Keerthana Prakasam Fantasy has always been admired and has always helped people to widen their range of creativity by helping their ability to visualize the unbelievable. “An art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforted” is one way to describe the genre—fantasy. Let us have a look into the face of fantasy: Harry Potter vs. Percy Jackson.
Harry Potter Vs Percy Jackson: Hogwarts or Olympus
A series of seven fantasy novels written by J.K. Rowling is about a chronicle of young wizards themed in a school of witchcraft and wizardry named Hogwarts. The arc is concerned with Harry’s feud with Lord Voldemort, who aims to become immortal by overthrowing the wizard governing body called the Ministry of Magic.
Rick Riordan wrote Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a fantasy novel series set in a 21st-century world influenced by Greek gods. It follows a young demigod named Percy Jackson who fights to prevent the Titans, led by Kronos, from destroying the world.
A. Publication
The first Harry Potter book was published on the 26th of June 1997. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has found immense popularity and a huge welcome from its audience.
While the first novel of the Percy Jackson series, The Lightning Thief, was published on the 28th of June 2005—marking the beginning of what would later fuel the Percy Jackson vs. Harry Potter books debate among young readers.
B. Friends and Family
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are considered to be the best friends of Potter in the series. They also made their first appearance in the first book, whom he considered as both friends and family.
In Riordan’s series, Annabeth Chase was the rival and the closest friend of Jackson, eventually his love interest. She was the daughter of the great demigod named Athena.
C. Personality
From the novel, Potter is known to be
- Brave
- Courageous
- Self-sacrificing
- Heroic
- Reliable
- Tough to compete
Jackson’s personality is described to be
- Hard to predict
- Extremely loyal
- Adamant
- Changeable like the sea
D. Weapons
Potter uses a wand and a thousand-year-old, goblin-made magical sword. It is made from rubies and silver and was commissioned by one of the Hogwarts founders, Godric Gryffindor.
Jackson used Anaklusmos, a prized sword made of celestial bronze. It is a material deadly to monsters, titans, giants, etc.
E. Battlefield
In the Harry Potter series, battles often take place indoors or in enclosed spaces. Mostly, it took place in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with forays into the Ministry of Magic, hidden alleys, and magical estates.
In the Jackson series, the battles took place in the real world, though demigods can also fight in mythological locations like Mount Olympus and the Underworld. Battles often take place outdoors, in open spaces, or underwater.
F. Adaptations
There are 8 movies in total starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. The first movie adaptation was released in the year 2001.
There are two film series for Riordan’s novel, namely Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters, which were released in the years 2010 and 2013, respectively. Following it, the first season of the television series was released in mid-December of 2023.
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Harry Potter Vs Percy Jackson: Similarities Between the Fantasy Successors
No one can deny that Harry Potter and Percy Jackson lead their respective fantasy worlds.
- Loyalty
- Trustworthiness
- Rebellious
- Found their true meaning of love in their long-term friend
Which Novel Series is Darker: Harry Potter vs. Percy Jackson?
From the netizen’s point of view, the Potter series is much darker. Nonetheless, the Harry Potter series targets young readers. However, readers can clearly sense the tonal shift after the third book, and the sixth book stands out as the darkest of all.
Meanwhile, the Jackson series does not contain any harmful explicit sequences. The plot keeps the whole series lighthearted with a childish tone, to say nothing of the fact that the main character is barely a teen.
Is Percy Jackson Better than Harry Potter?
The question “Is Percy Jackson better than Harry Potter?” is complex because both series have unique strengths that attract different audiences. The Percy Jackson vs. Harry Potter books comparison often stems from their different narrative styles.
Rowling’s series stands out for its emotional depth, world-building, and global success—translated into 85 languages and selling over 600 million copies. It continues to be one of the best-selling series of all time.
Riordan’s series appeals strongly to fans of mythology and modern adventure. However, the movie adaptations weakened its popularity due to major deviations—such as aging the protagonist from twelve to sixteen.
Why is Percy Jackson Not as Popular as Harry Potter?
Although Percy Jackson has a massive fan base, it is not as huge as the Potter series fan base. Some readers feel Riordan’s work shares thematic similarities with the Percy Jackson vs. Harry Potter books, while Rowling’s world addresses deeper emotional dynamics grounded in a realistic setting.
Riordan’s lighter, comedic tone caters to younger audiences, whereas Harry Potter grows darker and more mature across the series.
Would Harry Potter Win Against Percy Jackson?
We cannot deny that Potter is not as competitive and as powerful as those demigods, monsters, and Percy. It wouldn’t take wizards to overpower or defeat those demigods themselves. Therefore, in the end, Percy Jackson prevails.
Which House would Jackson be in?
Percy would definitely be placed in Hufflepuff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is because the house represents loyalty, a strong sense of justice, patience, love for their loved ones, and comfort. Considering Jackson is dangerously loyal to his people over competitiveness.
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Both series have shaped generations of young readers and continue to fuel discussions such as “Is Percy Jackson better than Harry Potter?” and comparisons between the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books. Regardless of preference, both remain iconic pillars of modern fantasy, expanding imagination and storytelling for readers of all ages.
