Top 10 Best Characters from the Percy Jackson Series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a fantasy novel series set in a world with Greek gods in the 21st century and follows a young demigod who must prevent the Titans from destroying the world.

Do you agree with this list? Yes, no, somewhat? If so, just vote for your favorite one and don't forget to add some of your own if you'd like.

The Top Ten

Percy Jackson

Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character, as well as the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He is a demigod and the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman named Sally Jackson. Percy first appears in the novel The Lightning Thief.

As much as I love all the other characters, no one will ever top Percy Jackson for me. He started the whole series, making it one of the best I've ever read.
Throughout both series, you could see how he could be funny and sarcastic, strong and determined, kind and loyal. Even though his fatal flaw was being too loyal, that's really one of the main reasons I love him - because of his loyalty to his friends.
Unlike those other Greek heroes and Greek gods, he may be arrogant but not to the point that he was too proud to care. He turned down immortality, probably because of Annabeth and his friends, but also to request something better. He turned down his chance of becoming immortal and made a request for the betterment of future demigods.
And that was when I knew that Percy Jackson was an even truer hero than Hercules and those other arrogant Greek heroes. Not only did he save Olympus a couple of times, save the world, and save his friends and everyone else, he sacrificed so much and even more just for the betterment of future demigods. He kept on pushing and breaking the rules because of what he thought was right. He kept on fighting and never gave up.
Even when they seemed like they were in an impossible situation, I love how he somehow came up with a crazy solution, with the help of a few friends, of course. He didn't need to fight to win every battle when he could just use that mouth of his!
He may be one of the strongest (maybe even the strongest) demigods and heroes in the series, but none of that would've been possible without the friendships he made throughout the journey.
Nico di Angelo

Nico. Now, if you think about it (which you shouldn't have to), he is the best character. Look at everything he's been through. Tell me he's not the best.

Nico is such a great character. Throughout the series, he grows from a little kid into a strong, brave, confident man. He probably has the most change and character development throughout the series than any of the other characters.
And I think that character development really makes the character interesting to read about. He may not be the main character or show up in the book as many times as other characters, but when he does show up, you can see how truly great and powerful he is, especially for being physically younger than everyone else. I know that technically he is really old, but I feel like that time didn't really count.
He has to go through so much more than everyone else. He lost his sister. He doesn't really have any family or friends that care for him. He is an outcast and left alone for the majority of the books. Yet, he still is just as powerful, probably even more than the majority of the other characters on this list.
Nico is a strong, great, interesting, and powerful character that deserves the number 1 spot on this list.
Annabeth Chase

Annabeth Chase is a daughter of Athena and one of the main characters in both the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. She is also Percy Jackson's girlfriend and is recognized for her intelligence, leadership, and courage in battle, which all come from... read more

It bothers me so much when people say Annabeth is abusive towards Percy. This doesn't make sense at all. Apparently, "Seaweed Brain" is degrading towards his intelligence. Percy is smart, and Annabeth definitely knows that.
Also, why is Annabeth only getting the blame? You have Thalia, who calls him "Seaweed Brain" and "Kelp Head." You have Clarisse, who insults him on a daily basis. Leo called him stupid in The Blood of Olympus, and Reyna said Percy wouldn't even be able to get out of a paper bag. That's also insulting his intelligence.
Annabeth is an amazing girl. She is not possessive, maybe a bit clingy, but that is definitely something many people can relate to. That being said, all of these characters are great!
Leo Valdez

Leo Valdez is a major character in Rick Riordan's book series The Heroes of Olympus. He is one of the seven demigods mentioned in the Prophecy of Seven. A Greek demigod and the son of Hephaestus, Leo possesses the ability to create and manipulate fire, a power known as pyrokinesis.

