Jason and the Heroes of Mount Olympus (French: Jason et les héros de l'Olympe) is a short-lived animated TV series from 2001-2002, produced by Saban International Paris in co-production with Fox Kids Europe and TF1.
Jason is a twelve-year-old orphan with fantasies of becoming a great hero. He gets his wish when he climbs to the top of Mount Olympus and helps the gods fight off the evil Dracchus, leading to Jason being deemed the The Chosen One. Jupiter, king of the gods, gives him the Belt of Orion which allows him to exist on Mount Olympus and gives him control of the universe. Most episodes follow Jason having adventures in Ancient Grome with his two friends Mercury and Venus, while Dracchus seeks to attain the all-powerful amulet.
Oh, and the Olympian gods have been reimagined as anthropomorphic animals.
This series contains examples of:
- 11th-Hour Superpower: Jason masters the Belt of Orion in the last episode, where he can finally fight and beat Dracchus openly.
- Adaptational Heroism: The Olympian gods are very much textbook Jerkass Gods in ancient mythology. Here, all of them are depicted as conventionally heroic, and even the standoffish and short-tempered Mars is ultimately a Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Notably, Venus (Aphrodite), who could charitably be described as the original vain and spiteful Alpha Bitch, becomes a full-fledged Nice Girl and the Voice of Reason.
- Anthropomorphic Animal Adaptation: Partially. All the humans and other mortal characters from ancient mythology such as the Gorgon sisters remain as they were, but the gods of Mount Olympus are depicted as anthropomorphic animals, with Jupiter as a chimpanzee, Mercury as a rabbit, Venus as a squirrel, Hercules as a lion and Mars as an elephant. Vulcan appears in one episode and is depicted as a wild boar.
- Canon Foreigner:
- Jupiter's cousin, the overseer of dreams and sleep, is for some reason an original character rather than an established Greco-Roman deity like Hypnos or Somnus. Except in the Greek adaptation, where he is Morpheus.
- The main villain is called Dracchus, and is not a mythological monster.
- Composite Character: Venus (Aphrodite) in this show is more of a combination of her namesake and Diana (Artemis), goddess of the hunt.
- Conveniently an Orphan: The first episode establishes that Jason is a street urchin scraping by in Ancient Grome, and he promptly gets taken in by the Olympian gods once Jupiter deems him The Chosen One.
- Cruel Elephant: Downplayed with Mars. He’s a loudmouthed jerk, and unlike the other gods, is rather skeptical and antagonistic toward Jason, but he remains firmly on the side of the good guys.
- Damsel in Distress: While occasionally utilizing her Green Thumb in combat, Venus often has to be rescued by Jason and Mercury.
- Everybody Loves Zeus: As usual, Jupiter (Zeus) is depicted as the wise and honorable Big Good of Mount Olympus, and has the voice of David the Gnome.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Big Bad Dracchus has a very deep voice, courtesy of Daran Norris.
- Giant Spider: They live in the same area as Vulcan's forge, and try to invade it every winter in a kind of Forever War.
- Harping on About Harpies: Dracchus's main Mooks are harpies, depicted as far less humanoid than in most portrayals while also being both male and female rather than Monogender Monsters.
- In Name Only: While presumably named after him, the show’s version of Jason has essentially nothing in common with the leader of the Argonauts from classic Greek mythology, though one episode does involve King Aeëtes and the Golden Fleece.
- Interspecies Romance: A dragon is shown being married to a Riddling Sphinx, who misses him a lot.
- Kraken and Leviathan: A kraken, which has been sinking ships and terrorizing merpeople, is featured as the Monster of the Week in "Sea No Evil."
- Lady Land: Here, the reason why the Amazons dislike men and do not want them around is because their presence in Amazon territory will invoke a curse that will summon an evil Swamp Monster called Zarkoz. Once it's down, they stop being as hateful.
- Last of His Kind: Orkos, the Atlantean who Jason and Mercury meet in the aptly titled "The Last of the Atlanteans."
- Lighter and Softer: Needless to say, this early 2000s animated show nixes the countless graphic and/or adult elements from ancient mythology, makes the Olympian gods far more affable and heroic, has hammy villains who always lose, and is fairly lighthearted and comedic in tone.
- Loves Only Gold: The shapeshifter from "Changer in Our Midst" is obsessed with gold, with its ultimate goal being to usurp King Midas, who was able to rehabilitate it via Commonality Connection.
- Medusa: She serves as the villain in two episodes, the second time accompanied by the other two Gorgon sisters, all three depicted as hideous Snake People.
- Mysterious Past: Dracchus's origin, the source of his powers, and even what he is exactly are never revealed. All we get is an offhand remark from Jupiter about how the former was once an Oracle.
- Oddly Small Organization: The Olympian gods consist of just Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Hercules. Vulcan appears in one episode, but he has no apparent connection to the Olympians.
- Our Minotaurs Are Different: The minotaur and its labyrinth pop up when the heroes visit Crete, though they are able to sway it to the side of good, and in the end, it helps them punish the tyrannical King Minos.
- Pals with Jesus: Jason is a regular 12-year-old boy who goes to live with the gods on Mount Olympus, and immediately becomes best friends with Mercury and Venus (the latter being kids too).
- Red Right Hand: Dracchus's right eye is scarred and red.
- Righteous Rabbit: Mercury, who is depicted as an anthropomorphic rabbit, though he's also a Cowardly Lion who is often very apprehensive about facing danger, in contrast to Jason.
- Rock Monster: The Titans here are depicted as an army of nigh-invulnerable rock men who were made magically inert by Jupiter. Dracchus wakes them up and sends them on a rampage in "Indiscipline."
- Silly Simian: Subverted with Jupiter. He’s depicted as the wise and respectable leader of the gods, though like everyone, he is sometimes subjected to slapstick comedy.
- Sirens Are Mermaids: Sirens serve as the villains of one episode, depicted as mermaid-like but also capable of walking on land via Ghostly Glide.
- The Smurfette Principle: Venus is the only female in the main cast.
- Stout Strength: Hercules is very rotund but he’s still a Blood Knight and retains his trademark Super-Strength.
- Two Guys and a Girl: Jason, Mercury, and Venus are the main characters and usually go on adventures together.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Nobody seems even slightly taken aback by the Olympian gods being anthropomorphic animals when first meeting them, including Jason in the pilot, nor is that tidbit even acknowledged. Mercury and Venus constantly walking among mortals also never raises any eyebrows.
- Vanity Is Feminine: The Siren Queen steals energy and youth from others so she can stay young and beautiful.
- Vile Villain, Laughable Lackey: Dracchus is a dangerous villain with a lot of power and influence. The Harpy Chieftain, his right-hand man, is a small harpy prone to slapstick.
- War Elephants: A quite literal example, as Mars (Ares), the god of war, is depicted as an anthropomorphic elephant (possibly as a nod to the trope).
- Younger and Hipper: Mercury (Hermes) and Venus (Aphrodite), who are normally depicted as adults, have been aged down to be tweens (or at least the Olympian equivalent of one) to better serve as Jason’s best friends.
