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KronosGG

Kronos with the scythe in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Kronos' Scythe is Kronos' symbol of power. It was gifted to him by his mother Gaea to dethrone his father, Ouranos. His own son, Zeus later used it to cut Kronos into one thousand pieces and banish the remains to Tartarus. It was later wielded by Luke Castellan in the form of Luke's sword known as Backbiter, a weapon made of steel and Celestial Bronze.

History[]

The Scythe was initially forged by Gaea with metals from her own body, for her one Titan child who would dare to wield it against Ouranos. Only Kronos, the youngest, but the bravest and craftiest agreed to do so. While Ouranos was held down by Hyperion, Iapetus, Krios, and Koios, Kronos brutally castrated his father with the Scythe and proceeded to slice him into a thousand pieces. Shortly thereafter, Kronos became Titan King of Mount Othrys, making the mighty Scythe his personal symbol of power. While not wielding it, Kronos would hang it on the wall, beside his Black Throne. His siblings would take to rarely visiting him, as they feared his wrath and infamous scythe.

After Kronos is finally defeated in the First Titan War, Zeus takes the Scythe from him, proceeds to slice his father into a thousand pieces, and hurl them into Tartarus.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]

The Lightning Thief[]

Luke Castellan-Viria

Luke with Backbiter

Shortly before the events of The Lightning Thief, Luke swears an oath of unwavering loyalty to the Titan King and gets ahold of the scythe, though in its sword form, Backbiter. Luke was first seen using Backbiter in the Sword Fighting Arena. Luke used the sword to rip open a portal and vanish from Camp Half-Blood.

The Sea of Monsters[]

Luke used the sword again on the Princess Andromeda to fight Percy, and succeeded in wounding him. Percy said that his leg felt like it was on fire.

The Titan's Curse[]

Luke used the sword to fight Thalia. In the end, however, Thalia prevailed, knocking the sword out of his grasp.

The Battle of the Labyrinth[]

Luke did not have his sword, as it was being reforged back into the scythe by the Telekhines that work for Kronos. According to Percy, the scythe looks so terrifying, that his "blood turned to ice" when he saw it for the first time.  

The Last Olympian[]

Kronos GN

Kronos holding his scythe in Luke's body.

Kronos is seen using his scythe many times throughout the Battle of Manhattan. When Percy, Grover, Thalia, and Annabeth go to Olympus, trees are shredded, ground leveled, and paths were turned to rubble. It is said that this was caused by the scythe. In his final fight with Percy, Kronos turns his scythe back into Backbiter because Percy challenged him to a sword fight. During the battle the sword was knocked into Hestia's hearth, but when Kronos tries to retrieve it, Hestia superheated it so he couldn't touch it. With the destruction of Kronos, it melted into a pool of molten metal. It is unknown if Hestia did this, or if it was destroyed when Kronos was defeated, though both are possible.

Appearance[]

The Scythe is six foot long, blade curved like a crescent moon, with a thick handle wrapped in leather. The blade of the scythe is made from the same material as Backbiter, meaning that it is a mix of tempered steel and Celestial Bronze. According to Percy in The Battle of the Labyrinth, the Scythe looks so terrifying, that "[his] blood turned to ice" when he saw it for the first time.

Owners[]

Abilities[]

Kronos' scythe is an extremely powerful weapon. Because of its blade, which is made of half steel and half celestial bronze, it can harm both mortals and immortals alike. In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Kronos' relatives abstained from visiting him due to their avid fear of the scythe.

  • Soul Damage: His scythe released immensely potent shards of energy through a beings souls upon physical contact. In The Last Olympian, Percy felt immense pain and deliriousness when merely grazed by the scythe. One hit from the scythe can release enormous amounts of energy into a person, "severing their soul from their body" with a single touch.
    • Scattering: The scythe was even able to destroy the most powerful of immortals, such as the Protogenos Ouranos. An immortal wouldn't be able to regenerate from its wounds, with both their body and spirit being scattered so thin that they would hopefully never be able to form a conciousness again.
  • Energy Channeling: Kronos was able to channel his Titanic energy through the scythe. Most notably, in The Last Olympian Kronos slammed his scythe into the ground to erect a barrier that repelled Hades, Demeter, and Persephone from advancing to the Empire State Building despite Hades' fiercest attempts.
  • Transfiguration: Kronos could shift the form of the scythe into its sword form.

Trivia[]

  • Kronos' scythe is the first known symbol of power created for an immortal.
  • Kronos' scythe is the only known divine weapon that has destroyed the bodies of two immortals (Ouranos and Kronos himself).
  • In some myths, is said that the scythe was reformed for Demeter to a new weapon of her own choice (probably a curved sword, or a sickle or a new different scythe).
  • In some myths however, the scythe is described as a blade made of flint, diamond, or adamantine, a mythical metal from Tartarus, said to be indestructible.
  • While the scythe was being reforged by the Telkhines, it was cooled in blood. This is a process that the Norse use when crafting bone steel.
Items
Personal Weapons: Riptide | Annabeth's Knife | Backbiter | Master Bolt | Poseidon's Trident | Nico's Sword | Thalia's Spear | Aegis | Ares' Sword | Ares' Shield | Caduceus | Apollo's Golden Bow | Silver Bow | Artemis' Knives | Hades' Sword | Hades' Staff | Kronos' Scythe | Ivlivs | Katoptris | Hazel's Spatha | Frank's Spear | Reyna's Spear | Juno's Gladius | Annabeth's Sword | Sumarbrander | Gungnir | Gjallar | Mjolnir | Gríðarvölr | Khopesh | Mallory's Serrated Knives | Meg's Twin Imperial Gold siccae blades | Thyrsus | Hecate's Torches | Minotaur's Axe | Leroy's Sword | Tyson's Javelin | Alex's Garrote Wire | Piper's Sword
Magical Items: Annabeth's Yankees Cap | Helm of Darkness | Pandora's Pithos | Winged Shoes | Golden Fleece | Flying Chariot | Golden Apple | Apples of Immortality | Greek Fire | Hermes' Multivitamins | Nectar and Ambrosia | Stygian Ice Whistle | Keys of Hades | Leo's Magical Toolbelt | Serapis' Staff | Magic 8 Ball | Arrow of Dodona | Pig Ball | Mechanical Spider | Angel Statues | Athena Parthenos | Chiron's Wheelchair | Diocletian's Scepter | Flaming Dodgeball | Gleipnir | Poseidon's Pearls | Queen Hippolyta's Belt | Mistletoe Arrow | Frank's Stick | Expand-o-Duck | Caligula's Caligae | Ran's Net | Rune Stones | Nábrók | Pomegranate
Spoils of War: Minotaur's Horn | Medusa's Head | Kampê's Scimitars | Nemean Lion's Pelt | Gorgon Blood | Cornucopia | Lydian Drakon Hide | Phineas' Robe and Slippers | Triptolemus's Almanac | Odysseus' Astrolabe
Items: Camp Necklace | Chameleon Armor | Daedalus' Laptop | Golden drachma | Denarius | Red Gold | Mark of Athena | Thalia's Shield | Video Shield | Wristwatch Shield | Golden Mango | Sibylline Books | Letter of Recommendation
Ships Amos' Boat | Argo II | CSS Birmingham | Egyptian Queen | Julia Drusilla Yachts | Pax | Queen Anne's Revenge | Reed Boat | Naglfar | Gorgyra's Canoe
Blessed Metals: Adamantine | Celestial Bronze | Imperial Gold | Stygian Iron | Bone Steel
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