Frank Zhang

Frank Zhang is a Roman demigod of Camp Jupiter and one of the main characters in The Son of Neptune. He is the son of Mars Ultor and the descendant of Poseidon. Frank is one of the seven demigods mentioned in the Prophecy of Seven.

History
Frank is the son of Mars and Emily Zhang. From his mother, he is a descendant of Periclymenus, the grandson of Poseidon and a member of the Argonauts who was blessed by the god with the power to shift to animal from human. In the absence of his immortal father, Frank's grandmother helped to raise him.

Frank combined his ancestral gift with the powers that he inherited from his divine parent. As such, he was considered to be dangerously powerful and it was decreed that he would have a short life. At the night of his birth, Frank's immortal grandmother appeared to his family and gave them a piece of timber, warning that if and when it was burned entirely that he would die.

The Son of Neptune
When Percy reaches Camp Jupiter, the Gorgons have Frank in their arms. He then uses his water abilities to sweep up the river and force them to release the demigod before sucking them into whirlpools and crushing them with giant hands shaped out of water. Hazel helps pull him to safety after the whirlpools Percy created calmed down.

Frank has always been good at archery and hoped that it would be Apollo who would claim him, especially since he's only been at Camp Jupiter for six weeks after the death of his mother, Emily Zhang. Frank later meets up with Hazel and Percy again and they work together in a war game. The three of them make a win for their cohort.

After the games are over, Mars appears and claims Frank as his son. He also reveals Thanatos' capture and issues a quest to free him. He is then subsequently proclaimed a centurion by Reyna and the Senators of Camp Jupiter. He chooses Hazel and Percy to go along with him. During the journey, Frank harbors a secret that his life will end in flame on a piece of wood due to so many powers that he possesses. Along the way, Gaea plays with Frank, knowing that he is one of the Prophecy of Seven and will be her downfall. Frank finds confidence thanks to the goddess of rainbows, Iris, and battles several Basilisks alone.

When the group finally reaches Canada, he speaks with Mars and Grandma Zhang who encourage him to find his hidden power and save his friends. He later finds that he has the ability to change into animals due to him being a legacy of Poseidon. However, the animal has to be within reason and this ability works best if he knows the animal well and he is in a life or death situation. He battles the giant, Alcyoneus and defeats him with Hazel's help. He is able to free Thanatos at the cost of the timber which his life is tied too, making it much smaller but not gone. He also harbors feelings for Hazel, which is mutual, and the two finally share a kiss as they win the battle against Alcyoneus just outside of Alaska.

He gathers with the campers in the Forum upon the arrival of Camp Half-Blood in the Argo II.

Appearance
Frank has a large and stoutly-built frame with a baby-cheeked face and black hair in a military-style cut. He is marked with crossed spears, the letters SPQR, and one stripe on the inside of his forarm. He is described by Hazel Levesque being like "a cuddly koala bear with muscles" and by Percy as "a toddler who had taken steroids and joined the marines".

Personality
Frank is somewhat pessimistic with a dislike for "Ding Dongs" and snakes. He has a slight lack of self-confidence but he is loyal and a true friend. Frank is a skilled military leader as a result of his father. Frank's low self-esteem comes from his clumsiness, which made it difficult for him to prove himself at Camp Jupiter. Frank uses his mother's sacrifice in Afghanistan as a model of what he should do, always putting others above himself, even willing to sacrifice himself to stick to his duty.

Abilities
Relationships
 * Combat Expertise: As a weapons master, Frank is skilled in multiple styles of fighting, specializing in archery.
 * Archery: Frank's weapon of choice is a Bow and Arrow. He is more than proficient in shooting and has excellent speed and accuracy.
 * Necromancy: With his spear, Frank had the power to consecutively summon an undead warrior three times who was compelled to obey him as he was under the sphere of Mars' influence before it disappeared after its third use.
 * Physical Prowess: Frank is very strong and swift. He can use his weight to his advantage, crashing into enemies like a bowling ball.
 * Shape-Shifting: Frank has the limited ability to change into any animal he wishes, mythical and real. However this ability is easier to use during times of danger and battle or if he knows the animal well. The animal is much stronger if Frank knows it well. He has so far turned into an Elephant, an Eagle, a Grizzly Bear, a Weasel, and a Seal.
 * Tactician: Frank has been shown to have great skill in battle planning and leadership. It is also the gift that Mars gave him.
 * The Fire of Life: Frank's life is spiritually connected to a regular piece of wood. This curse was placed on him by the Fates because they believed him to be too powerful a demigod, as he was both a son of Mars and a descendant of Poseidon. If the wood should ever completely burn so will Frank's life force. However he can also force the wood to burn with his will in order to heat up or melt special items. This is extremely risky though as it drains his life force.
 * Mars : Frank's relationship with his father is a complicated one. His father obviously cares about him, and feels immense pride in his son, though Frank is somewhat put off by his father, both for his boasting of Frank and his skill and for Mars being the God of War since Frank lost his mother to war. However, Frank slowly comes to accept that he is the son of the war God, and is given not only a spartus summoning spear, but his mother's favorite book: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. Mars encourages his son to use his mind in a battle rather than pure guts.
 * Hazel : Without a doubt, Frank is head over heels in love with this daughter of Pluto. Their common ground stems from them both being outcasts and understanding what little there is tying one another to life. She thinks he is funny and even mentioning that he makes a very handsome elephant. They even kiss right after the battle against Alcyoneus in Alaska.

Trivia

 * Frank is a name derived from a spear that was used by a Germanic people of the same name.
 * Zhang comes from the Chinese word for "Bow-maker," as well as "Master of bows."
 * Among the seven heroes, he is one of three along with Hazel Levesque (French) and Leo Valdez (Spanish, Morse code) who speaks a language not inherent from their respective godly parents. Frank can speak Canadian French.
 * He is apparently an exception among Demigods as he is diagnosed with neither ADHD or Dyslexia.
 * He is lactose-intolerant (and loves ice cream).
 * His favorite meal for breakfast is poached egg and bacon on toast with a glass of orange juice.
 * Like the Greek hero Meleager, his life force is connected to a piece of wood and he will die if it is ever completely burned.
 * Frank can speak Canadian French, because of living in Canada.
 * The ogres at Grandma Zhang's house who want to eat Frank to gain his powers may be a reference to the Chinese legend the "Journey to the West" where monsters and demons wish to eat the flesh of main character Xuanzang to gain immortality.
 * His names may be a reference to the weapons he uses, the bow and arrow.
 * He's related to Percy Jackson through his mother, as Frank's family are descendants of Periclymeus a grandson of Percy's dad
 * Frank is the only known character that is a demigod, but also a legacy.
 * Frank is also the only known demigod to not be born in the United States, the country the gods currently live in. He had been born in Canada.
 * His grandmother calls him "Fai" because she feels that "Frank" is not a Chinese name.
 * Before he is claimed by Mars, he hopes that Apollo would claim him, but wasn't sure if he wanted to be related to Octavian.