#percy vs harry

[camo-wolf]

Just so we are clear he is correct

[randommultifandomrants]

Rant #idk

The fact that walker knew Percy would end Harry Potter in a fight is hilarious to me, because as being a long time potter fan, and knowing about Percy Jackson only for a couple of years, I wholeheartedly agree that there is no competition in that.

Mood.

[aeithalian]

brought to you by walker scobell's correct opinions

okay so this is super unhinged but I've held this opinion for a long time and I was reminded of it when Walker Scobell adressed it in an interview and I need to yell it from the rooftops - Percy Jackson would absolutely kick ass in a fight against Harry Potter. And I say this as a lifelong fan of both series (who obviously knows which author is better).

But it's more nuanced than that. Because apparently I can't be normal about things.

Here's the thing: Percy and Harry both serve completely different purposes as the protagonists of their respective plots. Because Percy's special. Harry's not, at least in the ways that matter. Hence, Percy would absolutely kick ass.

Allow me to explain. We're in the great position here of both stories being set in the "main character has to go learn how to harness their power" archetype for both characters, (Percy at Camp Half-Blood and Harry at Hogwarts) so luckily, this also gives us a pretty good idea of how skilled they are in comparison to their peers.

Percy, over the span of the series, and even in the first book alone, excels above his peers. He's the child of the second most powerful god in the pantheon, he's given a prophecy and a quest almost immediately upon arriving at camp (a privilege other campers have to wait years for), and at the point we've reached in the canon books, is one of the most powerful demigods ever. Like, his power level is compared to that of a minor god, he's a respected leader, and he beat the god of war in single combat at age 12 based on (mostly) skill alone.

But Harry, in comparison to his peers? Painfully average in most regards. Every single life-threatening situation he was in throughout the entire series required some fluke of nature/magic for him to get out alive. As a baby? Only survived by some ancient magical loophole. Book 1? Use of aforementioned magical loophole. Book 2? Sure, he saved the day but he also almost died, but didn't because Dumbledore sent... a bird. Book 3? Harry's mastery of the Patronus charm is one of maybe three exceptions to this rule in the entire series. Books 4, 5, and 7? Magic loophole!!!! And let's be real - Dumbledore saved Harry's ass multiple times in the book 6 climax, but I'll let the bygones be bygones and not question Dumbledore's methods. My point being: Harry sucks at most things. But, you know, at least he's self-aware about it.

Now before anybody comes screaming to me, I know that Harry's not dumb as a rock, or anything. Yes, he's good at DADA, I am aware, thank you. But let's be real - if the aforementioned magical loophole didn't exist, Harry would not have survived a good 80% of his altercations in the series, considering the aforementioned magical loophole literally only works against one person. To be real, he also wouldn't be in those life-threatening altercations to begin with.

FURTHERMORE. They both fall into the "Chosen One" archetype, right? But here's the thing: Percy is powerful in his own right, and being the chosen one isn't what makes him powerful. Harry, on the other hand, is powerful because he's the chosen one, because of all the mysticism built around an arguably average person of middling talent. He's only special because of the whole "[Voldemort] will mark him as his equal" thing from the prophecy.

Even if you assume that an average demigod and an average wizard hold about the same power levels (which, honestly, I don't think you can say, but for the sake of the argument, that's what we're going to go with), the pure fact of the matter is that Percy is like a Dumbledore-level demigod, and Harry is a Michael Yew-level wizard. (Who is Michael Yew, you may ask? To which I say: exactly.)

Are you catching my drift? Percy kicks ass against Harry because he's more powerful. It's as simple as that.

