| “ | It's our loot! If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver! | ” |
–Michael Yew to Clarisse La Rue in The Last Olympian. | ||
Michael Yew was a demigod son of Apollo. He became the Head Counselor of his cabin following the death of Lee Fletcher. He was believed to have died in the Second Titan War, when Percy destroyed the bridge Michael was standing on during the Battle of Manhattan. His successor is Will Solace.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]
The Last Olympian[]
Michael became Head Counselor of Apollo's Cabin after his half brother, Lee Fletcher, died in the Battle of the Labyrinth. He became good friends with Percy Jackson.
A week before the events of this book, Michael and his cabinmates went to Philadelphia to capture a Chariot that belonged to the Titan Army. Even though the Ares' Cabin led the charge, Michael's cabin seized the chariot. Because of that, the two cabins fought over who would get the chariot. The two cabins fought and the Apollo cabin cursed the Ares Cabin to speak in rhyming couplets.
Michael attended a war council in the Big House with all the head counselors and fought with Clarisse La Rue over the chariot. He said it was their loot, and if she didn't like it, she can "kiss my (his) quiver". Percy noted the two arguing looked funny since Clarisse was a foot taller than him, standing on his tiptoes to get in her face. Katie Gardner, the Stoll brothers, Jake Mason, and Pollux were trying not to laugh at the argument. Percy yelled at them and told them to stop arguing, and Chiron defended Michael, saying it was his chariot. This made Clarisse angry and run out of the room. Michael was relieved when she left, saying "Good Riddance". As they discussed, Michael was determined to find who the spy is, since blowing up the Princess Andromeda wouldn't stop Kronos forever. Before the battle, Michael gave Clarisse the chariot and said she could have it, but she still refused to go saying they insulted her honor. He then called her names in anger.
The next day, Michael gathered with the campers and Chiron for the Battle of Manhattan on the Empire State Building. Michael realized that they were being targeted by infrared scopes. Percy also pushed him away from the binoculars to look at the city. As they discussed, Michael said that the army had boats and questioned how Percy could handle them. After Michael chanted, "For Olympus", with the campers, he led his cabinmates to guard Williamsburg Bridge.
Soon after, Michael called Annabeth Chase and told her that their cabin needed help, and the Minotaur was back. Michael ran up to Percy and Annabeth when they arrived and asked where the reinforcements were. He was discouraged when he found out they were the reinforcements, saying they were dead. He also explained that he tried to win Clarisse over, to no avail. Michael used his last sonic arrow to disintegrate some monsters and blow up some cars. He said loud music may be bad for you, but it doesn't always kill. Sadly, it didn't defeat most of the monsters and the monsters regrouped. Even though Michael had Kayla Knowles and Austin Lake setting traps on the bridge, at Percy's orders, he brought his campers to the bridge to drive the enemy back to Brooklyn. With the help of Michael and his cabinmates shooting arrows, Percy was able to drive the monsters off the bridge. But the victory was short lived when Kronos arrived. As Kronos destroyed the bridge, Percy screamed for Michael to go, since his siblings had retreated. He yelled at Percy to break the bridge, which ended up killing him.
Percy was saddened over his death and yelled in frustration. He was going to call Blackjack to search for him but he had to go help Annabeth, so he told his siblings to look for him, in case he lived. The body was never found. He was replaced by Will Solace. Later, Percy thinking about his death was one of the reasons he turned down immortality.
The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure[]
Michael appears in a nightmare that Nico di Angelo has of the Battle of Manhattan, yelling at the son of Hades to listen.
It's later revealed that it was actually Nyx reaching out to Nico through his dreams to goad him into Tartarus.
While telling the story of how he first met Nico, Will mentions that Michael was training him as a field medic when Nico came into the infirmary after being injured in a training accident.
Appearance[]
Apollo, his father
Michael stands at 4'6" but "with an extra 2 feet of attitude". He is described as having musteline features, with a pointy nose and scrunched-up features - either from looking down the shaft of his arrow or from scowling too much. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Personality[]
Michael is often bad-tempered, but is a good fighter, and quick on his feet and with his mind. He has a smart mouth, and gets into fights a lot because he always seems to have a chip on his shoulder. He is a solid friend though, and stood up to the Titans, along with the rest of the camp.
Abilities and Tools[]
Trivia[]
- His last name, Yew, is a reference to the tree, which is a popular wood for making longbows. The tree is also associated with graveyards and the dead.
- It is never mentioned in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series if Michael died during the Battle of Manhattan, as his death is only hinted at. However, his death is confirmed in The House of Hades.
- The exact cause of Michael's death is unclear, as he could have either drowned in the Hudson River or succumbed to blunt trauma from the debris of the Williamsburg Bridge.
- In the graphic novel adaptation of The Last Olympian, Michael appears to have survived the Battle of Manhattan. However, Will Solace still takes over leadership of the Apollo cabin.