This article is about book version of the character. For Disney+, see Sally Jackson (Percy Jackson TV Series).
- “If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”
- ―Sally Jackson
Sally Jackson is a supporting character in the mythological series of books by Rick Riordan, appearing in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo. She is the mother of Percy Jackson and Estelle Blofis, the wife of Paul Blofis and one of the immortal ex-lovers of Poseidon
Background[]
At five years old, Sally lost her parents, Estelle and Jim Jackson, in a plane crash and her uncle Rich gained custody of her. However, Sally was forced to drop out of high school to take care of her uncle when he was diagnosed with cancer and his health insurance ran out. Unfortunately, her uncle succumbed to his illness, leaving Sally alone to work small jobs because she dropped out of high school.
She later met Poseidon when she was on the beach and saw his Trident through the Mist. Together, he had an affair with Sally, who became pregnant with their son.
She later married Gabe Ugliano to protect her son, Percy from monsters because his pungent odor disguised his demigod scene. She sent him away to boarding schools to protect him from his stepfather and other monsters.
Abilities[]
- Expert Marksman: It is revealed Sally is an expert markswoman, being able to handle a shotgun when she participated in the Battle of Manhattan and managed to kill the giants.
- Seeing Through the Mist: Sally can see through the Mist, which is a magical substance that usually disorients mortals and masks magical creatures and beings, as she was able to see Poseidon's trident.
Personality[]
Sally is a warm, kind, and caring mother who raised her son full of compassion and love. Sally is protective of her son. For instance, she sent Percy to Yancy Academy and the other boarding schools. She only married Percy's stepfather, Gabe Ugliano because it was the only way to mask Percy's scent and protect her from other monsters. Sally is extremely supportive of Percy, as she tells him that he is getting older and doesn't need to ask him for permission. She encouraged him to go on the quest to save Annabeth.
She was often abused by Gabe Ugliano, however, she finally stood up to him and turned him into a statue with Medusa's head. However, her darker side was that she also used the head to turn Gabe and his poker buddies to stone with Medusa's head.
She is very similar to Poseidon's mother and Percy's grandmother, Rhea, and one of the reasons that Poseidon fell in love with her. After Apollo met her for the first time in The Hidden Oracle, he saw why Poseidon fell in love with her, as she had compassion, strength, and beauty and saw she could provide gods with companionship, thinking of her as an equal.
Physical Appearance[]
Sally is a strikingly beautiful woman. She has a smile as warm as a quilt, blue eyes that sparkle and change color in the light, and long brown hair with a few streaks of gray in it, but Percy stated that he never thought of her as old. Her scent is like chocolate, licorice, and everything else one would find in a candy shop.
When Apollo met her for the first time, he noted how attractive Sally was, and that her bright eyes, her quick smile, and her sense of fashion made her look younger despite the gray streaks in her hair.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]
The Lightning Thief[]
Sally has been living in New York with her son attending Yancy Academy. She works at Sweet on America, a candy workshop, is revealed to like blue food, and is married to Gabe Ugliano so that monsters can stay away from Percy. However, Gabe was abusive towards Sally whenever Percy was not around. She and Percy go on vacation, back to the beach where she and Poseidon meet. Percy attempts to ask about his father, but Sally just mentions how she met. In the middle of the night, Grover finds Sally and Percy.
She is abducted by the Minotaur and then given to Hades for Percy to come to the Underworld. Percy is unable to rescue her and retreats to Camp Half-Bloods and is allowed to go on his quest with Grover and Annabeth Chase. At first, Percy is unable to save her when Hades is revealed not to be the person behind the thefts of the Lightning Bolt, but Percy manages to return the Helm of Darkness and avoid World War III. Hades puts his end of the bargain and sends Sally back home.
After Percy returns, Sally and her son are reunited. Percy realized that Gabe had been hitting his mother for years because he saw her flinch when Gabe raised a hand to strike her. He gets her to stand up by her Medusa's head. Sally uses it to turn Gabe and all his poker friends to stone. This causes her to get money for tuition at NYU and to gain a new apartment for her and Percy.
The Sea of Monsters[]
Being in contact with Chiron, she is uneasy about letting Percy return to Camp Half-Blood for the summer. She is relieved and excited for Percy because he didn't get expelled and makes him blue waffles and eggs. However, her son later disappears that day with Annabeth and Tyson. She is at first worried but does not stay mad for long, relieved to see Percy is okay.
The Titan's Curse[]
Sally first appears when she takes Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia to a school where Grover finds two demigod siblings, Nico and Bianca. At camp, Percy contacts Sally to let her know she is coming home. However, Sally encourages him to go save Annabeth. Percy contacts his mother again and sees her with Paul, but he tells her that he is happy for her and Paul
The Battle of the Labyrinth[]
She found a new job. She could see through the Mist and mentioned that it was what caused Poseidon to fall in love with her. During Percy's fifteenth birthday party, Sally is shocked to see Poseidon has come to visit his son. After Tyson calls Poseidon "Daddy" too, Paul (a little disturbed by his girlfriend's former lover showing up) looks at Sally confused, but she confirms that Tyson is not her son too.
The Last Olympian[]
Sometime in between The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian it is revealed that Sally re-married Paul and he has treated her with kindness. She and Percy tell Paul of the existence of the Greek gods and that Percy is a demigod son of Poseidon. To both their shocks, Paul is okay with it and doesn't freak out like Percy thought he would.
To become invulnerable to combat Kronos, he and Nico visit Sally to get her blessing for him to bathe in the River Styx. Though she gives him her blessing, she voices her concern for her son. Percy assures her that once the battle is over, he will have the sky over New York light up blue, signaling his survival. She and her husband are seen fighting giants, and she is using a shotgun to kill them.
The Heroes of Olympus[]
For most of the series, Sally and Annabeth grieved together when Percy went missing and could not be found.
The Trials of Apollo[]
In this book series, it is revealed that Sally and Paul are expecting a baby girl, and they named her Estelle after Sally's late mother.
Relationships[]
Poseidon (Ex-Lover)[]
Poseidon had an affair with Sally sometime during the winter and together, they had Percy. However, he was forced to leave her before so he would not abandon his godly duties.
Percy Jackson (Son)[]
Poseidon and Sally are reunited together through the love of their son, Percy. She is fiercely protective of Percy, which is why she married Gabe Ugliano and why she sent him away to Yancy Academy to keep him safe. She is ultimately supportive of him, as she encourages him to save Annabeth from the Titans and Luke.
Paul Blofis (Second Husband)[]
Sally first met Paul sometime during The Titan's Curse, and it is revealed they are dating. Though Percy is a bit disturbed by it, he is glad that Paul and Sally make each other happy. They were married together in The Last Olympian and had a daughter together.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Sally doesn't like riding airplanes for several reasons: Percy is the son of Poseidon (who is Zeus' bitter rival), they couldn't afford it, and her parents died in a plane crash.
- She was skilled in Greek myths, as she named her son after Perseus (who did not have a tragic ending) and the effects of Medusa's head and the Minotaur.
- No matter what the occasion, Sally loves using blue food dye and turning foods and drinks into the color due to a lack of blue foods.
- Blue is her favorite color, which is also the color of the ocean, a callback to her former lover.
