Analyzing Percy's relationships to the Gods: Part 1, Dionysus
Warning: This is an extremely long post. It has over 6500 words. If you’re not interested in reading this, please do not click on the extend button. Scrolling past this will get very annoying very quickly for you otherwise. I'm very sorry if you clicked on the extend button without reading this warning first.
Second warning: I try my best to tie my analysis and interpretation to the text and use textual evidence to support my claims. However, every interpretation is subjective. This is simply the conclusion I have personally drawn, and I obviously have my own biases, which definitely influence how I interact with the books. If you have a different opinion, that’s obviously fine.
A while back I made a post about the relationships between Percy and the gods in the Percy Jackson books and how I could write essays on each individual one. I absolutely adore Greek mythology, and the figures associated with it, and Percy is one of my favourite fictional characters. So, the different relationships he has to the gods are, for me, one of the most fascinating dynamics in PJO, and a topic I can personally get lost in for hours. So, here I am.
When I started this idea, I formed the plan to analyze these relationships around three aspects: How the gods’ myths and myth characterizations correlate to Percy, what connection he has to their domains, and, obviously, the interactions they have in the books.
Ironically, I also wanted to start with Dionysus, because his and Percy’s relationship is one of my personal favourites. Sadly, there isn’t that much that I can say in relation to the myths surrounding him and their connection to Percy. This is an aspect better suited for gods like Athena, Zeus, Poseidon or Hera. However, there are two connections, which I think are worth mentioning.
(Before I start here, I should mention that Greek myths are not linear. There exists a variety of different versions and what is true in one might be false in another, and I am by no means a classicist. My myth knowledge comes almost exclusively from personal research and, while I have read original sources, I am certainly not infallible. If someone knows better, I would appreciate if you could correct me should I make a mistake)
The obvious correlation between Percy and myth-Dionysus is that Dionysus used to be a demigod, who was made immortal, while Percy is the first demigod who has been offered immortality in thousands of years and is, together with Nico, the demigod closest to divinity. (At least in my opinion.) But this isn’t really something, which influenced their relationship in any major degree, considering that Percy’s refusal of godhood only happens at the end of “The Last Olympian, and this part of Dionysus is more interesting when you want to analyse his general relationship to all demigods.
The other parallel is however more unique. And that is their relationships to their respective mothers.
Dionysus actually has a very close bond to his mortal mother Semele, and even succeeded in rescuing her from the underworld and turning her into the goddess Thyone after he himself had achieved immortality. (with Zeus’ permission) (according to Pindar)
Percy’s whole motivation for large parts of “The lightning Thief” was to rescue Sally from the underworld. Something he also succeeded at (although in a more unconventional way)
But that’s about it. And, while it is an interesting parallel and can definitely lead to a more interesting dynamic when we think back to the lightning thief, this part of the Dionysus mythos doesn’t seem to have been incorporated into Rick’s books, and so has little to do with the actual relationship between these two characters, which is the main focus of this post. I still thought it was important to note, but I would still move on to the next point.
Sadly, the next point has similar problems to the myth thing.
Different to gods like Ares, Athena and even Zeus, the relation between Dionysus’ domain and Percy is close to none existent. Dionysus is the Olympian God of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, madness and wild frenzy. All things, Percy has very little association with.
It even impacts their relationship in a very negative way.
Dionysus being the god of wine, and so closely associated with alcohol, reminded Percy at their first meeting very much of Gabe, who is written as an alcoholic, who emotionally, financially and physically abused both Percy and Sally for many years and whom Percy completely despises:
Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our “guy secret.” Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out. (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 3)
I looked at my mother. “Mom, do you want Gabe gone? “Percy, it isn’t that simple. I-“ “Mom, just tell me. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?” (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 21)
“Uh, thanks.” I scooted a little farther away from him (Dionysus) because, if there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice. If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr. (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 5)
Coarsely, Percy also reminded Dionysus of the person he hates more than anyone else in the world for a large part of the story: Theseus. The demigod, who betrayed and abandoned Dionysus wife Ariadne after she had sacrificed everything to help him defeat the Minotaur and flee Crete.
And at first glance, there are, admittedly, some important surface-level similarities between Theseus and Percy.
