The most recent batch of footage released for December's Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+ features one fan-favorite moment, realized on-screen for the first time.
One scene shown during the series' NYCC panel was the iconic Capture the Flag game, where Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) fights Clarisse La Rue (Dior Goodjohn) and serves as a pawn within Annabeth Chase's (Leah Sava Jeffries) winning plan.
In both the book and the show, the scene culminates in Percy's claiming from his father, revealed then to be Poseidon.
At NYCC, the scene cut off literally frames before the character-defining moment where a glowing trident appears over Percy's head.
Percy's Claiming In Disney+ Show Revealed
This photo is roughly the exact moment the New York Comic Con footage from Percy Jackson and the Olympians cut off.
Anyone familiar with the Percy Jackson books knows that what follows Capture the Flag, and what Percy is looking up at, is a glowing trident over his head, confirming that Poseidon is his father.
The scene is finally continued in the most recent TV spot for the Disney+ show, showing the iconic trident as Percy stands in the ocean.
Percy is standing in the water when Poseidon sends down a glowing hologram of his trident — his symbol of power — and displays it above Percy's head. In the world of Camp Half-Blood, this is typically how a demigod's godly parent is revealed.
Granted, this reveal does not come from nowhere. The reason Percy's in the water is because he noticed that he got stronger the closer to the lake he was and that the water heals his wounds.
Furthermore, in the footage shown at NYCC, Percy unintentionally controls water in the fountain at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in the books, there are other water-based incidents prior to his official claiming.
The TV spot featured other brand new clips for fans, including a couple of Cerberus and the Underworld, extended footage of the beach fight with Ares, and a slightly longer look at the Chimera than in the second full trailer.
The spot can be watched below, with the trident moment coming at the :17 mark:
Why Percy's Claiming is Such a Crucial Moment
Percy's claiming serves many purposes — for his character, for the plot of the entire series of books, and therefore, if it continues into future seasons, the show too.
Firstly, the claiming teaches Percy information about himself that he never could have imagined. Over the course of only a couple days, Percy seemingly loses his mother, sees his best friend reveal himself as a Satyr, sees his Latin teacher reveal himself as a Centaur, defeats a Minotaur, and learns he's a demigod.
At a certain point, all Percy wants is to learn who his father is — Percy feels that if he could understand who his dad is, he can understand who he himself is better too. As such, it is a relief to the confused, lonely kid when he learns his father's identity as Poseidon.
Percy's claiming proves that he is a child of one of "The Big Three" gods — Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Decades before, the three vowed to not have children (a vow which Zeus and Poseidon both break), due to a prophecy that Percy does not hear in full for many more years. But, Percy does know that, as a child of the big three, his life is critical to the fate of Mount Olympus.
Even when not directly part of the plot, the mysterious prophecy looms over all five novels in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series. Without the claiming, no one would know for sure if Percy could be the child of the prophecy or not.
The first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians hit Disney+ on December 20.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
