| Poseidon | Neptune |
| “ | Percy, lesser beings do many horrible things in the name of the gods. That does not mean we gods approve. The way our sons and daughters act in our names…well, it usually says more about them than it does about us. And you, Percy, are my favorite son. | ” |
–Poseidon, to his son Percy, in The Battle of the Labyrinth | ||
Poseidon is the Greek god of destruction, earthquakes, horses, hurricanes, oceans, seas, droughts, floods and storms. He is the son of the Titans, Kronos and Rhea, as well as one of the Big Three. His Roman counterpart is Neptune.
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
Birth and Rescue
Poseidon in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
Poseidon was the second male and fifth child of Kronos, the Titan King of Mount Othrys, and his sister-wife Rhea, born after his sisters Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, and his elder brother Hades. Since Poseidon was a god (a member of a more beautiful and powerful race of immortals than the Titans), Kronos, fearing that Poseidon would one day overpower him, quickly proceeded to swallow him whole as well. Poseidon, thus, spent his childhood undigested in his father's stomach along with his sisters, and elder brother. As a result, Kronos became known as "King Cannibal." Rhea pleaded with Kronos to spare their children but with no success, since even Kronos' great love for Rhea was not enough to overpower his selfish and evil nature. However, Rhea soon gave birth to her final child, Zeus, who she secretly raised on Crete, far away from Mount Othrys.
After growing up, Zeus successfully infiltrated Kronos' Palace on Mount Othrys as the Titan King's royal cup bearer. Poseidon was finally released during the final drinking competition that Kronos had with his Titanic brothers and nephews. Zeus poured an extremely powerful emetic (made from nectar mixed with mustard) into Kronos' goblet, which caused the Titan King to disgorge all of the contents of his stomach, in reverse order of swallowing: first the boulder, then Poseidon, followed by Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. All of them had been growing undigested in Kronos' stomach, being gods.
Zeus quickly introduced himself to his elder siblings, and all of them (including Poseidon) promptly escaped Mount Othrys, before their Titanic uncles and cousins came to their senses. In Zeus' Cave, at the base of Mount Ida, Poseidon happily reunited with his beloved mother Rhea, who tearfully embraced him. Shortly thereafter, Poseidon and the other gods accepted Zeus as their leader, and reached a unanimous consensus on declaring war against their tyrannical father. However, since the Titans were well-armed, and the gods still had no weapons, Poseidon agreed to help Zeus release their Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheire uncles from Tartarus first.
Rescuing the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires
Poseidon's elder brother Hades was very skilled in navigating under the earth, was able to lead them all into Tartarus (through a network of Underworld tunnels). There, imprisoned in the maximum-security zone, surrounded by huge bronze walls, and a lava moat, guarded fierce demons, were the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires. Their guardian, Kampê, was the most ferocious and fearsome monster in all of Tartarus, and even Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus initially shuddered with horror when they saw the infernal monster for the first time. However, the gods overcame their fear, and were able to sneak in. Zeus managed to talk to the Cyclopes Brontes, and convinced him to forge powerful weapons for him and his siblings behind Kampê's back. The three Elder Cyclopes forged three incredibly powerful weapons: the Master Bolt (for Zeus), the Trident (for Poseidon), and the Helm of Darkness (for Hades). With these new weapons, Zeus destroyed Kampê, and Poseidon shattered the chains of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, releasing them. Afterwards, Hades safely guided his siblings and uncles back out of Tartarus. In return, for their release, all six of Poseidon's uncles agreed to fight on his side in the upcoming war with the Titans.
The First Titanomachy
Shortly after their return from Tartarus, Poseidon and his siblings officially declared war on Kronos and the other Titans, which resulted in the terrifying 10-year-long Titanomachy. The Titans initially had the upper hand, since they were much more experienced warriors. However, as the years of the War passed, the gods quickly became skilled warriors as well, and with the help of their new extremely powerful weapons, as well as the aid of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, the gods finally prevailed. Poseidon himself proved to be a very dangerous and ferocious warrior, and greatly contributed to the ultimate downfall of Kronos and his Titanic followers.
While preparing for the final battle of the War, Poseidon and his siblings ascended to Mount Olympus (the tallest mountain in Greece after Mount Orthys). During the final battle, Zeus used his Master Bolt to shear off the top of Mount Othrys, and hurl Kronos from his Black Throne, defeating the Titan King. Shortly thereafter, the gods invaded the ruins of Mount Orthys, and finally overwhelmed Atlas, Hyperion, Iapetus, Krios, and Koios.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Elder Cyclopes chained up all of the defeated Titans, while the Hekatonkheires forced them to kneel before Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades. Zeus took his father's Scythe, and sliced Kronos into a thousand pieces, before casting him into Tartarus, along with the rest of his followers (except for General Atlas, who was forced to hold the Sky).
