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Who is Hephaestus? Exploring the Greek god's origins amid his early appearance in episode 5 of the Percy Jackson series
Percy Jackson and The Olympians just introduced Hephaestus in the 5th episode of the show. Who is Hephaestus and who is playing him on screen? Know everything here.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on Rick Riordan’s books, just released its fifth episode on Disney+. The episode introduced the ancient Greek God of War Ares, but another Greek God also made an early appearance in this episode. That’s right, Hephaestus, who was not supposed to be introduced until much later in the narrative appeared in the episode, and here is everything you need to know about him.
Who is Hephaestus in Greek Mythology?
Hephaestus is the famous Greek God of fire, smiths, metalworking, and craftsmanship. He is also one of the twelve Olympians who resided in Mount Olympus, making him one of the most important deities of Greek mythology. He was the blacksmith for the other Greek Gods and forged all their weaponry.
Hephaestus was depicted as a bearded man wielding a hammer, he was also the only Greek god with an uglier outer appearance. He was married to Aphrodite by the orders of Zeus. But even after marriage, Aphrodite continued to have many affairs with Gods and men alike, especially with Ares, who was also Hephaestus’ brother. 
Hephaestus was known to mostly keep to himself in his palace in the Olympus mountain where he made up new inventions and contraptions of all kinds. He was also cast out of heaven for his less-than-perfect appearance but brought back later and given the status of an Olympian. He also has his forgery workshop under a volcano where he had assistants whom he made out of gold. His workshop also caused frequent volcanic eruptions.
Even though he loved peace and quiet, he was angry about Aphrodite’s affair with Ares, who was also his brother. He made a contraption that trapped them together so that the other gods could mock and humiliate them. He also captured his own mother in a throne so that Zeus would grant him entry into heaven.
Much like the Goddess of Wisdom Athena, he was known for sharing his knowledge with the mortals, especially artists and inventors. However, he was not as popular as Athena. He was known to love peace and harmony and helped gods and mortals alike with his unique inventions. He was the one that crafted Athena’s famous shield, Achilles’ sword and shield, and also the arrows of Eros (Cupid). He was predominantly worshiped in Athens and also had a temple there.
Who is Hephaestus in Percy Jackson and who is playing him in the series
The Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan is a lot more involved with the new Percy Jackson and The Olympian series than he was with the movies. This means that we will get to see a lot more Greek mythological gods and monsters in the series. However, it is also true that Hephaestus’ appearance in the 5th episode was earlier than it was depicted in the books, meaning the main story might stray a bit from the source material.
His backstory in the books was similar to the Greek mythology in the books as he was depicted as the son of Zeus and Hers, but was cast out of heaven for being ugly. Then he built a throne where the person who sat there could not get up, and trapped Hera in it. He then freed Hera as Zeus offered to let him into heaven again and arranged his marriage to Aphrodite.
In the fifth episode, Percy and Annabeth enter the dangerous Waterland, an abandoned amusement park and Hephaestus’ domain, to retrieve Ares’ shield. The shield was stolen by Hephaestus and hidden because of Aphrodite and Ares’ constant affairs. Ares tasked the two to retrieve it and kept Grover as a collateral. Annabeth and Percy successfully retrieve the shield and even make an ally out of Hephaestus, who tells Annabeth that she is a “good kid” and that he will put a good word in for her to her mom, Athena.
In the series, which is supposed to have eight episodes in its first season, Hephaestus appeared in the 5th episode. Actor Timothy Omundson is playing the role of Hephaestus and fans really liked his cameo appearance in the latest episode. Omundson has played in many movies and series over his long career. One of his most notable works was his character of Cain in the CW series Supernatural. He also appeared in The O.C., Boston Legal, Criminal Minds, NYPD Blue and Lucifer.
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