There are no words. Leo is simply amazing. He's funny and impossible to hate. He doesn't like to "burden" others with his problems and never thinks of himself first.
It's heartbreaking that he thinks of himself as the seventh wheel, the one that would never fit in or have a girlfriend. The only reason Leo fell for Calypso is that she was the first girl to ever show any kind of attraction towards him, and that is so unfair. Calypso would probably fall in love with the next guy she saw, and he deserves so much better than a girl who can't help but fall in love with every guy she meets.
Though I feel I'm being unfair to her, even Calypso hated Leo when he first showed up. He's always smiling and can crack a joke in any situation, not to mention how selfless he is. Leo Valdez is and will always be just as much of a hero, if not more, than Percy Jackson or Jason Grace.
Thalia Grace

Thalia is a main character, right along with the seven. She never disappeared. She appeared in the majority of the books, and when she didn't, she was at least mentioned once or twice. The buildup to her arrival was incredible, and she had a major impact on the story.
She even replaced Annabeth as Percy's main female companion for a book and a short story. She defeated a major villain, and she and Percy are shown to develop a strong friendship and team.
She was proclaimed by Grover and Atlas to be, along with Percy, the greatest hero of the age, and the most powerful demigod. Here's to the original Team Percy Jackson: Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, Nico, Tyson, and Rachel!
Grover Underwood

Where the heck did Grover go in HOO? Like, the only person Percy remembered was Annabeth, not his best friend Grover. He and Grover knew each other a year longer than Percy knew Annabeth.
Grover is kind, sweet, awkward, and insecure. He also has cool nature powers. He is Percy's best friend, not Frank or Jason. It's Grover. You can't convince me otherwise.

I feel like Grover is underestimated a lot. He deserves to be known a little better. After all, he and Percy were the original brOTP and part of the original trio.
Sometimes I just wish we could see the trio on another adventure - just the three of them. Grover is an awesome character if you dig deep.
Tyson

Tyson is my favorite character. There is no character that can make me laugh as quickly or as much as Tyson can.
He is sweet and innocent and awesome despite his tough childhood.

Tyson is totally awesome. I mean, he's the second son of Poseidon! He's fire-resistant and has super strength. Because of him, The Sea of Monsters is one of my favorite books. By the way, he owned Typhon.

Tyson and Black Jack are the best. They both make me laugh any time they're in the book. ALSO, Rainbow is third. Tyson is the best, nothing will change that!
Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano

Reyna is my FAVORITE character. I honestly think she should be in the top five. Her life is depressing. She survives cruel parents, then a bunch of pirates. She then becomes praetor and falls in love with Jason, only to see him dragged away. The same happened with Percy. She became a Hunter of Artemis later in life, and that's all I know about her.

Reyna doesn't get enough credit from readers. I get it, Annabeth and Thalia are awesome, but please make room for this girl too. She remains a strong leader, is mature, intelligent, and so down-to-earth. Even if she doesn't have a boyfriend, she is still able to get through in life.
When she has a crush on Jason, goes on quests with him, cherishes him, and then he disappears, people. He comes back with a hot Greek girl. Yet she still remains strong and continues to help them. Love her, she's a strong and powerful character!
Hazel Levesque

Hazel is a sweetheart and is, logically, the most powerful out of the seven. Think about it. She can control the mist and create illusions like the maze with Pasiphae. She can technically raise, speak to, and control the dead, summon and control precious gems and metal (including weapons and armor, since they are technically precious metal), and use her mist powers to meddle with people's minds, including giving them fake memories, etc.
However, Riordan made her the sweet one and made her appear as the weakest, which was unfortunate. But I loved her past and her personality. She should've gotten more POVs.

