Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one of the most popular fantasy series of all time. Fans of the saga love it for the adventure, the magic, and the endearing, dynamic characters. Inarguably, one of the best characters in the whole series is Annabeth Chase, the Greek demigod daughter of Athena. She's also one of Percy's first rivals, closest friends, and, eventually, his love interest. As longtime fans of the books and newcomers alike meet Annabeth in the recently premiered Disney+ adaptation, they're in for quite the journey. Here's everything you need to know about this standout YA heroine.
Warning: This following article contains spoilers for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
So, who is Annabeth Chase?
Annabeth Chase is the demigod daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and much like her mother, she is exceptionally intelligent. Annabeth loves talking about philosophy and pondering architecture and design. But she's not just smart in a bookish way—Annabeth is also courageous, spirited, and strong. She tends to be cautious and judgmental when she first meets a person (or creature), but when she grows close to someone, she is protective and loyal to the end.
Annabeth is also quite skilled in combat. As the daughter of the goddess of war, Annabeth possesses superhuman agility and strength. She's proficient with many weapons, including knives, a bow and arrows, and swords. She has a near-perfect memory and never forgets anything she hears. She's a master at the art of persuasion. And on top of all of that, she also happens to be a wiz in the kitchen, a gifted cook and baker.
As far as her physical appearance, in the audiobooks Percy describes Annabeth Chase as looking like the "typical California girl," with blonde hair and curls that give her a Cinderella-esque appearance. She's tall—when she first meets Percy, she towers over him. Annabeth is typically seen with her hair up in a ponytail and wearing her orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.
But Annabeth certainly isn’t perfect. The demigod's biggest flaw is her pride. Annabeth is convinced that she can accomplish anything, even the impossible. Her confidence is beneficial in some circumstances, but it can also be very dangerous, especially when in a world of gods and monsters. And although Annabeth might appear as if she's not afraid of anything, there is one thing that terrifies her to her core: spiders.
Who are Annabeth’s friends and family?
Percy Jackson: When Annabeth meets Percy, it isn't love at first sight—after all, Percy's father, Poseidon, and Annabeth's mother, Athena, are bitter rivals. But after they start going on quests together, the two soon become friends, and eventually, their companionship blooms into romance.
Luke Castellan: Long before Percy Jackson won her heart, there was fellow demigod, Luke Castellan, Annabeth's childhood friend and longtime crush. But as her feelings develop for Percy, she realizes Luke was more like family to her than a true love interest. And for a time, Luke turns toward evil—as a result, Annabeth and Luke become enemies for some while.
Grover Underwood: Satyr Grover Underwood is one of Annabeth's closest friends, and he was the protector who showed her the way to Camp Half-Blood when she was a child.
Athena: Annabeth has a close relationship with her mother, the goddess Athena. Athena is a hero to Annabeth, and Annabeth tries to live her life in a way she thinks would make her mother proud.
Fredrick Chase: Annabeth's father is Professor Fredrick Chase. Although she was raised by her father until she was seven, Annabeth is certain her father hates her and her demigod status, which is why she runs away to become a full-time resident of Camp Half-Blood. Throughout the series, Annabeth and her father try to reestablish a good relationship with each other, with varying results.
What happens to Annabeth Chase over the course of the series?
Annabeth Chase was born on July 12, 1993, to the goddess Athena and mortal Professor Fredrick Chase. But she wasn't really born, traditionally speaking—Annabeth was literally thought into existence as a gift of love from Athena to Fredrick. Although her father raised her, Annabeth never felt loved by her father, and so, at seven years old, she ran away to Camp Half-Blood with Luke Castellan, Thalia Grace, and Grover Underwood.
When she is 12, Annabeth meets Percy Jackson at Camp Half-Blood. She hears that Percy must go on a quest to retrieve Zeus's stolen Master Bolt from Hades, and she insists on going with him, thinking that Percy is "the one" from The Great Prophecy. This quest, chronicled in The Lightning Thief and the debut season of the Disney+ series, is the first of many quests Annabeth will undertake with Percy.
