Do you really think Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty? I've seen some pretty convincing arguments about how it isn't. At least, not in a way RR explains it. Cause if it WAS, then why would he be okay letting Bekendorf and all his other friends die for him?? Isn't the whole point of his flaw *specifically* that he would rather let the world burn than see his friends die?
This is kind of a cop-out answer but I’m sort of ‘I can see either or’ type of person. In truth, I don’t think he ever had much if a chance to prove it in canon, which might sound weird, but hear me out.
I consider loyalty to be a pretty personal thing - and there are different levels of loyalty. There is the type of loyalty that is ‘hey I won’t tell your embarrassing secrets’ and then there’s ‘I would do anything for you’ kind of loyalty. And you don’t just give the latter to casual friends immediately. I think Athena’s line was something like “to save a friend, you would risk the world” which I suppose could be taken to mean literally any friend... which... that sounds so tricky/complicated. Friendship is such a wide spectrum. Would you sacrifice the world for the girl who smiles at you on the way to school everyday? What if you have a casual friend vs. a close friend? If your loyalty is supposed to be equal to both then how do you choose?
So I think in general the definition is a bit ‘eh’ because if Athena did mean he would sacrifice the world for pretty much anyone Percy liked then, no, his fatal flaw isn’t loyalty, but also I don’t think it’s possible for anyone’s flaw to be loyalty at all with all the red tape lol.
But if that wasn’t the implication, then that uppermost level of ‘I would do anything for them’ sort of loyalty goes to the people you are closest with. Even with Beckendorf, I can see it going either way bc, yeah, they were friends, but you can be friends with someone and not give them your full-fledged loyalty. Percy’s true and full loyalties were with his mom, Grover, and Annabeth. And he has proven that it is a strong trait in that his first three quests he only went on for his mom, Grover, and Annabeth. He is pretty upfront that he had no interest in the bolt other than getting his mom back. Same with the fleece (he only wanted to save Grover) and Artemis (Annabeth). Those quests were side objectives to saving what he actually cared about.
The problem I find with it being his fatal flaw is that...like...it’s never a problem? This would be an actual flaw if Annabeth or Grover went to the titan’s side and he followed. Or if he helped the opposing side to get his mom back. If he stabbed someone who trusted him in order to save who HE was loyal to (perhaps if he had gotten Beckendorf killed for Annabeth or Grover’s safety?). In fact, in the first book, he did leave his mom behind for a hot minute (he planned to come back for her, of course) but I think it would have been more of a “flaw” if he was more willing to let war happen and not leave her behind. But he was also 12 at that point and I don't think who he is as a person was completely set in stone quite yet so I’ll let it slide. Sorry lol. I’m a very forgiving audience with that age range.
So I don't think it’s IMPOSSIBLE for his fatal flaw to be loyalty since circumstances just haven't really put it to the test that I can think of. A shame bc HOO would have been a great chance to showcase that, honestly. That series seemed to really want to villainize him to an extent and I think that could have been an interesting route to take, but I digress. I also think it's entirely possible that his flaw is something like wrath, manipulation, or... being mouthy lol. That gets him in the most trouble it seems.
And I do find that equally fascinating tbh. Bc if his fatal flaw wasn’t loyalty, then Athena definitely manipulated Percy. She probably would have told him loyalty knowing his feelings for Annabeth and aware that he would simply pick the side she was on. And if there was one person Athena could read well enough to figure out what side she would choose at that point...it would be Annabeth.
Which is some RISKY ass business bc if Percy’s flaw IS wrath and he finds out that she was playing games with him. Look tf out lol.
WRATH. Holy shit how I didn’t think of that one? It makes sense.
Okay, there is a little bit of a chance that the asker is actually talking about a post I made, I had actually made an argument about how Percy’s and Nico’s fatal flaws are flipped. Tho there is a big chance somebody else did an argument about Percy’s fatal flaw and somehow I miss it.
ANYWAY. While I made that argument, I was also the first to admit that thinking Percy’s fatal flaw is grudges was the weakest point of my argument; tho I’m still convinced that Percy’s fatal flaw is not loyalty (Like you, I mentioned how he left him mother in order to save the world, but in my case, I think if there was a moment to be selfish, was this. Because he is just a kid who is not that connected to the demigod world yet, not to mention that he is a scared kid who may not see how big the consequences can be, and just wants his mother back because he is 12 and Sally is almost the only good thing in his life. If you think the opposite is fine, but I think if there was a moment to be selfish, it was this), the fact that his “fatal flaw” never comes into place just makes me think that it cannot be so fatal if it never matters.
But Wrath? Shit, that actually makes sense.
I haven’t re-read the books in a while, but I think there is times where Percy has been crass because he was too angry; like when he chocked Nico when Nico bailed him out of prison, even after realizing that it was Nico and not an enemy.
Hell, it was his anger what drive him to torture Aklys, the thing that made Annabeth scared of him. That is a really big consequence if you had seen one.
I may need to search more examples of this, but I think you really nailed it with this, thanks.
@achillesmonochrome in TLT I think he also mentioned being sent to anger management and anger also played a big role in his fight with Ares! I'm sure there are others, but those are the first to come to mind.
