Episode 7 of ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ just aired, and we’ve seen the trio finally partially figuring out what was going on regarding the theft of Zeus’ Master Bolt and Hades. But before they reached Hades’ palace, they had to pass through Asphodel Meadows, and once there, Annabeth started being rooted to the place just like the rest of the lost souls. And because this never actually happened in the books, we are wondering why Annabeth’s regret is so strong that it almost condemns her to eternity in Asphodel Meadows. Let’s see some various theories.
- Article Breakdown:
- Annabeth was never trapped in Asphodel in the books so we can only speculate what she regrets.
- Based on other clues from the books and the show as well, we can deduce that it’s most likely either tied to Percy and her growing feelings toward him or connected to her bad relationship with her biological father.
Annabeth’s regret will stay a mystery until the showrunners decide to reveal it
For pretty much every other event in the ‘Percy Jackson’ show, we can explore the source material to find the answers that we need, but despite adapting the book’s events quite closely, the show decided to stray in one detail, and it just might be one of the most important details in the first season.
In the books, while on their way to Hades’ palace, the trio did happen upon Asphodel, but besides commenting on how depressing the place is and getting a run down on it, no one was trapped. In the show, however, the definition of Asphodel slightly changed, meaning that it’s now a place where souls haunted by regret go. It was also quite a surprise when the roots of the place started trapping Annabeth in place, signaling that she has some unresolved regret or has a choice that she is unwilling to take.
Since we can’t consult with the source material, we have to develop our own theories on what Annabeth might regret so badly.
Theory #1 Annabeth regrets having a bad relationship with her family
Annabeth is a “brainchild” of the goddess Athena and Fredrick Chase that much is known and despite spending “most” of her childhood with her father, Annabeth was, for the most part, unhappy while she was with him and his new wife because they blamed her for constant monster attacks that were the product of her being a Greek demigod.
Annabeth thought that her mortal family, including her father, felt resentment towards her, leading her to run away from home at the age of seven and become a year-rounder at camp. In ‘The Lightning Thief,’ she expressed a strong disapproval of her father when discussing a hypothetical scenario involving him being imprisoned by Hades. However, Percy’s encouragement and a letter from her father asking for another chance prompted Annabeth to reconcile with him and her stepmother for the school year.
When the Sirens sang to her in ‘The Sea of Monsters,’ Annabeth envisioned her parents happily reunited. Over time, she gradually rebuilt her relationship with her father, Fredrick. Despite facing challenges, they made three attempts to reconcile, with the third one proving to be more successful. So it’s quite possible that Annabeth regrets leaving her father on bad terms and actually wants to reach out to him but is unable to due to her hubris, and don’t forget that Annabeth’s fatal flaw is excessive pride, which would bar her from ever admitting that she was perhaps wrong in how he treated him.
Theory #2 Annabeth regrets not letting Percy know that she likes him
In the grand scheme of things, I think even the fans who never touched the books or watched the prior movies are aware that at some point in the source material, Annabeth and Percy end up together. But the road to get there wasn’t easy by no means.
The evolving relationship between Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase is a crucial aspect of the ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.’ In ‘The Lightning Thief,’ Annabeth initially hopes Percy is the one destined for her first quest after witnessing his victory over the Minotaur. However, she becomes cold and annoyed with Percy, especially after learning about his divine father, which involves Poseidon, a rival to her mother. During their quest, Annabeth gradually opens up to Percy, particularly after he assists her in escaping mechanical spiders. As they share more about their personal lives, Annabeth realizes they are friends, even displaying a willingness to sacrifice herself for Percy and his mother in the underworld. Despite these feelings, Annabeth tends to keep her emotions hidden, and her excessive pride once again bars her from admitting how she actually feels about Percy and stops her from evolving their relationship for a long time.
In any case, Annabeth is a complicated character, and we know that prideful people can have many regrets, never quite showing any of them until the weakest of hours, what do you think is Annabeth’s greatest regret? Let us know in the comments below!
