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Thalia, daughter of Zeus, never appears in the text, but her character, in a way, haunts the narrative nonetheless. She is described as a courageous and selfless young girl who traveled with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover prior to the events of the novel. Hades tormented her by releasing a monster from Tartarus right before the group reached the safety of Camp Half-Blood. Thalia sacrificed herself to save her friends and her spirit was preserved in a tree to commemorate her bravery and selflessness. The place where she fell was subsequently named Half-Blood Hill in her honor.
Thalia is an essential component of the story because the tragedy that befell her offers necessary context by which Percy, and therefore the reader, is able to understand the world of The Lightning Thief. Hades was determined to kill Thalia because he was angry at his brother for breaking the pact had, Zeus, and Poseidon had made to stop having children with mortal women. The three brothers (also known as the Big Three) swore on the River Styx, the most serious oath a Greek can make, because their demigod children were too powerful and generated too much conflict. Thalia is the first Forbidden Child that we learn about in the novel, and the circumstances of her birth and the danger that surrounded her foreshadow the moment in Chapter Eight when we learn that Percy is also a Forbidden Child. Thalia’s story, therefore, serves to underscore the danger Percy must face simply by existing. Her death also explains why Grover is so desperate to protect Percy and Annabeth. Grover is a satyr, and it is his job to protect demigods. For five years he has been living with the guilt of having been unable to protect Thalia, and he is desperate not to fail a second time.
