Luke Castellan

Lucas "Luke" Castellan is a son of Hermes and May Castellan.

Early Life
Luke is a son of Hermes. Not much is known of his early life. When he was about nine, Luke ran away from his mother's home in Westport, Connecticut, due to her unstable mental condition brought about by the curse of Hades, which was placed upon her for trying to become the new oracle. This caused her eyes to glow green and rant, frightening Luke. Later on, he met Thalia. They paired up, and eventually ran into Annabeth, a plucky seven year old. Luke liked her for her courage, and gave her his knife, and promised that he wouldn't fail her like her family had failed her. This was the moment that Luke later envisioned to tie him to his human life.

They all wandered around, trying to survive and avoid monsters. It is implied that he began to forge a romantic relationship with Thalia at this time.

When Thalia got injuried by a monster, Luke took Thalia and Annabeth to his mother's house, to bandage up her leg. There, Luke met Hermes, his father, for the first time. Luke was angry with his father, and demanded at why he had never showed up when he prayed to him. Hermes inadvertly reveals he knows Luke's fate, and Luke eagerly asks about it, but Hermes refuses to tell him. Luke then tells his father that he couldn't possibly love him if he won't tell him, and leaves angrily.

After that, Luke acted like he had something to prove, according to Thalia. They got into more skirmishes because of his recklessness, and then they ran into the Hunters. They asked Thalia to join, and she refused, saying she couldn't leave Luke. Zoë hauntily told her that Luke would let her down, and that caused Thalia to resent and dislike the Hunters.

Eventually they all ran into Grover Underwood. Together, the quartet traveled to Camp Half-Blood but were chased by monsters from Hades. They would have escaped, except for the fact that a cyclops stopped them so that monsters could catch up. The cyclops held Thalia, Luke and Grover in the air to direct the monsters in their direction, but Annabeth saved them by stabbing the Cyclops in the foot. Thalia sacrificed her life so that Luke, Grover and Annabeth could get into camp without being killed (Thalia was actually transformed into a tree by her father to save her life). From that point on, Luke lived at camp all year round, likely trying to reconcile with Thalia's "death", all the while slowly falling into darkness.

Allegiance to Kronos
Once, Luke was offered a quest during his years at Camp Half-Blood by his father Hermes: to seek a Golden Apple at the Garden of Hesperides. He was honored by this offer, but later began to question it, as it was done before by Hercules. He went on this journey, but failed and was scarred by the dragon guarding the tree, Ladon. He returned to the camp and according to his words, was treated with "pity" by his comrades. It was then that he began to hold a grudge against Olympus and his father, Hermes, who he began to feel didn't love him due to having rarely seen him. It is said that Luke kept the dragon's claw in the Big House attic. Percy found it while speaking to The Oracle.

He was later contacted in his sleep by Kronos, lord of the Titans. The nature of this encounter is unknown, but he was convinced to join Kronos's cause out of a desire for revenge. He was assigned to steal the Master bolt, Zeus' primary weapon, and the Helm of Darkness, Hades's godly weapon, in order to start a war between the gods.

On a camp field trip to Mount Olympus, he made his move. While the other campers and counselors were asleep he entered the throne room and stole the Master bolt and the Helm of Darkness, as in their arrogance, the Olympians were off guard. They later discovered the theft and went to search for the thief. Ares found Luke and fought him. According to Luke, he would have won, but underestimated his opponent and was outmatched. However, he managed to save himself by speaking in Kronos's words that if the Master bolt was successfully stolen, there would be a full scale war. Ares was awed by this, and spares Luke, but takes the bolt and the Helm with him. Ares later fights Percy Jackson, and Percy acquires the 2 items. Luke then managed to make it safely back to Mount Olympus before anyone noticed his absence, therefore succeeding in his mission.

Another Resort
Although Luke succeeded in his mission, his failure to defeat Ares cost him dearly. Kronos punished him with nightmares, and Luke swore never to fail the malevolent Titan again. This would also cause him to fear Kronos greatly for many of his later years.

He is then told that another camper would be coming to Camp Half-Blood who would take the hidden items of the Gods that were stolen down to Tartarus, therefore ensuring that there would be a war. Luke remembered this and found this camper in the form of a twelve-year old boy named Percy Jackson.

A Scheme in Action
Knowing that Percy Jackson was the boy that Kronos was talking about, Luke befriended the boy and was successful in earning his trust. He welcomed him into the Hermes cabin (where children who haven't been claimed yet go), trained him in sword combat (his skills amazing Percy), and provided him moral support for being a newcomer.