Gaining the Oceans and Seas
The gods chose Mount Olympus as their official residence, and the Elder Cyclopes built magnificent palaces there for them all. As a result, the gods started to call themselves the Olympians. Shortly thereafter, Poseidon had a private meeting with his brothers Hades and Zeus, and the three brothers agreed to divide the world between themselves. Although it was Hades' birthright (as Kronos' eldest son) to be named his father's successor, he agreed to divide the Titan King's former domain with his brothers. Hades received the Underworld, Poseidon seized the seas and oceans, and Zeus claimed the heavens as his domain. Shortly after this division, the three mighty sons of Kronos came to be known as "The Big Three." However, Zeus' authority was recognized as superior to that of his brothers, and Zeus became the King of Mount Olympus.
Poseidon would soon have the Elder Cyclopes build Atlantis (his underwater residence) for him. As the King of Atlantis, Poseidon spent much time with the Telekhines, who educated him about life underwater. However, sometime afterwards, the Telekhines began using forbidden dark magic, and were imprisoned by Zeus in Tartarus.
Marriage to Amphitrite
Early in his reign, Poseidon began searching for a wife. His attention soon turned to the beautiful Nereid, Amphitrite but she rejected his proposal and fled. As a result, Poseidon became extremely depressed, and pointlessly wandered about his palace, bellowing "louder than a humpback whale", giving many whales and giant squids terrible migraines. Fortunately for him, Delphin, the dolphin god and Poseidon's lieutenant, was sent in pursuit and managed to persuade the goddess into reconsidering the offer. After his grandiose wedding, Poseidon gratefully awarded his lieutenant by creating a constellation in his honor. He would father three children by Amphitrite, including a son named Triton. Like Zeus, Poseidon also went on to sire children by various goddesses and mortal women. His most famous demigod children of all are Theseus and Bellerophon. Neither Amphitrite or Persephone acted with hostility toward their respective husband's children when they were showed infidelity (unlike Hera).
Relationship with Demeter
A couple of years after Persephone's birth, Demeter had decided to take a walk on the beach, and was noticed by her brother Poseidon. The god of the seas appeared before her, wearing magnificent flowing green robes, and a crown of shining seashells. Demeter was frightened, and transformed herself into a white mare, and attempted to hide herself among a nearby herd of wild horses. Poseidon, however, being "The Father of Horses", quickly transformed into a mighty white stallion himself, and galloped after her. He quickly caught up with the herd, and made the horses part before him and surround Demeter, after which he successfully seduced her. Shortly thereafter, Demeter gave birth to twins: Despoina (a goddess), and Arion (an immortal stallion). Despoina would later become a minor goddess of fertility, and would often look after Demeter's temples as a high priestess. Her twin brother Arion, however, was far more prominent, and would often come to the aid of demigod heroes (such as Hercules).
Rivalry with Athena
Athena and Poseidon had a rivalry between them since the two of them both wanted to be the patron of the city Attica, as it was named at the time. The people of the city petitioned the two gods to each create a gift for the city, and whichever gift was favored the most, that god would be the city's patron. Athena gave the people an olive tree and Poseidon made them a salt-water spring and created horses. At first, the people of Attica thought Poseidon's gift was the more amazing, that is until they tasted the water and realized it was salt-water. Because they couldn't drink the water, they chose Athena's gift of an olive tree and the city's king Kekrops made her the patron goddess of the city, because they could use the olives for food and oil. As a show of appreciation to Athena, they named the city Athens after her and they turned the symbol of the city to an owl on an olive branch. They also had people build her the Parthenon in her honor.
Although in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon created a spring during his entrance, and offered horses as a gift. The people of Attica chose Athena's gift due to the potential of monetary gain from the olive trees.
Athena, Poseidon's Rival.
Another time which marks a conflict between the two Olympians was when Athena transformed Coronis (whom Poseidon was trying to seduce) into a raven. As a result, a furious Poseidon longed for revenge. Hence, he took Medusa, his new lover, into Athena's temple. Furious with Poseidon and Medusa, Athena turned Medusa and her two sisters, who had helped her sneak into the temple, into the three fearsome Gorgons. She additionally cursed Medusa, so that whenever anyone looked into her eyes, they would be turned to stone. As revealed in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon encouraged Hephaestus to try to seduce Athena. Yet another time both of them were at odds about Odyssesus. While Poseidon was furious with him for blinding his son Polyphemus, Athena favored him above all other mortals, and was always willing to aid Odysseus when he needed it most.
