Rick Riordan Reveals the Percy Jackson Character He Relates to Most — and It’s Not Percy

Rick Riordan just confirmed what a lot of Percy Jackson readers already suspected: the wise, patient mentor at Camp Half-Blood isn’t just a character — he’s the author’s stand-in. And yes, the Disney+ cast is just as nerdy about the books as the fans. Here’s what Riordan said about writing Chiron, how that plays out on screen, and which novels the young stars swear by. Also: Season 2 is rolling out, and we’ve got the episode lineup.

Riordan on the character that’s most him: Chiron

In a December 12 chat with IGN, Riordan said the one character he poured the most of himself into is Chiron, the camp’s activities director and resident centaur. He didn’t mince words about how writers inevitably bleed into their creations.

"A writer once said that you can’t write a character who is not in some part you. I think overall, I feel most drawn to Chiron, the centaur."

Riordan taught middle school English for eight years at Presidio Hill School in San Francisco, and he folded that classroom philosophy right into Chiron: don’t tell kids what to think; help them figure it out for themselves. Chiron, like Riordan, wants the kids to become their own heroes — not followers checking boxes.

Chiron’s complicated status and why he matters

If you need a refresher on the deep-cut camp politics: at one point in the books, Zeus fires Chiron from his Camp Half-Blood director gig because Chiron is the son of Kronos. Percy promptly points out the obvious hypocrisy — Zeus is also a son of Kronos. So yes, it’s messy, and it’s supposed to be.

On screen, Glynn Turman brings a steady, grounded energy to Chiron in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He’s not just Percy’s teacher; he’s the father figure Percy’s been missing — the one who nudges, not shoves. Expect him to keep guiding Percy in ways that are sometimes subtle, sometimes very not subtle, depending on how wild the next quest gets.

The cast’s favorite Percy Jackson books

The young stars of the Disney+ series didn’t just skim Wikipedia. They’ve got opinions — and receipts — on which books hit hardest.

• Leah Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) — Battle of the Labyrinth. It’s Annabeth’s first quest, and it’s the book where she and Percy finally figure out how they feel about each other.
• Aryan Simhadri (Grover) — The Last Olympian, which he calls a "perfect culmination to the series."
• Dior Goodjohn (Clarisse La Rue) — Battle of the Labyrinth, proudly dubbing it her "favorite book and no one can tell me otherwise."
• Charlie Bushnell (Luke Castellan) — Battle of the Labyrinth again. "I loved all the books, but there was something about Battle of the Labyrinth. I just could not put it down." He also loves Percy’s detour to Calypso’s Island.
• Daniel Diemer (Tyson) — The Last Olympian, because he’s "a big sucker for really good endings where everything kind of comes together."

Season 2 rollout and episode guide

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is currently dropping new episodes on Disney+. Here’s the schedule: Episodes 1 and 2 — I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals and Demon Pigeons Attack — both hit on December 10, 2025. Episode 3, We Board the Princess Andromeda, arrived December 17, 2025. Episode 4, Clarisse Blows Up Everything, landed December 24, 2025. Episode 5, We Check In to CC’s Spa & Resort, is set for December 31, 2025. Episode 6, Nobody Gets the Fleece, follows on January 7, 2026. Episode 7, I Go Down with the Ship, sails in January 14, 2026. And Episode 8, The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well, wraps things up on January 21, 2026.

Bottom line

Riordan sees himself in Chiron, which tracks: the calm teacher who refuses to spoon-feed answers is exactly the mentor Percy needs. The cast clearly did their homework (Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian are getting a lot of love), and the show’s second season is in full swing. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is streaming now on Disney+.