Jorge Rivera-Herrans didn't just write a musical. He basically built a sprawling, sonic universe that breathes new life into Homer’s Odyssey. If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Discord lately, you know the obsession is real. But honestly, keeping track of all characters in Epic: The Musical is a bit like trying to navigate the Charybdis whirlpool without a map. It’s chaotic. It’s loud. And every single character—from the smallest wind spirit to the King of Ithaca himself—has a specific musical "instrument" that identifies them.
You’re not just listening to a story; you’re listening to a battle of motifs.
When you look at Odysseus, he’s not the untouchable hero from your high school lit class. He’s a guy trying to get home to his wife and son. That's it. But in the world of Epic, "home" is a long way off when you’ve ticked off the god of the sea. The characters aren't just names; they are choices. Every person (or deity) Odysseus meets represents a different philosophy on how to survive a cruel world. Do you use "ruthlessness," or do you keep your heart open?
The Man of Many Ways: Odysseus and the Ithacans
Odysseus is our anchor. In the "Troy Saga," he’s clever but still clings to a shred of mercy. By the time we hit the "Thunder Saga," he’s... well, he’s been through it. Rivera-Herrans uses guitar to represent Odysseus, but the style shifts. It starts acoustic and becomes increasingly electric and distorted as his trauma piles up. He’s a man defined by his intelligence—his "open arms"—until that very trait gets his friends killed.
Then there’s Polites.
If you want to talk about the emotional core of the show, it’s him. Polites is the one who sings "Open Arms," and he represents the idealism Odysseus eventually loses. His death at the hands of the Cyclops isn't just a plot point; it’s the moment the musical’s moral compass snaps in half.
Eurylochus serves as the perfect foil. He’s Odysseus's second-in-command and, frankly, the most "human" character in the bunch. He’s cautious. He’s scared. He’s the one who calls out Odysseus when things go south. While Odysseus is playing 4D chess with the gods, Eurylochus is just trying to make sure the crew doesn't starve to death. Their tension drives the "Circe" and "The Underworld" sagas, leading to that gut-wrenching confrontation in "Mutiny."
The Gods Among Us: Power, Ego, and Brass
The gods in Epic are terrifying. They don't sound like people. They sound like forces of nature, usually backed by heavy brass and electronic synths.
Athena is the standout here. As the Goddess of Wisdom, she starts as Odysseus’s mentor. Her instrument is the piano—precise, calculated, and sharp. Their relationship in "Warrior of the Mind" defines the early part of the story. She isn't maternal. She’s a coach who gets frustrated when her star player starts showing "softness."
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But then you have Poseidon.
If Athena is a scalpel, Poseidon is a sledgehammer. When he shows up in "Ruthlessness," the entire vibe of the musical shifts. He brings this massive, aggressive orchestral energy that makes you realize exactly how outmatched the mortals are. He’s the one who forces the central question of the show: is being "good" a death sentence?
Hermes is a total vibe shift. He shows up in the "Circe Saga" with a upbeat, almost Broadway-jazz energy in "Thendless." He’s the messenger god, sure, but he’s also the only one who seems to be having any fun. He provides the "Moly" that saves Odysseus, acting as a chaotic neutral force that balances the heavy-handedness of Zeus and Poseidon.
The Monsters and the Magical
It’s not all gods and soldiers. All characters in Epic: The Musical include the creatures that haunt the Mediterranean.
Circe is a fan favorite for a reason. In the "Circe Saga," she’s portrayed not just as a villain, but as a woman who has spent centuries protecting herself from the "pigs" who land on her island. Her music is ethereal, filled with vocal layering that feels like a literal spell. When she interacts with Odysseus, it's a battle of wits that ends in a weirdly mutual respect.
The Cyclops, Polyphemus, is a tragic mess. He starts off sounding like a victim—someone just trying to tend to his sheep—until the gore starts. The sound design in the "Cyclops Saga" is brutal. You can hear the heavy thuds of his footsteps and the terrifying crunch of his club. He’s the catalyst for everything that goes wrong.
And we can't forget the Sirens. In "Suffer," they use the voices of Penelope and the crew to lure Odysseus to his death. It’s a chilling reminder that in this world, your own memories can be weaponized against you.
The Stakes at Home: Penelope and Telemachus
While Odysseus is fighting monsters, his family is fighting time.
