Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase – also known by their ship name “Percabeth” – might be one of the most famous and well-loved couples in YA literature. We watched them grow up together in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, saw their relationship deepen in The Heroes of Olympus, and have been getting glimpses at their relationship in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard and The Trials of Apollo. We’ve even seen two attempts at adapting their story to other mediums in the movie series and the musical, and while neither were particularly successful, it goes to show just how much people love this couple.
Now, with no more books to look forward to and a TV show on the horizon, let’s look back at some of the reasons we love Percy and Annabeth.
They’ve known each other since they were 12
“Me, go with you to the…the ‘Thrill Ride of Love’? how embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?”
One of the most heartwarming things about Percabeth is how we’ve been able to see them grow throughout the books. We first met them as awkward pre-teens trying to pretend they didn’t care about each other, and look at where they are now.
By the way, can I just say how nice it is to read a book about kids who actually act like kids? Percy and Annabeth’s interactions throughout Percy Jackson and the Olympians were so true to their age and so, so cute because of it. We had the awkward dance scene from The Titan’s Curse:
“I looked nervously at Annabeth, then at the groups of girls who were roaming the gym.
‘Well?’ Annabeth said.
‘Um, who should I ask?‘
She punched me in the gut. ‘Me, Seaweed Brain.‘
‘Oh. Oh, right.‘”
Not to mention that first kiss, and Percy’s reaction to it:
“Annabeth glared at me like she was going to punch me. And then she did something that surprised me even more. She kissed me.
‘Be careful, Seaweed Brain.’ She put on her hat and vanished.
I probably would’ve sat there for the rest of the day, staring at the lava and trying to remember what my name was, but the sea demons jarred me back to reality.“
The list goes on and on. The early stages of their relationship was just them being awkward and embarrassed and not wanting to talk about their feelings. Remember when Percy met the literal goddess of love and thought she looked a little bit like Annabeth? What a dork.
They’re the most important people in each other’s lives
“‘Hold on, Seaweed Brain.’ It was Annabeth’s voice, much clearer now. ‘You’re not getting away from me that easily.’“
One of my favourite Percabeth moments from the original series was in The Last Olympian, when Percy was bathing in the river Styx and he had to think of a tether to this world. Who did he think of? Annabeth, of course.
Then, several years later, Percy has his memory wiped, and what is the one thing he remembers from his past life? Annabeth. There are so many little moments like that – moments the characters themselves don’t even think about, but that say so much about their relationship.
They trust each other
Who was the first (and only?) person to know about Percy’s Achilles heel? I’m not sure I will ever get over that moment.
These two have saved each other’s lives over and over and over again. They trust each other above literally anyone else. These two are by far the most solid couple in the Riordanverse, and the most iconic team.
They don’t do drama
I think the thing I love most about Percy and Annabeth is how steady they are. They’re best friends before anything else. They face every challenge as a team. There’s never any drama for the sake of drama; no breakups, no situations where they have to lie to each other or make big decisions without consulting the other person. Don’t get me wrong: I’m fine with a bit of drama in fictional relationships. But there’s something so satisfying about watching two people face all these challenges knowing that they work best when they’re on the same team and they’re not hiding anything from each other.
Take the infamous ending of The Mark of Athena, for example: they both realize Annabeth is being dragged into Tartarus no matter what. Percy decides to follow her, because he refuses to be separated from her again, and he knows they have a better chance of making it out if they’re together. Does Annabeth want him to do this? Of course not? But does she try to stop him? No, because she knows he’s right that this is their best chance.
These two have literally been to hell and back together. They make an amazing team, and they know it, and that, in my opinion, is what makes them an elite couple.
Percabeth!!! Yaaaaaaas I love this ship.