2023– · Based on 2 seasons through January 21, 2026 ·
Percy Jackson learns that his father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. He joins Annabeth and Grover on a dangerous trip across modern America to recover Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt and prevent a war. Season two sends Percy into the Sea of Monsters to rescue Grover and find the Golden Fleece that can save their camp. The show mixes sword fights, scary creatures, jokes, friendship, and trouble between children and their godly parents. Annabeth and Thalia are black in the show, while the books describe them as white. Grover is played by an Indian-American actor, Luke by an actor of mixed Japanese, Costa Rican, and Irish ancestry, and Zeus and Athena by black actors. Annabeth often guides the group with her plans, while season two gives Clarisse a bigger role as a fighter and warship captain. Medusa says Athena punished her instead of Poseidon, giving her story a clear focus on unfair treatment of a woman. The casting changes spread across several major roles, while Percy remains a brave male hero whose quests depend on boys and girls.
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Woke representation / casting
Leah Sava Jeffries plays a Black Annabeth, and Tamara Smart plays a Black Thalia in season two. Aryan Simhadri plays Grover, while Charlie Bushnell brings mixed Japanese, Costa Rican, and Irish ancestry to Luke. Black actors play Zeus and Athena, and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Hermes. Rick Riordan links broader representation to giving more children heroes they can see themselves in. Riordan also presents Jeffries as a role model for a new generation of girls.
74%
Woke political dialogue
Medusa says in season one that Athena punished her rather than Poseidon after their relationship. Medusa’s words draw attention to a woman taking the blame while the powerful man escapes punishment. Rick and Rebecca Riordan connect this scene to questioning patriarchy.
21%
Identity-driven story themes
Annabeth takes a leading role as the group’s planner and fighter across both seasons. Clarisse takes the traditionally male roles of military commander and protector in season two. Clarisse wins the loyalty of her male undead crew and leads the official quest for the Golden Fleece. Thalia also protects Luke and young Annabeth in the season’s flashbacks.
40%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Season one gives Medusa’s side of the story and presents her as a woman harmed by the gods. Sally asks Percy to question whether the hero in the Medusa story truly deserves that name. Rick and Rebecca Riordan frame this change as a challenge to patriarchy. The show uses a familiar Greek story to question whose account deserves trust.
30%
Woke character or canon changes
Annabeth changes from a white, blonde book heroine to a black girl played by Leah Sava Jeffries. Thalia changes from a white book character to a black character played by Tamara Smart. Luke’s blond, blue-eyed book appearance becomes a dark-haired character played by mixed-ancestry Charlie Bushnell, while Indian-American Aryan Simhadri plays Grover. Zeus and Athena have Black screen portrayals that differ from their established book appearances. Rick Riordan supports broader representation so more children can see themselves as heroes.
78%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Annabeth’s casting sparked repeated complaints that the show put diversity ahead of the books. The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times covered the casting dispute, bringing it into national news. Critics continued race-swap complaints about Thalia and linked season two’s reported ratings decline to DEI. A widely shared X post making the DEI complaint drew about 2.7 million views.
82%
Creator track record context
Rick Riordan has added gay and genderfluid characters and publicly champions representation. Sarah Watson has described her work as feminist and focused on female empowerment. Shernold Edwards has worked on race and gender concerns in television and supported Hollywood 4 black Lives. Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz have less pronounced activist records, giving the main creative team a mixed record.
56%
Production
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