Scoring Percy Jackson’s Opponents from The Sea of Monsters | Read Riordan (2024)

FacebookTwitter

A little while back, we ranked the gods and monsters that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover faced during The Lightning Thief. Quite honestly, almost none of those so-called villains scored particularly high. Despite all the myths and legends surrounding them, we learned that figures such as the Minotaur, Medusa, and even Ares, the god of war, can be bested by a couple of pre-teen demigods and a satyr on a good day.

But the second installment in a fantasy series always brings higher stakes and deadlier challenges for the heroes. And in the case of our favorite trio from Camp Half-Blood, the villains from The Sea of Monsters seemed determined to bring their A-game.

Did the baddies from The Sea of Monsters deliver on their promise to provide an adequate threat to Percy and his pals? Or do these villains belong in the Kiddie Pool of Monsters instead? Let’s find out!

The Laistrygonian Giants

As we all saw in The Lightning Thief, Percy’s troubles as a demigod often spill over into his normal school life. And if there’s one place where a potential “accident” would befall a certain demigod, look no further than the school gymnasium. Enter three cannibalistic giants, charmingly named Marrow Sucker, Skull Eater, and uh, Joe Bob, and their deadly game of flaming dodgeball.

Ultimately, these three chumps are bested by Percy, Annabeth, and Percy’s half-brother, Tyson. Marrow Sucker, Skull Eater, and Joe Bob played a good game, but the other team wanted it more. The giants get points for tapping into our inherent fear of getting slammed in the face by a rubber ball, but let’s face it: Flaming Dodgeball is only slightly scarier than regular old dodgeball.

Score: 3 penalty throws out of 5.

The Colchis Bulls

Two of these bad boys invade Camp Half-Blood once the camp’s borders are weakened by the poisoning of Thalia’s tree. Colchis Bulls are built from Hephaestus’s designs with high-quality bronze and state-of-the-art fire-breathing capabilities, so you know they’re nothing to mess with.

Yet, while you wouldn’t want to face a Colchis Bull one-on-one, they’re not as threatening when you’re surrounded by a whole camp of powerful demigods. Especially when a few of those campers can reprogram the bulls from foe to friend.

The real danger is what happens after your fellow demigods find you hiding under the amphitheater with your hands over your head asking, Is the invasion over yet? There’s no way you’re ever going to live that down.

Score: 4 software updates out of 5.

The Hydra

Now we’re talking. The legendary nine-headed horror put up a fantastic fight against Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson. Aided by the fact that our intrepid heroes couldn’t think of a battle strategy beyond Let’s keep chopping its heads off, the Hydra came very close to achieving final victory against Seaweed Brain.

Anyone familiar with the Hydra myth knows that the beast grows another head each time one is lopped off. Kind of like when a coffee shop closes in Seattle—two more immediately take its place. Unfortunately, the Hydra’s regenerative powers don’t work when it takes a cannonball to the gut. We can thank Clarisse for that one. A poor showing for our heroes, but at least they got a box of donuts as a consolation prize.

Score: 9 heart pendant necklaces out of infinity.

Scylla and Charybdis

Anyone else feel kind of bad for Scylla and Charybdis? Sure, they almost destroyed the CSS Birmingham with Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Tyson aboard, but we don’t get the feeling that they were necessarily asking for a fight. As far as we’re concerned, these two were just minding their own business.

Charybdis, the giantess daughter of Poseidon and Gaea (a totally cursed pairing, by the way), and Scylla, a nymph cursed to become a massive sea serpent, are the first monsters that sailors encounter before entering the Sea of Monsters.

Those adventurers who set a course for the Bermuda Triangle must decide which monster they feel more comfortable facing: the ravenous Scylla, or Charybdis, who is essentially a giant whirlpool with scores of sharp, misaligned teeth. Somehow (thanks to the decisions of a certain captain), Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Clarisse wound up battling both Scylla and Charybdis on their journey. The two monsters performed to the best of their ability, but at the end of the day, the only casualties were some of the ship’s already-undead crew. At least Percy was able to meet another half-sibling . . . and learn a lesson in proper dental hygiene that he’ll never forget.