But allow me to extrapolate further, because I fear that some may take this to mean that Harry is a bad protagonist. He's not, he just serves a different narrative purpose as a character. Imagine if you were to swap Percy and Harry into each others' stories:

Harry would probably die in the first PJO book. As an untrained wizard with at most, one year at Hogwarts under his belt, he'd probably die in the initial fight against the Minotaur. Done deal. Sure, you could take it a step further and assume that he does carry good problem-solving skills in moments of high stress, so maybe he could have made it out of that fight alive, but he's probably toast from that moment on. My main point is that Percy's skills that get him through his first quest are inherent. He doesn't necessarily have to practice to have heightened battle senses, water powers, and sensitivity to the Mist, all things that helped him survive. Harry simply does not have those things, and as a wizard of about the same age, doesn't have the skill set to match those powers with his own magical abilities. And by the end of the series, assuming Harry doesn't die immediately, the last book is one long, big battle, and Harry's one-on-one combat skills aren't necessarily bad, but if I have a hard time remembering how many times Harry was in a duel against a fully trained wizard and won in his own right, what makes you think he could beat ultra-powerful Titans like Percy did?

As for Percy - Put him in the climax moment of the first HP book against Quirrell. Harry survived that moment by using the aforementioned magical loophole, but Percy would have probably chopped Quirrell's head off within the first five minutes. No biggie. No moment in the first three books comes to mind as a situation that would have given Percy a ton of trouble at around the same age. And the fact that I think that Percy would definitely give Voldemort a run for his money in a one-on-one duel in the second half of the series should really say something.

Again, that's not to say that Harry's a bad protagonist. I think that their respective power levels serve their respective plots well! Imagine how boring the PJO series would be if Percy wasn't powerful enough to go head-to-head with Titans, or how boring the HP series would be if Harry had no problems beating Voldemort ever.

It's also interesting when you consider the implications of what being the Chosen One means in their respective universes. Percy knows he's the Chosen One, and he's actually more offended when Rachel suggests that he's not the hero of the prophecy, rather Luke is. Harry, on the other hand, has a hard time believing he's the Chosen One, because he knows just how generally unremarkable he is aside from the fact that he keeps surviving against all odds. Percy is the typical Chosen One, Harry is not.

And that gets even more interesting when you consider how they interact with their peers once their "Chosen One status" becomes common knowledge. Percy, who spends most of his time on quests, doesn't interact with his peers much on-page (meaning we don't see him go through everyday life like we see in the HP series), but that aside, he's generally well-respected. People are in awe of him. People know who he is, and have decided that he is deserving of his claims to fame and power. Harry, on the other hand, is generally not respected to the same degree, and people have a hard time believing him when he tells them about his close calls with death. Adults, specifically, find his stories unbelievable, because to them, he's untrained and not significantly powerful. And you know what? They're completely right.

I tend to also see that manifest a lot in their personalities. Percy, as the Chosen One, tends to struggle a lot with the fact that there are a lot of expectations placed upon him. People come to him for help all the time, and the gods tend to take him for granted, so he ends up with this very 'leave me alone let me live my life in peace' kind of thing going on. Harry, on the other hand, struggles in the different way of, as I said before, never being believed, and while he also struggles a lot with expectations, has this issue that he doesn't, nor will he ever, live up to them because that's not who he is (insert rant here about why Harry becoming an Auror was so out of character, and why he should have become the DADA professor instead, kindly fu JKR). Harry isn't some overpowered godling, he's just some random kid, placed well enough in society that Voldemort took an unhealthy interest in him.

I'm getting off track here. But my point stands: while both Percy and Harry serve the Chosen One protagonist archetype, they are inherently different characters and serve different purposes. Harry is atypical, and doesn't succeed in his own rights as much as you'd predict from a YA protagonist, regardless of the fact that he's got an über-powerful failsafe button. Percy, on the other hand, is a much more cliche example of a main character, being overpowered and wildly successful with barebones training.

Now, this is not me saying that PJO is a cliche YA story. I would never say that, because Rick Riordan is a masterful writer who still incorporates Percy's struggles as a person into a world where he's considered extremely powerful (meaning he's not a Mary Sue). That, and the fact that Percy isn't actually the 'hero of the prophecy', but the main villain is, is what should disprove that statement in a split second.

