Percy Jackson, the titular protagonist of the franchise, is the son of the Greek God Poseidon. As you’re probably aware by now, Poseidon is the god of the sea and water in general and seems to have a complete domain over the element in general. Percy, as a demigod, should inherit at least a portion of his father’s powers, and he did, but one “superpower” that fans are almost always interested in is Percy’s ability, or lack of, to breathe underwater. Let’s see whether Percy has infinite breath while diving and what other neat things he can do with his powers.
- Article Breakdown:
- Percy Jackson can breathe underwater for unlimited time; he never runs out of breath as regular water cannot hurt him.
- The only exception to this rule seems to be the magical River Styx, where he was unable to breather underwater at all.
- Percy Jackson can also provide his followers with underwater breathing since he has the ability to create air bubbles in water.
Percy can breathe underwater for an unlimited time
Being the son of a Greek God that is a part of the “Big Three,” Percy Jackson is apparently one of the strongest, if not the strongest, demigod in the Universe and has plenty of elemental powers to prove it. Water is Poseidon’s domain and as such, Percy has access to controlling vast majority of Earth’s surface, think of like Aquaman if there is water, Percy can do something with it in both offensive and defensive manner.
Before I analyze Percy’s most devastating powers, we need to answer the most basic question: yes, Percy is able to breathe underwater and can do so for an absolutely unlimited time as long as he has access to his powers. Percy doesn’t have gills, but he does have the ability to separate air molecules from water, which allows him to breathe perfectly normally in just about any aquatic environment.
Percy can also provide his companions with the ability since he can create air bubbles and air pockets if the need for them arises.
But, as with any power, there is a catch. If the water is magical, he sometimes struggles to utilize his power properly. One such example is the mythical River Styx, over which Percy doesn’t exactly have control. He can neither manipulate the waters of River Styx and he also can’t breathe in it while submerged. Percy, most likely using the same principle, can avoid getting wet in almost all instances.
Percy can manipulate water for just about any effect that he wants to create
Besides breathing underwater, Percy can utilize hydrokinesis, meaning that he has near-complete mastery over water. He can “lift” water, he can summon giant waves, he can propel himself through water as water physics don’t seemingly affect him at all.
Percy can also “harden” water to create weapons or protective barriers from it; if it’s needed, Percy can solidify the surface, which allows him to walk over it. Due to his innate connection with the element, Percy can connect with the water in such a way that is able to mimic his own movement, enabling him to create powerful aquatic “avatars.”
Percy can also create water out of nothing by summing the “force of the Ocean,” although this is extremely difficult to do and often has undesired effects. Through his vast manipulation of water, Percy can also affect weather and storms to an extent, although other demigods have a better mastery of it. Manipulating frost is also possible for Percy, although he is not that good at it.
Percy can heal in water, but it depends on the severity of his wounds
In Tartarus, Percy manifested a unique ability to control poisons and liquids with high water content. When poison was used against him, he deflected the toxic water back to Polybotes. In battles, Percy can heal wounds and cure poisons when in contact with water; the healing time and water quantity are dependent on the severity of the injury. However, there are limitations to his healing ability, as he couldn’t cure Pit Scorpion venom, leading to a near-death experience.
Swimming in lava? It apparently isn’t a problem for Percy. In ‘The Battle for the Labyrinth,’ Percy demonstrates that he can survive in lava, but the longer she is submerged, the more painful it becomes.
As long as he is near water, Percy is nearly unstoppable
When Percy Jackson is in contact with or near water, he gains enhanced superhuman abilities, including heightened clarity, strength, speed, agility, and endurance. This is limited, however, because the effect wears off after a time, just like with other water-based superheroes. The effect is constantly active if he is fully submerged underwater.
What is Percy Jackson’s weakness?
I bet you were expecting this to be fire if you’re not familiar with the ‘Percy Jackson’ Universe; however, no, Percy Jackson’s weakness, besides the small spot on his back while he was invincible, is actually his excessive loyalty. He would risk the world and even his own life to save his friends and family. He sometimes saves strangers or enemies simply because he empathizes with them. When Percy protests that personal loyalty isn’t all that bad, Athena says “The most dangerous flaws are good in moderation”
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