Disney Plus’ new show Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows protagonist Percy and his two best friends, Annabeth and Grover, as they take on threats from the world of Greek myths, but how old are these young heroes exactly? Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a fantasy television show based on a series of childrens/young adult novels by Rick Riordan. This series was first adapted into a feature film in 2010, but failed to become a successful franchise. Now, Disney Plus is giving the book series another try via streaming.
Because Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the third iteration of the Percy Jackson story, it is no surprise that some details may be different. One major difference between the Percy Jackson books, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and its movie counterpart, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, is the ages of the characters. While Disney Plus’ Percy Jackson is a bit more accurate to Rick Riordan’s book, there is quite an age gap between the new television show and the 2010 movie. So, how old are Percy, Annabeth, and Grover and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast in season 1?
Percy Jackson Is 12 Years Old In Season 1
In the first season of Disney Plus’ Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the main character, Percy Jackson, is 12 years old. Percy is a middle schooler with dyslexia and ADHD who feels as though he doesn’t always fit in with his peers. Because of his conditions, Percy finds it difficult to become interested in school, and in turn, he isn’t always considered the brightest or best behaved kid. However, everything changes when Percy discovers that what appears to be setbacks in the real world are actually skills for demigods. Percy is the son of a god, and is thus whisked away to Camp Half-Blood.
Percy is 12 years old in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and this lines up with his age in the Percy Jackson books. Percy’s actor, Walker Scobell, was around 13 during filming, so there is not a huge leap to take there. On the other hand, in 2010’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Percy is 16 years old rather than 12. Furthermore, in the sequel, The Sea of Monsters, Percy is 17. Ultimately, keeping Percy as a 12-year-old is likely the better option in terms of remaining accurate to the source material and also expanding the series into several seasons.
Annabeth Chase Is 12 Years Old In Percy Jackson Season 1
Like Percy, the character Annabeth Chase is also 12-years-old in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1. Annabeth is one of Percy’s first friends when he arrives at Camp Half-Blood, recruiting him to be on her team during capture the flag. Annabeth also helps Percy discover who his godly parent is by pushing him into a lake. Annabeth is the daughter of Athena and is incredibly smart. In many ways, she acts as Percy’s guide to how to be a demigod, as she has plenty of experience with Camp Half-Blood. Later in Rick Riordan’s book series, Percy and Annabeth begin a romantic relationship.
In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Annabeth Chase is 12 years old. Once again, this is the same age that Annabeth is in Rick Riordan’s first Percy Jackson novel. Annabeth’s actress, Leah Sava Jeffries, was 12 during the filming of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Therefore, just like Walker Scobell, there is little to no difference in age between the actress and her character. Additionally, in the first Percy Jackson movie, Annabeth is 16, just like Percy. For the same reasons as Percy, it is a good thing that Percy Jackson and the Olympians kept Annabeth young rather than aging her up.
Grover Is 24 Years Old In Percy Jackson Season 1
Of the three adventurers starring in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Grover is by far the oldest. Grover is 24-years-old in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1. Grover is Percy’s best friend, both at Camp Half-Blood and outside of it. Before Percy discovered he was a demigod, Grover was his best friend, but also his guardian, watching out for him on behalf of the camp. As it turns out, Grover is a satyr, a mythical creature that is half-human, half-goat. Grover remains one of Percy’s most loyal friends throughout the series.
Another difference between Percy and Annabeth, and Grover is that his Percy Jackson and the Olympians age does not match his book age. While Grover is 24 in the television series, he is actually 32 in the books. Grover’s actor, Aryan Simhadri, was around 16 years old when filming the series. One key detail about Grover is that, although he is older than Percy, he looks younger because satyrs age more slowly than humans do. In the movies, it is unclear how old Grover was supposed to be, but it seems likely that they also kept him older.
