The Epic Gods' Oath: Decoding the Pact of the Big Three in Percy Jackson
The Big Three gods' pact in Percy Jackson determines Percy's parentage and shapes his destiny Explore why Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades forged this crucial agreement and how its breach impacts Percy's journey in the Olympian world
Summary
The Pact of the Big Three plays a significant role in the Percy Jackson series and will be explored in the Disney+ adaptation.
Percy's lineage as Poseidon's offspring violates the pact, resulting in him being targeted by monsters and ultimately uncovering Camp Half-Blood.
The pact aimed to avert the prophecy concerning the fate of a child from the Big Three, who could either save or bring destruction to Olympus. However, all three deities ended up bearing children, thereby complicating the prophecy.
The existence of Percy Jackson and the Olympians relies heavily on the Pact of the Big Three — a crucial element in the book series that is set to play a significant role in the upcoming Disney+ television adaptation. The show, scheduled to premiere on December 20, 2023, will cover the events of the first novel, The Lightning Thief, through eight episodes. It is within this book that the Pact of the Big Three is first introduced.
The ensemble cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians includes Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson, Glynn Turman as Chiron/Mr. Brunner, Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus/Mr. D, Megan Mullally as Alecto/Ms. Dodds, Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano, Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue, Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan, Adam Copeland as Ares, Jay Duplass as Hades, Lance Reddick as Zeus, and Toby Stephens as Poseidon. In relation to the Pact of the Big Three, the characters centrally involved are Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.
Percy Jackson's Pact Of The Big Three Makes Percy's Parentage A Big Deal
The Lightning Thief reveals that after World War II, the Big Three gods – Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades – made a pact to stop fathering any more demigod children. However, this pact was broken by Poseidon when he fell in love with Sally Jackson in the early 1990s. Despite knowing that Zeus would kill them if their secret was exposed, Poseidon and Sally had a son named Percy on August 18, 1993. Despite their efforts, the secret only remained hidden for 12 years. Percy's existence attracted monsters, leading him to Camp Half-Blood, a training facility for Greek demigods on Long Island. Unable to deny his parentage any longer, Poseidon claimed Percy as his son, shocking everyone at the camp. Percy's very existence was proof that the Big Three had broken their promise not to have children.
Why Zeus, Poseidon, And Hades Made The Pact Of The Big Three
As the most powerful Greek gods, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades gave birth to formidable half-bloods, which alone posed a danger in the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. However, in the 1940s, the Oracle of Delphi also prophesied that the next child of the Big Three would either save or destroy Olympus before turning 16 years old. To prevent the negative outcome of this prophecy, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades established the Pact of the Big Three, hoping to avoid having any children and thereby rendering the prophecy null. Nevertheless, the gods found themselves unable to resist their desires.
All 3 Gods Broke Their Oath In Percy Jackson And The Olympians
In the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, all three gods defied the traditional path of the Big Three. Poseidon fathered Percy, while Zeus had Thalia Grace, who was transformed into a pine tree by her father as protection against the monsters sent by Hades. This pine tree served as a boundary shield for Camp Half-Blood, until Thalia was revived by the healing powers of the Golden Fleece in The Sea of Monsters. On the other hand, even before the pact between the three brothers, Hades already had two children—Bianca and Nico di Angelo—who were both under the age of 16.
When Zeus discovered Bianca and Nico in the 1940s, his plan to eliminate them and their mother, Maria, only resulted in Maria's demise. Thankfully, Hades intervened and rescued Bianca and Nico, hiding them away at the Lotus Hotel and Casino, a place where time functioned differently. Thus, when Percy was claimed as Poseidon's son in The Lightning Thief, he became the sole surviving child of the Big Three gods. This led to the assumption that Percy would be the one to fulfill the prophecy, unless he met an untimely demise before his 16th birthday. However, as the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series progressed, complications arose.
