‘Percy Jackson’: What Is Zeus’ True Goal? (If Not a War With Poseidon)
Episode 6 of ‘Percy Jackson’ was just released, and if you haven’t read the book, you are more confused than ever regarding the main plot of the season and the theft of Master Bolt. It seems like a silly and straightforward thing since all the gods and demi-gods partially hate each other, but throughout the episode, some hints are dropped that the war against Poseidon is not Zeus’ final goal; if not, then what is it? What does Zeus have to gain from Master Bolt missing and civil war against his brother?
Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ read at your own risk.
The Big Three as well as Percy Jackson, are being led into a trap
Now, last week, we already covered who truly stole the master bolt because it’s clear as a day that it wasn’t Percy. It was Luke Castellan, but a mere demigod wouldn’t come upon this plan by himself. You see, Luke is being used by a being far larger than himself – Kronos.
If you’re not all that familiar with Greek mythology, then the only thing that you need to know is that Kronos was a titan, a predecessor of Greek Gods, and for his incredible cruelty, he got imprisoned in Tartarus by Zeus. Now, Kronos is allegedly supposed to be completely harmless, but Poseidon himself stated in the books that he “stirs” from time to time, enters men’s nightmares, and tries to manipulate both mortals and men alike to achieve his true goal, getting free and vengeance. And this is where Luke comes in.
Why did Luke steal the master bolt?
Even before he was manipulated by Kronos, Luke had plenty of reason to hate the gods and to see the status quo fall.
Luke Castellan, a son of Hermes whom we met in Episode 6, had begun questioning the Olympians ever since his father “abandoned” both him and his sick mother. After seeing the fate of Halcyon Green and his close friend Thalia Grace turned into a tree, this questioning turned to resentment and hatred, and Luke began viewing all of the Olympians as evil, corrupt, selfish, and unworthy of worship.
All of this made him a perfect ally for Kronos. The evil Titan King contacted Luke in his dreams and gradually manipulated him to his cause, ordering him to steal the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness, the legendary weapons of Zeus and Hades, respectively, which would start a civil war amongst the Big Three gods, as both Zeus and Hades would blame Poseidon because his son Percy Jackson was living in New York.
Luke succeeded in stealing the Bolt and the Helm during a camp field trip to Olympus, but Luke was caught and defeated by Ares. Kronos saved Luke by manipulating Ares through the demigod and dreams, telling Ares that if the weapons were successfully stolen, a war would begin. Ares let Luke go but kept the weapons for himself. Luke was later punished by Kronos through terrifying nightmares.
When Luke promised never to fail him again, Kronos told him that a boy would be coming to Camp Half-Blood soon, and they would use that boy to send the Master Bolt to Tartarus, where Kronos would be able to gain them and possibly use them to break free.
Will Percy find out the truth?
As far as the books go, Percy and Annabeth figured out that Kronos was responsible for the theft when Percy mentioned strange dreams and darkness, something he referenced in episode 6 as well. Now, once in the Underworld, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth witness the winged shoes trying to pull them into Kronos, and those shoes are a gift from Luke himself. However, due to a clever switch involving Grover wearing the shoes, Percy and Annabeth manage to rescue Grover.
Upon returning to the mortal world, they confront Ares, realizing someone else manipulated him in the theft of the Master Bolt and Helm of Darkness. After Percy defeats Ares in a duel, Kronos briefly makes his presence known, intimidating Ares into admitting defeat. With the Furies as witnesses, Percy, armed with the Helm of Darkness, prevents Hades from starting a war. They also figured out that Kronos was the darkness speaking to them and that he was basically behind the whole thing.
Some time will pass, however, until Poseidon starts taking Percy seriously regarding this threat, but this is a story for another day. The events that we’ve spoken about will most likely be shown in the last few episodes of ‘Percy Jackson.’ Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!