While book accuracy has been a priority in the development of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+, there has been some debate over what counts as being book accurate.
Mainly, this has revolved around characters' appearances. Walker Scobell, for instance, does not physically resemble Percy Jackson from the books in some ways — notably, Percy has black hair in the books while Scobell's hair is blonde.
For many, this may not matter. As long as the book's character arcs, overall story, and world are treated with respect, and followed relatively closely in the show, the characters do not need to look exactly as they are described in the books.
Others may disagree, though.
Like his hair color, Scobell's height tends to crop up in conversations on whether he is a book-accurate Percy Jackson.
Walker Scobell Height vs. Percy Jackson's
According to Teen Vogue, as of December 2023, Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson) of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is 5'7". When shooting began for the Disney+ show's first season, Scobell was six inches shorter, at 5'1".
In Season 1 — based on The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan — Percy seems to be 12 years old, like in the books. While his height is not stated outright, he tells readers that Annabeth, who is also 12, is a fair bit taller than he is.
Percy's height is not stated directly in the first Percy Jackson series. According to a forum post on the Riordan Wiki page, the "Official UK Percy Jackson site" lists Percy as 5'10" at 13 years old.
In The Sea of Monsters, during which they are both 13 years old, Percy repeatedly states that he is shorter than Annabeth. In fourth book in the series, The Battle of the Labyrinth, they are almost the same height, and by the fifth book, they are exactly the same height.
While conversations surrounding the Disney+ series tend to stay within the first five Percy Jackson books, it is mentioned (like the forum post did) that in the Heroes of Olympus sequel series, Percy is stated to have grown since The Last Olympian.
Can Scobell's Height Be Considered 'Book Accurate?'
There are two ways to go about answering this question, neither of which truly gives a concrete answer, but both of which still provide noteworthy insight.
One way to answer is simply that the answer will remain unknown. The books only talk about height relatively, and the referenced official UK site post from the forum post does not seem to have the information up anymore.
For all fans know, if any potential Season 2 were to start filming now, Scobell's 5'7" height could be accurate. When he inevitably gets taller, fans will not know for certain if he is taller or shorter than Percy, or exactly the right height. And the 5'1" height he shot Season 1 with might be perfectly book accurate. There is no concrete answer.
An alternative response option is to question if Scobell's height — or the appearances of any of the actors in the show — truly matters to the show's book accuracy. As long as Scobell is able to act like Percy from the books in the show, that is enough for many fans, and his appearance should not factor into a judgment of book accuracy.
The first three episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians are now streaming on Disney+, with the remaining five releasing weekly on Tuesdays.
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.
