It makes sense that the infamous Ethan Nakamura was overlooked in our recent article devoted to fallen demigods. Neglect was kind of a huge theme in his relatively short life. . .
Unclaimed from the Start
You may only remember Ethan as a loner with a chip on his shoulder. But there’s always more to angst-ridden demigods than meets the eye (more on Ethan’s eye later). When he first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, Ethan was ignored and left unclaimed by his mother. With a mom named Nemesis, are you really surprised?
He may have been left with one good eye, but Ethan wasn’t good at seeing the bigger picture.
Mama’s Boy
Actually, Nemesis isn’t an evil goddess. She’s just so focused on vengeance and retribution that she doesn’t have time to be a good mother. Even without knowing her well, Ethan shared her twisted sense of honor and thirst for a balance of power between major and minor gods. The main lesson he took away from her? Balance never comes without sacrifice.
Eye’ve Made a Huge Mistake
Unfortunately for Ethan, Nemesis never holds a family reunion without someone having to give up something. This explains the loss of Ethan’s left eye, surrendered in exchange for the promise that he would one day bring balance to the gods. It was a divine version of an IOU, and Ethan had no idea of when he’d see a return on his investment. At least he got a cool eyepatch out of it.
Repping Kronos’ Army
That kind of familial trauma can mess you up pretty badly. So it’s easy to understand how Ethan would betray Camp Half-Blood by resurrecting the fallen Titan Kronos. And he did that even after Percy spared his life in Antaeus’s Arena. He may have been left with one good eye, but Ethan wasn’t good at seeing the bigger picture.
A Final Sacrifice
Ethan may have been misguided, but he still had the heart of a hero. During his final moments, he turned against Kronos and took a stand, saving Percy Jackson’s life. In honor of Ethan, Percy petitioned Olympus for minor gods and goddesses to receive their own cabins at Half-Blood. Ethan did bring balance to power. May his memory live on forever.
CAUTION: If a parent or guardian asks you to sacrifice a body part in exchange for power, just walk away. And contact your local authorities.
