10 Most Important Odyssey Characters, Ranked

Published Jul 23, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention. Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise. Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Odyssey While Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is a largely faithful adaptation of Homer's 3,000-year-old epic, it's in many ways a brand-new interpretation from the legendary director. By restructuring key events and expanding supporting characters, the result of Nolan's latest movie is an incredibly new and compelling take on a timeless classic. Focusing on themes of guilt, shame, identity, reclamation, and the cost of war, there's a strong tonal shift in Nolan's The Odyssey, particularly when it comes to the movie's third act and Odysseus finally making it back home to Ithaca. Likewise, several characters are elevated and reinterpreted to a certain degree over the course of the film in service to the movie's overarching themes. Keeping that in mind, here's a ranking determining the ten most important characters in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, based not only on their importance to the film's classic plot but also based on how Nolan has expanded or reinterpreted their roles compared to Homer's original poem. 10 Polyphemus/Poseidon Few moments shape the rest of The Odyssey more than Odysseus and his men's fateful encounter with the cyclops Polyphemus (played by Bill Irwin). After escaping his cave, Odysseus can't help but fire an arrow at the cyclops' eye before he and his men flee back to their boats. This leads his men to believe that their journey has been cursed by the sea god Poseidon, father of Polyphemus. As such, Poseidon's wrath incurred against Odysseus is cited as the root cause for all the crew's trials and struggles going forward. Although Polyphemus only appears in the one scene on his island, his connection to Poseidon gives the sequence enormous narrative weight, kickstarting every following encounter that makes the journey home to Ithaca so perilous. 9 Menelaus When Telemachus leaves Ithaca in search of news of his missing father, he visits the King of Sparta Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and his wife Helen (Lupita Nyong'o). Hosting the son of Odysseus, Menelaus shares the story of the Trojan War from the inside of the horse itself. Rather than leaving in the past as part of Homer's preceding Illiad, Menelaus' account is one of the first major sequences flashing back to the Trojan War and Odysseus' plan to infiltrate the city of Troy using the giant wooden horse. Despite his limited screentime, Bernthal's Menelaus plays a key role in helping both Telemachus and audiences discover more about the King of Ithaca and who he was. 8 Circe Samantha Morton's Circe is one of the most memorable figures in The Odyssey, a powerful sorceress who turns Odysseus' men into pigs when they visit her island of Aeaea. However, Nolan chooses not to dive into Circe's year-long romance with Odysseus nor the children they had. Instead, Nolan keeps the focus on Circe, showing the truth of Odysseus' men and her belief that turning them into pigs reveals their true nature, with their appearance as men being the actual disguise, a commentary on the violence of soldiers and the corruption of humanity. Additionally, Circe also provides crucial guidance to Odysseus that sends him and his men to the edge of Hades and the River Styx.​​​​​​​ 7 Calypso Charlize Theron's Calypso receives one of Nolan's bigger expansions. In Homer's original epic, she shelters Odysseus for seven years before reluctantly allowing him to leave. While that remains true, Nolan uses her island and his time spent with her as a key framing device. In Nolan's The Odyssey, Calypso gradually stops feeding Odysseus lotus flowers, and as his memories begin to return, he recounts his past directly to her rather than the Phaeacians from the original poem (who are fully absent from the movie). This structure makes Calypso far more essential when it comes to the audience's full understanding of Odysseus: who he was, the identity he is struggling to recall, and the person he is trying to be when he finally returns home. 6 Antinous Robert Pattinson's Antinous is the perfect antagonist and one of Nolan's best villains in The Odyssey. In the movie, Antinous is presented as the chief suitor in Ithaca wanting Penelope's hand in marriage while also seeking to kill Telemachus, just like in Homer's poem. However, Nolan's film also gives him a far richer backstory with connections to the Trojan War. The Ultimate · Movie Quote Challenge GUESS THE MOVIE FROM THE QUOTE “I’m your huckleberry.” 🎬1930s 🎞1940s 📽1960s 📻1970s 🎥1990s 🎦2000s ROLL THE FILM → 01 Which movie features this iconic line?“Here’s looking at you, kid.” ACasablanca (1942) BThe Big Sleep (1946) CThe Maltese Falcon (1941) DKey Largo (1948) ETo Have and Have Not (1944) ✓ Correct! Bogart’s unforgettable farewell to Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa in Casablanca. ✗ Not quite — it’s Casablanca (1942). All five options star Bogart, but only one has this line. NEXT → 02 Which movie features this iconic line?“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” AThe Shawshank Redemption (1994) BOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) CPapillon (1973) DCool Hand Luke (1967) EEscape from Alcatraz (1979) ✓ Correct! The Captain’s chilling declaration in Cool Hand Luke. ✗ Not quite — it’s Cool Hand Luke (1967), spoken by the prison Captain played by Strother Martin. NEXT → 03 Which movie features this iconic line?“I’m your huckleberry.” AUnforgiven (1992) BWyatt Earp (1994) CTombstone (1993) DYoung Guns (1988) EThe Quick and the Dead (1995) ✓ Correct! Val Kilmer’s legendary drawl as Doc Holliday in Tombstone. ✗ Not quite — it’s Tombstone (1993), spoken by Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. Don’t confuse it with the rival Wyatt Earp film. NEXT → 04 Which movie features this iconic line?“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” AThe Long Goodbye (1973) BChinatown (1974) CL.A. Confidential (1997) DThe Big Lebowski (1998) EMulholland Drive (2001) ✓ Correct! The devastating final line of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. ✗ Not quite — it’s Chinatown (1974), the film’s unforgettable closing words spoken by Lawrence Walsh. NEXT → 05 Which movie features this iconic line?