he's made. The determined teen rallies friends, enemies, campers, and gods to defend Mount Olympus from Kronos, Luke, and their assembled army of Titanic terrors.
A spell is cast to put New York City to sleep for the duration of the battle. To be stronger for the fight, Percy matches what Luke has done and bathes in the River Styx, leaving only one vulnerable area — his version of an Achilles' heel. It is thought that Percy is the subject of The Great Prophecy, but when he confronts Luke, it becomes apparent that Luke is who the prophecy foretold of. Luke stabs himself in his own Achilles' heel, thereby sacrificing himself to stop Kronos and save Olympus.
Later, Zeus is feeling as generous as a god who once tried to kill a bunch of tweens can feel. He offers Percy the chance to become immortal like a full god — and is annoyed when Percy refuses. Instead, Percy wants his fellow demigods to be fully recognized and housed at Camp Half-blood, not left to languish in an unclaimed cabin. He kisses Annabeth, and chooses to live his life as a demigod in the mortal world.
The Chalice of the Gods and what comes next
The "Percy Jackson" books have spawned a few spin-offs. Percy and his friends (and enemies) have further adventures before, after, and beyond the timeline of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. The world of Percy Jackson is further explored in "The Demigod Files" and "Camp Half-Blood Confidential," for example. Fans will be thrilled to know that the upcoming "Percy Jackson" Disney+ series has brought about a new literary adventure.
The "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" book series will continue in the upcoming entry "The Chalice of the Gods." Rick Riordan writes on his website, "This time around, Percy is not worried about saving the world. He has a much harder quest: getting into college." The book is set to feed off the excitement the "Percy Jackson" Disney+ series generates. Depending on the success of the show, Percy could get even more new book adventures. But what is the plot of "The Chalice of the Gods," you're probably wondering?
"The novel unfolds during Percy's senior year at Alternative High School in New York," Riordan explains. "New Rome University requires recommendation letters from three gods, which means... yep, you guessed it. Percy has to run quests to get the letters." The author has also revealed that the first quest will revolve around Ganymede, the cupbearer of the gods. He's lost his chalice, and it's up to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover to find it.