All is is basically saying that, while Percy would absolutely whoop ass against Harry, that does not mean that Harry is a bad character. Harry is, I think, the only kind of character that could fit well enough in the HP series for it to be considered a fulfilling story (insert rant here about how the final fight in movie 8 is stupid and Harry could have never held his own in a duel against Voldemort for that long, and completely missed the point of the finale of book 7 and it's been pissing me off for years).

Anyways, yeah, point made, come yell at me if you think I'm wrong, but I don't think I'm wrong.

More (mostly TOA) rants here if you want them.

[flower1622]

Many people think Percy would win, but what if Harry used his magic without the wand? I don't know...

[347-emeraldbitch]

Bill: Percy was a menace his first year. He wouldn’t listen because he thought he knew better, was always talking back to me, and he even snuck into the other common rooms.

Charlie: He solved the riddle for some Ravenclaws a couple of times, so he was allowed inside. Poor kid thought he could map out the whole castle by himself too.

Bill: I was consistently stressed. I had to check every single night to make sure he made it back alive.

Percy: *rolls eyes* Oh honestly William, don’t be so dramatic.

Fred, George, Ron & Ginny: Fuck, we are related.

[pooks]

what if Umbridge took over in CoS... Percy, leading a student revolution: Alright, get ready to launch Operation: Circle of Confusion. Ron: Uh, Percy, it kinda looks more like a triangle from down here. Percy: What? Ron: I'm just saying, it doesn't look much a like a circle, it looks more like we're forming a triangle. Just a side note. Percy: Okay, fine, Triangle of Confusion! Rhombus of Terror! Parabola of Mystery! WHO CARES!? Get the goddamn show on the road!

[knomelooking]

I love the debate of who would win Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. But this fucking comment I found has me in tears!!!!

[pancakes4life]

I've seen a lot of arguments in the Percy Jackson vs Harry Potter debate, but there's one I haven't seen bought up at all. And that's that:

RICK RIORDAN CAN ACTUALLY COME UP WITH NAMES THAT MAKE SOME FUCKING SENSE AND THAT AREN'T RACIST

[siderum7]

Childhood is reading stories about the fantastical adventures of kids your age.

Adulthood is realizing none of those kids should ever be in those positions to begin with.

[batcavescolony]

Ok we're debating a Harry Potter vs Percy Jackson battle again? Here we go.

Harry Potter:

Used Crucio successfully once.

Can use Imperio.

Killed maybe a hand full of monsters

Has Deathly Hollows

Protected by mothers love.

Went to a magic school that had no consistency in teaching staff. (He dropped out in the last year)

Maybe some advanced mental abilities because he can withstand unforgettable curses? Possibly?

Talk to snake's

Percy Jackson:

Slayed countless monsters

Fought multiple Gods/Titans and didn't die (not mortals trying to be Gods actual immortal all powerful Gods)

Various powers include: create hurricanes, earthquakes and waves. Breathe underwater. Talk to horses and sea life. Drown people in their own bodies. control water. nautical expertise (control boats, knows exact coordinates at sea, knows exact nautical miles) +more

Fought multiple battles and wars

Strategic planning ability

Master swordsman (+sword always comes back)

Has completed the quests of multiple legendary heros and succeeded where some have failed

Enhanced battle reflexes and reaction times

Trained by Chiron legendary trainer of heros in a camp designed to train demigods for battle

Curse of Achilles (if we're going peak vs peak)

Oh ummm HALF-GOD

[annabethchase06]

One of the seriously underrated differences between Percy Jackson and Harry Potter is the involvement of supporting characters. And I particularly mean characters who might not appear special to the reader.

Look at Harry Potter. The only Muggle characters who get some spotlight (and that too, negative) are the Dursleys. Other than that, Muggles hardly play a role in the story. Yes, I know what I'm saying – they don't know magic, how would they help?

