Warning! This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 8 saw the Oracle of Delphi’s prophecy come to light via a handful of twists, turns, and tricksy double meanings. After the major story reveals of Percy Jackson episode 7, Percy was left standing face-to-face with Ares, the god of war. Ares was seemingly responsible for the theft of Zeus’ Master Bolt and Hades’ Helm of Darkness with the two magical items becoming evermore vital to Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1’s ending.
10 Magical Items & Their Powers In Percy Jackson Explained
Percy Jackson and the Olympians includes a vast selection of ancient Greek magical items, each with their own unique abilities, powers, and owners.
By the time the credits rolled on Percy Jackson season 1, episode 8, attention naturally turned to long-awaited updates of Percy Jackson season 2. Arguably the main reasons for the anticipation of a second season are the twists and turns found in Percy Jackson season 1’s ending. From the reveals surrounding the true Lightning Thief to the climactic confrontation Percy has with Zeus and Poseidon on Mount Olympus, the prophecy spouted by the Oracle of Delphi came true in an exciting, climactic fashion.
The Oracle’s First Line – “You Shall Go West & Face The God Who Has Turned”
Which Olympian god turned in Percy Jackson season 1?
The first line of the Oracle of Delphi’s prophecy is one of the easier to decipher, though it still held a double meaning until the final two episodes of Percy Jackson season 1. When the prophecy is first uttered in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 3, the characters of the show quickly attribute the line to Hades, the god of the Underworld. Percy’s quest begins with him traveling west from New York to Los Angeles so that he can retrieve Zues’ Master Bolt from Hades who stole it from his brother out of spite and jealousy.
That said, Percy Jackson and the Olympians episodes 7 and 8 reveal that Ares is the god in question from the Oracle’s prophecy. In Percy Jackson episode 7, Hades reveals that he did not steal the Master Bolt and never wished to acquire it, allowing Percy to deduce that Ares was the Lightning Thief. Ares stole the Bolt and Helm from Zeus and Hades respectively to start a war between the gods, turning against the other Olympians and thus revealing himself to be the “god who has turned.”
The Oracle’s Second Line – “You Shall Find What Was Stolen & See It Safely Returned”
Percy’s discoveries in Percy Jackson episodes 7 and 8 give this line a double meaning.
The second line of the Oracle’s prophecy – “You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned” – is one of double meaning, both of which come to light after the revelations of Percy Jackson and the Olympians episodes 7 and 8. At first, the line was thought to be referring to Zeus’ Master Bolt which was the object of Percy’s quest from the beginning. However, Percy Jackson episodes 7 and 8 revealed that Hades’ Helm of Darkness was also stolen at the same time as the Master Bolt.
By Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1’s ending, Percy fights Ares in single combat for the safe return of the Helm of Darkness with the demigod already having possession of the Master Bolt. After drawing first blood, Percy defeats Ares and the latter returns the Helm of Darkness. Percy then subsequently returns the helmet to Alecto – who takes it back to Hades – and the Master Bolt to Zeus, fulfilling the prophecy by safely returning both stolen items to their respective gods.
The Oracle’s Third Line – “You Shall Be Betrayed By The One Who Calls You Friend”
The prophecy’s most tragic line comes true in Percy Jackson’s season 1 finale.
Interestingly, the third line of the Oracle of Delphi’s prophecy – not the fourth – is the final one to come to fruition in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The beginning of the season showed Percy reckoning with the line as he hoped neither Annabeth nor Grover would betray him. After the culmination of the quest and the safe return of the Master Bolt, the only person who was in any way deceitful toward Percy was Ares, though Percy would undoubtedly hesitate to call the god of war a friend in the first place.
In a heartbreaking twist, the friend who betrays Percy is revealed as Luke Castellan. Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 8’s climactic scene shows Luke revealing himself as the Lightning Thief to Percy in the woods at Camp Half-Blood while attempting to recruit the latter to the army of Kronos. Luke does not wish to harm Percy and wants to stay his friend which supports the prophecy’s wording of “one who calls you friend.”
Luke explains to Percy that he despises the gods for their constant usage of demigods. The gods do not care about anyone but themselves in the eyes of Luke, a viewpoint that partly stems from his issues with Hermes and May – Luke’s mother – which were revealed in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 6. This point of view forced Luke to aid Kronos, with the former actively working to resurrect the latter and tear down Olympus. Unwavering, Percy battles Luke before he escapes, thus revealing the true meaning of the third line of the Oracle of Delphi’s prophecy.
The Oracle’s Fourth Line – “And Fail To Save What Matters Most In The End”
What did Percy fail to save by completing his quest?
The final line of the Oracle’s prophecy is another that seemingly conflicted with the second line when it was first revealed. Percy was told that he would find what was stolen and see it safely returned, but also that he would fail to save what matters most. These two lines seem contradictory, yet it is in Percy’s true motivation that the fourth line of the prophecy comes into play. At first, Percy had no desire to aid Poseidon or stop the gods’ war with the titular half-blood only accepting to quest to save his mother from the Underworld.
Therefore, it is Percy’s failure to save his mother that the prophecy foretold. While Sally Jackson returns safely at the end of Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, it is not because of Percy directly. Percy traveled to the Underworld and confronted Hades, yet was forced to leave without Sally in order to retrieve the Helm of Darkness. This explains what the prophecy meant: Percy could not save his mother on the first attempt and instead had to rely on the goodwill of Hades to return Sally.
This line of the prophecy is undoubtedly the most confusing as Sally’s survival indicates the Oracle was incorrect. However, the double meaning of the line is meant to infer that Sally did not need saving from Percy. While Percy initially set out to save his mother, it was her strength and Hades keeping his word that allowed Sally to return from the Underworld unscathed. Percy’s focus was consumed by the Helm of Darkness, Master Bolt, and warning Zeus about Kronos’ return meaning he did not directly save Sally in Percy Jackson and the Olympians after all, rendering the prophecy complete.
