By Alison Stateman
Fans of Rick Riordan’s bestselling Percy Jackson book series may be familiar with many of the main players in the upcoming Disney+ Original series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but a quick refresher—or crash course for the newly initiated—will provide viewers with valuable info on all manner of heroes, gods, and even a monster or two! Read on to find out more about who’s who in the highly anticipated series, debuting on the streaming service on Wednesday, December 20 with a two-episode premiere, followed by new episodes weekly.
Percy Jackson
Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) is at a crossroads. Like many a 12-year-old on the cusp of becoming a teen, he’s trying to find where he fits in. Throughout his young life, he’s always felt like an outsider, partly due to how others respond to his ADHD and dyslexia. He’s bullied, with bad grades, and has a growing fixation with mythological figures that mysteriously appear and, just as quickly, disappear. Kind, smart, impulsive, and rambunctious, Percy is quick to anger when things seem unfair to him. Raised by his loving mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), who schooled him on the world of Greek mythology, and less-than-nurturing stepfather in modern-day New York City, Percy resents his absentee biological father. His world is turned upside down when he discovers he’s a demigod and the son of none other than the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon (Toby Stephens). But there’s no time to process it, as he is whisked away to Camp Half-Blood—a camp where demigods like himself are protected from monsters until they fully come into their powers.
However, the gods do not think well of their half-human prodigy—in fact Zeus (Lance Reddick) accuses Percy of stealing his master lightning bolt and if it isn’t returned to him within the week, it’ll be an all-out war among the gods. Hey, no pressure there. At least he can bring two demigods of his choosing along on his recovery mission, which leads us to…
Annabeth Chase
Daughter of the Greek goddess Athena, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) is a brilliant strategist who sees the world differently and is always six steps ahead of everyone else. The strongest warrior in camp, where she’s spent the last five years, the only way left to prove herself is by going on a quest. She sizes up each new arrival to see if they hold a key to a quest she can join, including Percy—who, indeed, chooses her as the first of his quest-mates. As he explains to a baffled camp leader at his quick choice, “If the mission requires someone to push me down a flight of stairs for it to succeed, you’d want someone who won’t hesitate when they do it.”
Grover Underwood
A satyr—half boy and half goat—disguised as a 12-year-old classmate of Percy’s, Grover (Aryan Simhadri) cares deeply about others and will always choose what is best for them, even if it gets him in a lot of trouble. Though cautious by nature, he’ll always fight to protect his friends, especially his best friend Percy Jackson. He’s someone Percy can truly trust, which is why he chooses Grover to accompany him on his quest.
Alecto aka Mrs. Dodds
Mrs. Dodds (Megan Mullally) is Percy’s strict Algebra teacher who behaves monstrously at times… which is not at all surprising when you consider her true identity. She’s one of the three Furies, known as Alecto, who loyally serves Hades, the god of the Underworld—whose kingdom happens to be below modern-day Los Angeles.
Sally Jackson
As Percy’s loving, protective, and selfless mother, Sally Jackson raised her son knowing that one day she’d have to give him up to the dangerous world of the Olympian gods. She has sacrificed much to keep him safe, including having to relinquish him to Camp Half-Blood—a journey in which tragedy befalls the mother-son duo.
Chiron aka Mr. Brunner
Disguised as Percy’s Latin teacher Mr. Brunner (Glynn Turman), Chiron is none other than the famed centaur and trainer of heroes, as well as activities director for Camp Half-Blood. Wise and noble, he provides Percy with moral guidance as the young demigod grabbles with his fate—and mission.
Dionysus aka Mr. D
Mr. D (Jason Mantzoukas), short for Dionysus, runs Camp Half-Blood, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to skirt the rules. Though forbidden by Zeus to consume alcohol, he tries to get Percy to fetch him a bottle of wine through deception. As Chiron explains to a confused Percy, “Demigods can do things for gods that gods are forbidden to do themselves.”
Gabe Ugliano
Gabe (Timm Sharp) is Sally’s selfish, brash, and combative husband and Percy’s stepfather, whose armchair-adjacent occupation is gambling on the horses and, as Percy says, “losing at imaginary poker.”
Clarisse La Rue
Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) is a strong-willed and competitive fighter who lives up to her bloodline as a child of Aries, the god of war. Unfortunately, that win-at-all-cost attitude makes her the Camp Half-Blood bully of newcomers like Percy.
Luke Castellan
Meet the counselor of the cabin devoted to the offspring of Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and demigods whose parents have yet to claim them. The undisputed coolest—and kindest—kid at camp, Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell), befriends and helps Percy learn the ropes at Camp Half-Blood.