25 of My Favorite Percy Jackson Quotes From Riordan’s Universe
If you (or your kid) was like me in the mid-to-late 2000s, you probably had at least one Percy Jackson book on your shelves. I devoured those books in middle school, and adored them. Going back and reading them now, they carry this sense of nostalgia (once you get past the “oh my god you’re TWELVE” reaction) that can only come from returning to something that helped shape your humor and only booster your love of mythology. From the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, to the most recent additions to the universe, Blood of Olympus, I went through and picked some of my favorite Percy Jackson quotes: the funny ones, the family ones, and the ones that just mean something a little different after growing up. If after reading these quotes makes you nostalgic for books like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, go check out our list of books like Percy Jackson!
The Best Percy Jackson Quotes
“Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say.” (The Lightning Thief)
“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”
“Come now, Percy. What you call ‘Western civilization.’ Do you think it’s just an abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years.” (The Lightning Thief)
“Where’s the glory in repeating what others have done?” (The Lightning Thief)
“With great power…comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.”
(The Last Olympian)
“Deadlines just aren’t real to me until I’m staring one in the face.”
“In a way, it’s nice to know that there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you’re walking away from a bus that’s just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it’s raining on top of everything else, most people might think that’s just really bad luck; when you’re a half-blood, you understand that some divine force is really trying to mess up your day.”
“Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we’re related for better or for worse…and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”
“Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing.”
“Humans see what they want to see.”
“The real world is where the monsters are.”
“Life is only precious because it ends, kid.”
Getting something and having the wits to use it…those are two different things.
“I’m nobody’s sidekick,” Annabeth growled. “And, Percy, his accent sounds familiar because he sounds like his mother. We killed her in New Jersey.”
Percy frowned. “I’m pretty sure that accent isn’t New Jersey. Who’s his—? Oh.”
It all fell into place. Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium—the lair of Medusa. She’d talked with that same accent, at least until Percy had cut off her head.
“Medusa is your mom?” he asked. “Dude, that sucks for you.” (The Mark of Athena)
“I am Persephone” she said, her voice thin and papery. “Welcome, demigods.”
Nico squashed a pomegranate under his boot. “Welcome? After last time, you’ve got the nerve to welcome me?”
I shifted uneasily, because talking that way to a god can get you blasted into dust bunnies. “Um, Nico—”
“It’s all right,” Persephone said coldly. “We had a little family spat.”
“Family spat?” Nico cried. “You turned me into a dandelion!” (The Demigod Files)
“But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword.” (The Battle of the Labyrinth)
“I’m calm,” Rachel insisted. “Every time I’m around you, some monsters attack us. What’s to be nervous about?”
“Look,” I said. “I’m sorry about the band room. I hope they didn’t kick you our or anything.”
“Nah. They asked me a lot of questions about you. I played dumb.”
“Was it hard?” Annabeth asked. (The Battle of the Labyrinth)
“You weren’t able to talk sense into him?”
“Well, we kind of tried to kill each other in a duel to the death.”
“I see. You tried the diplomatic approach.” (The Sea of Monsters)
“Does truth have a moral?” (The Sea of Monsters)
The older lady harrumphed. “I warned you, daughter. This scoundrel Hades is no good. You could’ve married the god of doctors or the god of lawyers, but noooo. You had to eat the pomegranate.”
“Mother-“
“And get stuck in the Underworld!”
“Mother, please—”
“And here it is August, and do you come home like you’re supposed to? Do you ever think about your poor lonely mother?”
“DEMETER!” Hades shouted. “That is enough. You are a guest in my house.”
“Oh, a house is it?” she said. “You call this dump a house? Make my daughter live in this dark, damp—”
“I told you,” Hades said, grinding his teeth, “there’s a war in the world above. You and Persephone are better off here with me.”
“Excuse me,” I broke in. “But if you’re going to kill me, could you just get on with it?” (The Last Olympian)
“There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it.” (The Titan’s Curse)
“What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should’ve been named ADHD poster child of the year.” (The Lightning Thief)
“Sugar and caffeine. My willpower crumbled.” (The Lightning Thief)
Percy blinked. “So your brother is a winged horse. But you’re also my half brother, which means all the flying horses in the world are my…You know what? Let’s forget it.” (The Mark of Athena)
I held out a lead figurine of Hades—the little Mythomagic statue Nico had abandoned when he fled camp last winter.
Nico hesitated. “I don’t play that game anymore. It’s for kids.”
“It’s got four thousand attack power,” I coaxed.
“Five thousand,” Nico corrected. “But only if your opponent attacks first.”
I smiled. “Maybe it’s okay to still be a kid once in a while.” (The Battle of the Labyrinth)