Charybdis’ score: 3 trips to the orthodontist out of 5.

Scylla’s score: 4 cases of zombie-related heartburn out of 5.

Circe

Although the Immortal Goddess of Magic rebranded herself as C.C., this sorceress is still playing the same old hits. Lure heroes or pirates onto her island with the promise of good food and good company, magically transform the men into some variation of pig, and wash, rinse, and repeat.

If C.C. had tried something new, maybe it wouldn’t have been so easy for Annabeth thwart the goddess’s evil plans. Circe’s fancy spa and resort was an inspired ruse, but the minute Percy morphed into a guinea pig, we knew the jig was up. And we’re so happy that the other prisoners-turned-pigs are finally free. We just hope that some of them stayed behind to reopen the spa under new management. We totally want to visit someday.

Score: 2 book reports on The Odyssey out of 5.

The Bear Twins

You may remember Agrius and Oreius, aka the Bear Twins, as Luke’s bumbling Titan sidekicks aboard the Princess Andromeda. Their biggest claim to fame is briefly holding Percy and Blackjack captive on the enemy ship. And their biggest embarrassment is being easily defeated by Chiron, the Party Ponies, and the very same Pegasus they were responsible for guarding. What a kick in the head.

No judgment here, but clearly the path of villainy isn’t the right career choice for everyone. These two goobers just weren’t cut out for a life of treachery and turpitude. We wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors, however. Maybe the Country Bear Jamboree is hiring.

Score: 1 paw caught in the honey pot out of 5.

Polyphemus

Ah, Polyphemus. The final boss of the Sea of Monsters. On the surface, this guy has it all. His own island. A bunch of sheep to hang out with. An impeccable sense of style. One big, beautiful eye that sometimes works. All he’s missing is that one special person to share his life with. (Oh, and the Golden Fleece. But it’s only a matter of time until he gets that back.)

Think about it. With the right life partner by his side, Polyphemus wouldn’t be so bad. Our man just wanted to settle down and get married. Maybe this is why Percy struggled to fight back against Polyphemus. Percy must have recognized that underneath the bluster and appetite for satyrs, his half-brother possessed a kind and romantic soul.

Too bad Tyson didn’t feel the same way and the final battle devolved into a savage rock-throwing contest. Still somewhat preferable to junior high school dodgeball, though.

Score: 5 dream weddings out of 5.

Who was your favorite villain from The Sea of Monsters? Are there any that you would like to see come back for a proper rematch? Be sure to let us know!

2017 Read Riordan. All Rights Reserved.

Scoring Percy Jackson’s Opponents from The Sea of Monsters | Read Riordan (2024)

FAQs

What is the conflict in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters? ›

The sae of monster

One of the central conflicts of the story is how percy and annabeth and tyson have to go on a mission to find their best friend grover and have to find luke before he releases cronus .

Are Annabeth and Percy in the lost hero? ›

After creating the story line, Riordan created three new main characters, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez, but kept the previous main characters, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase as secondary/main supporting characters.

What happened to Thalia in Percy Jackson 3? ›

She turned into a tree, but than Percy and his friends found the golden fleece and Thalia turned back into a human. She sacraficed herself to save Annabeth, Grover, and Luke. As she died, her father, Zeus, took pity on her and turned her into a pine tree. That pine tree stood on top of Half-Blood Hill for years.

Who is the antagonist in Percy Jackson? ›

Luke Castellan is a Greek demigod son of Hermes and May Castellan. He was one of the main antagonists of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He was tricked by the Titan Kronos into hosting his spirit.

What is the shortest Percy Jackson book? ›

The Sea of Monsters is the shortest book in the Percy Jackson series, and as of now, in the whole Camp Half-Blood series. In The Sea of Monsters, Percy rode the underside of a sheep from Polyphemus' flock in order to get inside the Cyclopes cave.

