Disney's television adaptation is already more faithful than the films, and the changes it makes generally benefit Riordan's story — though there are a few questionable ones here and there. The contrasting approaches result in two very different takes on Percy Jackson's character. Although Lerman and Scobell both get key features of the hero right, from his sarcastic sense of humor to his courage, their portrayals diverge significantly in many places.

8 Walker Scobell's Percy Is The Right Age

Logan Lerman's Version Of The Character Was Aged Up

The Percy Jackson movies aged up their characters from Riordan's books, so Lerman's take on the young demigod is a bit older than Scobell's. While Percy is meant to be 12 years old in The Lightning Thief, Lerman's character starts the story at 16. This is a noticeable change for fans, as Riordan's story is about growing up. In fact, it's one of the many criticisms the film adaptations received. Fortunately, the Disney+ show fixes this error by having Scobell, who is 14 years old, play a 12-year-old Percy. It was important to Riordan that the show cast actual kids, and it delivers an accurate telling on that front.

7 Logan Lerman Looks More Like Book Percy

Riordan's Character Has Darker Hair Than Scobell

Leman's Percy obviously looks older than his book counterpart, but he has one physical attribute in common with the character that Scobell doesn't. In Riordan's books, Percy is described as having dark, messy hair. While Scobell's hair certainly meets the messy requirement, his locks are much lighter than Lerman's, which are more in line with Percy's book description. Of course, finding an actor who shares all of Percy's on-page attributes isn't as important as locating one with talent. Still, Lerman does look a bit more like book Percy than Scobell.

6 Walker Scobell's Percy Has A Less Troubling Home Life

Gabe Ugliano Is Less Horrible In The Disney+ Show

The Percy Jackson movies stay true to Riordan's books by including Percy's abusive home life, even showing Gabe Ugliano physically threatening Percy at the beginning of The Lightning Thief. Riordan's books don't give this storyline as much attention as it requires, and the movies do an even less impressive job portraying Sally Jackson and her boyfriend. Fortunately, Percy Jackson & the Olympians removes this problematic storyline and makes Gabe slightly less terrible. Percy also seems closer to his mother, resulting in a less angry lead than Lerman's, who's rightfully mad at the world when The Lightning Thief opens.

5 Logan Lerman's Percy Is Confirmed To Have ADHD & Dyslexia

The Disney Show Only Hints At This In Its Early Episodes

The Percy Jackson books describe demigods like Percy as having ADHD and dyslexia because of their heightened instincts and aptitude for reading Ancient Greek. The movies confirm that Lerman's character has dyslexia and ADHD early in The Lightning Thief, when he complains to his mother that he's still struggling in school. While the Disney+ show alludes to Scobell's lead having such diagnoses, depicting numbers and letters moving around on the page and highlighting his trouble in school, it doesn't discuss them outright. It's also never explained why Half-Bloods' minds work differently, whereas Grover gives Percy a thorough rundown of all this in the movies.

4 Walker Scobell's Percy Has A More Book-Accurate School Life

The Disney+ Show Has More Time To Focus On Yancy Academy

Disney's Percy Jackson series has more time to focus on Percy's life at Yancy Academy, and it does a better job of depicting his time in school. The books describe Percy as getting in trouble often and even getting expelled, things the film adaptations gloss over. Lerman's Percy doesn't even get expelled on-screen; he's simply told the truth and whisked off to Camp Half-Blood after his confrontation with Mrs. Dodds. He also doesn't face as much bullying as Percy and Grover do in the books and show. This is likely because the movie's runtime doesn't allow for such explorations. Thankfully, Scobell's Percy gets much more depth in this regard.

3 Logan Lerman's Percy Is More Confident

Bullying Isn't A Major Part Of His Storyline

Since bullying isn't a major part of Percy and Grover's storylines in the Percy Jackson movies, Lerman's Percy is much more confident throughout the films. He and Grover seem secure in themselves from the beginning, and Lerman's character carries that confidence into Camp Half-Blood, even if his transition is arguably less smooth than TV Percy's. Scobell's character comes off as more awkward even after discovering other demigods. It's clear that a childhood full of bullying leaves him wary of those around him. He thinks Luke is going to bully him, and he also seems less inclined to trust people, setting him apart from Lerman's iteration of the character.

2 The Two Percys Get Off To Very Different Starts With Annabeth & Grover

Scobell's Character Has Rockier Relationships At Camp Half-Blood

Grover and Annabeth are major parts of Percy's story in every iteration of Percy Jackson & the Olympians, but Percy's relationships start differently in the show vs. the movies. The movies actually seem more accurate to the books in this regard, as Percy's friendship with Grover faces few obstacles during the jump from the real world to Camp Half-Blood (though the movies do leave out most of Grover's lying). Percy's relationship with Annabeth also progresses more naturally in the movies (despite her nearly cutting him to pieces), whereas Scobell's Percy doesn't take well to Annabeth in the Disney+ show. He also holds a slight grudge against Grover for his dishonesty.

1 Percy's Parentage Reveal Isn't A Big Deal In The Movies

Poseidon Actually Claims His Son In The TV Show

Scobell's Percy gets properly claimed by Poseidon, just as he does in the Percy Jackson books, while Lerman's character finds out that he's Poseidon's son in a much less climactic way. When movie Percy arrives at Camp Half-Blood, everyone already knows about his parentage. He's seemingly the last to find out, and he doesn't seem surprised by the news. Scobell's Percy is much more concerned about learning who is father is, and he doesn't get claimed until after he proves himself during Capture the Flag. Although Percy Jackson & the Olympians makes minor changes to this big reveal, it's much more accurate to Riordan's source material than movie Percy's experience.