- “You shall go west, and face the god who has turned,/ You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned,/ You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend,/ And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.”
- ―The Oracle's prophecy to Percy Jackson[src]
The Oracle of Delphi, or simply Oracle, is a minor character in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. She lives in Camp Half-Blood giving campers oracles before they head out on missions.
Background
Physical appearance
Oracle looks very dead with chalky skin, grey hair, rotten teeth, and soulless eyes. She also wears what appears to be clothing that is dated from the 60s with a long sleeved shirt, flowery long skirt, and beaded necklaces, making her look like a hippie.
Powers and abilities
Oracle's main ability is to foretell the future, though not in a traditional sense. Rather than giving a clear vision, the Oracle instead tells a riddle that hints at a person's fate. This is done in the form of a green cloud that emits from her mouth and takes on the form of someone closely associated with that person, presumably someone that is not held in high regard. In Percy Jackson's case, the vision took on the form of Gabe Ugliano.
Role in the series
The Lightning Thief
The Oracle of Delphi, or simply the Oracle, is a living oracle that lives in the attic of the Big House at Camp Half-Blood, having sat up there and acted as something of a mission giver by reading prophecies to campers before they went on quests. One year, Percy Jackson came up to see the Oracle and responded by spewing out a green cloud and emitting the image of his annoying step-father Gabe Ugliano who uttered "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned,/ You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned,/ You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend,/ And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end."
The events ultimately were revealed to be referring to Percy's battle with the god Ares, him reacquiring the Master Bolt and return it to Zeus (though it could also mean the Helm of Darkness for Hades), Luke Castellan betraying Percy and his friends, and Percy failing to rescue Sally Jackson, the person he was motivated to rescuing when the quest begun.
The Sea of Monsters
Following, Percy, Annabeth Chase, and Tyson fleeing camp, Clarisse La Rue goes to visit the Oracle. The Oracle ends up giving her a fright and gets her head cut off. Though being immortal, she simply reattaches her head to give her prophecy. Her green cloud emits an image of Clarisse herself, who gives her the message "You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,/ You shall find what you seek and make it your own,/ But despair for your life entombed within stone,/ And fail without friends, to fly home alone." The prophecy ends up unnerving Clarisse, convincing her to go the mission without support, save for her Ironclad Crew.
Clarisse's prophecy ultimately talks about the Ironclad Crew, her eventually finding the Golden Fleece and being successful, her capture by Polyphemus within his cave, and the fact that she could not have finished her quest without the help of Percy, Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, and Tyson. She also flies home atop of Blackjack the pegasus.
Trivia
- Prior to Jennifer Shirley portraying her, Oracle was played by Shohreh Aghdashloo in the second live-action film (she was absent in the first film) and Jalynn Steele (who also played Sally Jackson, Silena Beauregard, Echidna, and Charon) in the Broadway musical.
- The Oracle is the third character to be recast between seasons. This was done, most likely, so that the Oracle could appear older.
