Percy Jackson: Is Nico di Angelo Gay or Bisexual?

‘Percy Jackson’ is a popular series of fantasy novels by Rick Riordan featuring a modern-day world where Greek gods and demigods exist. One of the most beloved characters in the series is Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades, who has a dark and tragic past. But Nico is also notable for being one of the first openly gay characters in mainstream children’s literature. However, some fans have wondered if Nico is actually bisexual rather than gay, based on some hints and clues in the previous books. For example, Nico is shown to blush when Juniper, a dryad, touches his arm in ‘The Last Olympian.’ Could these be signs of Nico’s attraction to both genders or are they just products of his confusion and denial? Let’s see whether Nico di Angelo is gay or bisexual.

Nico was aware that he was gay since he was a child

Nico is a truly complicated character and one with the most tragic past in the entire franchise. One of the things that made him special is his complicated childhood; as most of you probably know, Nico actually spent some of his childhood in 1940s Italy, which shaped some of his early worldviews, especially toward sexuality. When Nico first met Percy, he actually looked toward him as an older brother, but as time passed by, Nico developed a significant crush on Percy and started resenting Annabeth for being close to Percy. Because Nico was aware that his crush couldn’t go anywhere and that Percy didn’t feel the same, and partially due to his childhood, Nico tried to hide the fact that he was gay the best he could.

Nico’s greatest fear was being outed

In ‘The House of Hades,’ it is revealed that Nico di Angelo’s greatest fear is people discovering that he is gay; once gained, this goes back to the societal unacceptance of homosexuality during his childhood in the 1940s. This fear led Nico to avoid forming close connections with others, isolating himself more than any other demigod. When Cupid forces him to reveal his secret to Jason, Nico is deeply affected, finally showing his vulnerability.

However, in ‘The Blood of Olympus,’ when Reyna learns about Nico’s sexuality, she surprises him by accepting him without judgment, offering support and friendship. Reyna’s acceptance gives Nico the courage to come out to Percy and Annabeth, marking the beginning of his journey to overcome this fear. By ‘The Hidden Oracle,’ Nico has fully embraced his identity, confessing his crush on Will Solace and entering into a romantic relationship with him. In ‘The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure,’ Nico, now comfortable with himself, provides guidance to Piper McLean on being queer, sharing a personal story about facing homophobia at a young age. Ultimately, Nico’s coming out party at the camp, met with acceptance and support, helps him overcome his fears and inspires other closeted LGBT campers to embrace their true selves.

Cupid was the one to out Nico

Nico was outed in front of Jason during ‘The House of Hades’ by none other than Cupid. Cupid publicly showed how Nico used to have a crush on Percy and not Annabeth, as Jason presumed. Jason, who previously was kind of creeped out and intolerant when it comes to Nico, finally realizes what his deal is and fully accepts him for the way he is. With Nico’s main fear now being somewhat alleviated, he was finally free to become what he always needed to be.

Did Nico have a crush on Annabeth?

Nico never had a crush on Annabeth; he had a crush on Percy, but everybody always assumed that Nico was salty at the time because he was in love with Annabeth. Nico actually resented her and was stewing in jealousy. When Percy and Annabeth first started dating, Nico started coming to camp less often. So no, even though Annabeth and Nico eventually reconciled, he was pissed at her for something out of her control for the majority of their interactions.

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