All 9 Mythological Figures in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'

Every Mythological Figure in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey,' Ranked Image via Universal Pictures Published Jul 21, 2026, 7:15 PM EDT Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts. Sign in to your Collider account Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.The most anticipated movie of 2026 was by far The Odyssey, but now that Christopher Nolan's epic adventure movie is now out, fans are going in droves to see it. While the film did have some online controversy before it came out, that has mostly washed away, with glowing reviews from critics and fans alike shining brightest. The Odyssey has already made over $260 million in its first weekend, meaning there is a likely chance that it will make over a billion dollars, which would be Nolan's third movie to do so. There are plenty of things to love about The Odyssey, from the deeply personal tale of Odysseus (Matt Damon) trying to get home to the symbolism of the Siege of Troy. However, any good mythological and adventure story has to feature gods, monsters, and other magical beings, and The Odyssey is no different. That is why this list will rank every mythological figure in Nolan's The Odyssey based on importance, portrayal, authenticity, relevance, originality, and overall quality. This film took a lot of liberties and left many things out, but these nine beings were still a highlight of the film. 9 Charybdis Image via Universal Pictures Near the middle of the film, Odysseus and his crew need to make a very important decision: whether to sail past a whirlpool that will either kill the entire crew or sail neatly past it, or risk going through a small rock formation that could also destroy the ship. Odysseus, of course, knows what the answer should be, but he withholds it from his crew. He says they should take the whirlpool route, but the crew chooses otherwise. However, it isn't just a normal whirlpool; it is actually Charybdis, a sea monster that swallows the ocean. Out of all the monsters and beings in The Odyssey, Charybdis was the least consequential and mainly just a quick appearance since the crew didn't take that route. The original myth had Charybdis as an actual monster, but this movie had it be a natural phenomenon instead. Still, what makes Charybdis stand out is the sheer scale and look of the beast, making an authentically crushing sensation that proves this is already one of Nolan's best adventure movies. 8 The Laestrygonians Image via Universal Pictures One of the most marketed aspects of the film was these giant silver warriors who easily dismantled much of Odysseus' crew, but who actually are they? The Laestrygonians are a race of giant cannibals, and while they don't eat people in Nolan's The Odyssey, they still kill two-thirds of his crew. With the help of the winding woods, they killed a starving crew of sailors, with only Odysseus and his men escaping. Nolan needed a reason to kill more of Odysseus' crew, and that is where the Laestrygonians came in, with their only purpose being to shrink the number of sailors. Any other part of the film could have been substituted for this, but the Laestrygonians made for a more compelling fight scene that showed the helplessness of the crew and the fierce might of these cannibals. It was an eerie and terrifying moment, but it felt a bit rushed and sudden, feeling forced into the film just so fans had a reason why most of Odysseus' crew perished. 7 Scylla Image via Universal Pictures As mentioned earlier, Odysseus' crew had to make a pivotal decision between a tight passageway through some rocks or sailing past a whirlpool. They avoided Charybdis, which would have killed them all, opting for the safer route. However, inside the cove was another monstrous being, Scylla. This six-armed beast tore through the ship and ate a handful of the crew. Like Charybdis, Scylla only had a brief cameo in the film, but its impact is much greater. Devouring most of the crew and leaving the remaining few in doubt of their leader created a dire shift in the story, prompting a later mutiny. The sudden jump scare and ominous design of the creature left an instant impression on fans, proving to be a unique take on the beast that left its mark on the audience and story. 6 Sirens Image via Universal Pictures The Odyssey is a famous story, but there were many parts that are more popular than others. The Sirens, for example, are much more widely known than the Laestrygonians. Knowing they would pass through the rocks with the Sirens, Odysseus' crew put wax in their ears in order not to hear their tempting song. Odysseus, on the other hand, ties himself to the mast in order to hear what no man has heard before. However, what starts off as beautiful turns into his worst nightmare. One soldier also gives in, taking the wax out and swimming off the boat. Many different works portray the Sirens as different creatures, with the original having them be half-human, half-bird creatures that lured ships to crash into the rocks with their song. In Percy Jackson, they are stone beings that take the form of whom the person loves the most. In Nolan's The Odyssey, the Sirens are mermaids that offer a sweet song that acts as an impossible itch to scratch. This adaptation feels more like pirate folklore, but it is still unique in the way that Odysseus cried in agony when not able to scratch the itch, experiencing more pain than joy, making it a fresh take on one of the greatest fantasy books of all time. Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz Which Lord of the RingsCharacter Are You? One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide. 💍Frodo 🌿Samwise 👑Aragorn 🔥Gandalf 🏹Legolas ⚒️Gimli 👁️Sauron 🪨Gollum BEGIN YOUR QUEST → 01 You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders. AAccept it. Someone has to, and running changes nothing. BStay by the side of whoever carries it. They shouldn't go alone. CStep forward and lead. This is exactly what I was made for. DIt's mine now. I won't let anyone else have it. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis. AFollow them without hesitation. I'd rather die beside them than live without them. BRally others and forge a plan to help — strength in numbers. COffer wisdom and guidance. My counsel may save them where swords cannot. DLet them go. Only the strong survive, and sentiment is a weakness. NEXT QUESTION → 03 Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it. ADestroy it. Nothing good comes from power this absolute. BUse it to protect those I love — just this once. CWield it wisely. I have the will and the knowledge to do good with it. DSeize it. I have waited long enough. It belongs to me. NEXT QUESTION → 04 What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are. AA simple, peaceful place — green hills, good food, no adventure required. BWherever the people I love are. Home is a feeling, not a place. CA kingdom I must earn before I can truly claim it as mine. DI lost it long ago. That loss is what drives everything I do. NEXT QUESTION → 05 When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not. ASurvive by any means. I'm not a fighter — but I'll do what I must. BFight for the person beside me, not for glory or honour. CLead the charge. Nothing inspires an army like a king at the front. DStrike from range, fast and precise — never let them get close. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask. AListen, then offer honest encouragement. Sometimes people just need belief. BGive them practical help — words are fine, but action is better. CSpeak carefully. I have seen much, and I know what counsel can cost. DTell them what they want to hear. Trust is a tool like any other. NEXT QUESTION → 07 How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind. ASmall and ordinary — but perhaps that's exactly why I was chosen. BDefined entirely by who I serve and love. I am nothing without them. CForged by hardship into something the world has not yet fully seen. DDiminished from what I once was — and consumed by the need to reclaim it. NEXT QUESTION → 08 Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen. AI find peace in it — forests, rivers, open skies. Nature restores me. BI prefer the earth underfoot — stone, mines, solid and real things. CI have watched the world change for longer than most can comprehend. DNature offers hiding places, cold water, raw fish. That's enough for me. NEXT QUESTION → 09 You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character. AShow mercy. Even the most broken souls deserve a chance at redemption. BPity them — but never trust them. They made their choices. CSee them as a tool. Their knowledge or skills may still serve a purpose. DDestroy them before they can cause more harm. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford. NEXT QUESTION → 10 When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories. AThat an ordinary person did an extraordinary thing — and came home. BThat I never abandoned the person who needed me most. CThat I was worthy of the crown — and everything it demanded. DNothing. I don't need songs. I needed it, and now it's gone. REVEAL MY FATE → The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earthThe scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people. 💍 Frodo 🌿 Samwise 👑 Aragorn 🔥 Gandalf 🏹 Legolas ⚒️ Gimli 👁️ Sauron 🪨 Gollum You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is. You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one. You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you. You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late. Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them. You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything. You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct. You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 5 Tiresias Image via Universal Pictures Continuing on their quest home, Odysseus and the rest of his soldiers are lost, and in order to know how to get back, they must visit Hades, also known as the Underworld, where the lake of fire and ice combine. Reaching their destination, they sacrifice some sheep to summon Tiresias (James Remar), a blind prophet, and the Shades, the fallen soldiers who besieged Troy alongside Odysseus, which include Sinon (Elliot Page) and Agamemnon (Benny Safdie). Tiresias is sometimes portrayed as a mortal and sometimes as a mythological being, but considering he was blessed by the gods with foresight, he is eligible for this list. Tiresias served as a crucial character in directing Odysseus on his journey home, foreshadowing what will happen to him and his crew if they do not heed his warning of Helios' sun cows. The Shades also offer a more personal connection to Odysseus that forces him to confront the ugly truth of Troy and those who died, which made him question his own desires and past triumphs. 4 Calypso Odysseus' first appearance in The Odyssey is on the beach alongside Calypso (Charlize Theron), a beautiful nymph. It tells the story of him remembering past events while on the beach, learning he got there after the storm of Zeus' and Helios' rage capsized their ship, killing their crew and leaving Odysseus on this island without any memories. Calypso feeds him the lotus flower to be at ease, but also to keep him there since she fell in love with him. On top of being in love with him, Calypso didn't let Odysseus leave because he still had remaining doubts about going back home, mainly because he was tortured over what he did in Troy. The Odyssey spent a lot of time with her and fleshed out her character, making her more of a tragic, lonely soul instead of a selfish nymph. Her direct decision essentially led to the main story of The Odyssey, considering she kept him on the beach for seven years. 3 Polyphemus Image via Universal Pictures In desperate need of food, Odysseus and his crew land on an island to get the supplies they need, which is when they encounter a sheep. Following it up to a cave, they find bags of cheese, but the person who made them turns out to be the Cyclops known as Polyphemus. He ate many members of the crew, but they managed to escape by blinding him with a burning stick and escaping with the sheep. The film left it open to interpretation whether Polyphemus knew they were escaping or not, simply letting them leave since they caused him such a headache. Nolan made a lot of changes in The Odyssey compared to the original story. Some were great, and others were not so well-received, but the biggest scene they took out was their conversation with Polyphemus and the iconic "nobody is attacking me" moment. Still, this version was a much better fit for Nolan's vision, considering how the crew didn't even attempt to converse with the beast, simply resorting to violence first, playing into the themes of abandoning Zeus' principles and them being the Sea People. The massive puppet was completely practical, adding to the sense of dread and immersion. Polyphemus is a highlight of the film and a critical part of the main message, on top of being absolutely stunning in terms of practicality. 2 Circe Image via Universal Pictures A lot of the exploration in The Odyssey comes from the crew needing provisions, and that is exactly how they stumble upon Circe (Samantha Morton). After their crew forces Odysseus to stay and hunt, they are turned into pigs by the witch, who resents them for their greedy and barbaric ways. Odysseus catches on to this and doesn't eat the stew, taking her sister captive and striking a deal to release her if she brings back his crew. Circe was one of the most fascinating characters in The Odyssey, being depicted as a tragic character who resents men for the way they treat her. This unique depiction was a brilliant change, but she further established herself as one of the best characters through the grotesque transformation sequence. She brutally disfigured and shaped the soldiers into pigs, resembling a potter melding clay. It was such a visually striking and intimate spell of disgust that stood out as one of the best moments in The Odyssey. 1 Athena Image via Universal Pictures Almost all the characters on this list are either monsters or some sort of magical being, but the book was known for having many gods. Nolan took out most of them, only being mentioned in name or divine act, but one face who appeared was Athena (Zendaya). Athena was a constant presence who spoke to Odysseus in moments of crisis, reminding him of his mission and offering him guidance. While fans would have loved to see more gods in The Odyssey, it was clear that this wasn't that kind of movie, especially since Athena's depiction is up for interpretation. She could have been the physical manifestation of the deity guiding him, or she could have been a representation of his guilt and broken psyche after destroying Troy, since she took the form of an innocent girl he killed. The pin given to him by his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) was meant to be a good luck charm, but Athena herself was more of a reminder of his trauma. This was a brilliant change and fascinating depiction that proves The Odyssey is Nolan's finest work.