One night after a Capture the Flag game, he summoned a hellhound to attack Percy in an attempt to make Chiron, the camp activities director, believe that the camp wasn't safe for Percy. Therefore, Chiron sent Percy, along with Annabeth and Grover, to find the Master bolt (the Helm of Darkness' theft was unknown at the time) in order to prevent a war. Before Percy went on his quest, Luke gave him a pair of winged shoes, which would actually drag him, along with the Master bolt, down into Tartarus when he neared it during his journey in the Underworld (it was believed that Hades stole the Master bolt). However, this failed when Percy gave the shoes to Grover, who managed to escape from the burden when the time came.

Defection From Camp Half-Blood
After Percy discovered that the Master bolt was in a backpack that Ares gave him (when he neared Hades) and won the Helm of Darkness in a duel with Ares (who was unknowingly being influenced by Kronos), Percy returned alive along with his two companions, therefore thwarting Kronos' plan.

In order to prevent Percy from interfering again, he took Percy in the woods for a "friendly chat" and some Coke. Percy accepted the offer. While talking with Luke, Percy began to slowly see Luke's dark side, as he threw an empty coke bottle in the river and began to look more bitter in appearance. Luke then summoned a pit scorpion to poison Percy. He told Percy of why he joined Kronos and the plan of gaining the two sacred items for Kronos, leaving by creating a portal using his newly acquired sword Backbiter (which was the newly forged form of Kronos' scythe). However the assassination attempt on Percy failed when the scorpion was killed and the wood nymphs brought him back to camp for healing.

Luke's betrayal was a surprise to many campers and counselors, especially to Annabeth, who reacted with great sadness at the loss of her childhood friend. However, Annabeth had seen Luke had been different after his quest, and was forced by her common sense to believe Percy's words.

Poisoning Thalia's Tree
After his defection, Luke took control of a monster cruise ship called the Princess Andromeda, which serves as his base of operations. In order to render Camp Half-Blood defenseless and eliminate a major ally of the Olympians, he poisons Thalia's tree with the help of a spy in the camp's ranks, planning to later 'allow' Percy and Annabeth to take the Golden Fleece and heal Thalia's tree, so Thalia will be purged from it. He also frames Chiron for the poisoning, causing him to be fired from the camp and be replaced by Tantalus.

At first, Clarisse was sent to find the Golden Fleece (and save Grover from the cyclops Polyphemus) but was intercepted by Percy Jackson, along with a group of allies consisting of Annabeth Chase and Percy's half-brother Tyson.

Hermes, Luke's father, persuaded Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson to go on this quest, and told them to go onto the Princess Adromeda, hoping that Percy would meet up with Luke and convince him to stop his assault on the gods. Percy and his allies landed aboard the Princess Andromeda, not knowing of it's true nature, and were captured.

During this time, Luke told the two of his plans to use the Golden Fleece to complete Kronos' resurrection and attempts to recruit Percy and Annabeth to his cause (not willing to recruit Tyson as he reminds him of the cyclops that captured him and Thalia years ago). The two refuse, Luke ordering his bodyguards to feed the trio to a Drakon. Percy and the gang escape through a lifeboat propelled by wind canister given to him by Hermes.

Luke later intercepts Percy and his friends when they are looking for a boat that they can use to get back to camp. When he is interrogating Percy for the Fleece in front of a pool (his army of monsters watching), Percy uses the pool to send an Iris message, tricking Luke into revealing the fact that Chiron was framed for the poisoning, resulting in Chiron being rehired (using the fact that he was in a panic due to Percy giving the Fleece to Clarisse). Enraged, he ordered Percy and his friends to be killed. Percy convinces Luke to duel him, a moment both had been waiting for a long time. Luke effortlessly defeats Percy, but is prevented from killing the latter when he's knocked into the pool by a boxing glove glued to an arrow. The arrow was shot by Chiron and his family of centaurs who had just then arrived and proceeded to save them. When Percy escapes, Luke's spite and hatred for the son of Poseidon only increases.

Thalia is resurrected at last. It is possible and very likely that Luke's allegiance to Kronos was affected after this. He obviously wanted Thalia to be resurrected, shown when he says to Percy that he was going to give him the Fleece after he was done using it to resurrect Kronos.

Search for the Ophiotaurus
After Thalia's resurrection, Kronos' second in command, Atlas, devised a plan to capture the Ophiotaurus, which would grant the power to destroy Olympus to whomever killed it and burned it's entrails. He remembers the Prophecy and chooses Thalia to be its killer.