In The Sea of Monsters, Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson sneak out of Camp Half-Blood to search for the Golden Fleece. In this book, Annabeth also reveals some of her biggest dreams—to redesign the world, to save Luke Castellan from himself, and to be accepted fully by both her mother and father. Annabeth saves Percy when he is transformed into a guinea pig by the witch Circe, but she is fatally injured during their fight with Polyphemus. Thankfully, she is able to be healed by the Golden Fleece.
In , Annabeth and the goddess Athena are captured by Dr. Thorn, a minotaur. Percy goes on a quest to rescue them, with the help of Thalia, Grover, and the huntresses Zoë Nightshade and Bianca di Angelo. Percy meets Annabeth's stepmother, who tells him that Annabeth is always welcome in her home. When Percy rescues Annabeth towards the end of this story, listeners can hear hints of a budding romance between the two.
In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy and Annabeth discover an entrance to the Labyrinth, a region that Annabeth fears Luke, whose body has been possessed by Kronos, might use to invade Camp Half-Blood. Hoping to stop an attack before it happens, Annabeth enters the Labyrinth with Percy, Grover, and Tyson. She faces a Sphinx, but finds its riddles insultingly easy. Searching for the Labyrinth's inventor, Daedalus, they head to Mount St. Helens. When the volcano erupts, Percy disappears, leaving Annabeth to believe he is dead. But then Percy returns, and she welcomes him back with a huge hug. At last able to complete their mission with the help of a mortal, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, they force Luke back into the Labyrinth. Despite what Percy says about him, Annabeth refuses to believe her dear childhood friend is pure evil. Unsure of her feelings for both Percy and Luke, Annabeth leaves for San Francisco to attend a private school and work on her relationship with her father.
In The Last Olympian, Annabeth helps Percy hear the Great Prophecy, a prediction made by the Oracle of Delphi foretelling a demigod child causing the rise—or fall—of Olympus. Annabeth and Percy go to Olympus where they meet Hermes, who blames Annabeth for not saving his son, Luke. In their final battle, Annabeth, Percy, and their allies must defend both Manhattan and Mount Olympus from Kronos. It is at this point that Annabeth understands the true meaning of the Great Prophecy—Luke is the one who has to rescue Olympus. Annabeth convinces Percy to give Luke his knife, which he uses to stab himself, thus thwarting Kronos. The gods reward Annabeth for her part in saving the world by giving her the opportunity to rebuild Olympus. At the end of the novel, Percy finally admits his feelings for Annabeth, and the two share a kiss.
The most recent installment of the series, The Chalice of the Gods sees Annabeth assisting boyfriend Percy in what may be their most daunting quest so far—securing his collegiate letters of recommendation from three Greek gods.
Who plays Annabeth in the Disney+ series?
Rising star Leah Jeffries portrays Annabeth Chase in the Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Jeffries made her acting debut in 2015 in the TV series Empire and has since appeared in the Amazon Prime Video rom-com Something from Tiffany's and the horror film Beast. So far, Jeffries has delivered a knockout performance in the ongoing series, embodying Annabeth's curiosity and cleverness, loyalty and heart, determination and dauntlessness, and strong moral compass. We cannot wait to see this beloved character continue to soar with each performance Jeffries delivers.
Our favorite quotes about Annabeth Chase
"'Monkey bar,' Annabeth said. 'I'm great at these.' She leaped onto to the first rung and started swinging her way across. She was scared of tiny spiders, but not of plummeting to her death from a set of monkey bars. Go figure." —The Battle of the Labyrinth
"He had no idea where the stereotype of dumb giggly blondes came from. Ever since he'd met Annabeth at the Grand Canyon last winter, when she'd marched toward him with that 'Give me Percy Jackson or I’ll kill you expression,' Leo had thought of blondes as much too smart and much too dangerous." —The Mark of Athena
