Leo Pjo - Tumblr Posts
THANK YOU!!!!
The fact that Calypso initially resented Leo just based on his looks. Because he didn’t look as “heroic” as Percy or Odysseus. Or Jason.
The fact that Leo already believed that he was a mistake. That he was worthless compared to the others, because he wasn’t the stereotypical “Hero”
You see it so many times in the books- Leo doesn’t think he’s as important as Jason or Percy because they’re your archetypal “Big Heroes” and Leo’s just the Lowly Mechanic, the Seventh Wheel, the Comedy Sidekick.
Calypso only reinforces that.
The fact that, in the end, when it comes down to Leo or Jason, Leo decides to take the prophecy into his own hands and end his life because ultimately it’s better the Repair Boy dies than someone who actually matters.
Calypso made Leo feel worthless. And Leo’s lack of self-worth (which I believe is his Fatal Flaw) is ultimately what drives his decision to sacrifice himself and save Jason.
People love to forget that tbh-
Same with how Percy considered it too.
And everyone thinks they are silly little guys and ignore shit that actually happened.
I think that some people in the fandom forget that Leo genuinely committed suicide.
I think that some people in the fandom forget that Leo genuinely committed suicide.
HES NOT A SILLY LITTLE GOOFBALL
HE IS TRAUMATISED
HE WAS ABUSED
HE WAS OKAY WITH DYING
THATS NOT NORMAL.
Did we just gloss over the fact that Leo was canonically abused as a child??
Friendly reminder that a lot of the characters that blatantly show autism traits are overlooked (Will, Jason) or seen as strange/scary (Nico, Leo, Annabeth)
<33
Thinking about names having power in the Riordanverse- because it’s exactly the kind of literature motif that I LOVE.
Thinking about “Leo” being short for “Leonidas” who was a Spartan King who sacrificed his life fighting to save his people in the Battle of Thermopylae.
Leo, similarly, gave his own life to stop Gaea and save the world.
That comparison has already been made before, but there’s more-
Leo rejects the name “Leonidas” and chooses to go by “Leo”- in a way, rejecting the fate he’s assigned to. And he doesn’t suffer that fate in the end. He lives.
Yeah, names have power. But what you choose to name yourself has even more power. For example, the fact that Thalia rejected the last name “Grace” because it associated her with her mother, but then taking it back up again when she found out Jason was alive. And Leo chose to not go by “Leonidas” and he also chose to take the physician’s cure and come back.
And here we get onto what Calypso’s doing. By calling him something that he asked to not be called, she is taking away that agency of choice. She is taking away that power.
It’s a small moment, but it REALLY bugs me. Because, like Leo, I go by a shortened version of a longer name, and often one of the ways bullies used to hold power over me was by calling me by my full name repeatedly, even after I asked them to stop. It’s also a way a lot of transphobes hold power over trans people- by deadnaming. By taking away the power of their name, their choice, their identity, who they are, who they’ve built themselves to be, and their right to control all of that.
Now, I’m NOT saying Calypso is going as far as deadnaming Leo, but it’s a similar premise. It’s a manipulation tactic used to knock people down.
Now friendly nicknames -e.g. “Seaweed Brain”- are different, because Percy consents to it. It’s a term of affection between them (and notice how it’s different when Thalia used it. It’s a name that symbolises percabeth’s love, and it’s a name only Annabeth can use). But this is a name, while said in a jokey, banter-y manner, that Leo has SPECIFICALLY ASKED to not be called. And she does it anyway, ignoring the boundary he’s set, ignoring his choice to shape his own identity, ignoring everything that symbolised INCLUDING the fact that it’s literally Leo saying “I choose life” by rejecting the name that fated him to death. It’s just a big red flag for me. And if you put that on top of the fact that she also physically hurt him in this (enough to make him say “ow”) then you just get a whole host of Reasons Why This is NOT Leo’s “Happy Ending”- which the narrative paints it out to be.
Friendly reminder that names have meaning in the pjo universe.
Percy/Perseus- to destroy or avenge, a Greek hero with a happy ending.
Leo/Leonidas - a spartan king who sacrificed himself to save his people.
Jason- healer/to heal, lead the argonauts to the Golden Fleece but died a painful death.
Thalia- an immortal muse of comedy and idyllic poetry.
Castor- to excel/to shine, killed while his twin brother survives (in the most common version of the myth).
Pollux- Crown/ very sweet, survives after his twin brother is killed.
<33
idk if this controversial but the original pjo series is WAY better than heros of Olympus and the three main characters (excluding leo) are just the worse version of the original main three
Ok so I’m not anti-caleo, but I also agree with the sentiment this post is saying. As someone with a history of low self esteem, depressive episodes, and feeling like the resident weirdo, having a relationship will NOT fix those problems. In fact if you jump headfirst into a relationship while you still have those problems, it will make the problems AND your relationship worse.
You gotta take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.
Percy, freaking out: someone died at prom!
Leo: just don’t Panic! At The Disco.
NOTHING??? REALLY?!?! THATS PURE GOLD
Percy, freaking out: someone died at prom!
Leo: just don’t Panic! At The Disco.