Luke Castellan is assigned to aid Atlas with this. However, Thalia and Luke were childhood friends and romantically attracted to each other, bringing Luke hesitation to carry this mission out. Knowing this, Kronos tells Luke that if he doesn't succeed in this mission, he would be chosen to be Kronos' host and therefore suffer a fate worse then death.

Some time before his mission in the Labyrinth, Luke journeyed down to the Underworld to perfect his design as Kronos' host. Making his way to the river known as Styx without being spotted, Luke bathed in the waters, granting him the Curse of Achilles, which made him immune to injury, except in one particular spot.

Luke traveled through the Labyrinth to accomplish this goal. Along the way, he encountered a son of Poseidon who owned a gladiatorial arena in the Labyrinth.

The first time this (Luke bathing in the river Styx) is hinted in a nightmare of Percy's, where he carries the sky in a plan to trick Annabeth into holding it after she was captured, which of course succeeded. He and Atlas later use this to their advantage by forcing a captive Artemis hold the sky in her place, and Luke is happy that Annabeth survived. He also convinces Atlas to keep Annabeth alive until Winter Solstice. It is a certainty that he bathed in the River Styx before this, as he would not have been able to hold the sky otherwise.

Luke is later seen with Atlas when he summons Skeleton Warriors to hunt down Percy Jackson.

The Fall
His final appearance in The Titan's Curse is when Percy Jackson, Thalia and Zoë Nightshade, (a Huntress of Artemis,) arrive at the regrowing fortress of the Titans, where Artemis and Annabeth are held captive. Refusing to have to kill Thalia, Luke attempts to sway her into joining their side. Thalia refuses and the two engage in a duel. Their ferocity and power demonstrated is incredible, but Thalia ultimately wins the duel, disarming Luke and cornering him against the edge of a cliff (she claims that she was always able to beat Luke in a duel). Luke continues to goad Thalia, Annabeth begging her to spare the traitor. As Thalia and Annabeth argue over his fate, Luke attempts to use the opportunity to disarm Thalia, but she foresees this and kicks him off the cliff, which causes her much guilt later on.

Although his corpse is seen by both an approaching army of monsters and Percy, it is later revealed that Luke survived the fall. This is because Luke had bathed into the River Styx, which made him almost immortal.

After her battle with Luke, Thalia pledges herself to Artemis (though she had previously scorned the offer), in order to stop the prophecy from coming true through her. It is possible she was also thinking of Luke when she made this decision.

The Battle of the Labyrinth
Not long after the battle atop Mount Tamalpais, Luke approaches Annabeth under a flag of truce. He begs her to run away with him, as the thought of becoming Kronos' vessel apparently becomes too much for him. Annabeth is suspicious, however, and refuses, despite her determination to save Luke. Annabeth later regrets her decision, something that becomes very clear when Hermes confronts her and blames her for Luke's fate. Luke himself is also hurt by the experience, as implied by Kronos when he states that Luke learned not to trust his friends the hard way.

After the meeting with Annabeth, Luke continues to serve Kronos and prepare to become his vessel. His demeanor becomes marginally softer as he occasionally displays a moral compass that was previously unseen. This is most obvious when Luke becomes furious with Kelli for killing a boy in Denver and when he indicates that he disapproves of Kampê's release, as she is too chaotic. He makes an attempt to talk with Annabeth again at Antaeus' arena, but this fails when she and her companions escape.

When Luke is next seen, he is possessed by Kronos and attacks Percy Jackson, only stopped by the combined efforts of Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Nico di Angelo. He is not present at the Battle of the Labyrinth.

A Hero's Death
For the largest part of the war, Luke is completely controlled by Kronos, with a few waverings in the Titan's control. In this time, Percy learns that when Kronos achieves full power inside of Luke's body, he will burn through Luke's body and attain his true immortal form, which would mean the end of all life.

Kronos made his way to the throne room of the gods with Ethan Nakamura, destroying the city of Mount Olympus as he did so. Meanwhile Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia follow closely after. Thalia's legs are trapped under falling debris and the others continue on. Kronos battles them in the throne room when they arrive, but Annabeth is able to catch Luke's attention, reawakening him. But only partially.

Ethan Nakamura betrays Kronos and attacks him, unsuccessfully of course, as his sword shattered against Luke's invulnerable body. Several shards lashed back at Ethan and impale him, and he staggered to the ground. Kronos, now having another internal struggle with Luke, opens a hole in the floor beneath Ethan, and he tumbled to his end. Kronos continues to battle the trio, getting closer to his ultimate transformation to his original self.

