The Lightning Thief characters

Also known as Perseus Jackson

Appears from the start

A twelve-year-old boy who has been expelled from a string of schools for trouble he cannot explain, and who struggles with dyslexia and attention problems. Loyal to his mother and fiercely protective of his friends, he is quick-tempered and impulsive but brave. Strange and dangerous things keep happening around him, and he is about to learn why.

Appears from the start

Percy's closest friend at Yancy Academy, a nervous boy with a limp and a medical excuse from physical activities who always seems to be watching out for Percy. Easily frightened and quick to make excuses, he is more than he appears and takes his role in Percy's life very seriously.

First appears in chapter 3

Percy's devoted mother, who works long hours at low-paying jobs and protects her son with warmth and humor despite an unhappy marriage. She loves the sea and takes Percy to a rented cabin at Montauk beach that holds special meaning for her. She has kept important truths about Percy's father from him to keep him safe.

Also known as Smelly Gabe

First appears in chapter 3

Percy's crude, selfish stepfather, a heavy gambler who reeks of cigars and beer and treats Percy and Sally with open contempt. Percy privately calls him Smelly Gabe.

Also known as Mr. Brunner

First appears in chapter 5

The immortal centaur who has trained heroes for thousands of years, hidden for a time as Percy's kindly, wheelchair-using Latin teacher Mr. Brunner. As the activities director of Camp Half-Blood, the safe haven for children of the Greek gods, he guides and instructs the young demigods with patience and quiet authority.

Also known as Mr. D

First appears in chapter 5

The god of wine, sentenced by Zeus to run Camp Half-Blood as punishment and forbidden to drink wine while he serves out his term. Irritable, bored, and dismissive of the campers, he can barely be bothered to remember their names.

First appears in chapter 5

A sharp, strategic demigod with gray eyes and blond hair who has lived at Camp Half-Blood for years and longs to prove herself on a real quest. A daughter of Athena, she is a skilled fighter and planner who tends to Percy when he first arrives, sizing him up at once.

First appears in chapter 6

The friendly, well-liked head counselor of the Hermes cabin, an older camper who welcomes Percy, teaches him swordsmanship, and treats newcomers kindly. He carries a scar across his face and speaks with some bitterness about feeling overlooked by the gods.

First appears in chapter 6

A tough, aggressive camper and daughter of Ares, the god of war, who bullies newcomers and takes an immediate dislike to Percy, shoving his head toward a toilet on his first day at camp.

First appears in chapter 8

The god of the sea and one of the three most powerful gods. During a game he publicly claims Percy as his son, an act that breaks a sworn pact among the greatest gods not to father more children and makes Percy's very existence a source of danger and suspicion. He is a distant father but not an unkind one.

First appears in chapter 15

The god of war, who meets the travelers on their journey in the guise of a swaggering, leather-clad biker. Aggressive and eager for conflict, he strikes a bargain with Percy, offering help and supplies in exchange for a favor.

First appears in chapter 19

The grim lord of the Underworld and god of the dead, brother of Zeus and Poseidon. Suspected of stealing Zeus's master lightning bolt to start a war among the gods, he is the target Percy's quest leads toward, and he receives Percy in his shadowy palace with fury and his own accusations.