Medusa

This article is about the character from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. For other characters that share the same name, see Medusa.

“I don't like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for. The gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore.”

―Medusa explaining her powers^[src]

Medusa is a minor antagonist in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. She is the famed monster of the same name who runs a garden gnome emporium where she traps her victims.

Background[]

Medusa was once a devout priestess of the goddess Athena, though she was often ignored by her. One day, the sea god Poseidon met her and the two fell in love, though Athena decided to punish her out of jealousy by turning her into a gorgon who would turn anyone who looked in her in the eyes to stone.

Personality[]

Medusa is a calm and soft-spoken individual who, despite her rough history, is slow to anger and rarely seems to show any kind of vengeful spirit. She seems to consider herself something of a liberator and her victims are nothing more than people she is "freeing" from life. When things do not go her way, she becomes very determined and cold and is not afraid to show her full might against others.

Physical appearance[]

Medusa used to be a beautiful woman, until she was cursed and transformed into a hideous Gorgon by Athena. Disguised as a human, she resembles a young woman dressed in a Greek-inspired '40s style clothing, a long white gown and a pair of brown midheel shoes. Her most distinct piece is a bowler hat with a white veil that covers her pale blue eyes. When she removes her hat, her hair is composed of living snakes.

Powers and abilities[]

As in legend, Medusa has the power to petrify people to stone whenever they gaze upon her eyes. Even after her head is severed from her body, her eyes can still petrify people.

Role in the series[]

While inside her house, Medusa sees Percy, Annabeth, and Grover outside with Alecto threatening them. She walks outside, and the four cover their eyes to avoid her gaze. She is able to stop their fighting and invites them inside. She gave them a choice to have lunch with her, or have Alecto kill them, and walked inside to await their decision. After some reluctance, Percy decides to trust her, and he, Annabeth, and Grover head inside.

Medusa heard the three come in and tells them she had left some snacks on the table. She then enters the room with a pitcher of lemonade and tells Annabeth that she does not hold a grudge against her for being a daughter of Athena.

After they sit down, Percy asks her what she is if she isn't a monster. Medusa replies by saying that she is a survivor and dislikes bullies. She then begins to tell the three her story, of how she was turned into the being she now is by Athena out of jealousy. Annabeth calls her a liar, saying her mother was always just in her decisions. Upset, Medusa heads into the kitchen and asks for somebody to lend her a hand. Percy decides to talk to Medusa, telling her that Annabeth is not always rude. Medusa quickly responds by saying that she would betray him. Percy is shocked, as she seemingly knows the prophecy he was given. She also asks Percy if they would help him retrieve his mother from the Underworld if it meant interfering with their quest, and then offers to petrify them, but does not get an answer, and turns around, only to find Percy has left.

She then takes off the veil and hat that covers her eyes and snakes for hair and walks into the dining room. She sees the basement door open, walks down the stairs, and sets the outline of the stairs ablaze, along with multiple torches set throughout the basement, revealing the dozens of people who have been petrified by her, including Grover's uncle, Ferdinand. She looks for them, while also telling them how similar they were to their parents. She also tells them if they refused to stand up to the gods, she would do so herself by turning Percy and Annabeth to stone and sending their statues to Olympus as a message. Percy then uncapped his sword and stood to face Medusa, though Grover is able to distract her by flying into some boxes using the flying shoes given to them by Luke. Annabeth then places her invisibility hat on her, and Percy is able to cut off her head.

Later, Percy takes her head and petrifies Alecto, who had been waiting outside the house for them. He also decides to send the head to the gods at Olympus, as a message.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover later faced the consequences of sending Medusa's head to Olympus, as Athena had been embarrassed by the ordeal and had allowed the Mother of Monsters, Echidna, to enter the Gateway Arch, one of her temples, a decision that had nearly killed Percy.

Trivia[]

In the book, Medusa was described as resembling "a Middle Eastern lady", at least Percy thinks so because of her dress, stating, "she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze..." and added that she had "coffee-colored hands". Her appearance was changed for the series, most likely for culturally sensitive reasons, as well as to make her appearance more elaborate.
Prior to Jessica Parker Kennedy playing her, Medusa was played by Uma Thurman in the live-action film and Ryan Knowles (who also played Mr. Brunner/Chiron, Poseidon, Hades, and Kronos) in the Broadway musical.
Jessica Parker Kennedy previously starred in Jonathan E. Steinberg's previous series Black Sails as Max.