Who is Chiron?

For any teachers, students, or parents read this, happy back-to-school season. I grew up with a teacher father so I always respected teachers, but my respect has infinitely increased since marrying a teacher. Y’all, teaching is insane. So every year I feel the need to write about the great teachers (see also Mr. Feeny) and the not-so-great (see also Snape). This year, as Russell and I begin our Riordanverse podcast series I thought I’d spotlight the original teacher and mentor of the Percy Jackson series: Chiron (aka Mr. Brunner).

Long before teaching Latin to Percy at Yancy Academy, the centaur Chiron trained heroes like Hercules and Achilles. Granted immortality to train heroes, the son of Kronos set his home base at Mount Pelion. This would become the precursor to Camp Half-Blood. Even among mortals, You love to teach. During this time at Yancy, he was Percy’s favorite teacher (By the way, what did  those kids think the sword was through the mist?).

As portrayed by Glynn Turman in the Lightning Thief movie

By the time Percy Jackson came onto the scene, Chiron had long since established Camp Half-Blood as his base of operations. The camp had been established in America generations before (at least to the time of George Washington, son of Athena). Luke and Annabeth were among Chiron’s veteran pupils when Percy arrived with Grover. 

Other than the time that Olympus removed him from Camp, for suspicion of poisoning Thalia’s tree, Chiron mentored our heroes as they navigated the Great Prophecy (even during that time he helped a bit via Iris Message). And during the adventures of the Argo II, Chiron helped to prepare the camp for the oncoming attack of Camp Jupiter. 

Chiron (as Mr. Brunner) as portrayed on Disney Plus

After the reconciling of the two camps, he was seen substitute teaching (as Mr. Brunner) in New York City. Just for the love of teaching. Though I'm sure he was still subbing periodically, Chiron was present during that school year when Lester (aka Apollo) arrived at Camp Half-Blood with Meg. However, when they returned to Camp months later, Chiron was off meeting with representatives of the Egyptian and Norse pantheons. But he made it back for the Battle of Nero's Tower and was present to mentor Nico in the months during the expedition into Tartarus and the mission to Camp Jupiter.

I look forward to seeing Chiron's involvement in the upcoming Camp Half-Blood series and maybe the final Senior Year Adventures book. And maybe we'll get another Nico book? Bottom line, Chiron is the golden teacher. Regardless of whether he's teaching mortal pupils or demigod heroes, he does it for the love of teaching. Those are the best teachers (again, I'm biased because I married one of those). Even after millennia of tragic heroes and disappointments, Chiron wasn't jaded by his past. Though the events of the Riordanverse take place over fifteen years ago, I'm sure Chiron is still training future heroes. Only question is how many of Rick Riordan's heroes are alive and how many of them met tragic endings, like the heroes of legend.

As shown in the graphic novel

More Content You Might Like:

• "3 Versions of The Sea of Monsters" by Spencer
• "11 Trials of Apollo Memes by Me" by Spencer
• "6 Historical Figures Who Were Demigods" by Spencer

Riordanverse Reading Schedule

As we got near the end of reading Animorphs together, it didn't take long for Russell and I to decide on another franchise to read and discuss. If you're a fan of the books by Rick Riordan, that's where we're headed next. We didn’t get any followers chiming in for Animorphs, but if the world of Percy Jackson intrigues you, we’d love to have you reading along with us. 

I wasn’t going to post this list until September, but Russell and I are well under way with our reading (I finished “Sea of Monsters” this week). Send any comments to our email, social media accounts, or Discord. Check back here for any changes to the reading schedule, especially since the new Camp Half-Blood books will released in the middle of this series  

Part 1 - Release in October 2026

The Diary of Luke Castellan (The Demigod Diaries)

The Lightning Thief

The Sea of Monsters

The Stolen Chariot (The Demigod Files)

Part 2 - Release in November 2026

The Titan's Curse

The Battle of the Labyrinth 

The Sword of Hades (The Demigod Files)

Part 3 - Release in December 2026

The Red Pyramid

The Throne of Fire

Part 4 - Release in January 2027

The Bronze Dragon (The Demigod Files)

The Last Olympian

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Part 5 - Release in February 2027

The Staff of Hermes (The Demigod Diaries)

The Singer of Apollo (Short Story)

The Lost Hero

The Quest for Buford (The Demigod Diaries)

The Son of Magic (The Demigod Diaries)

Part 6 - Release in March 2027

The Serpent's Shadow

The Son of Neptune

Part 7 - Release in April 2027

The Mark of Athena

The House of Hades

Part 8 - Release in May 2027

The Blood of Olympus 

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes

Part 9 - Release in June 2027

Demigods and Magicians

The Chalice of the Gods

Wrath of the Triple Goddess
Brooklyn House Magician's Manual

Part 10 - Release in July 2027

The Sword of Summer

The Hidden Oracle

Part 11 - Release August 2027

Camp Jupiter Classified

Camp Half-Blood Confidential

Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds

The Hammer of Thor 

The Dark Prophecy             

Part 12 - Release September 2027

The Burning Maze

The Tyrant's Tomb

Part 13 - Release October 2027

The Ship of the Dead

9 From the Nine Worlds

The Tower of Nero

Part 14 - Release November 2027

The Sun and the Star

The Court of the Dead

Love is All You Need (in Tartarus)

As you may have noticed, I’ve developed a love for Rick Riordan’s universe of gods and heroes. After finishing the last short stories and audiobooks of the series, I’m taking a break from it before re-reading (currently re-reading Harry Potter, in addition to our ongoing Animorphs podcast project). But for Valentine’s Day I decided to revisit a portion of Heroes of Olympus. Just some thoughts I had about love while reading “The House of Hades” last summer. 

A little refresher for those who haven’t read Heroes of Olympus lately: At the end of “The Mark of Athena” our power couple Percy and Annabeth fell into the pit and spent the subsequent book walking through literal hell. They made a couple friends while trying to escape, while even the air of Tartarus tried to kill them both body and soul. 

Nico had recently escaped the pit after it nearly destroyed him. When Percy and Annabeth crash landed, things weren’t exactly hopeful. After all, even the son of Hades barely survived. The air itself was poisonous and only drinking from a fiery river kept them alive. 

One trial that particularly struck me early on their journey was the influence of the River Cocytus. Its powers fed them despair, regrets, and grief. Even being near the river was depressing. What struck me was how their physical contact with each other kept them anchored. 

I know not everyone’s love language is touch, but it’s high on my list. There’s something comforting for me about a hug when my anxiety or depression flare up. A physical anchor. Heck, I remember one night that my anxiety flared up after my wife and I went to bed. Not wanting to wake her, I gently let my hand rest against her back. That little connection helped me calm down even before she had the chance to roll over and check in. 

Whether it’s physical contact or something else, there’s something powerful about knowing you’re not alone. It was this journey that impressed me about anchoring myself in connection (not too different from anchoring myself in a positive memory when producing a Patronus). Everyone need someone who can be a safe place. Something like that can’t be manufactured; that trust must be developed and earned. 

This kind of safety is not limited to romantic relationships. Everyone needs a friend (or a few) with whom they can share their heart. I’m blessed to have friends who have helped me through Tartarus in the past. And definitely thankful for my wife who helps to ground me in reality when the Cocytus wants to drown me in despair.