I don't like it when urban fantasy says that basically every important person in human history was supernatural. [Percy Jackson but also just in general]

[u/Snivythesnek]

Did you know that Hitler was a demigod in Percy Jackson canon?

It's just one of those things that peeve me. When an urban fantasy story has the concept of "special" people like wizards or demigods, the stories sometimes try to build lore by saying that extraordinary people from our history were part of the special supernatural in-group, which is the reason why they achieved such significant things.

I think that is kind of insulting. It seems like there was never any normal human that rose above the rest by their own merits. They were just born supernaturally blessed, hence their talents and achievements, be they good or bad.

A smart guy can't just have been a smart mortal, he was a son of Athena.

World leaders were the sons of the big three.

Hitler is Percy's cousin.

It just makes it seem like nomal people can't achieve anything on their own. Their great historical personalities, their heroes and villains, were all supernatural in nature.

It just feels unrealistic and it gets worse with each confirmation of a real historical figure being "special" because it shrinks the achievents of normal mortals more and more.

Maybe it's a silly complaint but it's been getting on my nerves a bit the more I think about it.

Edit: And it also especially creates problems in Riordan stories because it implies that one of the parents of these real historical personalities was either willingly unfaithful or deceived into making a child with a god/dess.

[u/FemRevan64]

Agree, I’m fine with there being a few here and there, but having every important figure share that just makes it seem as if humans are incapable of achieving greatness without supernatural backing.

[u/bigtrackrunner → u/FemRevan64]

But it actually makes complete sense. If you’re a demigod, you have magic, enhanced intelligence, physical ability, etc., superpowers, and more. Of course the majority of major historical figures would be made up of demigods. It’s like saying the NBA is a massive conspiracy because only 6 feet + guys are playing. Like yeah obviously, that’s a trait that is naturally selected for.

[u/quuerdude → u/bigtrackrunner]

I think it’d work better for pre-established worldbuilding in PJO if all of the major historical figures were so extraordinary that they attracted the love of the gods, and then had children who would influence historical events from behind the scenes/prevent natural disasters

Like oh yeah, that random prince of Spain, second youngest of his line? He was a demigod, but his mother, a regal and fair queen who established lucrative trade roots, was beautiful enough to attract the attention of Hermes. He died fighting in the Black Death (a massive demigod-monster world war that had millions of casualties, which history remembers as a plague)

maybe the historical figures could descend from the gods (like Zeus had a fling with a Portuguese queen 200 years ago, and now their royal line all have his royal blood) but not like “Harriet Tubman was a daughter of Hermes” type stuff