Top Mythology Heroes in Media
Percy Jackson – The G.O.A.T (Greatest of all time)
If you don’t know the above character, you might’ve just emerged from beneath a rock at the very bottom of the ocean. Even those who haven’t read the books are aware of this legendary demi-god’s name. Percy Jackson is one of the most well-known mythology heroes of all time. He stars in a few different series by Rick Riordan, the first being The Lightning Thief. He also appears in The Son of Neptune.
“Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction — Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.”
“In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest:
Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
Who are the other four mentioned in the prophecy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea…
With an ever-expanding cast of brave-hearted heroes and formidable foes, this second book in The Heroes of Olympus series offers all of the action, pathos, and humor that Rick Riordan fans crave.”
So… What makes a character like Percy Jackson compelling to so many readers?
Well, I’d say it comes down to his experiences being relatable in the basest sense of the word. He grows up fighting oppression, overcoming mental health struggles, losing family and friends, becoming an orphan, and growing into a power he never asked for but uses to help those in need.
Some readers argue he is one of the most powerful heroes across fantasy with a heart of gold most Gods couldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. To me, that’s what makes Percy so well-written.
He’s an extremely powerful MC that could do or accomplish whatever he wishes, but his wholesome character traits leave him looking to do the right thing at the expense of himself nine times out of ten. And there’s just something special about those willing to do something for the greater good.
Would you?
The real answer is probably not.
“It’s funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.”
Patroclus & Achilles
These two fit together like good and evil, should you separate them, both will perish… And I wish I was joking. Even in the history books, Patroclus was destined to die so that Achilles would become the man he was meant to be in order to end the Trojan War.
This simple explanation is the easiest, and no one can deny how heart-wrenchingly beautiful their love story is. Two men willing to do anything for one another, even die. And while there are many stories centered around the Trojan War, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, is by far the most well-known.
“Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.”
Some may argue that the bare bones of this story are what makes it so tragic. Upon picking up the book, you already know the ending. You anticipate the strong emotions you’ll feel as you read the death scenes and cry over the lovely quotes Madeline feeds us in seemingly every other paragraph.
… But why? Why are humans willing to read literature that hurts them?
Because it also heals them.
“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
Loki
Loki is rarely thought of as a mythology hero, and where we know him best is in the Marvel cinematic universe. Tom Hiddleston does an excellent job at capturing both the mischievous and morally gray sides of the Norse God of mischief, trickery, and deception.
His character is deeply flawed because that is his destiny, his calling card if you will. And I love how steadfast he is to the convictions he holds dear, no matter how skewed they may look to outsiders. Willing to do anything and everything to get what he wants, but also to save those he pretends not to care for.
“After stealing the Tesseract during the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), an alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline. They give Loki a choice: face being erased from existence due to being a “time variant”, or help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat. Loki ends up trapped in his own crime thriller, traveling through time.”
This character is fascinating because he is so similar to humans. We make mistakes and choose things based on selfish desires, and to see a God do the same put things into a wider lens of perspective. Suddenly, your mistake from yesterday doesn’t seem so overwhelming when you know even Gods slip up.
“Hurts, doesn’t it? Being lied to. Being told you’re one thing and then learning it’s all a fiction.”
Hades & Persephone
We all know why these two mythology heroes made the list. Their love story might be even bigger than Achilles and Patroclus and with more angst. Hades himself is such a riveting character to shape in your own image. Not only is he the oldest of all Greek Gods, but he also holds the largest capacity for emotion and empathy. Not to mention his wife who is both a beauty to marvel at and a force of nature not to be trifled with.
Plus, these two arguably have the most series written about them, but here are a few of my favorites…
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (YA Fantasy Romance Series)
“When Kate agrees to take the Goddess Test, she doesn’t know every girl who has taken it has died…
It’s always been just Kate and her mom, but now her mother is dying. Her last wish is to move back to her childhood home, so Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family, and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld, and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he’s crazy until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems amazingly possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride and a goddess. But what Kate doesn’t know is that no one has ever passed the Goddess Test.”
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clare (Adult Fantasy Romance Series)
“Let me worship you,” he said.
She remembered the words she had whispered to him in the back of the limo after La Rose. “You will worship me, and I won’t even have to order you.” His request felt sinful and devious, and she reveled in it.
She answered, “Yes.”
Persephone is the Goddess of Spring in title only. Since she was a little girl, flowers have only shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hoped to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist. All of that changes when she sits down in a forbidden nightclub to play a hand of cards with a hypnotic and mysterious stranger.
Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible. But nothing has ever intrigued him as much as the goddess offering him a bargain he can’t resist.
After her encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and his terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever. The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows―a love that is both captivating and forbidden.”
These are two great series on different ends of the spice spectrum, so be warned! But they both showcase the relationship between Persephone and Hades in an irresistible way. I myself like when Hades is portrayed as a tortured soul with demons no one but she can satiate.
“Take her, and I will destroy this world. Take her, and I will destroy you. Take her, and I will end us all.”
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