Tyson the Cyclops
Encyclopedia
Tyson is a fictional character
in Rick Riordan
's Percy Jackson and the Olympians
series. He is a cyclops
and the half brother of the protagonist of the series, Percy Jackson, with whom he shares a father, Poseidon
. He first appears as a homeless boy in the second book of the series, The Sea of Monsters
.
and a nature spirit. He is a young cyclops who tries to be "the best little brother possible" and "make his family proud." He meets Percy at Meriwether College Prep school; Tyson is the subject of a program at the school which seeks to take in a homeless kid and help him while also taking in some information about him. The Mist obscures everybody's view of Tyson's one eye, making most think he has two. Tyson has severe scars on his back that were caused by a sphinx
in the substation where he used to live. Tyson finds Annabeth Chase pretty. He uses his bare strength and metalworking ability to his avail in many situations. For example, while fighting monsters in The Sea of Monsters
, his immunity to fire protected him from magical, flaming cannon balls that would have burned anyone else to ash. During his first summer at Camp-Half Blood, Tyson makes Percy a shield with images of all of their adventures engraved on it; it retracts into a watch when not deployed. Tyson now works with Poseidon
underwater at a forge making weapons.
takes his job. The only thing able to cure the tree is the Golden Fleece
, which has healing powers for plants, animals, and humans. It is located on Polyphemus
's Island in the Sea of Monsters (the Bermuda Triangle
).
Clarisse La Rue, the daughter of Ares
and longtime enemy of Percy, is given the quest to go into the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece. Percy and Annabeth decide to go also, not just for the Golden Fleece, but for their friend Grover, who is trapped in Polyphemus's cave. Tyson, Percy, and Annabeth, after saving Camp Half-Blood from fire-breathing bulls, set out to find Polyphemus, who believes that Grover is a female cyclops and not a satyr.
As they enter the Sea of Monsters, they have to get past Scylla
and Charybdis
. Instead of trying to sail in between, Clarisse goes for Charybidis. Clarisse's ship is destroyed. Tyson, who did not escape the ship in time, is presumed dead the until it is learned that he was saved by a hippocamp
us named Rainbow. They all meet up on Polyphemus
's Island and ultimately leave with the Golden Fleece.
When they return to the mortal world, Clarisse returns to camp on a plane. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson are kidnapped by Luke. He almost kills Percy in a duel, but Percy reveals that Chiron is innocent. Chiron comes to rescue them with his strangely dressed relatives, the Party Ponies. When they return to camp, the Fleece is put on the tree, reviving both it and Thalia.
's underwater court making various items at the forge, he appears in two Iris messages between him and Percy. Kronos is rising
Annabeth leads the quest into Daedalus
' Labyrinth. She breaks the rule of having only two companions on a quest by choosing Percy, Grover, and Tyson. Annabeth descends into the Labyrinth
with them to find a way to stop Kronos's evil forces from entering the borders of Camp Half-Blood by searching for its inventor, Daedalus
. They run into many obstacles. Tyson then finds Briares, the Hundred-Handed One, but is disappointed to find out he is afraid of Kampe and refuses to fight. Annabeth faces a Sphinx
and finds the riddles (which are actually factual questions) not challenging and an insult to her intellect. They escape the claws of the Sphinx and continue on to find Hephaestus
so he can tell them about where to find Daedalus
. They split up, and Tyson follows Grover, who goes a different direction in search of Pan. They all reunite and flee the Labyrinth after the help of Daedalus
(Quintus).
. Tyson is last seen on Mount Olympus where he is awarded a new "stick"; he is also given the role of general of Olympus' army.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan
Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series. He is a cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
and the half brother of the protagonist of the series, Percy Jackson, with whom he shares a father, Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
. He first appears as a homeless boy in the second book of the series, The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
.
Background
Tyson is the son of the Greek god PoseidonPoseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
and a nature spirit. He is a young cyclops who tries to be "the best little brother possible" and "make his family proud." He meets Percy at Meriwether College Prep school; Tyson is the subject of a program at the school which seeks to take in a homeless kid and help him while also taking in some information about him. The Mist obscures everybody's view of Tyson's one eye, making most think he has two. Tyson has severe scars on his back that were caused by a sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
in the substation where he used to live. Tyson finds Annabeth Chase pretty. He uses his bare strength and metalworking ability to his avail in many situations. For example, while fighting monsters in The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
, his immunity to fire protected him from magical, flaming cannon balls that would have burned anyone else to ash. During his first summer at Camp-Half Blood, Tyson makes Percy a shield with images of all of their adventures engraved on it; it retracts into a watch when not deployed. Tyson now works with Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
underwater at a forge making weapons.
The Sea of Monsters
Thalia's tree, the tree which serves as the magical border of Camp Half-Blood, is mysteriously poisoned. Chiron is blamed for poisoning the tree and dismissed from camp; TantalusTantalus
Tantalus was the ruler of an ancient western Anatolian city called either after his name, as "Tantalís", "the city of Tantalus", or as "Sipylus", in reference to Mount Sipylus, at the foot of which his city was located and whose ruins were reported to be still visible in the beginning of the...
takes his job. The only thing able to cure the tree is the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
, which has healing powers for plants, animals, and humans. It is located on Polyphemus
Polyphemus
Polyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
's Island in the Sea of Monsters (the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
).