Despite their long-term mutual animosity, there were times when Athena and Poseidon worked together. They were responsible for inventing the chariot, which combined their creations. Athena came up with the idea for the shape and design of the chariot, while Poseidon supplied the horses to pull it. Furthermore, both Athena and Poseidon were on the same side during the Trojan War, supporting the Greeks.
Olympian Murder Trial
After Poseidon's son Halirrhothius attempted to rape Ares' daughter Alcippe, she summoned her father for help. The infuriated god of war quickly arrived, and brutally slayed Halirrhothius. An outraged Poseidon demanded that Ares be put on trial for the murder of his son, to which Zeus agreed. The first ever Olympian murder trial took place on the Areopagus Hill in Athens. Zeus, as the god of honor and justice, was the Chief Justice, while the other ten Olympians served as members of the jury. In the end, Zeus justly acquitted Ares, since the latter was defending his daughter's honor.
Olympian Riot, and Poseidon's Punishment
Hera, enraged at her husband's infidelity, decided to start the first (and last) Olympian riot against Zeus. Hera managed to gain the support of Poseidon, as well as Apollo, and Athena. That evening, Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena hid themselves in the hall adjacent to Zeus' royal chambers, awaiting Hera's signal. As soon as Zeus had fallen asleep, all four of them quickly tightly bound the King of Olympus with unbreakable and tightening golden chains. Even chained up and completely immobilized, an infuriated Zeus looked very intimidating. Finally, Poseidon attempted to reason with his brother, and demanded that Zeus be a better ruler. Zeus refused, which prompted Hera to advocate leaving him chained up in his chambers until he agreed. Shortly thereafter, the four Olympians departed for the Throne Room for the first (and last) democratic meeting of the Olympian Council, which proved to be a very cumbersome task. Fortunately, the violently trashing and bellowing King of Olympus was found by the Nereid Thetis. After convincing Zeus to be merciful towards the rioting Olympians, Thetis managed to find the Hekatonkheire Briares by the sea shore. He was more than happy to save Zeus, recalling that he owes his own freedom from Tartarus and Kampê to him. Briares quickly unchained Zeus, after which the latter seized his Master Bolt, and barged into the Throne Room, violently ending the meeting. Zeus remained true to his word, and was merciful towards the rioters, but he still punished them all accordingly.
Poseidon and Apollo were temporarily forced to serve Laomedon, the mortal King of Troy, without their divinity or godly powers, which Zeus temporarily stripped away. Laomedon ordered Poseidon to build huge new walls around the city of Troy with his bare hands. The former god of the seas was outraged at the prospect, but Laomedon promised to greatly reward Poseidon after his work is finished. Even without his powers and divinity, Poseidon's strength still far surpassed that of any mortal, and he could easily carry six massive stone blocks simultaneously while building the mighty walls. The famous Walls of Troy came to be extremely durable, and would later keep the Greek forces at bay for 10 long years in the Trojan War. A number of years later, after finally accomplishing his mission, Poseidon finally returned to the king, and demanded the reward. However, Laomedon claimed that setting him free is the best reward that Poseidon could hope for. An infuriated Poseidon returned to Olympus, where Zeus finally restored his brother's powers and divinity. However, due to Poseidon's riot, Zeus would gain a strong and lasting distrust for Poseidon.
Poseidon, still furious with King Laomedon, made it his mission to sink many Trojan ships, and sent a bloodthirsty sea serpent to terrorize the Trojans. Also, in the subsequent and bloody Trojan War, Poseidon supported the Greeks.
In the Series
Oath of The Big Three
Percy Jackson, whom Poseidon sired against the oath of the Big Three
Over the centuries the Olympians moved west to the countries that held the seats of their great power and influence. During World War II, Zeus' and Poseidon's demigod children fought together against Hades' own demigod children. After Hades' side (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan) was defeated, the Oracle prophesied that a half-blood child of one the three brothers would either cause the downfall or salvation of Olympus. This caused The Big Three gods to swear an oath to no longer sire any more demigod children. However, some years later, Poseidon would fall in love with Sally Jackson, and have one child: Perseus "Percy" Jackson.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Lightning Thief
After Percy survives the attack during his first game of Capture the Flag at camp, Poseidon claims him as his own son. This causes discord among the gods of Olympus as it is proof that Poseidon had not honored the pact that was made between the Big Three after World War II. After Zeus' lightning bolt is discovered to be missing, Zeus immediately suspects Poseidon of having used Percy to steal it, and demands that it is returned by the Summer Solstice, or there would be a war. Poseidon, in turn, wants an apology for being suspected by the same date.