They are both sons of Poseidon. The monster Percy defeated right before entering Camp Halfblood was the very same minotaur, whose defeat made Theseus famous. And they even look alike. Later in the books, in battle of the labyrinth, Theseus gets described, and his description somewhat matches Percy’s:
—a teenage guy in Greek armor. He had curly hair and green eyes, a clasp shaped like a seashell on his cloak. (…) Then he spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: “I am Theseus.” (Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 5)
So, in the first book, they reminded each other of the person they hate the most, which led to them having a very negative relationship.
A trend that continues throughout most of the first three PJO books. Dionysus is very antagonistic towards Percy, and makes his life noticeably harder at camp half blood. In Sea of Monsters, he sides with Tantalus against Percy and uses every opportunity to make him feel miserable. Percy, in turn, has a very low opinion of Dionysus for large parts of the story:
“Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he’d created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone.” “Besides himself, you mean,” I growled. Just the thought of the camp director, Mr. D, made me angry. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 5)
“This boy,” Dionysus told him. “You need to watch. Poseidon’s child, you know.” “Ah!” the prisoner (Tantalus) said. “That one.” His tone made it obvious that he and Dionysus had already discussed me at length. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 5)
“Oh, go sit down, Johnson,” Dionysus sighed. “I believe that table over there is yours- the one where no one else wants to sit.” My face was burning, but I knew better than to talk back. Dionysus was an overgrown brat, but he was an immortal, super powerful overgrown brat. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 5)
These more or less little squabbles escalate in Titan’s curse, where Percy finally blows up at Dionysus because of his nonchalance towards Annabeth’s kidnapping:
"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—" "Annabeth," I snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know her name. (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 5)
I wanted to strangle Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for all of us. (…) "Luke would want her alive." "In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own." (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 5)
I got up from the table. "Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of my mind, I knew Mr. D was not somebody to mess with. Even if you were an impulsive ADHD kid like me, he wouldn't give you any slack. But I was so angry I didn't care. "You're glad to lose another camper," I said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!" Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?" "Yeah," I growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!" For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast me to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover. (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 5)
I think this argument is important because of a multitude of reasons.
The first one is because it represents the unique role Percy often puts himself in when he interacts with the gods in general, and one of the reasons why his dynamic with them is so compelling to me. He can be unapologetic and direct when he confronts the Olympians, and sometimes criticizes them for their actions to their faces, something which is very much distinct to him.
Don’t get me wrong. There have been several instances where other characters had similar interactions with the gods, like Nico’s argument with Hades in “The Last Olympian” or Annabeth’s relationship to Hera, starting from “Battle of the Labyrinth”, but these were either only directed at their immortal parents, or a singular god/ goddess, or were by far not as blunt. Percy has a trend of having open disagreements, and full-blown arguments with multiple Olympians. Not only in this instance with Dionysus, but also, for example, with Hermes and Hades in “The Last Olympian”, Hera in “Battle of the Labyrinth”, and Ares in “The Lightning thief”.
And I will always factor this in when I discuss the relationship between Percy and any of the gods. Because this leads to Percy talking to and interacting with them more as an equal. Though not completely as an equal of course. Often Percy does weigh in the fact that they are gods and could easily kill him, however still more as an equal than what most other mortal characters would dare. This leads to one of my personal views on the relationship the gods have with Percy in PJO, which is that their relationship, at the end, echoes more the relation ship they would have to another, (albeit minor) god, than to a half-blood.
This argument also represents an accumulation of the negative feelings Percy and Dionysus each developed since they first met one another and is the climax of their mutual hostility. It escalates Dionysus’ resentment so much, that a couple chapters later, when Percy sneaks out of camp to join the quest to save Artemis and Annabeth, and Dionysus catches him, he says to Percy, who is fourteen at tthe time, that he hopes that he will die on this quest:
“Go. Follow your silly friends." The vines uncurled around my legs. I blinked in disbelief. "You're… you're letting me go? Just like that?" "The prophecy says at least two of you will die. Perhaps I'll get lucky, and you'll be one of them.” (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 9)
I want to delve a bit deeper into this reaction and the anger behind it. There’s the obvious interpretation of it. That the natural reaction to a god getting criticized or even insulted by a mortal, in this instance a mortal who probably looks physically more and more like Theseus, would be anger and fury and that it would naturally reinvigorate Dionysus’ dislike of Percy. And that’s obviously a huge part of it. I’m not denying that.