Clarisse La Rue, the daughter of Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
and longtime enemy of Percy, is given the quest to go into the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece. Percy and Annabeth decide to go also, not just for the Golden Fleece, but for their friend Grover, who is trapped in Polyphemus's cave. Tyson, Percy, and Annabeth, after saving Camp Half-Blood from fire-breathing bulls, set out to find Polyphemus, who believes that Grover is a female cyclops and not a satyr.
As they enter the Sea of Monsters, they have to get past Scylla
Scylla
In Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
and Charybdis
Charybdis
Charybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
. Instead of trying to sail in between, Clarisse goes for Charybidis. Clarisse's ship is destroyed. Tyson, who did not escape the ship in time, is presumed dead the until it is learned that he was saved by a hippocamp
Hippocamp
The hippocamp or hippocampus , often called a sea-horse in English, is a mythological creature shared by Phoenician and Greek mythology, though the name by which it is recognised is purely Greek; it became part of Etruscan mythology...
us named Rainbow. They all meet up on Polyphemus
Polyphemus
Polyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
's Island and ultimately leave with the Golden Fleece.
When they return to the mortal world, Clarisse returns to camp on a plane. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson are kidnapped by Luke. He almost kills Percy in a duel, but Percy reveals that Chiron is innocent. Chiron comes to rescue them with his strangely dressed relatives, the Party Ponies. When they return to camp, the Fleece is put on the tree, reviving both it and Thalia.
The Titan's Curse
Tyson plays a minor role in The Titan's Curse. Once, while he is in PoseidonPoseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
's underwater court making various items at the forge, he appears in two Iris messages between him and Percy. Kronos is rising
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Percy comes back to Camp Half-Blood to find Tyson already there cleaning their room for inspection. Tyson has also fixed Percy's shield, which has been broken by the manticore, Dr. Thorn in the third book. The shield retracts into a watch when not in use.Tyson also reveals he is afraid of (and also allergic to) Grover Underwood.Annabeth leads the quest into Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
' Labyrinth. She breaks the rule of having only two companions on a quest by choosing Percy, Grover, and Tyson. Annabeth descends into the Labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
with them to find a way to stop Kronos's evil forces from entering the borders of Camp Half-Blood by searching for its inventor, Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
. They run into many obstacles. Tyson then finds Briares, the Hundred-Handed One, but is disappointed to find out he is afraid of Kampe and refuses to fight. Annabeth faces a Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
and finds the riddles (which are actually factual questions) not challenging and an insult to her intellect. They escape the claws of the Sphinx and continue on to find Hephaestus
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
so he can tell them about where to find Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
. They split up, and Tyson follows Grover, who goes a different direction in search of Pan. They all reunite and flee the Labyrinth after the help of Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
(Quintus).
The Last Olympian
After jumping off the exploding Princess Andromeda (a cruise ship that Kronos had made his headquarters), Percy finds himself in Poseidon's palace where Tyson is waiting. Percy is in a grim state, so Tyson takes him to Poseidon. Poseidon looks very aged due to all of the stress from the war going on. Poseidon is not letting Tyson fight, for fear of losing him. To Tyson's disappointment, he sends him back to the armory to make weapons. The next time he is seen is through the mist of the hearth on Mount Olympus. Percy gives Poseidon the idea to send Tyson and all the other Cyclopes to take down Typhon. They do, and Typhon lands in the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Tyson is last seen on Mount Olympus where he is awarded a new "stick"; he is also given the role of general of Olympus' army.
The Lost Hero
Tyson is not seen but is mentioned by Annabeth that is he is out looking for Percy.The Son of Neptune
Tyson is revealed to be searching for Percy, along with Percy's hellhound, Mrs. O' Leary. It appears that Tyson is the most successful at tracking Percy down, and is nearly at Camp Jupiter before Percy leaves for his quest. He continues to track Percy and his friends north, but is always too late to reach them. Shortly after the attack on the Zhang mansion, Percy contacts him via a dream, telling him to go to find Ella the harpy and escort her back to Camp Jupiter. Tyson, Ella and Mrs. O' Leary meet Percy just outside of camp and it is implied that Tyson and Ella are fond of each other. The group join the fray, Ella choosing to follow Tyson rather than fly to safety, and Tyson (and Mrs. O' Leary) doesn't hesitate to come to the Romans' aid. He stays at Camp Jupiter with Percy until the end of the story, and is likely to just go where Percy goes.During the battle he says,"Bad horsey men".Power and Abilities
- Immensely strong.
- Works well with metal (skilled craftsman and smith).
- Cannot be killed/harmed by fire (all cyclopes are immune to fire) or water.
- Inhuman hearing and smelling abilities (allowing him to smell monsters).
- Gets along extremely well with hippocampi (or fish ponies, as he calls them), especially the hippocampus Rainbow, first introduced in " The Sea of Monsters".
- Can communicate with Percy (or any other son of Poseidon) underwater mentally.
- As with all other cyclopes, Tyson has the uncanny ability to mimic the voice of anyone he hears (i.e., Luke's voice aboard the Princess Andromeda in The Sea of Monsters and the Kampe's voice in The Battle of the Labyrinth).