Sally Jackson, Percy's mother, a lover of Poseidon
A quest is eventually given to Percy to find the missing lightning bolt and return it by the Summer Solstice in order to stop a war among the gods. Percy succeeds, and Poseidon gets to meet his son in person. Poseidon tells Zeus that he admits his wrongdoing, and Percy feels as if he is just a mistake, and not actually Poseidon's son. Poseidon feels very sorry for Percy, because heroes typically meet tragic ends. Percy tells his father he isn't sorry for being who he is, and Poseidon in turn tells him that he is a true son of the Sea God.
The Sea of Monsters
Tyson, Poseidon's Cyclopes son.
Poseidon does not make an appearance, but he is said to have sent his Cyclops son Tyson to the same school as Percy, in order to get them to know each other. After Poseidon claims Tyson, Percy temporarily begins to feel that being a son of Poseidon is a joke and is teased by many other campers. Tyson later tells Percy that he had asked for a companion, a brother to Poseidon, and his wish was granted, which means that Poseidon does care for him. Poseidon also sends the Hippocampi to help Percy and his friends. Percy also gets a letter from Poseidon near the end of the book telling him to "Brace yourself." Even though he was only 13 at the time, the letter could mean something about the Great Prophecy. It could also refer to Thalia's resurrection at the end of the book.
The Titan's Curse
After completing their quest to save Artemis, Percy, Thalia Grace, and Annabeth Chase arrive to the Winter Solstice meeting. Athena suggests the gods kill Percy because he is meant to be the child of the Great Prophecy, since Thalia pledged herself to Artemis, meaning she would never reach the age of sixteen. Poseidon places faith in Percy and claims he can be trusted, giving the other gods his word. Fortunately, the majority of the gods vote in Percy's favor. Poseidon also vouches for Bessie the Ophiotaurus. He suggests the gods keep it on Olympus. After the meeting, a party is held and Poseidon has a private talk with Percy.
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Poseidon visits Percy, Sally Jackson, and Tyson at their apartment. Sally is embarrassed at seeing her old boyfriend again. Percy and Tyson greet him, and Poseidon is introduced to Sally's boyfriend, Paul Blofis, who Poseidon at first mistakenly calls "Blowfish." Poseidon then tells Percy of the war he is having in his underwater kingdom, and gives him a birthday present: a sand dollar. Percy thinks that his arrival was the best gift in itself.
Triton son of Poseidon.
The Last Olympian
When Percy meets Poseidon in his kingdom, he looks aged and weak, unlike the man Percy once knew. Poseidon is busy fighting the Titan of the sea, Oceanus, who is constantly attacking his kingdom. Poseidon had been fighting so hard, his strength has deteriorated which results in him looking aged. Percy offered to fight, but Poseidon told him that he was needed on the surface and to tell Chiron that it was time for his son to learn the complete prophecy that had been hidden from his son.
During the Battle of Manhattan, Percy goes up to Olympus and sits on his father's throne to try and get his attention. Poseidon was about to blast whoever it was that dared to sit on his on his throne, but thankfully looked before doing so and didn't blast Percy. His son tried to convince him that the other gods needed his help in stopping Typhon, but Poseidon was unwilling as he would lose his own palace in Atlantis if he left. Percy counters saying that Olympus is his home as well and Poseidon thinks this over. Percy then jumped off of Poseidon's throne to rejoin the battle.
As Typhon entered the city and started his final charge toward Olympus, he stepped into the Hudson River, where Poseidon had been waiting with an army of Cyclopes, lead by Tyson. As the Cyclopes wrapped him in heavy chains, Poseidon struck Typhon with his trident and the other gods attacked as well. Poseidon then created a channel of water that pulled the defeated Typhon into the pits of Tartarus.
After the Battle of Manhattan, Poseidon returned to Olympus, along with the other gods. Poseidon begins to thank his son for what he had done for the gods, but is interrupted by Zeus, who asked that he rejoin the gods in the proceeding. Poseidon gives his son a wink and walks back to his throne. As Zeus tried very hard to thank his brothers, Poseidon constantly toys with him, making Zeus admit that it would have been impossible to defeat Typhon without his help, instead of simply saying difficult like Zeus had originally done.
The gods then offer Tyson, Grover, Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, and Percy with rewards for saving Olympus and defeating the Titan Army. Poseidon states that Percy has surpassed all heroes including Hercules (much to Zeus' annoyance) and afterwards gives Percy a hug to which Percy starts tearing up (as it was the first time his father had ever hugged him). Later on the beach at Camp Half-Blood, Poseidon thanks Percy for saving Olympus once again. He also says that he may send Percy some siblings in the future. Percy wonders if this is a joke or not, as Poseidon gives him his signature wink. Poseidon then leaves, leaving behind a troubled Percy who still isn't sure whether or not it was a joke.
