Who plays Echidna in the Percy Jackson series?

The new Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, based on the novels of the same name, has proven a hit on Disney Plus, with plenty of interest in the cast – including the character Echidna. But who is she and who plays her?

Percy Jackson & The Olympians is finally on Disney Plus, and fans are loving it. The series, which follows a young demigod as he quests to save both the world and his mother, is of course based on the beloved set of books by Rick Riordan.

With more involvement from Riordan, the series has been able to be far more faithful to the books than the infamous movies were. One way in which this manifests is through the character of Echidna, who appears in Episode 4 of the show but never in the movies.

Since this role now exists on screen, who plays her? And what is her character like? Read on to find out.

Who plays Echidna in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

Echidna, the Greek mother of monsters, is played by actor Suzanne Cryer. Cryer is known for her roles in Two Guys and a Girl, Silicon Valley, and The Cloverfield franchise.

The official synopsis of Season 1, which follows the plot of the first book, Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief, reads: “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.”

These accusations towards Percy obviously come with a dangerous price. As we stated in our Episode 4 review: “Our leads are once again being chased by monsters, with this creature of the week being one of the best. We also once again have an actor – this time Suzanne Cryer – joyfully hamming their evil role up as a Chimera’s mother, along with some pretty decent CGI for the beast itself.”

Check Echidna out in the Percy Jackson trailer below, along with her pet chihuahua-turned-chimera:

You can also check out which actors play which characters in our Percy Jackson cast guide.

Who is Echidna?

Echidna is the mother of monsters, who is tasked by Zeus to hunt down Percy Jackson. In her quest to kill the boy, she has a rather frightening demeanor, mixing motherly affection for her pet chimera with unflinching bloodlust for the death of demigods.

Since Episode 4 ended on a cliffhanger (or a cliff-fall, in Percy’s case), we’ll give a warning before going any further: we’ll be mentioning Echidna from the books, so SPOILERS AHEAD!

Echidna is the daughter of Gaea and Tartarus in Greek mythology, with Typhon as her husband. After a failed battle with Zeus, the God allowed Echidna and her children to live as a challenge to future heroes.

In the book, Echidna appears as an ordinary woman, with the only sign of her monstrousness being a forked tongue and slitted eyes like a snake. In her true form, her human head remains, but the rest of her turns fully snake, making her a terrifying foe that Percy must attempt to defeat.

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.