But I personally think it goes deeper than that. Dionysus stating, he wants Percy to die is the result of not only his anger from the argument directly, but also anger, that this argument in of itself very much contradicts Dionysus’ view of Percy, which stems mostly from his preconceived notion, that all heroes are selfish and from Percy’s resemblance to Theseus.
During the same exchange, there is the moment where Dionysus tells Percy of his history with Ariadne and Theseus and explains his hatred for heroes.
"I should throw you off this building, minus the flying horse, and see how heroic you sound on the way down." I balled my fists. I knew I should keep my mouth shut, but Mr. D was about to kill me or haul me back to camp in shame, and I couldn't stand either idea. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?" Purple flames flickered in his eyes. "You're a hero, boy. I need no other reason." (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 9)
“You accuse us gods of being vain. You should look at yourselves. You take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. So, you'll excuse me if I have no love for heroes. They are a selfish, ungrateful lot. Ask Ariadne. Or Medea. For that matter, ask Zoe Nightshade." (Titan’s Curse, chapter 9)
I think the most fascinating aspect of their relationship at this point in time, is that Dionysus seems to be completely oblivious, or (what I think) intentionally oblivious to the fact that Percy is actually the very opposite of Theseus, or Jason, or Herakles. (In the Riordan verse at least. Herakles isn’t that bad a guy in Greek mythology, but he was very much villainized in PJO and hoo. This, however, does not go for Jason and Theseus. They suck. Especially Theseus.)
In my interpretation of their relationship, Dionysus has decided who Percy is at the beginning of “the lightning thief” and he willfully ignores every bit of evidence that shows him otherwise and even reacts negatively when such evidence is presented to him, like in the case of the argument, as is very common when people are prejudiced towards others. It is a normal reaction to get angry and defensive when your prejudices get challenged and the argument and Percy’s reaction in of itself presents a conflict to Dionysus way of thinking and, in my opinion, play a large role in the escalation of his hostility.
Getting so mad that you blow up on an olympian god, just because he acted nonchalant towards your friend’s/ crush’s disappearance is very definitive proof that Percy is nothing like Theseus, who left Ariadne at an abandoned island, because she became a minor inconvenience to him, and that his friends matter more to him than anything else, even his own life.
To list every other instance, where Percy has shown loyalty, and selflessness towards other people would make this post way too long. However, I think it’s still important to mention some of it, because it very much defines Percy as a character and it directly contradicts everything that Dionysus thinks of him at this point in time. So, I’m just going to pick out some of the moments, which demonstrate Percy acting either in a selfless manner, where he prioritizes the well-being of other people over his own health, or social standing, or where he demonstrates that glory doesn’t really matter to him.
When he refused to leave Annabeth and Grover behind at the beginning of their quest in “The Lightning Thief:
The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans. I looked at the open doorway. I was free to go, but I couldn’t leave my friends. I took off the invisible cap. “Hey!” (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 10)
When he put the life of the family at the gate way arch above his own:
I ended up next to the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming now, trying to pry open the emergency exit doors. I couldn’t let them get hurt. I uncapped my sword, ran to the other side of the deck, and yelled, “Hey, Chihuahua!” (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 13)
I glanced at the park ranger and the family. The little boy was hiding behind his father’s legs. I had to protect these people. I couldn’t just … die. I tried to think, but my whole body was on fire. My head felt dizzy. I had no sword. I was facing a massive, fire-breathing monster and its mother. And I was scared. (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 13)
If I died, would the monsters go away? Would they leave the humans alone? (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 13)
In a direct opposition to how Herakles and Theseus acted in relation to Zoe and Ariadne respectively, he immediately told Zeus and Poseidon unwarranted of Annabeth’s and Grover’s involvement in returning the lightning bolt, and it didn’t even cross his mind to claim the glory purely for himself:
He rose and looked at me. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. “You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much.” “I had help, sir,” I said. “Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase-“ “To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life.” (The Lightning Thief, Chapter 21)
When he constantly was on Tyson’s side, and defended him, not only against school bullies, but also against his “friends” at camp, the only place he ever truly felt at home at, and even against Annabeth:
Unfortunately, most of them couldn’t stand Tyson. Once they discovered he was a big softie, despite his massive strength and his scary looks, they made themselves feel good by picking on him. I was pretty much his only friend, which meant he was my only friend. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 2)
