Why Can't You Look At Ares' True Form in Percy Jackson? What Does It Do?

Why can't you look at Ares' true form in the Percy Jackson series? When Percy defeats the God of War in exchange for the helm of Hades, Grover warns his friends they have to look away. Why is that?

Why Did Ares Start To Glow in the Percy Jackson Finale?

Credit: 20th Television | Disney Branded Television

Well, before getting into it, let's do a little recap of what happened between the trio of demigods and Ares on the beach.

After Percy Jackson figured out that the God of War stole the helm of Hades, he challenged Ares to a duel, where if he drew first blood, Ares would return what he needed.

Ares wouldn't say no to the potential of making Percy disappear, especially since he doesn't plan on getting caught for his scheme to set the Gods ablaze with each other.

Percy ended up using his powers of the sea, overpowering Ares' stance. While struggling from the water, Percy drew first blood from his leg.

This, of course, did not sit right with the God of War. Before he agreed to his end of the bargain, Ares warned the son of Poseidon that he earned an "enemy for life."

Then and there, he started to glow out of rage. Grover quickly told Percy and Annabeth to turn away from Ares' "true form."

As it turned out, Ares was merely escaping the scene by using his divine form, leaving behind Hades' helm as a sign of sticking true to his word.

This raises the question, why can't you look at Ares' true form? What happens when you do?

READ MORE: Does Gabe Ugliano Die in Percy Jackson on Disney+? Post-Credit Scene Explained

What Happens When You Look At a God's True Form?

Credit: 20th Television | Disney Branded Television

Annabeth, Grover, and Percy turned away from Ares' glowing form, as the satyr warned his friends to. But why do they have to?

A thing that viewers have to remember is that the Gods are Gods for a reason. While they can't break any of the rules they set, they are still powerful enough to make their own.

In this case, when a mortal looks at the divine immortal form of a God, they will be incinerated and destroyed, given that they're seeing the almighty in all its glory.

It is worth mentioning that despite being half-bloods, the trio are still mortal, which is why Grover had them turn away when Ares was transforming and escaping the scene.

This will also not be the last time we're seeing a god turn into his "true form" within the series. Expect more of the other Greek gods in the future seasons.

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