Hazel really showed how brave she is, and she is a severely underrated character. She has been through so much, like her mother's death. Let's not forget that SHE DELAYED GAEA THE FIRST TIME. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't done that?
Being Nico's little sister also helped Nico become a better person again after Bianca's death. She is a brave fighter, kind, loving, caring, and all around one of the best characters. She doesn't deserve only #27.
Luke Castellan

I felt so different about Luke throughout the series. At first, he seemed like a nice guy, but then we found out that he was a traitor. That really hit me even though I already knew he was one. Luke wasn't a very lovable guy, especially when he was working for Kronos. But when you think about it, you'll probably remember how he seemed different to Percy than the bad guy he thought he knew.
Luke tried to go back and admit to Annabeth how he wanted a fresh start, but she refused. Then, when they were on Olympus fighting Luke/Kronos, he pulled through and was a hero in the end. That's only a few reasons I love Luke so much.

Personally, I've always loved Luke, even when he betrayed them. I understand why people disagree. He's portrayed as the typical villain from book one. But put yourself in his situation. He learned that the gods aren't meant to be trusted, and his friend Hal died because he wanted to help a little girl from being killed. He lost his best friend at a young age, and his other best friend, the one he himself trained and valued, Annabeth, was becoming more and more distant as the years passed.
He fails a mission and suddenly finds out he can stop other demigods like him from feeling the same pain. He can defeat the gods and stop them from having any more children suffer. And remember, most of the time, it wasn't even him doing all this. It was Kronos.
And, of course, he died. He died for us. He sacrificed himself for us, something Percy's never done. Also, many say that Luke is the hero in the prophecy, and it's not even a theory. It's the truth. It says that a cursed blade shall reap upon the true hero, and the cursed blade was the one Luke killed himself with. If that's not an act of heroism, then what is?

The Newcomers

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Lou Ellen Blackstone
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Miranda Gardiner

The Contenders

Rachel Elizabeth Dare

Rachel's life was just as hard as a demigod's, and she was willing to let her dad ship her off to boarding school just so she could help in the Battle of Manhattan.
When Annabeth was rude to her, she didn't lash out but just brushed it off. She's extremely underrated, in my opinion.

She doesn't deserve so much hate for getting in the way of Percabeth. She didn't even talk back when Annabeth bullied her in Battle of the Labyrinth. She is extremely nice and kind.
Do you guys remember the underground cave with Pan? She felt so guilty because her dad destroyed the wilderness. Perachel shouldn't get so much hate either, and people need to stop sending threats to those who ship them. Why would anyone do that?
Rachel treated Percy well, and that friendship should have developed more, platonically or romantically. Rachel is a badass oracle, a kind and sweet friend, and she THREW A FREAKING HAIRBRUSH STRAIGHT AT KRONOS'S EYE! She totally doesn't deserve so much hate for getting in the way of a ship.
Chiron

Fantastic centaur. We should honestly throw Dionysus out of the window and hail Chiron.

Chiron is so cool, especially in the Battle of the Labyrinth.

How can you not like this guy and his classical music?
Blackjack

Percy: Why do you need to gallop while you fly?
Blackjack: Why do humans have to sway their arms while they walk?
I love this Pegasus's personality: loyal, with a big ego and a love for sugar cubes and donuts!

I really want to ride Blackjack, as he is a very good friend and he is always there and has your back!

A horse who has humor and loves eating doughnuts. What's not to like?
Silena Beauregard

Rick had so much potential with this character. Either Thalia or her should have been in the seven instead of Piper. Think about how interesting it would have been if Silena had survived. She lost the love of her life, owns her sweet girly-girl personality, and is still a warrior. Furthermore, some campers would still be calling her a traitor for being Luke's former spy.
This is one of Rick's few mistakes with these AMAZING books that pretty much define me. Silena Beauregard should have survived.

