Percy Jackson and the Olympians has taken viewers on a cross-country quest to find the thief of Zeus’ Master Bolt — and the season 1 finale provided all the answers.
Warning: Spoilers below for the season 1 finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Season 1 of the Disney+ series, which premiered in December 2023, features Walker Scobell as the titular demigod who is on a mission to clear his name after being accused of stealing the god of the sky’s most prominent weapon. He’s also determined to save his mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), after she’s kidnapped by Hades (Jay Duplass) and taken to the underworld.
With the help of friends Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Percy ultimately saves the world from a civil war between his father, Poseidon (Toby Stephens), and Zeus (the late Lance Reddick), and is reunited with his mom after retrieving the Helm of Darkness from Ares (Adam Copeland). Not all is well for the demigod, however, as Percy also discovers that Hermes’ son Luke (Charlie Bushnell) has betrayed him.
In the final moments of season 1, Percy discovers that Luke planted Zeus’ bolt on him in hopes of causing a war that would lead Kronos — the Titan King and father of the Big 3 gods — back to power. He hopes his friends will join him, which Percy ultimately declines. Luke’s offer is a departure from the Rick Riordon book series of the same name, which instead features Luke luring Percy to the woods in an attempt to kill him with a pit scorpion.
Jonathan E. Steinberg, who co-created the TV series with Riordan and serves as co-showrunner with Dan Shotz, told the Los Angeles Times in a January interview that tempting Percy with Luke’s offer added tragedy and drama to the story.
“The temptation is what makes the tragedy, and losing sight of what he’s signing up for is part of Luke’s tragedy,” he explained. “He’s so angry that he’s willing to sign up with anybody who’s willing to give him a space for his anger to be used.”
Bushnell, who portrays Luke, added that the decision to create a real friendship between Percy and Luke is another change he backs entirely.
“I like that they switched that for the show where he tries to recruit him, because I think it’s going to make people more empathetic towards Luke and what he’s feeling towards the gods,” he said. “Now that Luke has escaped from camp, he will only become more powerful and like the captain of his own ship.”
Season 2 has yet to be greenlit, and there are plenty of questions that are still unanswered. Keep scrolling for everything that went down in the season 1 finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians:
What Happened Between Ares and Percy?
Percy requests a one-on-one battle with Ares, the god of war, with an agreement that whoever draws first blood will take ownership of the helm. With the help of Luke’s training and one massive tidal wave, Percy is able to cut Ares’ leg. While the fight ends with Ares promising that Percy has made an enemy for life, the god keeps his word and leaves the helm for Percy to return to Hades in hopes of exchanging it for his mother, who is still being held captive.
Who Is the Lightning Thief?
Although Percy initially thinks Ares or Hades tricked him into stealing the bolt, Percy eventually realizes his friend Luke betrayed him after he is assigned by Kronos to steal the bolt and plant it on Percy. Luke later reveals that he didn’t mean to hurt Percy but has pledged his loyalty to Kronos, who is the father of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, in hopes of starting a civil war between the gods. He asks Percy to join him, claiming that the gods are his real enemy.
The two then engage in battle, but Annabeth appears before Luke can hurt Percy, causing Luke to flee to the unknown.
What Happened to Percy’s Mom Sally?
After being frozen in gold by Hades, it’s revealed in the finale’s final moments that Sally has been returned to the mortal world thanks to Percy turning the helm over to Hades’ monster Alecto (Megan Mullally). The pair end the season reunited and back in their New York City apartment as Percy gears up for 7th grade.
Did Percy Get to Meet His Father?
After seven episodes of Poseidon subtly helping Percy from the shadows, the two come face to face when Poseidon swoops in to save his son from Zeus. While Percy initially thinks the pair might form a relationship and be a family, he’s quickly proven wrong when his father sends him back to the mortal world alone.
Who Won the War of the Gods?
While the epic battle between Zeus and Poseidon had been brewing all season, their actual battle is little more than a sibling spat. Instead of picking up his weapons, Poseidon surrenders to Zeus immediately in order to save Percy from being killed by the God of the Sky’s lightning bolt.
How Did Percy, Annabeth and Grover End the Season?
The season 1 finale shows Percy, Annabeth and Grover all going their separate ways and leaving Camp Half-Blood. Percy heads back to the mortal world to attend 7th grade and reunite with his mother, while Annabeth decides to visit her human father. Grover, meanwhile, gets his official searcher’s license, which grants him the ability to search for Pan, the god of the wild, satyrs and folk music, in the supernatural world. The trio hug at the Thalia tree before promising to meet up in the same spot exactly one year later.
All episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians are now streaming on Disney+