The Heroes of Olympus
The Lost Hero
While not seen, Annabeth mentioned Poseidon when giving Piper McLean a tour of Camp Half-Blood. When Piper asked if Zeus and Hera's cabin were empty, Annabeth explained the Pact of the Big Three, saying that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades went a long time without having any demigod children for the better part of seventy years (with some exceptions).
Poseidon is later mentioned when Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, and Piper McLean visit the home of Aeolus, an extravagant news man. While giving the weather forecast, he tapped his earpiece and announced that Poseidon was angry with Miami, so Aeolus sent a winter freeze their way before apologizing to Demeter.
The Son of Neptune
Percy was on a quest with Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang, they meet a horse named Arion and Percy starts talking to the horse. When Hazel questions how he can talk horse, Percy says it is a Poseidon thing. Frank also finds out on this quest that his ancestor was Periclymenus, a grandson of Poseidon who was gifted with the ability to change into any animal, a gift that was passed down in the Zhang family. Later, Hazel and Frank both figure out that Percy is not a son of Neptune, but a son of Poseidon, his Greek aspect.
During the battle with Alcyoneus, Frank uses his gift to change into different animals. Percy complains that Poseidon didn't give him a cool gift like that, but Frank points out Percy's other abilities.
The Mark of Athena
Poseidon, along with most of the other Olympians, was incapacitated (with his personality split between him and his Roman form Neptune) after Leo was manipulated by Gaea into shooting upon Camp Jupiter from the Argo II.
Poseidon is mentioned whenever Annabeth asks if Percy has seen his dad recently. Percy says that he hasn't seen his dad since last August when he turned 16.
When Leo asked the Ichthyocentaur if they wanted to meet Percy, they said they choose not to interact with children of Poseidon because of their politics.
The Blood of Olympus
When Reyna, with the help of six pegasi finally manages to place the Athena Parthenos on Half-Blood Hill, golden light ripples across the ground, seeping warmth into the bones of both Greek and Roman demigods, and curing all of the Olympians (including Poseidon) of their split personalities. As a result, Poseidon promptly arrives in Athens to participate in the final battle with the Giants. He helps his son, Percy, fight the Giant twins Otis and Ephialtes, whom they quickly kill together, after which Hades sends their bodies back to Tartarus. After the battle, Poseidon is seen having what Jason thinks is "an intense discussion" with his sisters Hera and Demeter. He then specifies to Zeus who his daughter Kymopoleia is, and agrees with Athena that the real fight isn't truly over yet. He then watches as Zeus hurls the Argo II back to Camp Half-Blood.
Personality
Poseidon is overall a benevolent god, even though he shares many characteristics with Zeus including pride, stubbornness, and a fearsome temper. However, he appears to have matured over the centuries to a point where these attributes do not dominate Poseidon to the same extent they do Zeus, making him much more reasonable. Poseidon loves and cares for his children and watches over them more than most of the other gods, actively giving them advice, and aiding them indirectly, though this might be since he only has one son. Poseidon has a more caring and overall human personality, which Percy inherited many traits from. It should also be noted that despite their occasional quarrels, Poseidon, unlike most other Olympians, was usually on good terms with Ares, and was the one to speak up for the war god when the latter was imprisoned and humiliated by Hephaestus, knowing that nobody else would.
However, when Poseidon falls into depression, he can be very very dramatic. In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, when unable to woo Amphitrite, Poseidon becomes extremely depressed, and pointlessly wandered about his palace, bellowing "louder than a humpback whale", giving many whales and giant squids terrible migraines. Poseidon also greatly admired the fifty beautiful Nereids, and was infuriated when Queen Cassiopeia claimed to be more beautiful than any of them. As a result, Poseidon summoned a gigantic and bloodthirsty sea serpent, and ordered it to terrorize her kingdom. However, he later allowed Perseus to slay the serpent and save Andromeda (Cassiopeia's daughter) from it in Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes. However, after her death, while Poseidon did place Cassiopeia in the sky as a constellation, he insisted on placing her there upside-down as a final punishment.
Poseidon also has a very particular sense of humor, sometimes making it hard to tell if he is joking or not. After Percy saves Olympus in The Last Olympian, he tells him he can now claim all his other children and gives Percy a wink as if he's joking. He also has a habit of toying with his younger brother. As Zeus is begrudgingly thanking his brother for his help in defeating Typhon, Poseidon would interrupt with phrases like "I'm sorry brother. What was that?" and correcting him when Zeus says it would have been "difficult" instead of "impossible" to defeat Typhon. It has also been shown that he is very protective as seen in The Last Olympian when Percy in attempting to convince him to help Olympus, he states that he must protect his home (the sea), but Percy then reminds him that Olympus is his true home.
