Who is Echidna in Percy Jackson and the Olympians? Explained

Episode 4 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians advanced Percy's journey to the Underworld and revealed a few startling plot points along the way. One of the biggest ones was the revelation of who is Echidna in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

The devilish fiend is portrayed by Suzanne Cryer on the show and she sends one of her children, namely the Chimera, after Percy Jackson and his companions in the fourth episode.

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Who is The Mother of Monsters in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

So who is Echidna in Percy Jackson and the Olympians? Known as the "Mother of Monsters," Echidna is the daughter of Typhon's wives Tartarus and Gaea. The character appeared on the television series Percy Jackson and the Olympians in episode 4, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 4 recap. In this episode, our heroes encounter the mother of all monsters while trying to find safety in St. Louis.

Echidna and Chimera are two adversaries the most recent episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians introduces to fans. According to Greek mythology, Chimera is one of Echidna's children, fitting Echindna’s moniker of the mother of all monsters.

Grover, Percy, and Annabeth are forced to escape into downtown St. Louis when the fiends attack them on their train journey.

Little is known about her character in the TV series as the 4th episode remains her only appearance as of yet. But looking at the the real mythology, we can find out more about who is Echidna and why she is known by her moniker of Mother of Monsters.

According to Hesiod (The ancient Greek poet), Echidna was a female monster that emerged from a cave and gave birth to practically all of the main and lesser terrifying monsters in Greek mythology, along with her partner Typhon.

As a Dracaenae, Echidna is also shown as having the body of a serpent with two serpent tails and the face and torso of a lovely lady, occasionally with wings.

According to the book, Echidna is a plus-sized woman wearing a denim dress and walking her fierce Chimera, her son (A chihuahua). Her tongue, like that of a reptile, and her snake-like eye slits were the sole indicators that she was a monster.

In her actual form in the books, she still has a human head but a body that resembles a snake. She has fangs in place of her teeth, and her tongue is forked. Her skin is vivid green and scaly, and her eyes are laterally slitted like those of a snake.

Homer, the Greek philosopher, refers to the location of her cave as "Arima, couch of Typhon." Percy Jackson & the Olympians Episode 3 ending explained, defeated her and her partner when they invaded the Olympians, punishing Typhon by enclosing him beneath Mount Etna.

Zeus did, however, permit Echidna and her offspring to survive as a warning to upcoming champions. Echidna was supposed to be immortal but the hundred-eyed giant Argus eliminated her while she slept.

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Echidna appears in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series

The Disney+ series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" adapts cool facts about the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In the novels, Echidna—who is accompanied by the Chimera—is discovered by Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase, and Percy Jackson as they reach the summit of the Gateway Arch.

Echidna quickly separates Percy from his pals and sets him up against her monster child at the very top of the arch. After being stung by the Chimera's snake tail, Percy barely makes it out and falls into the water below, where he is taunted by Echidna. However, in the water, Percy heals his wound. The whereabouts of Echidna following her attack on Percy on the Arch remain unknown.

Presumably thinking they have vanquished Percy, they depart the Gateway Arch and don't reappear in the novels. Considering this, it doesn't seem probable that Chimera and Echidna will return to the show.

As previously indicated, this incident is seen in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 episodes 1 & 2, although in a somewhat different way. Additionally, Zeus sends Chimera and Echidna after Percy throughout the novel. This is altered in Percy Jackson season 1 when Zeus isn't as obvious of a villain.

It will be interesting to see how and if the show decides to have Echidna in future episodes. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently streaming on Disney+, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 complete release schedule is out at the time of writing this article.