Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Gateway Arch Story Sets the Stage for a Worrysome Foe

The Subtle Tease of a Strong Villain

Percy Jackson & the Olympians subtly teases its strongest villain in episode 4, but viewers will need to wait until season 4 of the Disney+ series to meet him. Author Rick Riordan has already given a positive update regarding the show's future after its impressive premiere on the streamer. And given the number of Percy Jackson books, it will take multiple outings to adapt the source material faithfully. Still, it's clear Percy Jackson & the Olympians plans on doing so. The series is already referencing and foreshadowing things that happen much later, setting itself up for a lengthy run.

A split image of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson & the Olympians and the St. Louis Gateway Arch

The voice that speaks to Percy is one example of this, as his dreams are setting the stage for the true Big Bad of the story to appear. However, Percy Jackson episode 4 also sets up another powerful villain — one even stronger than Kronos. This villain will pose a major threat to Percy and his demigod friends, but he doesn't appear until the fourth book, The Battle of the Labyrinth. With that in mind, viewers will probably have to wait to meet this antagonist in the show as well. Percy Jackson & the Olympians episodes 1-4 are streaming on Disney+.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover look out in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

The Importance of the Gateway Arch Story

Everything that unfolds in Percy Jackson season 1, episode 4's Gateway Arch story sets up the villain Typhon, who's the father of many monsters in Greek mythology. Echidna, the mother of monsters who attacks Percy and his friends, is the one who bears many of Typhon's children in the myths. The Chimera is among their offspring, so Percy Jackson & the Olympians has already set the stage for Typhon to make an entrance on-screen. The Gateway Arch is also important to Typhon's storyline in the books, as the Storm Giant passes the monument on his journey across the U.S. Typhon is first introduced in The Battle of the Labyrinth, but he plays a bigger role in the final book, The Last Olympian. During the series' last installment, Typhon attempts to reach the Empire State Building, where Mount Olympus is located. The demigods are tasked with stopping him, meaning they'll face a massive undertaking in later seasons of the TV show.

The Arrival of Typhon and Its Implications

Typhon's arrival in Percy Jackson season 4 will mean big things for the demigods, as they'll face a foe that's even stronger than the series' actual Big Bad. Although Kronos is behind most of the evil that takes place throughout Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Typhon's an even stronger opponent on the battlefield. Even the gods struggle to hold their own against him, and Zeus only defeats him by burying him beneath a mountain. For Percy and his friends to face the giant villain is almost unthinkable — yet they'll have to, raising the stakes for later seasons of Disney's Percy Jackson & the Olympians.