“Cyclopes are the most deceitful, treacherous-“ “He is not! What have you got against Cyclopes, any-way? Annabeth’s ears turned pink. I got the feeling there was something she wasn’t telling me-something bad. “Just forget it,” she said. “Now, the axle for this chariot-“ “You’re treating him like he’s this horrible thing,” I said. “He saved my life.” (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 6)
When he took Tyson with him on the quest, despite thinking he might become a liability and get them into danger and despite Annabeth not wanting him to, because otherwise he would take the blame of their disappearance:
The thing was, part of me didn’t want Tyson along. I’d spent the last three days in close quarters with the guy, getting razzed by the other campers and embarrassed a million times a day, constantly reminded that I was related to him. I needed some space. Plus, I didn’t know how much help he’d be, or how I’d keep him safe. Sure, he was strong, but Tyson was a little kid in Cyclops terms, maybe seven or eight years old, mentally. I could see him freaking out and starting to cry while we were trying to sneak past a monster or something. He’d get us all killed. On the other hand, the sound of the harpies was getting closer…. “We can’t leave him,” I decided. “Tantalus will punish him for us being gone.” (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 8)
When he let Clarisse get the glory of returning the golden fleece, simply because he felt bad for her and empathized with her situation:
I ran to the curb and grabbed a taxi that was just letting out a family of cruise passengers. “Clarisse,” I yelled. “Come on. You’re going to the airport. Annabeth, give her the Fleece.” I’m not sure which of them looked more stunned as I took the Fleece letter jacket from Annabeth, tucked the cash into its pocket, and put it in Clarisse’s arms. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 17)
In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates’ shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire. Nobody gave Annabeth or me a second look. (…) And really, I didn’t want any more attention. It felt good to be just one of the campers for once. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 19)
Another instance, and maybe one of the most important instances, where Percy acts differently than Theseus and Herakles, would be when he asks for Dionysus’ help further down in “Titan’s curse”. At this point, he, Thalia, Zoe, and Grover are surrounded by a bunch of enemies, including the manticore, who they have little chance of defeating. To inform Chiron of the ophiotaurus’ existence, they try to iris message him, but instead they reach Dionysus, and the following conversation happens:
"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured to me, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could say please." When wild boars fly, I thought. There was no way I was going to die begging a slob like Mr. D, just so he could laugh as we all got gunned down (…) Zoe readied her arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield, and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to me: this had happened to her before. She had been cornered on Half-Blood Hill. She'd willingly given her life for her friends. But this time, she couldn't save us. How could I let that happen to her? "Please, Mr. D," I muttered. "Help." (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 15)
It’s crucial to note here that Percy did not ask because he wanted to save himself. His main motivation was Thalia. He swallowed his pride, and asked for Dionysus help, a guy, he absolutely despises at this point, simply because he didn’t want Thalia to go through the worst night of her life again. And a very important factor here to consider is that Dionysus was forced to recognize that. This is the first real proof that Percy is different to the heroes he despises, who honor their pride above all else, that Dionysus can’t simply ignore. Proof, which he can consciously acknowledge, because this time he isn’t confronted with it during a moment of anger, as was the case with the argument.
I think this moment fundamentally starts to change his understanding of Percy, which becomes evident in their interactions from this point onward. It leads to the very first somewhat positive interaction the two of them have and to the first time, where Dionysus shows Percy a bit of respect by using his actual name to address him.
"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You… you saved us. "Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most." (…) "Mr. D," I said. He raised his eyebrow. "You called me by my right name," I said. "You called me Percy Jackson." "I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!" He waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist. (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 15)
While his behavior later at the winter solstice is again more disinterested and nonchalant, this also makes sense in the context of him grappling with his prejudice. A change, which so fundamentally challenges the view you have on a person would take time to fully settle.
Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?" Dionysus gazed down at us wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?" "I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide." (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 19)
But, from this moment on, their relationship still very much improves.
While Percy still dislikes Dionysus and is happy, he isn’t present camp at the beginning of battle of the labyrinth, a shift in their relationship becomes evident at the end of that book. After the battle of camp half blood, Dionysus returns to camp and he and Percy have another conversation. There are many reasons why I think this one is impactful.
