The Betrayer in Percy Jackson & the Olympians

The Prophecy and Percy's Quest

Percy Jackson & the Olympians teases the outcome of Percy's quest with a prophecy from the Oracle, but the Oracle's predictions suggest he'll be betrayed by a friend before season 1 is through.

Walker Scobell and Charlie Bushnell as Percy Jackson and Luke looking at the winged shoes of Hermes in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 3

The Disney+ series is faithfully adapting Rick Riordan's books, with Percy's quest unfolding in much the same manner as it does in the source material. Although Disney's Percy Jackson series makes some changes to the original story, it keeps the important aspects of Percy's journey intact.

That means he'll face betrayal at the hands of a friend, just as the Oracle warns — a warning that comes true at the end of The Lightning Thief.

The Betrayer Revealed

The Lightning Thief reveals that Percy's betrayer isn't someone he expects, nor are they part of his quest to retrieve the Master Bolt.

Although Annabeth and Grover seem like the most obvious contenders to fulfill the Oracle's prophecy, Luke is the one who betrays Percy at the end of The Lightning Thief.

Bitter over the gods' abandonment, Luke steals the Master Bolt in order to help the Titan Kronos defeat Mount Olympus.

The most obvious hint that Luke is the betrayer comes later in The Lightning Thief, when the main trio reaches the Underworld. The shoes he gifts Percy are actually cursed to drag the demigod down to Tartarus, bringing Zeus' Lightning Bolt with him. However, Grover wearing the shoes instead of Percy puts an end to Luke's original plans.

Still, Percy learns that Luke is the one the Oracle was talking about when he returns to Camp Half-Blood. Luke reveals his intentions, attempting to kill Percy with a scorpion before leaving for good.

Annabeth's Allegiance

Despite the Oracle's prophecy referring to Luke, Medusa suggests that Annabeth will betray Percy in Percy Jackson episode 3.

Leah Jeffries as Annabeth smiling at her magical New York Yankees cap in Percy Jackson episode 2

The Gorgon makes this claim because she deems Annabeth's mother untrustworthy and sees Annabeth's commitment to Athena as a flaw.

However, it's Medusa's resentment speaking during this scene. Annabeth doesn't betray Percy in Riordan's books, and she's even more hurt by Luke's betrayal than Percy.

Percy and Annabeth eventually end up together, and they spend much of the series endlessly loyal to one another.

Unless Percy Jackson & the Olympians makes a major change to the source material, Percy doesn't need to worry about Annabeth stabbing him in the back.