How did Percy defeat his enemy? ›

Percy defeats Ares after stabbing him in the heel. Rather than continue fighting, Ares accepts defeat but points out that Percy has made a new enemy. The Furies appear and return the Helm of Darkness to Hades while Percy, Annabeth, and Grover head to Olympus to return the bolt to Zeus.

Do Percy and Annabeth get married? ›

Yes, Annabeth is married to Percy Jackson, and has three kids: Cast, Ethan, and Zoe. How was Annabeth Chase born? Annabeth Chase is the half-blood daughter of the goddess Athena and the mortal man Frederick Chase.

What is Annabeth's regret? ›

Given the circ*mstances of Thalia's sacrifice, it stands to reason that Annabeth would feel some regret for not being able to save the person she looked up to as a sister. Another potential aspect of her life that Annabeth may regret is her family life.

Why did Annabeth push Percy? ›

But between that instance and Percy's magical control over water in his bathroom fight with Clarisse, Annabeth has gathered enough evidence to realize who Percy's father is. Wise girl, that one! To prove her point, she shoves him back into the water, and we get the show's rendition of the Poseidon-claiming scene.

Do Thalia and Luke ever kiss? ›

In the demigod diaries when Thalia kissed Luke on the cheek I thought that was really cute! But they didn't get a lot of moments together on the book.

Who is Thalia Grace's love interest? ›

Love Interests:

Luke Castellan: A love interest while she was a runaway. Luke had promised her and Annabeth they would all a happy family. This changed after Luke's evil actions in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and after she became a Hunter of Artemis.

Does Zeus love Thalia? ›

But yes, Zeus did love Thalia, he turned her into a pine tree to save her life.

Did Annabeth hate Percy at first? ›

In the beginning of The Lightning Thief, Annabeth is shown to dislike Percy when she finds out that Percy is the hero of the prophecy. She thinks he is weak, and is influenced by the rivalry between her mother, Athena, and Percy's father, Poseidon.

Who betrays Percy? ›

The Lightning Thief reveals that Luke is the one who betrays Percy by stealing the Master Bolt. Despite Medusa suggesting that Annabeth will betray Percy, it is unlikely as she remains loyal to him throughout the series.

Who betrays Percy in the end and why? ›

Upon returning to Camp Half Blood, Percy is betrayed by his friend Luke, son of Hermes, who turns out to be the human hero whom Kronos used for the theft. Luke poisons Percy, and tells him before leaving that Kronos will rise and destroy the age of the gods.

How is the main conflict resolved in Percy Jackson? ›

Percy wins and restores both the master bolt and Helm of Darkness to their owners, thus resolving the conflict and preventing war.

What happens in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters? ›

When Thalia's tree is mysteriously poisoned, the magical borders of Camp Half-Blood begin to fail. Now Percy and his friends have just days to find the only magic item powerful to save the camp before it is overrun by monsters. The catch: they must sail into the Sea of Monsters to find it.

What conflict does Percy face in Chapter 9? ›

Zeus's symbol of power, a master bolt (the source of Zeus's lighting bolts), has been stolen. Zeus blames Poseidon and thinks he got a hero to steal it for him. Now that Poseidon has openly claimed Percy as his son, everything thinks that Percy stole the bolt.

What is the climax of the book Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters? ›

Climax. Percy reaches Camp Half -blood and notices that Thila's tree which protects all of Camp Half-bloods from monsters and mortals, was poisoned!

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Delena Feil

Last Updated:

Views: 5684

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Delena Feil

Birthday: 1998-08-29

Address: 747 Lubowitz Run, Sidmouth, HI 90646-5543

Phone: +99513241752844

Job: Design Supervisor

Hobby: Digital arts, Lacemaking, Air sports, Running, Scouting, Shooting, Puzzles

Introduction: My name is Delena Feil, I am a clean, splendid, calm, fancy, jolly, bright, faithful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.