The Lightning Thief

by

Rick Riordan

Annabeth Chase Character Analysis

Annabeth is one of Percy’s best friends and a daughter of the goddess Athena. Annabeth is blonde, Percy’s age, and has been at Camp Half-Blood since she was seven. Like many demigods, she struggles with feeling abandoned; she explains that Athena left her with her dad, a professor, but that her dad was uninterested in having children and his new wife hates Annabeth. Because of this, Annabeth chooses to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, though she does wear her dad’s class ring on her camp necklace. As a daughter of Athena, Annabeth is smart and bookish, but she also struggles to sit still, like most half-bloods do. She wants to be an architect and build monuments to the gods in the long term, but in the short term, she desperately wants to go on a quest and prove herself. Annabeth is upset when Poseidon turns out to be Percy’s father, as she believes that as Athena’s daughter, she must hold the same rivalries as her mom does (and therefore can’t be friends with Percy, as Athena and Poseidon are rivals). Over the course of the friends’ quest, however, Annabeth begins to reevaluate this and tamp down on some of her rude behavior. She eventually pledges that if the gods go to war, she’ll fight with Percy and Grover, no matter what side her mom is on. A skilled strategist, Annabeth comes up with a variety of the trio’s plans, most notably the plan to treat Cerberus like a normal dog in order to gain access to the Underworld. Cerberus’s heartbreaking and dog-like reaction shows Annabeth and Percy that even monsters need love and attention, and this has a profound effect on Annabeth emotionally. Once their quest is complete, Annabeth shares with Percy that she’s taken his advice to make up with her dad to heart and is going to go home for the school year. This gives Percy the strength to also decide to go home, and their friendship gives him something to look forward to for the following summer.

Annabeth Chase Quotes in The Lightning Thief

The The Lightning Thief quotes below are all either spoken by Annabeth Chase or refer to Annabeth Chase. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Identity, Heroism, and Normalcy Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

“The letters float off the page when you read, right? That’s because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you’re impulsive, can’t sit still in the classroom. That’s your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they’d keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that’s because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal’s.”

Related Characters: Annabeth Chase (speaker), Percy Jackson
Page Number: 88
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

“That’s the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens.”

“You mean sometimes it doesn’t?”

Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. “The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and don’t always...Well, sometimes they don’t care about us, Percy. They ignore us.”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Mom/Sally Jackson, Poseidon
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

[...] “Look...we’re just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena’s temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron saint for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Grover, Poseidon, Athena
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

“I appeared on my father’s doorstep, in a golden cradle [...] You’d think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he’d take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a ‘regular’ mortal wife, and had two ‘regular’ mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn’t exist.”

Related Characters: Annabeth Chase (speaker), Percy Jackson, Annabeth’s Dad, Athena
Page Number: 200
Explanation and Analysis:

“Can’t we work together a little?” I pleaded. “I mean, didn’t Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?”

Annabeth had to think about it. “I guess...the chariot,” she said tentatively. “My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete.”

“Then we can cooperate, too. Right?”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Poseidon, Athena
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

“So if the gods fight,” I said, “will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?”

She put her head against the backpack Ares had given us, and closed her eyes. “I don’t know what my mom will do. I just know I’ll fight next to you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Ares, Poseidon, Athena
Page Number: 251
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

I looked at them both, and felt really grateful. Only a few minutes before, I’d almost gotten them stretched to death on deluxe water beds, and now they were trying to be brave for my sake, trying to make me feel better.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Grover, Annabeth Chase, Procrustes/Crusty
Page Number: 284
Explanation and Analysis:

I thought maybe Annabeth and I both had the right idea. Even here in the Underworld, everybody—even monsters—needed a little attention once in a while.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase, Cerberus
Page Number: 298
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Immediately I knew that’s where I wanted to go when I died.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. That’s the place for heroes.”

But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Grover
Page Number: 302
Explanation and Analysis:

“More security ghouls,” he moaned. “Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!”

[...]

“Problems everywhere, and I’ve got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving.”

Related Characters: Hades (speaker), Percy Jackson, Grover, Annabeth Chase, Zeus, Poseidon
Page Number: 311-12
Explanation and Analysis:

I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. [...] I had spent thousands of miles worried that I’d be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that. They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Grover, Mom/Sally Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Hades
Page Number: 317
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

“Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn’t know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going on.”

