A Guide to All “The Odyssey” Characters, Mythical Creatures, Gods and Goddesses

‘The Odyssey’ follows Matt Damon’s King Odysseus as he battles his way back to Ithaca

NEED TO KNOW

• Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey reimagines Homer’s epic with Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope
• The film follows Odysseus as he fights various mythical beings and monsters to return to Ithaca
• The Odyssey features an ensemble cast including Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron

The Odyssey has finally arrived!

The highly-anticipated Christopher Nolan film hit theaters on July 17 and has reintroduced Homer’s ancient Greek epic to the masses. The movie stars Matt Damon as King Odysseus as he embarks on a dangerous quest to regain his kingdom and return home after the Trojan War.

However, along the way, Odysseus has to fight off various monsters, gods and mythical creatures. At the same time, his family back home — which includes wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) — has to protect his reign.

The film also stars Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron, among others.

Here’s everything to know about The Odyssey characters, mythical creatures and gods.

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Odysseus

King Odysseus, portrayed by Damon, is the protagonist of The Odyssey.

Both the poem and the film center around Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, who battles his way back home after the Trojan War.

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Penelope

While Odysseus is fighting gods and mythical creatures in his quest, his wife, Penelope and Queen of Ithaca, is also doing everything she can to keep Ithaca under the reign of her husband.

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Telemachus

Tom Holland plays Odysseus’ son — who was just a baby when his father left for the Trojan War —the prince of Ithaca, Telemachus.

Just like his mother, Telemachus is determined to protect the kingdom of Ithaca.

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Eumaeus

Eumaeus, who is portrayed by John Leguizamo, is Odysseus’ loyal servant who helps him reclaim the kingdom of Ithaca.

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Eurylochus

Himesh Patel stars as Eurylochus.

Although he’s the second-in-command, Eurylochus struggles with decision-making and following all of Odysseus’ orders.

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Athena

Throughout Odysseus’ dangerous journey, he has the protection of Athena (Zendaya), who is the daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom.

Athena appears by Odysseus' side during his hardest moments, guiding him on his way home.

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Calypso

While Odysseus has Athena in his corner, he still to has worry about other gods and creatures — including the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron).

In the text, when Odysseus ventures to her island of Ogygia, he is held prisoner by Calypso for seven years after she tries to make him her immortal husband.

In the movie, Calypso is portrayed less cruelly, and is depicted as being in love with Odysseus.

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Circe

Odysseus finds himself in trouble, once again, when he comes across the witch and goddess Circe (Samantha Morton) on her island.

In the poem, Circe turns Odysseus’ men into animals with the demand that she’ll only turn them back if he sleeps with her, to which he obliges.

The two remain together for a year. However, in the movie, she ultimately lets him and his men go within the day after Odysseus confronts her.

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Cyclops

Bill Irwin plays a Cyclops, specifically Polyphemus, who is also the son of the Greek god Poseidon.

The Cyclops imprisons and tries to eat Odysseus and his crew of men after they land on his island, but before he can do so, Odysseus blinds him and escapes.

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Antinous

Back at the home front of Ithaca, Penelope and Telemachus are fighting off suitors who want to wed Penelope and take over the kingdom.

One of the most persistent suitors is Antinous, who tries to kill Telemachus in order to secure the title.

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The Sirens

Of all the mythical creatures Odysseus and his crew come across, the Sirens are among the most dangerous.

The mythical creatures are part-woman, part-bird monsters, who live to lure passing sailors to their deaths. Odysseus must lead his crew past the Sirens without hearing them and falling victim.

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Scylla

Another terrifying monster that Odysseus must overcome is Scylla, the giant six-headed man-eating monster.

Scylla lives in a cave and tries to capture and eat Odysseus’ men.

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Charybdis

Unfortunately for Odysseus, Scylla is only one part of the threatening monsters.

Sea monster Charybdis lives across from Scylla and causes destruction and death by acting as a massive whirlpool.

Odysseus and his crew must navigate the passageway between both Scylla and Charybdis.

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Laestrygonians

While on the island of Telepylos, Odysseus and his men come across the Laestrygonians, a tribe of cannibalistic giant monsters.

In Homer's poem, King Antiphates, who rules the Laestrygonians, and a princess initially welcome the men, but the Laestrygonians lure them into a harbor, attack them and destroy a majority of Odysseus’ ships.

In the movie, the scene occurs much quicker — Odysseus' men are swiftly confronted by the giants before running for shore.

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Agamemnon

In addition to the life-threatening monsters, Odysseus is also battling his inner thoughts of how life could be different if he ever returns to Ithaca.

He frequently sees the spirit of Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) — the late Greek king of Mycenae — who was killed by his wife and her lover after he made it home from war.

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Menelaus

Jon Bernthal stars as the Greek king of Sparta, Menelaus, who is also Agamemnon’s brother and Helen of Troy’s husband.

Menelaus steps in as a father-like figure to Telemachus and joins him in his journey to find Odysseus.

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Helen / Clytemnestra

Lupita Nyong’o takes on two roles in The Odyssey as twin sisters Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Helen is the queen of Sparta whose kidnapping by the Trojans ignited the Trojan War in the first place. Just like her husband, Helen of Troy also offers to help Telemachus.

Meanwhile, Clytemnestra is the late Agamemnon’s wife who killed the king after he returned from Troy.

In The Odyssey poem, Clytemnestra is already dead, so her spirit appears to show how Penelope could have given into the temptation of her suitors but didn’t.

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Melantho

Melantho (Mia Goth) is a lifelong maidservant of Odysseus and Penelope who was raised by Penelope.

Melantho shows that she is disloyal and betrays the family by having an affair with one of Penelope’s suitors and making fun of a disguised Odysseus.

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Sinon

Sinon, who is portrayed by Elliot Page, is a Greek soldier and Odysseus’ cousin.

Sinon served alongside his cousin in the Trojan War and became known as the person who orchestrated the famed Trojan Horse maneuver.

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