Percy Jackson: Who is Hephaestus?

Percy Jackson & the Olympians Episode 5 brings us two new gods, Ares and Hephaestus. But who is the latter, and who plays him?

Percy Jackson & The Olympians is more than midway through its first run on Disney+. Season 1, which follows the plot of the first book, goes as such: “12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, is coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god, Zeus, accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt; with his friend’s help, Percy must restore order to Olympus.”

With a lot more involvement from author Rick Riordan, the series has been far more accurate in its depiction of the source material than the 2010 Logan Lerman movies ever were, and this shows in how many Greek Gods and monsters actually show up within the series.

In the most recent episode, that being Episode 5, we met Ares, the God of War, but we also find out about another God, that being Hephaestus. But who is he, and who plays him? Let’s get into it, but first: Spoiler warning for Percy Jackson & the Olympians!

Who is Hephaestus – and how is he different from the books?

Hephaestus is the Greek God of smithing and fire, responsible for many of the mechanical aspects of Olympus, which explains why Waterland, a mechanical amusement park, is his domain in the human world. His appearance in Season 1 differs from the books, as while the character is mentioned in book 1, Hephaestus is actually not shown until the third installment, Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse.

When Percy and Annabeth enter Waterland to retrieve Ares’ shield, we find out more about Hephaestus’ backstory through a tunnel of love boat ride. He was born to Hera, the queen of the Gods, but cast out due to his physical appearance.

Hephaestus managed to build a throne that no one could get up from, and used it to capture Hera. In exchange for her release, Zeus promised Hephaestus a return to Olympus and Aphrodite as his wife. Though Aphrodite ended up having many an affair with Ares, hence why Hephaestus stole his shield.

In the book, our lead demigods find the shield at the bottom of a drained pool, filled with cameras that are streaming to Olympus. However, the show uses the myth of the trap throne, and makes it so that either Percy or Annabeth must sacrifice themselves and sit on the throne so that the other can retrieve the shield.

As we state in our 4-star review of the episode, “What Percy and Annabeth must do to retrieve the shield leads to an incredibly emotional scene, arguably the most emotional so far, with Leah Jeffries, who plays Annabeth, really putting her all into her performance.”

Because it seems that Hephaestus’ early appearance is meant to help emphasize the overarching theme of the franchise: that the Greek Gods need to be better people. We have seen them act fickly, dismissively, and violently, and Ares even states how war is inevitable between them, because they’ve always been a messy family.

This behavior often leads to their demigod children suffering, which Annabeth challenges after Percy traps himself in the throne. She yells at Hephaestus, claiming that she never wants to be as cruel as the Gods are. Eventually, Hephaestus agrees, and lets them both go, showing that perhaps these all-powerful gods are still capable of empathy.

Who plays Hephaestus in the Percy Jackson Disney+ series?

In Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Hephaestus is played by Timothy Omundson, who can also be spotted in the Psych franchise, Woody Woodpecker, and Galavant.

He has a rather different appearance from his book counterpart, appearing more like a mad professor in the show. His literary appearance is meant to be physically deformed, to the point that he would be mocked by the Gods and cast out of Olympus.

His shoulders are meant to be hunching, and his face is covered in welts, scars, and lumps, born from his work in fire and smithing. But the only signs of damage we get in the series is a limp from the God, perhaps due to budget constraints for special effects.

Check out our other Percy Jackson coverage here, how and when you can watch it here, and the rest of our Movies & TV coverage here.