Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are two of the most famous book series ever. Each has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and is beloved by fans everywhere. But which series is superior to the other?

This question has been asked for over a decade, ravaging Reddit, and tearing apart friends and families. Which series is better?

History of Both Stories

Harry Potter

Harry Potter was the first series to come onto the scene. The author of the series, JK Rowling, published the first book in the U.K., and a year later, it was released in the U.S.

In case you are not familiar with the plot, it tells the story of a boy named Harry, who learns that he is a wizard, goes to wizarding school, and tries to thwart the evil wizard Voldemort's attempts to conquer the world. The series immediately became popular, gaining a massive and diverse fan base worldwide. Fans would line up overnight at bookstores to be the first to buy a newly released book as it came out every few years. In fact, the following few books only fueled fans' love for the series, and it became one of the most popular book series ever.

Although the series is for children, the later books became much darker, examining themes of discrimination. The dark storylines added even more to the wizarding world, and fans continued to adore the world-building, characters, and complex plot, making Harry Potter incredibly popular even today.

The first book in the Harry Potter series details the life of an orphan abused by his aunt and uncle. However, he eventually learns he is a wizard and gets to go to Hogwarts's wizarding school.

Harry later learns that the person who killed his parents, Lord Voldemort, was stopped by Harry's baby self somehow, but although Harry destroyed his body, Lord Voldemort is still trying to kill Harry, who must do whatever it takes to stop him from being reborn. The rest of the books detail Harry's education and his fight against Voldemort and his supporters.

Percy Jackson

Percy Jackson was second on the scene. The author, Rick Riordon, published the first book, The Lightning Thief, in 2005, and it became incredibly popular. The story is based on Greek mythology and is about a boy named Percy Jackson who must learn how to survive in a world full of monsters and gods.

Rick Riordon later made four more books of Percy Jackson and then two other sequel series, not to mention multiple other series set in the same universe. Percy Jackson is much less dark than Harry Potter, but fans still adored the characters and how hilarious it was. New Percy Jackson books are still coming out today, and Rick Riordon's universe is steadily growing.

The first Percy Jackson book is about a kid named Percy who learns he is a demigod, meaning he is half god, half human. Due to being a child of one of the eldest gods, Poseidon, a dangerous prophecy could apply to him, which causes Zeus not to trust him and think that he has stolen his weapon of power, the master bolt.

To keep Zeus from killing him, Percy must find it and get it back from the actual culprit. The following books describe how Percy gets stronger and faces his destiny: either save Olympus from the most significant threat it has ever faced or destroy Olympus itself.

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Popularity and Movies

Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are both top-rated children's book series, but it is fair to say that Harry Potter is more popular. For example, Harry Potter has sold 500 million copies, while Percy Jackson has only sold 180 million.

This may be because Harry Potter has been around for a long time, but Harry Potter is also defeating Percy Jackson in the movie industry. Seven Harry Potter films have been made, as well as three new prequel movies and multiple Harry Potter games and products.

Most people also consider the Harry Potter movies to be at least an okay, if not good, adaptation of the books, and although the new Fantastic Beasts movies are questionable, fans at least consider the first and possibly the second one to be an okay addition to the wizarding world.

Compare that with Percy Jackson's movies, which are hated widely by fans and critics alike, and although a new series has come out, most fans consider it mediocre at best. It is clear that Harry Potter is more prevalent in the movie industry and beyond, but this does not necessarily mean that it is a better series or story.

To make this argument fair, we have to focus on the best staging of both stories and not on the sequels or media they inspired after the initial books came out. This means that we have to focus on the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books rather than compare the movies or mention the sequel or prequels like the Fantastic Beast Movies, the Cursed Child, The Heroes of Olympus, or The Trials of Apollo. This has to be a fight between book series specifically.

So, Which Series is Better?

The two series are similar in many ways. Both are about children who learn they are magical and work with others to fight dark forces. Both are also set in the modern world and are coming-of-age novels, a genre that focuses on the mental and moral growth of the protagonists as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. Both also have similar themes: friendship and family, self-discovery, youth, family, and many others. Since both series have younger characters, both are very relatable to children and teenagers.

The series does have some differences, though. In Harry Potter, Harry is a wizard, fighting other dark wizards, and significant portions of the book show us his education and school. Percy Jackson, however, is set over the summer and has Percy battling monsters and eventually Gods instead of other mortals. Both book series share many of the same features but are still unique in their own way.

Harry Potter and Percy Jackson have many excellent parts about them. Both have excellent plots, characters, and world-building. However, both specialize in some aspects of their story, which they do better than the others.

For example, Harry Potter has better world-building, the act of writers creating a world different from our own. Although Percy Jackson's world-building is excellent, Harry Potter has an incredibly detailed magic system that is incorporated flawlessly into the wizarding world. Even though the world of Harry Potter is absurd, it feels incredibly real due to the superb world-building.

Percy Jackson's world-building takes inspiration from Greek mythology and incorporates it well into the real world. It is not on the same level as Harry Potter's, though. Harry Potter also has a better overall plot than Percy Jackson. It has multiple payoffs in later books to things that happened earlier in the series and has numerous well-done twists and reveals. Percy Jackson has a more straightforward, good plot, but it is simpler than Harry Potter's.

In terms of characters, both series tie. Percy Jackson has the best main character, who is super funny and charismatic and whom people of all ages can root for. Harry, as the main character, cannot compete with Percy, and although he is a solid character, he is also a little bland and not quite as “cool” as Percy.

However, Harry Potter has some fantastic characters, like Snape and Dumbledore, who are incredibly complicated on a level that Percy Jackson cannot top. Therefore, both series tie in with the character department for different reasons.

We have to consider that both book series are made for children, though. This means that although the overall superiority of the story matters since both series are children's books, it also matters whether they are adequate books for kids. Both have likable characters and can be read by kids, but Percy Jackson is a better children's series because it is incredibly funny and easy to read and understand.

It also has wording and language designed solely for teenagers and kids. For example, the first chapter is titled: "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher." It shows how the book is going to be relatable to younger readers and incredibly funny at the same time. Harry Potter has an excellent plot and world, but the later books are rather complicated and slightly dark. It also has humor, but not on the level of the Percy Jackson books. Percy Jackson is also somewhat educational and teaches children about Greek mythology. For these reasons, if I were to recommend a book series to a new reader, I would most likely recommend Percy Jackson over Harry Potter.

Overall, Harry Potter is a better story, although Percy Jackson is also fantastic and has many unique aspects. Harry Potter has a better setting and plot, making it a superior story. However, Percy Jackson is the superior kids' series due to its humor, light tone, and fantastic characters. Both series are excellent and remain some of the best literature in the world.