In troubled times, when we’re at our lowest point, we all need at least one friend who can help carry us to the finish line. A friend who embodies noble heroism, personal responsibility, and a thirst for justice.
Sure, they’re never going to be the first person to join you on stage at karaoke, and the memes they send the group chat are kinda stale, but at the end of the day, they’re the one who will make sure everyone gets home safe and stays hydrated. The friend you know will always be there for you, no matter what you’re going through.
Until one day when they’re suddenly not around anymore . . .
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been thinking about Jason Grace a lot lately. And we know that for our favorite demigods, life just hasn’t been the same without him. But the cold march of time continues. Which is why it’s up to the living to make sure that the memory of the fallen never fades away.
Even if a fair number of those memories involve giant monsters and massive explosions. But really, what better way is there to honor the legacy of a dearly departed demigod than by revisiting a few of their most amazing and soul-stirring feats of strength and courage? The moments that made us pump our fists in triumph . . . before bursting into tears. These are five of the greatest moments featuring the Lost Hero, Jason Grace.
Oh, and spoilers ahead for The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo!
Jason the Giant Slayer
In hindsight, Jason Grace’s initial quest was a bit of a mess. A huge mess, actually. Between suffering from memory loss, dealing with a violent storm spirit, being brainwashed into battling his best friend, and reuniting with his long-lost sister, Jason’s first week on the job as the Champion of Juno was pure chaos.
But Jason nearly met his maker when he was forced to face off against the Enceladus, the Bane of Athena, all on his own. Enceladus was a giant born with the power to slay a god. And Jason was mostly just a dude trying to remember how to best swing a sword . . . a sword that would inevitably break during the battle.
But with a last-minute save from Piper and Leo, as well as an assist from Jupiter himself, Jason was able to claim victory over the gruesome giant.
Now, you might be thinking Jupiter was the one who really defeated Enceladus. And technically, you would be right. But the reason we decided to include this moment on our list is because, well, we’d like to see how you would react if you had to face off against Enceladus by yourself. Jason stood his ground until the very end, even when it all seemed hopeless.
The rest of us would have found some cave to hide in so we could furiously Google Do giants chew their food before swallowing?
Grace vs. Jackson: Round One (of One)
This duel was inevitable. And not just because Gaea was manipulating things behind the scenes. Even before Jason and Percy were possessed by Eidolons, these two demigods had been trying to one-up each other, arguing over which of their flying horses was faster, who had the superior sword, who looked better in an orange T-shirt, etc.
We are in no way condoning demigod-on-demigod violence, but sometimes words simply aren’t enough to resolve a conflict between two competing egos. Think of the Jason/Percy fight as the demigod equivalent of a highly spirited game of ping pong. Just slightly more deadly.
Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed, and the two demigods ceased their contest before anyone was seriously injured. But from our point of view, Jason would have certainly emerged victorious. Not that it necessarily matters now.
As far as we know, Tempest and Blackjack remain bitter rivals to this day. But we know better than to weigh on in on that conflict, lest we incur the wrath of the horse stans.
Heroes of Olympus, Assemble!
What does it take to be an effective team leader? If you were to ask Jason himself, he might not even know how to answer.
When Jason was declared the leader of the Argo II, he found himself under a mountain of stress and pressure. And who could blame him? He was tasked with uniting the Greek and Roman demigods to wage war against the primordial goddess of the earth herself! Good luck trying to get Greeks and Romans even to agree on where to go for lunch.
Jason bucked the Roman tradition of leading with raw might and/or ego by prioritizing compassion, understanding, and self-sacrifice. Prime example: helping Nico come to terms with his identity and embrace his true feelings without fear of shame or judgment. Jason led with his heart, not his blade.
We don’t consider any one member of the Heroes of Olympus to be the single true leader of the team. Jason was able to recognize that each one of them possessed unique strengths and weaknesses that could be balanced to create a more powerful whole.
Goodnight, Earth Mother
Which was a great thing because, clearly, no single demigod, or camp of demigods, would have been able to stop Gaea’s reign of terror. (Hmm. Or was it “reign of terra” in her case?)
Only through expert teamwork were the Heroes of Olympus able to put old Dirt Face back into the ground. Not before launching her into the air, of course. Remember, Jason and Piper were the first to realize Gaea’s fatal weakness: an extremely rational fear of heights.
After being hurled from the ground, Gaea suffered several fatal blows from Jason, Piper, Leo, and uh, Octavian, of all people. Even against overwhelming odds, and despite the prophecy warning the Heroes that a member of their team wouldn’t be walking away from the final battle, Jason and his friends never once hesitated to lay it all on the line.
And good news! None of the demigods that we actually liked perished during the final battle with Gaea (even if Leo had us fooled for a second there). Turns out that the prophecy was complete hogwash.
For a few months, at least . . .
Standing Up to the Mad Emperor
Listen, we don’t want to bring this entire listicle down by recounting the grim, depressing details of Jason’s final act of self-sacrifice (a bit of a recurring theme with that guy), So, we’ll just say that, at the time of his death, the son of Juno once again raised the bar for what it means to be a hero.
His death may have been cruel, unfair, and devastating, but no one can deny the legacy that he left behind. So, don’t think about what that monster Caligula did to him; instead, remember that Jason’s dream of making Camp Jupiter a better and more compassionate place for all demigods lives on to this day.
And how do we know that? Because Jason’s friends and allies, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, Nico, and so many more are still around to make sure that the Champion of Rome will never be forgotten.
So dry your eyes! And when the going gets tough, make sure you ask yourself What would Jason do in this situation? Even if the answer includes standing up for justice in the face of angry giants, primordial gods, and mad emperors.
Just don’t expect a random lightning strike to bail you out of every dangerous or uncomfortable situation.
What’s your favorite Jason Grace moment? Be sure to let us know!