Due to caring dearly for his children, according to Polybotes; Poseidon's greatest weaknesses is his demigod son, Percy Jackson, since if Percy is harmed, the Giants believe that Poseidon will weaken. He also makes every effort to be there for his children. Even though he was forbidden from making contact with Percy directly, he does watch over Percy and guides him whenever he needs guidance such as telepathically telling Percy what to do.
In The House of Hades, it is implied by Hazel that Poseidon has a dark side, something which is reflected by his other son, Sciron.
Appearance
Once described by Sally Jackson in The Lightning Thief as "tall, handsome, powerful, yet gentle", Poseidon has black hair, a neatly trimmed black beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes (inherited from his mother Rhea) that were surrounded by sun-crinkles that told one he was prone to smiling. His hands are also scarred like an old-time fisherman's. When casual (which is almost always), he wore Birkenstocks (leather sandals), khaki Bermuda shorts, a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it (or any other Hawaiian shirt), and a cap decorated with fishing lures which says "Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat."
In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, while trying to court Demeter, Poseidon wore magnificent flowing green robes, with a crown of seashells on his head.
During The Last Olympian, due to his kingdom being destroyed in his battle with Oceanus, Poseidon's visage had aged to that of an old man with a bushy white beard and gray hair, and his battle armor seemed to weigh him down. When Percy asks what happened to him, he says he chooses to reflect the state of his realm, which was quite grim. However, when he abandoned the battle against Oceanus to help the other gods fight Typhon, his appearance returns to normal: tan and strong with a black beard, and glowing with a blue aura of power.
Poseidon's favorite demigod son, Percy Jackson, was noted to be nearly the spitting image of his father, with the same black hair, sea-green eyes, and brooding look. Percy had also inherited Poseidon's handsomeness, as confirmed by Hazel in The Son of Neptune, where she stated that "[Percy] had the good looks of a Roman god." That was also part of the reason why Medusa wanted to keep a statue of Percy: to remind herself of her past affair with his father.
Abilities
- Main article: Hydrokinesis
As one of the Big Three, Poseidon has the ultimate powers a god can possess, and is rivaled only by his brothers, Zeus and Hades. Poseidon did once have these powers temporarily stripped by Zeus, due to the former's involvement in the Olympian riot, but they were ultimately restored.
- Massive Strength: Poseidon has incredible physical prowess, and in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, he is mentioned being able to submerge entire islands, and hurl mountains at his enemies. Even when Zeus temporarily stripped him of his powers and divinity, Poseidon's physical strength still far surpassed that of any demigod, and he could easily carry six massive stone blocks simultaneously while building a mighty wall around Troy.
- Powerful Roar: in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, when Poseidon becomes extremely depressed about his inability to woo Amphitrite, Poseidon bellows "louder than a humpback whale", giving many whales and giant squids terrible migraines. In The Last Olympian, when Poseidon attacks Typhon, his voice is so loud, that Percy isn't sure if he was hearing it from the smoke image, or from all the way across town.
- Hydrokinesis: As the Lord of the Sea, Poseidon has absolute control over water, and has the same hydrokinetic powers as Percy, only at a vastly superior level. Only the Titan Oceanus rivals Poseidon's might in this regard.
- Tsunamis and Tidal Waves: He can unleash gigantic tsunamis and tidal waves, as seen during his battles with Oceanus in The Last Olympian.
- Water Funnel Clouds: He can create gigantic water funnel clouds. In The Last Olympian, Poseidon was able to make one around Typhon, which wrapped him up "like a cocoon", and took him all the way to Tartarus.
- Hydrogenesis: Poseidon can create water from his own power, generating it out of nothing.
- Water Propulsion: He can control the water around him to propel himself through water at incredible speeds.
- Water Solidification: He can harden water into an almost solid shape, and can use this power to walk on water, by increasing the surface tension of the water to the point where it is solid enough for him and other objects to stand on. As his son Percy did in The Last Olympian and The Son of Neptune, Poseidon can create extremely durable water shields and huge solid constructs that obey his will.
- Water Blasts: In The Blood of Olympus, Poseidon sprayed the Giants Otis and Ephialtes out of the Athenian Parthenon with a high-powered water blast in the shape of wild horses.
- Floods and Droughts: He can bring about both floods and droughts. This is shown in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, when Poseidon (angered that Hera is made the city's patron goddess) floods the city of Argos. However, when implored by Hera, Poseidon takes the floodwater away, along with the rest of the city's freshwater supply. He later helped Zeus bring about a global flood by rapidly raising seas' and oceans' water levels.
- Watery Appearance: As seen in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon can appear in a "massive geyser of twisting water and salt."
- Water Pressure Immunity: He can withstand any amount of water pressure.
- Water Creation: He can generate water from his body and create water springs.
- Water Transportation: He can use sea waves as a form of high-speed transportation.
