“ | What king? Ra? Ra is gone. Osiris is dead again, the weakling! And this boy child cannot restore the empire. There was a time I supported Horus, yes. But he has no strength in this form. He has no followers. Set offers power. Set offers fresh meat. I think I will start with godling flesh! | ” |
–Sobek to Bast, in The Red Pyramid. |
Sobek is the Egyptian crocodile Deity. He was the patron deity of the Egyptian army, royal warriors and a defender of the Pharaoh and the people of Egypt.
History[]
Little is known about Sobek's past. He served Ra during his tenure as king and later Osiris. In addition, he had both aided and fought Horus in the past.
Mythology[]
Sobek was not an evil god to the Egyptians, contrary to his nature in The Red Pyramid. He was associated with pharaonic power, fertility and military prowess. He was revered in Egyptian culture and was prayed to in order to be protected from the crocodiles that filled the Niles.
The Kane Chronicles[]
The Red Pyramid[]
Sobek appears when Bast, Carter, and Sadie attempt to contact Nephthys at the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. First, he sends two crocodiles to attack the trio before rising from the river. Desperate to protect her friends, Bast challenges him and forces the god beneath the water and back to the Duat, sacrificing herself to allow Carter and Sadie time to escape. Sobek is later seen again when a victorious Horus proclaims himself king, scowling.
The Throne of Fire[]
Sobek makes cameo among the gods who came to see Ra's return. Sadie states he's not her favorite god for what he did in the last book.
The Serpent's Shadow[]
When Sadie, Carter and Zia are escaping the Land of Demons, Sobek is protecting Ra on the sun barque and witnesses Ra's rebirth. Sobek pledges his loyalty to Ra, but Ra is aware that Sobek would eat him if he could. Upon their return to the mortal world, Sobek announces Ra's return and calls for everyone to bow to him which no one does. Carter suspects he was either trying to suck up to Ra or make him feel worse. Sobek then charges into battle against Apophis with Ra and Bes, joining Bast who is already fighting him. When the gods exile themselves from the Earth except for Anubis, Sobek goes with them.
Appearance[]
Sobek was a man with light-green skin and the head of a crocodile. He has black shoulder-length hair done in plaits and bull horns. He carries a flagpole-sized staff and wears a green-armored, reptile-skin kilt. His eyes are covered in a film of green mucus. He constantly sweats buckets of water from which is rumored to create the rivers of the world.
Personality[]
Sobek recognizes strength first and foremost. As such, he respects those who have proven their might. Sobek has a predatorial nature, hunting those that he deems to be weak. He may be somewhat cruel, but Sobek proves his ultimate loyalty to Ra in the final battle with Apophis. He also doesn't speak up against Horus becoming the new Pharaoh of the gods.
Abilities[]
Sobek has all the standard abilities of an Egyptian god and is very powerful. Sobek is also very proficient at water magic and, like Nephthys, is unaffected by running water, contrary to the other gods.
- Hydrokinesis: As the God of Water, he has absolute control and divine authority over water.
- Animal Charming: As the God of Crocodiles, he can command many giant crocodiles to aid him in combat.
- Fighting Skills: He is also very good at fighting, excelling at battle with his staff.
- Combat Magic: He can also use combat magic, which is a twenty-five-feet-tall green battle avatar with the head of a crocodile. Whilst using combat magic, Sobek possesses tremendous physical strength and is able to fight Bast, with her combat avatar, and Carter Kane, using Horus' combat avatar, on equal terms. Sobek can also fully transform into an enormous crocodile or a green-skinned human.
Relationships[]
- Khnum: Father
- Neith: Mother
- Osiris: Foster father/uncle (Sobek was raised by Osiris)
- Isis: Foster mother/aunt
- Anubis: Half-brother
- Hathor: Sister-in-law
- Horus: Foster brother/cousin
- Petsuchos: Son, Carter Kane and Percy Jackson fight Sobek's son in crossover short story The Son of Sobek.
Trivia[]
- His blood is green as shown when Carter injures him and he loses a few teeth.
- He is shown mainly as a human and crocodile hybrid, except for his bull horns. Bulls may have something to do with water as shown in the Percy Jackson series that Oceanus, a deity of the sea, also has bull horns, the Ophiotaurus is a water bull, and The Mark of Athena, where Achelous, a river spirit, also has horns which transform themselves once broken off into cornucopias.
- Sobek has no Greco-Roman counterparts although he shares some attributes with Poseidon/Neptune.
- Sobek has no Norse counterparts although he shares some attributes with Aegir, Ran and Njord.