This article is about the location from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. For other pages with the same name, see Underworld (disambiguation).
The Underworld is a location featured in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is the realm of the dead that is ruled by Hades.
History[]
The Underworld first appears in the episode "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of". The entrance is through a waterbed store that is owned by Procrustes, going by the name "Crusty". Upon entering, the Underworld is split into parts with the area before the River Styx being a barren ashy-grey wasteland with large black rock formations. Charon and Cerberus are here with the latter acting as a guard of sorts for the former. When Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood get passed them, they encounter the Asphodel fields which is composed of the deceased who are rooted to the ground based on their regrets. Annabeth is forced to leave the Underworld when she is nearly caught by the fields. Percy and Grover continue on and encounter the Pit of Tartarus which, compared to the rest of the Underworld is located in the middle of a giant brightly lit desert-like area. In the distance is Hades' castle, a large dark marbled structure.
Interestingly, the entrance to the Underworld is a stark departure from the books where it is at a record studio called DOA Recording Studios. Charon was also at the front desk as an odd-accented man.
Places of Interest[]
- River Styx: The River Styx is a river in which Charon rows his boat.
- Judgement Pavilion: This is where new arrivals to the underworld must go and three spirits judge them and put the people in specific places, according to their actions in life.
- Fields of Punishment: The Fields of Punishment are known to be brutal and filled with torture for beings who have done serious wrongs in their lifetime.
- The Fields of Asphode: These fields are for people who don't wish to be judged. It is described by Grover as the "Kansas of eternity".
- Elysium: The Elysium is for those who have died in heroic ways and is described as paradise.
- Isles of the Blest: The isles are a place where people have chosen to be reborn three times and therefore have achieved Elysium. It is described as a blue lake and is like a vacation land with islands.
- Tartarus: The Tartarus is the darkest part of the Underworld and deepest as well. It is where Gods imprison their enemies and Kronos, in the book, is known to reside there.
- The River Lethe: This river is the river of forgetfulness and is used when people try to rebirth. It is purely black and according to Annabeth in the book, is strong enough to wipe out the mind of Titan.
- The River Acheron: The River of Acheron is known to be incredibly painful for those who are inside it, naming it the River of Pain. It is considered to be the ultimate punishment for souls of the damned, specifically for those who have committed serious crimes. The river flows in a circle making it unique to the Underworld rivers.
- Hades' Palace: Hades' palace is where he lives and operates from. His gates are engraved with images of death and his throne is known to be made out of bones.
- Persephone's Garden: Persephone's Garden is filled with pomegranate trees with orange blossoms and sweet smelling fruit.
Trivia[]
- This version of the underworld is not below Mount Olympus, but instead is under a recording studio in Los Angeles.
- This is the second version of an underworld to be featured in live action, after the location from Once Upon a Time.
- Like the Once version, this underworld has some of the same locations such as Hades' domain, the River Acheron and the River Styx. However, this version has various other locations that are specific to Greek Gods as the one from OUAT embodies areas for people and creatures from the Enchanted Forest and several other locations featured in Disney media.
- Unlike this version and the original, the Underworld from Once Upon a Time does not name the River Styx as that but instead as "The River of Lost Souls".
- Like the Once version, this underworld has some of the same locations such as Hades' domain, the River Acheron and the River Styx. However, this version has various other locations that are specific to Greek Gods as the one from OUAT embodies areas for people and creatures from the Enchanted Forest and several other locations featured in Disney media.
- The Underworld is depicted as being upside down in the series, when compared to locations on Earth.
- Thus version of the underworld is visibly a lot darker compared to the one shown in the movies and the versions shown in Once Upon a Time and in Hercules.