“But they’re your family!” Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. “Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say.”

Related Characters: Annabeth Chase (speaker), Ares (speaker), Percy Jackson, Grover, Hades, Zeus, Poseidon
Page Number: 322
Explanation and Analysis:

My senses were working overtime. I now understood what Annabeth had said about ADHD keeping you alive in battle. I was wide awake, noticing every little detail.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase, Ares
Related Symbols: Anaklusmos/Riptide/The Pen
Page Number: 328
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

I moved back into cabin three, but it didn’t feel so lonely anymore. I had my friends to train with during the day. At night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn’t quite sure about me yet, maybe he hadn’t even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what I’d done.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Grover, Annabeth Chase, Poseidon
Page Number: 355
Explanation and Analysis:
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Annabeth Chase Quotes in The Lightning Thief

The The Lightning Thief quotes below are all either spoken by Annabeth Chase or refer to Annabeth Chase. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Identity, Heroism, and Normalcy Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

“The letters float off the page when you read, right? That’s because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you’re impulsive, can’t sit still in the classroom. That’s your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they’d keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that’s because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal’s.”

Related Characters: Annabeth Chase (speaker), Percy Jackson
Page Number: 88
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

“That’s the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens.”

“You mean sometimes it doesn’t?”

Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. “The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and don’t always...Well, sometimes they don’t care about us, Percy. They ignore us.”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Mom/Sally Jackson, Poseidon
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

[...] “Look...we’re just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena’s temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron saint for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Grover, Poseidon, Athena
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

“I appeared on my father’s doorstep, in a golden cradle [...] You’d think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he’d take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a ‘regular’ mortal wife, and had two ‘regular’ mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn’t exist.”

Related Characters: Annabeth Chase (speaker), Percy Jackson, Annabeth’s Dad, Athena
Page Number: 200
Explanation and Analysis:

“Can’t we work together a little?” I pleaded. “I mean, didn’t Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?”

Annabeth had to think about it. “I guess...the chariot,” she said tentatively. “My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete.”

“Then we can cooperate, too. Right?”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Poseidon, Athena
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

“So if the gods fight,” I said, “will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?”

She put her head against the backpack Ares had given us, and closed her eyes. “I don’t know what my mom will do. I just know I’ll fight next to you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?”

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Ares, Poseidon, Athena
Page Number: 251
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

I looked at them both, and felt really grateful. Only a few minutes before, I’d almost gotten them stretched to death on deluxe water beds, and now they were trying to be brave for my sake, trying to make me feel better.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Grover, Annabeth Chase, Procrustes/Crusty
Page Number: 284
Explanation and Analysis:

I thought maybe Annabeth and I both had the right idea. Even here in the Underworld, everybody—even monsters—needed a little attention once in a while.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase, Cerberus
Page Number: 298
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Immediately I knew that’s where I wanted to go when I died.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. That’s the place for heroes.”

But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase (speaker), Grover
Page Number: 302
Explanation and Analysis:

“More security ghouls,” he moaned. “Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!”

[...]

“Problems everywhere, and I’ve got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving.”

Related Characters: Hades (speaker), Percy Jackson, Grover, Annabeth Chase, Zeus, Poseidon
Page Number: 311-12
Explanation and Analysis:

I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. [...] I had spent thousands of miles worried that I’d be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that. They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Grover, Mom/Sally Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Hades
Page Number: 317
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

“Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn’t know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going on.”

“But they’re your family!” Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. “Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say.”

Related Characters: Annabeth Chase (speaker), Ares (speaker), Percy Jackson, Grover, Hades, Zeus, Poseidon
Page Number: 322
Explanation and Analysis:

My senses were working overtime. I now understood what Annabeth had said about ADHD keeping you alive in battle. I was wide awake, noticing every little detail.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Annabeth Chase, Ares
Related Symbols: Anaklusmos/Riptide/The Pen
Page Number: 328
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

I moved back into cabin three, but it didn’t feel so lonely anymore. I had my friends to train with during the day. At night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn’t quite sure about me yet, maybe he hadn’t even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what I’d done.

Related Characters: Percy Jackson (speaker), Grover, Annabeth Chase, Poseidon
Page Number: 355
Explanation and Analysis: