Rick Riordan Reveals Why Percy Jackson’s ADHD and Dyslexia Are His Secret Weapon
A demigod with ADHD? Rick Riordan made Percy Jackson that way for a reason — turning perceived flaws into the heart of a modern myth.
Percy Jackson has always been a clever myth-meets-modern kid, but the detail that really matters right now isn’t the monsters. It’s the diagnosis. Percy’s ADHD and dyslexia weren’t tossed in as flavor. Rick Riordan made those traits the point. And with Season 2 now rolling on Disney+, it’s a good time to talk about where that choice came from and where the show is headed.
Why Percy is ADHD and dyslexic (and why that matters)
Riordan has said in an interview on his website that he was writing Percy Jackson while his own son was being tested for learning differences. That stretch was rough for his kid, but it led to the Scottish Rite program, which is designed for children with reading difficulties like dyslexia. While Riordan dug into the diagnosis, he kept running into the same truth: a lot of kids with ADHD are wildly creative, think around corners, and thrive once they get past the school years that weren’t built for them.
"Making Percy ADHD/dyslexic was my way of honoring the potential of all the kids I’ve known who have those conditions. It’s not a bad thing to be different. Sometimes, it’s the mark of being very, very talented."
That’s the DNA of the character. In the books (and now the show), what looks like a weakness in the classroom turns into an edge in a fight. Riordan reframes Percy’s attention and reading issues as demigod hardware: quick-reflex battle instincts and a brain wired for ancient Greek, not modern English. It’s a neat, very personal bit of storytelling that ends up feeling like a low-key superpower. And for what it’s worth, Riordan says his son has gone on to chase big goals and now helps other kids navigate their own diagnoses. Full circle stuff.
Season 2: back to Camp Half-Blood, but not exactly a victory lap
After a two-year break, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is back with Season 2, and Disney+ kicked things off with a two-episode drop. The new run pulls from The Sea of Monsters: Percy and Annabeth set out to save their best friend Grover, whose own mission to find Pan, the God of the Wild, lands him in a mess that needs rescuing. So yes, it’s more quests, more monsters, and the usual Camp Half-Blood chaos, just with higher stakes.
The core trio returns: Walker Scobell as Percy, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover. Charlie Bushnell is back as Luke, and Dior Goodjohn returns as Clarisse. If Season 1 was about discovering what Percy is, Season 2 leans into what that actually costs him.
Episode rollout
- Season 2 Episode 1 - "I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals" - December 10, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 2 - "Demon Pigeons Attack" - December 10, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 3 - "We Board the Princess Andromeda" - December 17, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 4 - "Clarisse Blows Up Everything" - December 24, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 5 - "We Check In to CC's Spa & Resort" - December 31, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 6 - "Nobody Gets the Fleece" - January 7, 2026
- Season 2 Episode 7 - "I Go Down with the Ship" - January 14, 2026
- Season 2 Episode 8 - "The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well" - January 21, 2026
Where to watch
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is streaming on Disney+. Two episodes are out now, with new ones rolling out weekly. If you’ve started the season, tell me what you think of how they’re handling the Sea of Monsters arc — and whether the show is doing right by Percy’s so-called flaws, which were never really flaws in the first place.