- Underwater Breathing: He can naturally breathe underwater.
- Water Cushioning: As seen in Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes, Poseidon cushioned the impact that his son Theseus had with the surface of the sea after diving into it from a great height.
- Heat Resistance: He has an extreme resistance to heat and burns, inferior only to that of his nephew Hephaestus.
- Aquatic Lordship: Poseidon has absolute control and divine authority over all sea creatures, as well as many fearsome monsters native to the sea. In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon summoned a colossal and bloodthirsty sea serpent to terrorize Cassiopeia's kingdom, which Perseus would later slay in Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes.
- Horses: As the god who initially created horses, Poseidon has divine authority and control over them. In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, this is shown when Poseidon makes a herd of horses part before him, and surround Demeter.
- Geokinesis (limited): Being the God of Earthquakes, Poseidon has the ability to generate earthquakes. Due to this, Poseidon is frequently referred to as "The Earthshaker".
- Aerokinesis (limited): Poseidon is also known as the God of Storms, since he controls the weather over the seas. He can create fierce hurricanes. However, he can also create clear skies for sailors if he wishes to. Due to this, Poseidon is frequently referred to as "The Stormbringer." As he god of the seas, it is unknown how far this power may extend over land.
- Building Skills: in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, while stripped of his godhood and powers, Poseidon constructed the famous Walls of Troy, which were extremely durable, and kept the Greek forces (which Poseidon, ironically, supported) at bay for 10 long years.
- Granting Powers: Poseidon frequently restricts the destructive powers of his daughter Kymopoleia, something she complains about in The Blood of Olympus.
- Shapeshifting: As seen in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon is quite skilled at shapeshifting, much like his brother Zeus. He has transformed into an eagle (while escaping from Kronos' palace), a bat (while sneaking into Tartarus' maximum-security zone with his siblings), a white stallion (while wooing Demeter), and a ram (while wooing Theophane).
Attributes
- Dolphin (animal)
- Horse (animal)
- Ram (animal)
- Bull (animal)
- Trident (weapon)
- Ash and White Pine (trees)
Family
Poseidon is married to Amphitrite and has four children by her (although only two appear in the series) but he is also the father of a diversity of children.
Immortal Children
|
Partner |
Children |
| Unknown | Proteus |
| Numerous Nymphs | Numerous Cyclopes |
| Amphitrite | Benthesikyme, Triton, Rhode, and Kymopoleia |
| Demeter | Arion and Despoina |
| Gaea | Antaeus and Charybdis |
| Medusa | Pegasus and Chrysaor |
Mortal Children
| Partner | Children |
| Aethra | Theseus |
| Canace | Aloeus |
| Euryale | Orion |
| Libya | Lelex, Agenor and Belus |
| Eurynome | Bellerophon |
| Sally Jackson | Percy Jackson |
| Tyro | Neleus and Pelias |
| Libya | Belus and Agenor |
| Ossa | Sithon |
| Unknown | Sciron |
| Unknown | Palaestinus |
Legacies
| Legacy | Relation |
| Periclymenus | Grandson |
| Shen Lun | Distant Descendant |
| Grandma Zhang | Distant Descendant |
| Emily Zhang | Distant Descendant |
| Frank Zhang | Distant Descendant |
Film
The Lightning Thief
| |
| Poseidon | |
|
|
| from the official soundtrack | |
Poseidon is played by Kevin McKidd.
There are both similarities and differences in his character between the film and the novel.
The most notable similarity is that, after the Master Bolt was stolen and Zeus believed it to be part of a plot instigated by Poseidon, Poseidon was too proud to try to convince his brother otherwise, despite being truly innocent of the theft. His film version was also revealed to have had a brief affair with Medusa, just like his novel version.
However, it must be noted that there are still numerous differences between his film version and novel version. For instance, the novel Poseidon was described as having black hair and beard, and sea-green eyes, but in the film, his hair and beard are reddish-blond, and his eyes are blue. The film Poseidon also does not sport a Hawaiian-print shirt and shorts like his novel version, but was portrayed in T-shirt and jeans (at his first appearance), and later in Grecian armour like the other gods.
Last but not least, the film Poseidon was portrayed as having a personality that is vastly different from his novel version, and hence his actions were different from those of the novel as well.
The novel Poseidon had left Sally before Percy was even born, later expressed doubts as to whether or not fathering Percy had been a wise decision (given that his son's destiny as a hero meant that his life was highly likely to be a tragic one), but also showed to possess a fine sense of humour, as demonstrated by his aiming sarcastic jokes at Zeus, and a laid-back demeanour overall.
