Ask any demigod what their least favorite part of the job is, and most of them will tell you it’s the constant monster-fighting. Monsters are vicious and unpredictable . . . and giants’ blood, specifically, is incredibly hard to wash out of clothes. And yet we can’t help but miss these big guys and gals every once in a while. Here are a few of our favorite vanquished beasts.
The Minotaur
Our love of this beautiful half-man, half-bull is probably due to nostalgia, because he was one of the first monsters Percy Jackson faced. The Minotaur may look cool, but under the surface he’s as smart as a sack of potatoes. You’d think a creature that’s been around for millennia would have developed a better battle tactic. It’s always “charge first, think later.” At least he’s man enough to feel no shame about rocking those infamous tightie-whities.
You may remember Stheno (aka Beano) from handing out those delicious Cheese ‘n’ Weiners samples at the Bargain Mart.
The Manticore
Speaking of unholy hybrids, the Manticore first appeared to Percy and his friends as Dr. Thorn, a professor at Westover Hall. Thorn eventually transformed into a hideous monster with the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion, like any number of teachers at a military academy. Although armed with razor-sharp claws and a poisonous barb, the Manticore’s most effective weapon was the power to put anyone to sleep with a three-hour lecture about the history of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
Marrow Sucker and Skull Eater
Who could forget this charmingly-named pair of Laistrygonian Giants? First and last seen in The Sea of Monsters, these two troublemakers set out to kill Percy during a game of dodgeball. Ultimately, they were thwarted by Percy’s half-brother and national dodgeball champion, Tyson. We hear the pair has been training in Tartarus to become more well-rounded athletes. If Percy ever plays them at Bocce ball, he’s surely doomed.
Euryale and Stheno
They say bad things come in threes. But for the Gorgon sisters, Euryale and Stheno, people often forget that they form a deadly trio with their more famous sister, Medusa. You may remember Stheno (aka Beano) from handing out those delicious Cheese ‘n’ Weiners samples at the Bargain Mart. Not much later, the sisters reunited in the assault against Camp Jupiter. They were destroyed before they could cause any real damage—turns out some sisters are forever doomed to play backup.
Our hearts pine for these brave souls, but we can rest easier knowing that monsters never truly die. They just need time for their bodies to reform in Tartarus. Who knows? Maybe someday one of these creatures might succeed in defeating a minor demigod. A monster can always dream . . .