Does Percy Jackson Die in the Last Book? What Happened to Him?

Percy Jackson is the main protagonist and the narrator of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians book series written by Rick Riordan. This series consists of five fantasy novels that follow Percy and his friends in their adventures. But, does Percy have a happy ending? Does he die in the last book?

Percy Jackson doesn’t die in the last book. After his heroic endeavors in the battle against Typhon, Percy is offered immortal godhood by the gods. Much to everyone’s surprise Percy refused and decided to ask the gods to grant him a few wishes.

By the end of the book series, Percy has achieved everything, and he has everything he wanted for himself and for his friends. But, of course, this didn’t come easy for Percy, he spent half of his life running from something or searching for something. There is a new Disney+ TV series coming soon, and we will get the chance to see Percy in all his glory on the small screen, once again. Now, let’s see what Percy needed to sacrifice to get a chance at godhood.

Who is Percy Jackson?

Percy Jackson is the son of a Greek god and a mortal. He is a demigod, but not an ordinary one. His father is one of the Big Three, he is the son of Poseidon. After he didn’t feel like he fits in the normal, mortal world his whole life, Percy started to find his footing in Camp Half-Blood among other demigods and mystical creatures. Percy is described as kind-hearted, brave-spirited, and a natural leader.

He is very smart, but he likes to act dumb. This all goes well with his laid-back demeanor and sarcastic humor. He always gets in trouble, because he doesn’t like to follow rules and he is very reckless. But, as the story progresses, Percy is getting more mature and less impulsive. In the next passage, we will see what kind of adventures shaped Percy and his friends.   

At the very beginning of his new life in which all Greek myths are true, he found himself in trouble. He was accused by Zeus that he stole his Master Bolt. On his way to clear his name, he had to battle the Furies, Medusa, and Echidna, along with her pet/son Chimera. He needed to save his mother from the Underwood, and battle the god of war to prove to everyone he isn’t the lighting thief. On their next adventure, Percy and his friends must find the mystical Golden Fleece that is hidden somewhere in the Sea of Monsters.

After successfully finding it, the Fleece restored the barrier of the Camp and brought to life Thalia, the daughter of Zeus. But, things aren’t quite for long as Annabeth and the goddess Artemis are taken. On their mission to save them, Percy and his friends are attacked by a Nemean Lion, but after finding his weakness Percy manages to defeat it. Later, when they find Annabeth who was abducted by Atlas, Percy needs to hold the sky on his shoulders while his friends try to defeat him.

When they finished their adventure successfully, they go to Mount Olympus. There Percy is closer to death than ever before when the gods have to vote on his life. Thankfully, the gods decide to spare him, and Poseidon even tells him he is proud of him. But, trouble is never far away, now Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson have to find Daedalus’ workshop within the labyrinth, before Luke and his Army do. After defeating four Telekhines, and a Sphinx, Percy finds a forge belonging to the god Hephaestus being used by Kronos’s smiths. To escape them, he must summon all his power, so Percy triggers a volcanic eruption, and stirs Typhon, the father of all Monsters, in his sleep. The events of the last book, focus on their final battle against Luke who is possessed by Kronos and other Titans.

What happened to Percy Jackson in the last book?

The fifth and last book is called Percy Jackson & The Last Olympian, and it is the culmination of all the events from this book series. First, let’s talk about the prophecy. Around World War II the Oracle gave the First Great Prophecy:

“A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze.”

This is the reason the gods voted to kill or spare him at the end of the third book because Percy is a possible threat to Mount Olympus. Percy was the only demigod, son of the Big Three, to reach his sixteenth birthday. And, by the beginning of the book, the rest of the prophecy is still unsolved. Luke is now possessed by Kronos, and the big battle in New York is starting. Morpheus, Hecate, and Kronos cast a powerful sleeping spell on the city and thus fulfilling the third line from the prophecy. Our heroes are having a hard time-fighting Kronos and Typhon, and their saving grace is the arrival of Poseidon. Poseidon manages to plunge Typhon into the depths of Tartarus.

The only one left to beat now is Kronos in Luke’s body. When Annabeth is badly hurt, Luke comes to his senses and Percy hands him Annabeth’s knife. Luke kills himself, ends the war, and fulfills the prophecy with an almost preserved Olympus. The last few lines of the prophecy are foretelling the hard choice Percy had to make when it comes to trusting Luke. Luke and Annabeth were very close at the beginning of the series, they had a special bond and considered each other family. Percy never trusted or liked Luke, so he had to trust Annabeth’s judgment that he shouldn’t go for the kill himself, rather he should let Luke do it. This shows Percy’s growth and maturity.

In the end, every major character gets some kind of reward or honor. For example, Annabeth is chosen to be the new architect for the redesigning of Olympus, and Tyson is now the General of the Cyclopes. Percy is given the biggest honor, immortal godhood, as is fitting for a hero. But, he refuses and asks for some unusual favors instead. He demands that all the gods have to claim their demigod children by the time they turn thirteen. He wants cabins built for the children of all minor gods and Hades, and amnesty for the innocent Titans, such as Calypso. Percy also lifts the oath Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades took not to have any more demigod children. All in all, Percy has a happy ending to his adventures.