Percy Jackson and the Olympians – the books and TV series – puts a modern spin on a tale as old as Greek myth: gods and humans having children together. We already know that Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon in the franchise, but how many sons does Poseidon have in total? What does his family tree even look like? And is Percy his favorite?
Who is Poseidon in Percy Jackson?
Before anything, let's talk about who Poseidon is. In Greek mythology, Poseidon is recognized as the god of the sea, droughts, floods, earthquakes, storms, and horses. He is the son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Together with his siblings (Zeus and Hades), Poseidon completes what's known as "the Big Three" of ancient Greek deities.
Poseidon is married to the Oceanid Amphitrite, who bore him many sons including Triton. He is also said to have fathered several horse offspring with Medusa, including Pegasus.
But in the Percy Jackson books, Poseidon has several other baby mamas, both immortal and mortal. So, how many kids (sons and daughters) does Poseidon really have?
How Many Sons Does Poseidon Have in Percy Jackson?
In both Greek mythology and the book series Percy Jackson's Poseidon is known to have many wives and offspring. The book series, however, focuses on one particular son whom he had with a mortal woman named Sally Jackson.
But how many sons does Poseidon have in Percy Jackson and the Olympians? It's impossible to know the exact number of total offspring he has and to identify them individually, but we have a pretty good idea.
According to this Riordan Fandom site and actual historical sources, the list of Poseidon's children includes the following:
- Procrustes
- Benthesikyme, Triton, Rhode, Kymopoleia (with Amphtrite)
- Arion and Despoina (with Demeter)
- Antaeus and Charybdis (with Gaea)
- Pegasus and Chrysaor (with Medusa)
- Eryx (with Aphrodite)
- Chrysomallus (with Salamis)
- Pelias and Neleus (with Tyro)
- Atlas, Alebion, Bergion, Otos and Ephialtae (with the mortal woman Cleito)
- Polyphemus the clyclops
- Amycus (with the nymph Melia)
However, depending on which source you read, Poseidon is said to have fathered even more offspring – some human, some monstrous, some animal. Ancient philosopher Plato even claimed he was a descendant of Poseidon through his father, Ariston.
According to Riordan Fandom, just the number of demigods he created is 63, born of different mortal women.
Is Percy Poseidon's Favorite Son?
In one of the books, Percy has a heart-to-heart conversation with his father about something Percy learned from his half-brother, Antaeus. Percy, Antaeus maintained, was their father's favorite son.
Poseidon reassures Percy by telling him:
"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."
This line is found in The Battle of the Labyrinth.
While many argue that this could have been an embellishment, Percy found comfort in what his father said.
Thinking about it critically, Percy is a small demigod whom the Greek god has met only a handful of times. Poseidon has numerous other immortal children he can choose from. So why would he choose Percy as his favorite?
Percy isn't immortal and could one day pass on. But out of everyone else, he has done so much for the world. This would definitely put him on a pedestal in his father's eyes.
Catch more of our explainer articles on Percy Jackson and the Olympians here.
Follow our Facebook page for more news coverage and other explainer articles.
RELATED: When Does Percy Get Claimed in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!