History Literature / PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians

* {{Jerkass}}:
** Gabe Ugliano, who is both abusive and rude and plays poker with his sleazy friends. [[spoiler:He gets his comeuppance.]]
%%** Annabeth, Thalia and Clarisse have shades of this in different books.

* BigBad: Kronos, the Titan King. He serves as SealedEvilInACan manipulating [[TheHeavy Luke]] until the fourth book, where he comes to earth by [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession possessing]] Luke Castellan]].

** ''The Lightning Thief'' has a scene where Percy jumps from the top of the Gateway Arch straight into the Mississippi River, likely due to a common misconception that the Arch spans the river (it does not). Considering that the Arch is a hundred yards or more from the river under ordinary circumstances, with some wide concrete walkways, a huge 64-step grand staircase, and a road in between, he'd need a hang glider to achieve this. (See [[http://www.palmbeachbiketours.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/St-Louis-Riverfront-and-Arch-10-17-2004_5604.jpg this photo]] for reference.) Even during flood season, the closest the river has ever been to the Arch is halfway up the staircase. However, this is [[HandWave explained away]] with Percy's water powers. The Graphics Novel fixes this, by having Grover try to catch Percy with the Hermes shoes only to drop him into the water.

* InWhichATropeIsDescribed: Every chapter likes to explain exactly what happens in said chapter, usually in sarcastic and witty ways: "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher", "A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers", "[[ItMakesSenseInContext Grover Buys a Wedding Dress]]", "[[CueTheFlyingPigs Pigs Fly]]"...

* CueTheFlyingPigs: Particularly dangerous ones are the Erymanthian Boar, who lives around Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and the Clazmonian Sow, [[spoiler:which Kronos unleashes during the Battle of Manhattan. According to Annabeth, no hero has ever defeated the Clazmonian Sow until Percy defeats it.]]

** ''Literature/TheTrialsOfApollo'' mentioned Aztec, Babylonian and Chinese mythologies, with Apollo pretty much stating that every belief system is true, including [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers science]] (according to him, the sun goes across the sky because people believe science makes it go across the sky).

Starting from 2023, in commemoration of the [[Series/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians2023 TV adaptation]], Riordan is writing an {{interquel}} trilogy set between the events of ''The Heroes of Olympus'' and ''The Trials of Apollo''. The trilogy follows Percy in his senior year of high school as he embarks on quests for the gods to get recommendation letters for college at New Rome University. The books so far are:

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: [[spoiler:Zeus killed Maria di Angelo in order to prevent more Big Three children being born so that Kronos won't try to take over the universe. Hades, in anger at his mistress being killed, cursed the Oracle so she goes all crazy. Luke's mom volunteers to be the Oracle but gets driven mad. Luke feels left alone and resents his parents as a result. Kronos uses this as an opportunity to manipulate Luke into helping him rise. ''Zeus just caused the prophecy to take place in the worst way possible.'']]

* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Kind of. [[spoiler:By killing Maria di Angelo in an attempt to kill Nico and Bianca, Zeus gave Nico a reason to hate and want to destroy the gods, which is what Zeus was trying to prevent in the first place. Luckily, Nico didn't act on it. But Hades, in anger at his mistress being killed, cursed the Oracle so that she goes all crazy. Luke's mom volunteers to be the Oracle but gets driven mad. Luke feels left alone and resents his parents as a result.]]

* NemesisWeapon: Luke creates a special sword called Backbiter, which has one blade made of Celestial bronze (which can harm monsters and immortals, but can't harm heroes and mortals) and one blade made out of tempered steel (which can't harm monsters and immortals, but can harm heroes and mortals). This serves as an antithesis to all heroic weapons, which are only forged out of celestial bronze as heroes are never supposed to harm other heroes, but more specifically it works as an antithesis to Percy's Riptide.

%%* MadOracle: [[spoiler:May Castellan.]]

** ''The Lightning Thief'' has a scene where Percy jumps from the top of the Gateway Arch straight into the Mississippi River, likely due to a common misconception that the Arch spans the river (it does not). Considering that the Arch is a hundred yards or more from the river under ordinary circumstances, with some wide concrete walkways, a huge 64-step grand staircase, and a road in between, he'd need a hang glider to achieve this. (See [[http://www.palmbeachbiketours.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/St-Louis-Riverfront-and-Arch-10-17-2004_5604.jpg this photo]] for reference.) Even during flood season, the closest the river has ever been to the Arch is halfway up the staircase. However, this is [[HandWave explained away]] with Percy's water powers.

** The series as a whole could be considered ''Literature/HarryPotter'' with Greek mythology.