The Lightning Thief

by

Rick Riordan

Clarisse is a hulking bully and one of Ares’s daughters at Camp Half-Blood. She attends camp year-round. Clarisse uses an electrified spear that Ares gave her in battle. Clarisse and the other Ares kids make it a point to haze new arrivals, but Percy’s unexpected ability to fight back makes him a target later during capture the flag. As a bully and as an antagonist, Clarisse is more annoying than genuinely dangerous for Percy. He thinks of Clarisse mostly as unintelligent, brutish, and overly interested in embodying all of Ares’s undesirable qualities.
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Clarisse Character Timeline in The Lightning Thief

The timeline below shows where the character Clarisse appears in The Lightning Thief. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6
Identity, Heroism, and Normalcy Theme Icon
Godliness vs. Humanity Theme Icon
The huge girl, Clarisse—one of Ares’s daughters—saunters over with some friends and tells Percy that they have an initiation... (full context)
Chapter 8
Identity, Heroism, and Normalcy Theme Icon
Friendship and Belonging Theme Icon
...dinner, it’s time for capture the flag. Annabeth carries in a huge, gray banner, while Clarisse presents a red one. Percy finds Luke and asks whose side they’re on. Luke says... (full context)
Identity, Heroism, and Normalcy Theme Icon
Friendship and Belonging Theme Icon
Percy hears a terrifying animal noise; then, four Ares warriors and Clarisse leap out. They surround Percy, and Clarisse stabs at him with her spear. Percy protects... (full context)
Chapter 22
Family Theme Icon
Friendship and Belonging Theme Icon
...but he wants to go home—though he also doesn’t want to leave Annabeth here with Clarisse. Annabeth says quietly that she’s going home for the year. She took Percy’s advice and... (full context)