For one, this is the first time where Dionysus goes out of his way to talk to Percy in a non-hostile fashion. Quite the opposite actually. He specifically seeks out Percy’s company during a time, where he still grieves for his son Pollux, who died only a couple days prior. Something, which would have been very out of character for “Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, and Titan’s curse Dionysus:
I turned and found Dionysus standing there, still in his black suit. “Walk with me,” he said. “Where to?” I asked suspiciously. “Just to the campfire,” he said. “I was beginning to feel better, so I thought I would talk with you a bit. You always manage to annoy me.” “Uh, thanks.” (Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 19)
And even during this brief interaction, Percy, again, proves his disinterest in glory and his contrast to Theseus and Herakles, by, again, not claiming the glory for himself:
“Things are not looking good for Olympus. Yet you and Annabeth saved this camp. I’m not sure I should thank you for that.” “It was a group effort.” He shrugged. “Regardless, I suppose it was mildly competent, what you two did.”
This was an easy opportunity to say that he is the reason why they won and to claim all the glory for himself. Still, Percy insists that it was a group effort, without even thinking about it, which, I think, Dionysus would recognize and especially considering one of his two mortal sons died defending camp, appreciate.
This conversation also starts to change Percy’s view of Dionysus. It’s the first time that he sees him do something genuinely kind in healing Chris, without asking anything in reciprocation, and it is really the first time Percy sees a more human side of him, when he expresses his grief for Castor’s death.
It was Chris Rodriguez, the half-blood who’d gone insane in the Labyrinth. I turned to Dionysus. “You cured him?” “Madness is my specialty. It was quite simple.” “But…you did something nice. Why?”(…) “Perhaps I felt grieved by my son’s death. Perhaps I thought this Chris boy deserved a second chance. At any rate, it seems to have improved Clarisse’s mood.” (Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 19)
The content of their interaction also speaks volumes about how much their relationship has changed. Dionysus casually shares information about the war with Percy and (slightly) compliments his deeds during the quest and battle. He brings up Chris’ recovery specifically to tell Percy, that not everything is going bad, which is arguably an action of comfort. He seems to try to give Percy a bit of hope, which sharply contrasts with his earlier behavior, during which he always tried to drag Percy down through snide remarks. and he also gives him genuine advice, something which would have seemed unthinkable, not even half a year prior:
“We have had many betrayals,” he said. “Things are not looking good for Olympus. Yet you and Annabeth saved this camp. I’m not sure I should thank you for that.” “It was a group effort.” He shrugged. “Regardless, I suppose it was mildly competent, what you two did. (Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 19)
I thought you should know—it wasn’t a total loss.” We reached the amphitheater, and Dionysus pointed toward the campfire. Clarisse was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a big Hispanic kid who was telling her a joke. It was Chris Rodriguez, the half-blood who’d gone insane in the Labyrinth. (Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 19)
“Why are you telling me this?” The wine god sighed. “Oh, Hades if I know. But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword. As a mortal, I was never a great fighter or athlete or poet. I only made wine. The people in my village laughed at me. They said I would never amount to anything. Look at me now. Sometimes small things can become very large indeed.” (Battle of the Labyrinth, Chapter 19)
I also want to specifically focus on this little sentence, which I think reveals a lot about Dionysus mental state when it comes to Percy.
“Why are you telling me this?” The wine god sighed. “Oh Hades if I know.”
For me, this moment shows that Dionysus is actually conflicted about what he thinks of Percy. He has stopped resenting him internally at this point in time, and slowly comes around to the idea, that Percy isn’t the selfish jerk, he had painted him to be in his own mind. But admitting to himself that he actually starts to trust Percy and even appreciates his company to a certain degree is still a step to far. He doesn’t really understand yet why he talks to Percy about important and meaningful things like kindness.
This conversation doesn’t read anymore as two people, who genuinely despise each other. It reads as two people on the same side, who developed some kind of mutual understanding and a sort of truce.
A sentiment, which only grows stronger in The Last Olympian.
In the last PJO book, Dionysus and Percy have two interactions. One, in the middle of the battle of Manhattan, and one at the very end after Percy refuses godhood and both of them show a lot about their relationship.
I first want to focus on the first one. (obviously).
There are multiple things of note in that exchange.
The first thing is the nature of their conversation.
Their interactions and banter are not hostile. They are sarcastic and dry, at times, sure, but also genuine and mutual and worlds away from their hostile exchanges in The lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, and Titan’s curse. They both settle into the same rhythm. It’s more similar to how Percy interacts with Hermes in the short story “Staff of Hermes”, a story, where Percy describes Hermes as a “personal friend” and even echoes the relationship one might actually have to an older cousin you sometimes more sometimes less get along with:
"Oh good, you're here," said the man at the Pac-Man machine. "I'll have a Diet Coke." (..) I blinked. "Mr. D?" He sighed, not taking his eyes from the game. "Really, Peter Johnson, how long will it take for you to recognize me on sight?" "About as long as it'll take for you to figure out my name," I muttered. (The Last Olympian, Chapter 15)
"I thought Typhon swatted you out of the sky. They said you crash landed." "Your concern is touching.” (The Last Olympian, Chapter 15)
"The point is," he said, "I pulled you into party time to deliver a warning. We are in danger." "Gee," I said. "Never would've figured that out. Thanks." (The Last Olympian, Chapter 15)
"So why aren't the gods rushing back to help us?" I said. "We should combine forces at Olympus. Forget Typhon." He snapped his fingers impatiently. "You forgot my Diet Coke." "Gods, you're annoying." I got the attention of a waitress and ordered the stupid soda. I put it on Bobby Earl's tab. (The Last Olympian, Chapter 15)
But also the content is extremely telling, and shows the progress of their development. Dionysus explicitly tells Percy that he and the other gods need heroes. Something, he himself admits, the gods do not admit under any circumstances.
"The truth is, Pierre—" "Percy." "—the other gods would never admit this, but we actually need you mortals to rescue Olympus. You see, we are manifestations of your culture. (…) "Yes, quite. I will deny I ever said this, of course, but the gods need heroes. They always have. Otherwise we would not keep you annoying little brats around." "I feel so wanted. Thanks(…)"You must save Olympus, Pedro! Leave Typhon to the Olympians and save our own seats of power. It must be done!"
The difference between his statements in “Titan’s curse” about how all heroes are selfish and untrustworthy, and him here admitting to Percy that they need heroes and giving him specifically the task of saving Olympus, only around 1 ½ years later is actually wild. For me, it shows a level of trust, even if parts of it were said out of desperation, considering how dire their situation was. Still, going from “perhaps I’ll get lucky and you'll be one of them” to “You must save Olympus, Pedro” is insane.
This is also the conversation, where Dionysus asks Percy about pollux
"Can I go now?" I asked. "One last thing. My son Pollux. Is he alive?" I blinked. "Yeah, last I saw him." "I would very much appreciate it if you could keep him that way. I lost his brother Castor last year—" "I remember." I stared at him, trying to wrap my mind around the idea that Dionysus could be a caring father. I wondered how many other Olympians were thinking about their demigod children right now. "I'll do my best." "Your best," Dionysus muttered. "Well, isn't that reassuring.”. (The Last Olympian, Chapter 15)
Now, I think we can all agree, that the fact that Dionysus asks Percy to do that shows a certain amount of trust, which only got reinforced, when Percy actually managed to keep pollux alive:
I found Dionysus's son Pollux propped up against a tree. He had a broken arm, but otherwise he was okay. "I can still fight with the other hand," he said, gritting his teeth. "No," I said. "You've done enough. I want you to stay here and help with the wounded." "But—" "Promise me to stay safe," I said. "Okay? Personal favor." (The Last Olympian, Chapter 17)
But it’s also important because it makes Percy see Dionysus again in a different light. .
I stared at him, trying to wrap my mind around the idea that Dionysus could be a caring father. I wondered how many other Olympians were thinking about their demigod children right now.
This moment humanizes him, and also the other gods, for Percy, and makes him see a side of Dionysus, he otherwise rarely gets to see.
But, what I think one of the most important aspects to consider when analyzing their relationship is Percy’s refusal of godhood.