“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” ANo Country for Old Men (2007) BThere Will Be Blood (2007) CThe Master (2012) DGangs of New York (2002) EPhantom Thread (2017) ✓ Correct! Daniel Day-Lewis’s explosive monologue as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. ✗ Not quite — it’s There Will Be Blood (2007). Three of these options are Paul Thomas Anderson films, but only one has this line. NEXT → 06 Which movie features this iconic line?“After all, tomorrow is another day.” AWuthering Heights (1939) BRebecca (1940) CGone with the Wind (1939) DThe Philadelphia Story (1940) EMrs. Miniver (1942) ✓ Correct! Scarlett O’Hara’s defiant closing words in Gone with the Wind. ✗ Not quite — it’s Gone with the Wind (1939), Scarlett O’Hara’s final line in the film. NEXT → 07 Which movie features this iconic line?“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?” AMean Streets (1973) BRaging Bull (1980) CThe Deer Hunter (1978) DTaxi Driver (1976) ESerpico (1973) ✓ Correct! Robert De Niro’s iconic mirror scene as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. ✗ Not quite — it’s Taxi Driver (1976). Every option here stars De Niro, but this mirror scene is his alone. NEXT → 08 Which movie features this iconic line?“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” AThe Godfather (1972) BThe Godfather Part II (1974) CGoodfellas (1990) DCasino (1995) EScarface (1983) ✓ Correct! Peter Clemenza’s casually chilling order after a hit in The Godfather. ✗ Not quite — it’s The Godfather (1972), spoken by Clemenza. Not Part II — the original. REVEAL MY SCORE → The Credits Roll YOUR FINAL SCORE 🎬 / 8 How well do you know your cinema classics? ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ As a boy, Antinous manipulated Sinon into taking his place when he was selected to join Odysseus' forces headed to Troy, promising to take care of Sinon's family in his absence. Instead, Sinon's father was abandoned by Antinous and died in poverty. Likewise, Antinous repeatedly claims he would have been a great soldier had Odysseus let him come. Incredibly cruel while demanding the hospitality of Penelope and Telemachus, Antinous does not die first as he does in Homer's original poem. Instead, he becomes the last suitor to die by Odysseus' hands when the King of Ithaca finally returns home and reveals himself, shoving Sinon's token down Antinous' throat with the words: "I give you back your shame."​​​​​​​ 5 Sinon Perhaps no supporting character benefits more from Nolan's reinterpretation than Sinon (Elliot Page). Originally appearing in Virgil's Aeneid rather than Homer's Odyssey, Sinon was the spy who tricked Troy into accepting the wooden horse as a gift. However, Nolan makes some major changes with the reveal that Sinon volunteered to speak with the Trojans without ever being told the truth about Odysseus' true plan, a fact made even worse after Sinon was murdered before the horse was taken back to Troy. Having also been betrayed by Antinous before the war even began, Sinon is a major victim of multiple deceptions. Likewise, Sinon's role in the Underworld is incredibly significant as it forces Odysseus to grapple with his own guilt and shame. Rather than speaking primarily with legendary heroes, Odysseus shares one of the film's most emotional conversations with this former young soldier, who entrusts him with the token that ultimately seals Antinous' fate. 4 Penelope Anne Hathaway's Penelope remains a central emotional heart of The Odyssey. While she spends much of the film separated from Odysseus, nearly every decision he makes is driven by his desire (and fear) of returning to her in Ithaca. As seen in the movie's third act, Nolan highlights a new reluctance from Odysseus to go home after all he'd done in Troy, having broken Zeus' law like never before with the massive deception that was the Trojan Horse. It's not just distance or divine intervention delaying him but his own guilt and shame, believing that "to burn Troy was to burn the world entire" as the beginning of the current civilization's end. However, Penelope is not just the motivator behind both Odysseus's desire and caution to return home. She never loses faith waiting for her husband's return in Ithaca, and her determination to delay the suitors for years highlights her strength and resolve. 3 Telemachus Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Tom Holland's Telemachus and his search for news about his father provide audiences with crucial insight into Odysseus' legacy while also expanding Ithaca's role in this new cinematic retelling of Homer's epic. Likewise, Telemachus' reunion with the father he's never truly known is undoubtedly one of the movie's most emotional high points. After helping his father retake their home from the suitors, Telemachus ascends as the new King of Ithaca while Odysseus and Penelope journey into the west, a powerful passing of the torch. 2 Athena Rather than constantly appearing in divine form, Athena in Nolan's The Odyssey manifests herself in Odysseus's psyche as a priestess. Played by Zendaya, this priestess was beheaded in front of Odysseus at the same time Athena's statue was also beheaded during Troy's fall. Repeatedly appearing before Odysseus in his mind, Athena serves as both Odysseus' guide as she does in Homer's poem while also serving as a tragic physical embodiment of his shame and guilt, one of Nolan's most fascinating character interpretations, especially when the presence/influence of the rest of the gods is kept off-screen. 1 Odysseus Of course, no character in The Odyssey is more essential than Matt Damon's Odysseus himself as the central protagonist. Every storyline, relationship, and encounter revolves around his struggle to reconcile the legendary king he once was with the broken man he has become after Troy, and the desire to reclaim the identity he once had. Nolan's reinterpretation, showcasing Odysseus having guilt and shame over the Trojan Horse, is fascinating and easily one of the movie's greatest strengths. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.