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Penelope is the "Queen of Ithaca," and she is often heard in flashbacks or hallucinations before she appears more concretely. Her theme is tied to the cello—warm, deep, and resilient. She’s the reason Odysseus keeps going. She isn't just a "waiting wife"; she’s the standard of strength that Odysseus is trying to get back to.
Telemachus, his son, represents the legacy Odysseus left behind. He grew up without a father, surrounded by suitors who want to steal his inheritance. His struggle in Ithaca mirrors Odysseus's struggle at sea. They are both trying to find their place in a world that wants to eat them alive.
The Underworld: Ghosts of the Past
When Odysseus descends into the Underworld, he meets the ghosts of his failures.
- Anticlea: Odysseus’s mother. Her appearance is a sucker punch. She died of a broken heart waiting for him, and her song is a haunting reminder of the cost of his delay.
- Tiresias: The blind prophet. He gives the "No Longer You" prophecy, which is perhaps the most significant turning point in the show. He tells Odysseus that he will get home, but he won't be the same man who left.
- The Fallen Crew: Seeing Polites and the others again serves as the final push that turns Odysseus into the "monster" he needs to be to survive.
Why the Character Dynamics Work
What Jorge Rivera-Herrans got right is the "Humanity vs. Divinity" aspect. The humans in Epic are messy. They make mistakes. They get hungry and angry and tired. The gods are static. They are concepts.
The conflict arises when the humans try to act like gods, or when the gods try to play with human lives like chess pieces.
Take the "Cattle of the Sun God" incident. Helios doesn't even show up to argue. He just has Zeus do his dirty work. The power imbalance is the point. You feel the hopelessness of the crew in "Mutiny" and "The Thunder Bringer" because the musical treats the gods as an inevitable force, like a storm you can't outrun.
How to Keep Track of Everyone
If you’re trying to dive deeper into the lore, here’s the best way to categorize the cast in your head.
- The Navigators: Odysseus, Eurylochus, and Polites. They drive the moral debate.
- The Overseers: Athena, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hermes. They set the rules of the game.
- The Obstacles: Polyphemus, Circe, the Sirens, and Scylla. They test Odysseus’s resolve.
- The Anchor: Penelope and Telemachus. They are the "why" behind the journey.
Real-World Impact and Fan Theory
The community surrounding these characters is massive. Fans have mapped out every instrumental motif. They’ve analyzed why certain characters share "vocal runs" and what it means for their thematic connection.
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For instance, many have noted how Odysseus begins to adopt the musical styles of his enemies as he becomes more ruthless. He starts sounding more like Poseidon and less like the guy who sang with Polites. It’s a subtle bit of storytelling that you only get if you’re paying attention to the layers.
Actually, the "Monster" song is the turning point where Odysseus explicitly accepts this change. He stops trying to be the "good man" and decides to be the "monster" that gets his men (or what's left of them) home. It’s a dark, complex arc that you don't usually see in "hero" stories.
Final Insights for the Epic Fan
If you want to truly appreciate the character work in Epic, you have to listen for the "instruments."
- Listen for the viola and cello when home is mentioned.
- Track the electric guitar’s distortion as Odysseus loses his way.
- Notice how Athena’s piano disappears when she abandons Odysseus, and how it returns with a different tone later.
To get the most out of the experience, follow Jorge Rivera-Herrans on social media. He frequently posts "deep dives" into why he chose specific sounds for specific characters. It’s a masterclass in modern musical theater composition.
Also, check out the community-run wikis and Discord servers. The fans have documented every lyric change from the early snippets to the final sagas. Understanding the evolution of these characters—how they changed from the initial concepts to the final recordings—adds a whole new layer of appreciation for the project.
Don't just listen to the songs. Look at the choices. Every character in Epic is a mirror reflecting a different part of the human experience. Whether you relate to Eurylochus’s fear, Odysseus’s drive, or Penelope’s patience, there’s a piece of the story meant for you.
Keep an eye out for the final sagas. The "Vengeance" and "Ithaca" sagas will finally bring all these threads together. We’ll see how the motifs clash when Odysseus finally reaches his shores. It’s going to be loud, it’s going to be emotional, and it’s going to be—well, epic.
Start by re-listening to the "Troy Saga" and "Cyclops Saga" back-to-back. Focus specifically on the transition of the guitar. You’ll hear the exact moment the hero starts to break. It’s some of the best storytelling in the medium right now.