The film Poseidon, however, was depicted as intensely serious, and treated Zeus as more of a superior than brother, even requesting from him permission to speak and physically interact with his own son. He was also shown to love Percy dearly, keeping a watchful eye on him despite the fact that the rules meant that he had to do so silently and unseen. When Zeus accused Percy of being the Lightning Thief, Poseidon menacingly threatened his brother with war, though it turned to be an invalid threat as Zeus was harbouring similar intentions himself because of the theft. As a result, Poseidon exploited the loophole in the rules by telepathically warning and guiding Percy out of tight spots throughout the film. When father and son finally met for the first time since Percy was a baby, Poseidon honestly confessed to Percy that he had never meant to leave him and his mother, but because he was becoming increasingly human and less concerned with his divine responsibilities when he was with them, Zeus had passed the law forbidding the gods from having physical contact with their children, which in turn forced him to leave.
He added, however, that he truly loved and cared for Percy, and had tried to help out whenever he could, though he had to do so subtly. He concludes with assuring Percy that he will always there for him, and that he will always stand by him. At this, though both were still little more than strangers, father and son shared a handshake of understanding and beginning of acceptance, and Poseidon watched wistfully as Percy went on his own way. Hence, it could be said that the film focused on bringing out a more serious, more paternal, and more sincere side of Poseidon, especially given that in the novels, though Poseidon acknowledged Percy as a true son of his and occasionally expresses his pride in him, he still remains somewhat an aloof and distant figure.
Trivia
- Poseidon is also referred to as "The Earthshaker", "The Stormbringer", and "The Father of Horses."
- Interestingly, Poseidon is the only Big Three god who doesn't have two known demigod children born to him by the same mortal mother since Zeus had Jason (Roman) and Thalia (Greek) with Ms. Grace while Hades had Bianca and Nico with Maria di Angelo.
- Also, out of the Big Three gods, Poseidon has the least amount of demigod children in the series.
- He is the only known Big Three god known to have a legacy, which is Frank Zhang.
- Poseidon seems to be the most caring father among the Big Three, especially when he comes to visit Percy on his fifteenth birthday.
- Poseidon's favorite son is Percy Jackson.
- Neptune, the eighth and last official planet from the Sun, is named after Poseidon's Roman counterpart.
- Polybotes believes Poseidon's greatest weakness is his love for Percy.
- From The Son of Neptune to The House of Hades, at least one son of Poseidon appears as the antagonist, has one distinguishing ability, and works for Gaea.
- Phineas (Prophecy) - The Son of Neptune.
- Chrysaor (Swordfighting) - The Mark of Athena.
- Sciron (Marksmanship) - The House of Hades.
- Poseidon has not contacted Percy at all since The Last Olympian. Out of all the godly parents of the Seven Heroes of Olympus, Poseidon is the only one that has not contacted his child in some way. The reason is unknown.
- Percy is the only known demigod son of Poseidon since World War II. However Poseidon mentions to Percy at the end of The Last Olympian that he can now claim all his other children, but he may have been joking.
- According to Hazel Levesque, Poseidon's children take their personalities from his changeable persona. As Sciron is darker and merciless, as a rough and murderous seas, whereas Percy takes his father's kind, soft, and peaceful sea persona.
- In Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, it was stated that Poseidon used Riptide to defeat Kronos. In the books however, Zeus used their father's scythe to cut Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father Ouranos.
- Poseidon is the only known Greek god to have legacies in the modern day.
- As shown in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon and Apollo are the only two major Olympians who have temporarily been forced to live on earth with their divinity and godly powers stripped away as a punishment for rebelling against Zeus.
- As shown in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, after Ares brutally murders his son Halirrhothius, Poseidon convinces Zeus to assemble the first ever Olympian trial for murder. However, Ares was ultimately acquitted.
- As Percy states in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, the only demigod son of Poseidon that he is ashamed of being related to is Halirrhothius, who tried to rape Ares' daughter Alcippe.
- In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon is shown to be the only one to inherit his mother Rhea's brilliant green eyes. His son Percy Jackson later inherits them as well.
- Kronos seems to have a particularly strong hatred for his son Poseidon, whom he describes as "too changeable, and too unpredictable."
- After many competitions with other Olympians, Poseidon finally became the patron god of Corinth and Mantinea.
- In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Chrysomallus, the ram with the Golden Fleece, is revealed to be the son of Poseidon and Theophane, a beautiful mortal princess.
- His only half-blood child shares his gender.
- Poseidon was the last child swallowed by Kronos, but the first one to be vomited out.
- Poseidon's Norse counterparts would be Aegir and Njord.
- Poseidon has no actual Egyptian counterpart, though he some attributes in common with Sobek.
Gallery
See also
- Hydrokinesis
- Percy Jackson
- Olympians
- Poseidon's cabin
- Poseidon's Throne
- Trident
- Triton
- Sally Jackson