People say, "Piper was the first strong Aphrodite kid." And I'm like, "Excuse me, Silena was definitely stronger than Piper, and she didn't even have charmspeak!" Silena was a hero. No one can convince me otherwise.
The reason she betrayed the camp was because Luke charmed her, and when she wanted to back out, he threatened her lover's life. Luke tricked her, and Beckendorf's death wasn't her fault.
Jason Grace

Jason Grace was the Roman demigod son of Jupiter, the Roman god of the sky, and the late actress Beryl Grace. He was the younger brother of Thalia Grace, whom Beryl had with Jupiter's Greek form, Zeus.
Jason served as the former co-praetor of Camp Jupiter and the counselor of Cabin 1 at Camp Half-Blood... read more

I cried so hard at his death, and I don't understand why people think he's a copy of Percy. Just because they are sons of the big three? They literally have opposite personalities. Also, why do people hate him because he's serious? We don't need another demigod like Leo or Percy, always cracking jokes. Having at least some serious demigods evens it out.
Also, if you were in Jason's place, would you be joking around? He was raised by Lupa when he was two. He grew up most of his life at a Roman camp for demigods, Camp Jupiter, which is like a military camp. And people hate him because he is serious? He isn't bland at all, and he should be in the top ten.
Frank Zhang

Frank is one of my top 3 favorite characters. His backstory is sad but somewhat realistic. His character evolves wonderfully, and he is tragically played. He is an outcast, but at the same time, people love him.
He is a redeemed character that has amazing powers. His past is similar yet different from Leo's. While Leo's backstory slowly plays out during his childhood, Frank's story, powers, weaknesses, secrets, and deaths all hit him at once. He is insecure, which explains him being a little bit rude to Leo.
His relationship with Hazel is sweet, and a wonderful break from the drama of everything. Frank is really nice, sweet, and kind, with deep character flaws and misjudgments, which makes him awesome. Also, his powers are so cool, but you wish he didn't have them. It's sad to see the fact that this awesome and wonderful character's life depends on a stick. Thanks, Rick, for this awesome character.
Charles Beckendorf

Beckendorf is that cool person who isn't one of the main characters, doesn't have an important role, and practically contributes to nothing, but is the one that everyone secretly loves.

He was always so cool, and I really loved how he was nice to Tyson and taught him how to make things.

He's a good-natured, calm, and caring guy. Plus, he never gets mad.
Zoe Nightshade

Cold, proud, strict, and maybe a bit devilish. That's the way she seems to strangers. But honestly, nobody will find anyone more magnanimous or more loyal than her.
For over two thousand years, she had been Artemis' lieutenant, never swaying even for a second. That's loyalty. She knew she was going to die, but she went on the quest to save her loved one anyway. She did it for the sake of her loved ones and even her hated ones. That's bravery. That kind of courage is hard, especially when you've lived so long and are probably a bit tired of the world.
She holds a strong love for nature, both the nature of the world and the nature of humanity. One absolutely awesome thing about her is how a part of her feminism involves hating men, but for a good and mature reason. Even at the end of her life, she matured. She's the most independent, mature, and intelligent girl in the series.
Her last words broke me: "The stars, I can see the stars, my lady." Now I can't refrain from crying whenever I look up at the stars in the summer breeze. She is so underrated and will be remembered.
Fun fact: she's Zoë Dorce-Amarga in Brazilian Portuguese and Zoë Belladonna in Spanish.
Bianca di Angelo

Bianca, though only starring in one book of the first series, was very brave and caring, especially to Nico.
If Nico is #2, how can Bianca not be higher? She was always careful to make sure everything was safe and was kind to everyone (who was not a monster).

She could've been such a great character. She had the same powers as Nico, and he's considered the most powerful of all demigods by some people, so she would've been a big threat if she hadn't died so soon.

The best character ever! Bianca was so amazing that she could have become a minor god! If she hadn't died so soon, she would have been my favorite character from the entire Percy Jackson series!
Poseidon

He is definitely the kind of dad you would want, even if you wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with him. He is nicer than all of the other gods and goddesses that I read about in the story and stayed in Percy's life, even though he couldn't be more like a real father figure, as Percy wanted when he was younger. Zeus is my father after I took the test to see who your father or mother would be, but I still love Poseidon.