They can. Look at Paul Blofis(the best stepdad ever, I had to say that). He can't see through the mist, he barely knows stuff about the world of his stepson but my man really woke up in a warzone and killed a monster like a pro. He couldn't even see the monsters properly, but he was there to help.

I love how mortals are involved in the Percy Jackson series, despite them not sharing the connections to the magical world. Take Sally Jackson, she was always there for her son. I know people will think, "Well, she's the hero's mother." But what about Hermione's parents? We never see them getting actively involved.

Rachel is one of the prime examples of this as well. And her counterpart in Harry Potter is Mrs. Figg. The one time we do see Mrs. Figg helping, it looked like Dumbledore had forced her or something. Rachel Elizabeth Dare flew a helicopter to a warzone, not caring about her own life, knowing she was a mortal and that her special abilities may show her the future, but would not protect her future(her life).

Percy Jackson has got mortals involved in sucha brilliant spotlight and that's one thing I've definitely not seen in Harry Potter. Muggles are either timid, resentful, angry, irritable or evil. One more way in which Rick proved that ANYONE can be a hero, Kudos!

[what-do-you-mean-theyre-evil]

The way the HP girlies on TikTok are fighting for their lives trying to prove that Harry can beat Percy, I'm immensely pleased 🤣

[newwavesylviaplath]

"i'm sure you weren't THAT bad in middle school"

me in middle school:

[afangirlfandom]

OK so I’ve been holding this in for a while because honestly, I thought my opinion on it didn’t matter but I have too intense of an opinion on it to not share-

If Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are two sides of the same coin, then Percy Jackson and Luke Castellan are a heartbreaking mirror image!

I saw a post that said “The reason Luke is going to hate (jealousy) Percy is because of the unconditional love that Poseidon has for Percy and the relationship that Percy will have with the gods” but it’s honestly not just the unconditional love that Poseidon has for Percy, which Hermes’ love is definitely conditional and that’s fucked up, but it’s more than that! It’s Percy’s relationship with both of his parents as a whole!

Please read this entire post, I’m gonna link it, but this one part is spot on-

https://www.tumblr.com/brionysea/741416801371652096/i-hate-to-say-it-but-poseidons-parenting-advice

“i hate to say it but poseidon's parenting advice to hermes was spot on.” I know people give Poseidon a lot of shit for not showing up until he did or even more often than he did, but Poseidon legitimately stayed away because it was bringing danger to Percy and he specifically stayed away because Sally asked him to and both of them made the best decision possible for Percy not themselves but their son and that is selfless love that’s unconditional love that’s saying I’m going to do what is best for you not what is best for me and gods don’t do that! Hermes sure as hell didn’t do that! He was selfish and kept going back because it made him feel good, no matter what it was doing to them as a family and especially to Luke! But what’s worse is that mom’s should be the most selfless person in your life, and Luke’s mom wasn’t!!!

I saw another post that said that Luke is a mama’s boy and that’s why he’s mad at Hermes, but honestly, Luke’s mom fucked up even worse than Hermes did because Luke’s mom chose the gods over her son!!! And this to me is where everything really really matters- Sally chose Percy over everything!!!!! She made every single decision in her life based off of Percy and him becoming the best possible person he could be in the safest possible way he could while keeping him as close to her as possible! And Luke’s mom did the exact opposite!! Luke’s mom chose to attempt to become the Oracle, because it made her important and gave her a role within the gods not because it was what was best for her son! She risked her son, knowing how dangerous it was, because she was selfish!

So basically, it becomes this⬇️

Vs.

Percy‘s parents love him unconditionally and selflessly! Luke’s parents were the opposite!

[lunar-serpentinite]

hi [shoves aside all the pjo vs hp arguments] do u think harry wld be a son of hecate, nyx or persephone

[chicken-wayng]

My little cousin's birthday party is this weekend, and since she's finally growing out of her Harry Potter phase (it's a cannon event, I can't interfere) and asking for new book recommendations I decided to just get her the next phase. I'm very happy because I was able to get the same set design my mom got for me when I was 13