But Annabeth managed to coax Luke back to his own mind. Luke let Percy knock Backbiter into the hearth, leaving Luke defenseless. A beaten Annabeth gives Percy her knife, as they both realized that Luke was the true victim of the prophecy. Percy gave the knife to Luke who stabbed himself in his Achilles heel (weak spot), his left armpit.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover look away as there was an explosion, and Kronos' fading screams. Luke is left lying on the floor, dying. Annabeth says that he would go to Elysium and Luke replies "Think … rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest". Annabeth replies that he "always pushed himself too hard". Then, Luke asks Annabeth if she loved him. Annabeth replies that she thought she did but she truly thought of him as a brother. Luke then pleads to Percy to not let this happen again. With that, Luke dies just before the gods arrived after defeating Typhon. In the end he is taken away by the Fates, blessed by Hermes, and remembered and honored as a hero by not only Percy, Annabeth and Grover, but by all.

Luke's Sword
Luke carries the half Celestial Bronze and half tempered steel sword Backbiter. Unlike Percy's sword which can't hurt mortals as they aren't important enough to kill, Backbiter can hurt immortals, monsters, and mortals as it's made from Celestial Bronze and mortal steel. The two metals the sword are made from are opposite, having magic fused with mortal metal. Percy could even sense that the two metals were trying to escape each other during the forging and that someone (probably the forger) died in the creation the sword. In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Backbiter is reforged into its original form-the scythe of Kronos. Backbiter is named so as it will "bite back" at the gods who imprisoned Kronos in Tartarus. Kronos has the ability to turn his sythe back into Backbiter, as he does in the final battle in olympus.

Appearance
Luke is athletic, handsome, blond, blue-eyed, and has good-looking features. Many girls are attracted to him, and especially an empousa, Kelli. He also has a small crush on Annabeth and Thalia.

Although he is generally very attractive, his appearance has varied over the books. In the first two books, |The The Lightning Thief and |The The Sea of Monsters, he looks as always did in Camp Half-Blood, but come |The The Titan's Curse, he begins to look sickly and aged. His usually tanned skin becomes ghostly pale, and his hair is also white (supposedly with gray streaks), especially under the moonlight. He also begins to wear Greek clothing, such as the |chiton chiton and the |toga toga (used as an over-the-shoulder cape). However, in |The The Battle of the Labyrinth, Luke's healthy appearance returns as he gets closer to getting taken over by Kronos.This is possibly because he bathed in the River Styx.

Powers
It is not mentioned what supernatural powers Hermes has, but this much can be gleaned from what he is known for.


 * 1) As Hermes is the god of travelers and the messenger god, his children might be able to transport themselves in a way similar to the children of Hades. This has not been shown or mentioned, but it is possible.
 * 2) Hermes is the god of thieves, so they might have a supernatural way of stealing things without others noticing.

Luke himself has only shown supernatural powers twice. The first time was at the end of The Lightning Thief; he slashed Backbiter through the air and disappeared, apparently teleporting away. However, it is unknown if this was due to his own power, or a power given to him by the sword. The second time was during The Titan's Curse when he summons a pool of water and a fire. Once again, it is unclear if this was an innate power.

Film
In the film adaptation of "The Lightning Thief", Luke is portrayed by Jake Abel.

There have been some changes to his character, one of the most notable being that Luke claims he has never met his father, despite the fact that in the book series their only meeting has a profound effect on their relationship and the way Luke views the Olympians. The relationship between Annabeth and Luke, which plays a key role in The Titan's Curse and especially in The Last Olympian, is not as close as their book counterparts, seeming to be only acquaintences rather than old friends; Luke's backstory is also cut. Luke's scar has also changed from his left cheek to his right cheek and was inflicted by Percy rather than Ladon, the dragon in the Hesperides garden. Finally, there was no mention of Luke's association with Kronos, heavily implying that Luke acted alone. It remains unclear if there has been any contact between the two at all.

Luke's cabin was also filled with modern-world paraphernalia and he is seen playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. He apparently supplies his fellow campers with modern technology.

Luke's role remains mostly the same throughout the movie, however Luke and Percy's final confrontation has changed. Upon discovering that Luke is the Lightning thief in the Underworld, they confront each other atop the Empire State Building. The two battle, with Luke gaining his scar and the Master Bolt changing hands several times until Luke seemingly has Percy defeated. When he questions whether or not Percy truly is the son of Poseidon, Percy uses the contents of several water towers and knocks Luke off the building, his fate unknown.

Jake Abel is scheduled to return as Luke in subsequent films, but while possessed by Kronos his voice will be dubbed over.