Well, probably the coolest god. His head is a thousand degrees cooler than the rest of the hot-headed gods (examples: Zeus, Ares, and Hades).
Also, he's the dad of Percy Jackson.
Will Solace

I vote for Will Solace because he not only helped Nico out of his shell and saved him from pushing himself to the brink of suicide many times, but also saved Annabeth's life in The Last Olympian. He is also one of the only people who can calm down Clarisse. He is the head of the Apollo cabin, an amazing healer and archer. He has a big heart, works hard, and lights up everyone's day.
Plus, he's Nico's doctor and boyfriend. What's not to love about the Significant Annoyance!

He's so happy, sunshiny, positive, and calm. He's just a lovable character, and for a while, he was my favorite fictional character ever. People always think he's my favorite since he's dating Nico, or because of Solangelo, but I don't really care much about Will's love life or that he's dating Nico.
Since I don't really care that much about Nico (do not murder me), I liked him way before they started dating.
Sally Jackson

She purposely chose to stay with the nastiest, most horrible human on the face of the earth. She remained with Gabe, who abused her, all to protect her son. She deserves to be on this list, and you know what? She also deserves to be on the top ten best fictional moms list.
When she found love for the second time, I was so pleased. She deserves to have a good man treat her right. And Percy deserves a proper father figure... no offense, Poseidon... you're awesome, but you don't get much time for your children.

The best book mom ever! They're always either not in their kids' lives or helicopter parents who are all in their kids' business. But Sally is one of the only book moms I've ever read who is a good mom.
Clarisse La Rue

She is literally the definition of a headstrong woman. I wish she got more credit for being such a good fighter. I know people are generally opposed to children of Ares, but Clarisse isn't exactly Daddy's favorite. It is well known that Ares favors his sons, so she always had it rough.
All in all, people don't realize how much of a heart she had hidden under all her attitude. Besides being a badass warrior, I also like to believe she looked more like those slim interpretations from fan art.
To be honest, there are so many unrecognized heroes in the story (Travis, Connor, Bianca), but Clarisse really hits home for me.

Though she came off as a bully at the start, as time went on, I began to really respect and even sort of like the daughter of Ares. She's headstrong, hot-tempered, rude, tough, and a leader. Clarisse fights for what she believes in and is just as stubborn as Percy Jackson. She's very independent and thinks having friends and showing your soft side makes you weak.
She puts up a strong wall to hide that she has a heart, just like Leo uses his jokes to hide the guilt, darkness, and insecurity. When she came to avenge Silena's death, she reminded me of Achilles, who, despite being one of the best warriors, sat out the war until the death of a close friend. He then joined to avenge their death, even though it could have been avoided if he'd pushed aside his pride.
Despite that, Clarisse truly cares for people, though she doesn't always like to show it. Though her father's one of the least likeable gods, she's a good person and someone to be respected.
Artemis

You gotta love the man-hating goddess who, ironically, only respects one man, the main character, which proves my point: the main character can do anything.

She's the best goddess of them all, the smartest, bravest, and most awesome one. Come on, the gods would fall apart if not for her. Totally kick-butt and man-hating, which so proves my point.
Plus, she's a huntress and hangs out with immortal girls.

Artemis hates men and is a total aromantic. I can relate because I actually have a twin who keeps saying he's older. She is my favorite goddess and is also just so kind and loving.
Also, has nerves of steel to put up with Apollo. LOVE her.
Hades

He is the only one of the Big Three to keep his promise. He found a way to outsmart it, making him smarter than Zeus and Poseidon. He actually loved Persephone, even if he kidnapped her.
He cared about his children, saving Nico and Bianca and showing Hazel his powers, instead of being like Zeus, who just popped up at their deaths to turn them into trees, or like Poseidon, who just wanted his name cleared. He got the short end of the stick with everything when it came to his brothers. He then somehow became the villain in everything.

Let's be honest. He is the best godly parent in the book series. He lets Nico live with him, takes his advice, gave him a zombie, and actually cares for Nico. Even though he always thinks Percy and Jason are annoying, he still helps them.