After everything that Percy has done, after all the suffering he’s been through, after fighting two titans, and hundreds if not thousands of monsters, bathing in the Styx, getting imprisoned by and fighting against Hades, leading camp through the battle of Manhattan, losing many of his friends and winning against Kronos, Percy still refuses godhood and refuses to receive any reward, that has a positive, direct influence on his personal life.
Grover became a lord of the wild. Annabeth received the chance to redesign Olympus, which fulfilled her biggest dream. Tyson received a weapon of his own choice.
Percy received, in the end, nothing like that.
His wish to the gods is utterly and completely selfless and makes him into the complete opposite of the hero Dionysus initially thought he was. Let me be clear here. Percy could have wished for a thousand different things. The choice he had at the end of the last Olympian was not between him becoming a god, and the promise he made the gods swear. He could have, for example, also wished to be left alone, and never have to do a quest again, he could have wished for a peaceful, save and happy life, away from danger and monsters. Instead, however, he choses this once in a life time opportunity, this reward, which only a handful of mortals throughout the history of humankind have been given, to make Olympus and Camp Half-Blood better and fairer places. A reward, which does not benefit him personally at all. (At least in a direct way. There’s obviously the argument to be made, that improving society makes your own life better in the long run, but that would go to far for a post like this. You know what I’m getting at anyway.)
This has to have been the biggest slap in the face for Dionysus’ prejudice, because that decision is honestly the most anti-Herakles, anti-theseus, and anti-Jason thing, Percy could have ever done. If there were any remaining doubts in Dionysus mind about Percy’s character, this moment would have washed them away completely.
This leads into their very final interaction in PJO, which takes place shortly after Percy made the gods swear on the river Styx and I think it represents where their relationship was left off rather perfectly:
Dionysus's head was still wrapped in a bandage. He looked me up and down and said, "Well, Percy Jackson. I see Pollux made it through, so I suppose you aren't completely inept. It's all thanks to my training, I suppose." "Urn, yes, sir," I said. Mr. D nodded. "As thanks for my bravery, Zeus has cut my probation at that miserable camp in half. I now have only fifty years left instead of one hundred." "Fifty years, huh?" I tried to imagine putting up with Dionysus until I was an old man, assuming I lived that long. "Don't get so excited, Jackson," he said, and I realized he was saying my name correctly. "I still plan on making your life miserable." I couldn't help smiling. "Naturally." "Just so we understand each other." (The Last Olympian, Chapter 20)
For one, Dionysus uses Percy’s actual name throughout the entire interaction again, which, for him, seems to be a sign of respect:
“He looked me up and down and said,” Well, Percy Jackson.” (The Last Olympian, Chapter 20)
“Don’t get so excited Jackson”, he said and I realized he was saying my name correctly. (The Last Olympian, Chapter 20)
It also shows that they have come to a mutual understanding. Their squabbles and Dionysus warning that he will still make Percy’s life miserable, don’t sound like genuine hostility, or like he’s serious about it anymore. Instead, it implies that things are going to go back to normal, and that their snarks at each other are simply a part of camp, the place Percy sees as his true home.
To sum it up, my understanding is that at the end of the original series, Dionysus has very much grown to trust, respect and even like Percy. He is the demigod, who challenged his views on heroes as a whole the most, and that while initially reminding Dionysus of the guy, who started this hatred in the first place.
(This is not to say the other demigods didn’t also have a part in that. Especially Castor’s death and the possibility of Pollux’s death probably impacted Dionysus and the way he thought about demigods to a large degree. I’m assuming that the battle of Manhattan itself and the sacrifice of so many campers he has known for many years, like Beckendorf, Silena, Michael, etc. influenced him as well and we know that he at least expressed sympathies towards Nico’s situation in battle of the labyrinth.)
Still, it was Percy who represented the biggest juxtaposition to Dionysus worldview; he was the one who clashed with him the most, and the one whose relationship to him has the most development. While we have not really seen Dionysus interact with a lot of other characters, I think it’s still safe to say that part of what makes his relationship to Percy unique, is that Percy talks to Dionysus (and the rest of the gods) more as an equal than most other demigods would dare and he easily matches his quips in conversation. At the end of PJO, their relationship is left on an undeniably positive note, characterized by mutual understanding and respect.
(And they like to talk each other, even if neither of them wants to admit it. That’s more head canon than canon perhaps, but it is a head canon you’re going to have to tear out of my cold, dead hands)
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