| “ | You bet.Let's go blow Kronos back into a million pieces. | ” |
–Beckendorf talking to Percy, in The Last Olympian | ||
Charles "Charlie" Beckendorf is a Greek demigod son of Hephaestus. He was the head counselor of Cabin 9 at Camp Half-Blood and the lover of Silena Beauregard before his death, which occurred when the Princess Andromeda blew up during a tactical assault with Percy Jackson, shortly before the Battle of Manhattan.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Sea of Monsters
While in the camp armory, Beckendorf seems to be the only nice person to Tyson, even though he is a Cyclops and perhaps because Cyclopes work for his father, Hephaestus, in his forges. He also gives Tyson a pile of scraps which is later made into Percy's watch shield. At the end of the novel, he fights for Cabin Nine's chariot. He is defeated by Percy when the latter threw back Beckendorf's own Greek fire.
The Titan's Curse
Beckendorf participates in the Capture the Flag game between Camp Half-Blood and the Hunters of Artemis, on the side of Camp Half-Blood. As the head of the Hephaestus' cabin, it was compulsory for Beckendorf to attend the meeting which determined who would go forth and rescue the goddess Artemis. He suggests that the quest members avoid any deserts which complied with one of the prophecy lines: 'And one shall be lost in the land without rain.'
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Percy and Tyson visit Beckendorf at the forges and Tyson impresses Beckendorf with his crafting ability by showing what he has learned and how to make magic weapons. He and Silena Beauregard are paired for camp game by Quintus, which Beckendorf looks pretty happy about. Also, Beckendorf takes part in the battle at Camp Half-Blood, and helps to set up several traps for the Titan Lord Kronos' army so that they can't get onto the main trail from the woods and destroy camp.
The Demigod Files
The Bronze Dragon
At the beginning of a game of Capture the Flag, Beckendorf tells Percy that Annabeth likes him and advises Percy to invite her to the fireworks. Beckendorf is later captured by the Myrmekes during the game and dragged to the Ant Hill. Later, he is rescued by Percy Jackson, Silena Beauregard, Annabeth Chase, and the Bronze Dragon. He escapes and they all fight the Bronze Dragon, who has gone haywire. Then he gets the courage to ask Silena to the fireworks.
The Last Olympian
Percy Jackson, the one who helped Beckendorf to blow up the ship
Beckendorf is sent with Blackjack to retrieve Percy from Rachel to go onto the Princess Andromeda on a covert mission. Before going into battle he looked at a photo of his girlfriend, Silena. He plants the bombs while Percy causes a distraction, but is captured and brought to Kronos, who fights Percy on the boat's deck. Beckendorf detonates the bombs through a disguised watch. Due to the fact that there was a spy at Camp Half Blood, Beckendorf gives Percy enough time to get off the ship and into the sea, sacrificing himself in the explosion. Ironically, the spy is Beckendorf`s own girlfriend, Silena. Beckendorf, who makes it to Elysium, talks to Nico di Angelo, wanting him to tell Percy that he does not blame him for his death. Nico also tells Percy that he awaits for someone. Silena, his girlfriend and a daughter of Aphrodite, dies in the Battle of Manhattan from drakon's poison while fighting one. She joins Beckendorf in Elysium. This indicates that the person who he was waiting for was his girlfriend, Silena.
The Heroes of Olympus
The Lost Hero
Leo Valdez, his half-brother
While Beckendorf does not make an actual appearance, the new head of the Hephaestus cabin, Jake Mason, talks about him fondly and offers Leo Valdez his old bunk. When Leo finds out that Beckendorf had died, he asks if Beckendorf died in the bed, but feels only slightly reassured when told that he didn't. It is also learned that his cabin mates believe a curse had been placed on their cabin after his death; anything they tried to make or fix turns to junk. It is stated that when Beckendorf was alive, he reactivated the Bronze Dragon and it only listened to him. After his death, the dragon goes berserk and attacks the camp, adding to the supposed curse on the cabin.
Personality
While physically imposing, Charles has been described as kindhearted and hard working. He doesn't talk a lot, but when he talked, people listened as it would always be important. He was also shy, being afraid to ask Silena out to the firework show, until she risked her life to save him. Like other children of Hephaestus, he enjoys the company of machines as people (especially women) are much more complicated. It was stated he had numerous good friends, even having a soft spot for Tyson, a Cyclops, as he was a good worker and Beckendorf's father, Hephaestus, would use Cyclopes in his forges.
Fear
Though not mentioned in the series, it is stated in The Ultimate Guide that children of Hephaestus generally have a fear of heights, coming from when Hephaestus was thrown off Mount Olympus by his mother, Hera, or in some cases his father Zeus. This fear doesn't seem to bother Beckendorf as he is able to fly on Blackjack to find Percy Jackson at the beginning of The Last Olympian.
Appearance
Beckendorf is described as a huge African-American "dude" with a permanent scowl, muscles like a pro ballplayer, and hands 'like catcher's mitts' which were calloused from working in the armory all day. Percy mentions in The Last Olympian before going to the Princess Andromeda that "he made most monsters cry for their mommies".
Abilities
- He can make anything with his hands.
- Technokinesis: As a son of Hephaestus, he could control machines.
- He could understand, communicate and sense machinery.
- Because he is a demigod child of Hephaestus, he could instinctively fly or drive any mechanical vehicle expertly, including cars, trains, or helicopters.
- He could sense faults in a metal ore.
- He could identify mechanical type and use by touch.
- He is a strong fighter.
Relationships
Love Interest
Silena Beauregard
In The Bronze Dragon, it is said that Beckendorf has had a not-so-secret crush on Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite for three years. At the end of the short story, Beckendorf asks Silena to the firework show, which is the most romantic camp event that Camp Half-Blood has to offer. The moment where he finally works up enough courage to ask Silena out may have been planned by Silena with Annabeth's help, but the smiling girls won't confirm this when Percy confronts them about it. During The Last Olympian, they are in a serious relationship. Silena was also the only person who called him "Charlie." This is an ironic (and coincidental) relationship, as their parents are married on Mount Olympus. However, unlike their parents the two truly love each other.
When he dies, Silena is heartbroken, but she later joins him in Elysium in the Underworld.
Hephaestus, his father
Etymology
The word "char", another word for burn, can be found in his first name as his father is the god of fire. This is unlikely to be deliberate, however, as Rick Riordan stated, on his official website, that Beckendorf was named after one of his former students. The name Charles derives from a German word meaning "man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic element hari meaning "army, warrior". His last name, Beckendorf is of German origin and is composed of "Becken" (meaning pelvis or powl) and "Dorf" (meaning village).
Trivia
- His relationship with Silena Beauregard may be a reference to the marriage of Hephaestus and Aphrodite, even though the two were much more closer.
- Beckendorf's physical description also fits Rick Riordan's description of Walt Stone from The Kane Chronicles trilogy.
- His bed, #1A, can retract into a private area in the floor. It is equipped with many gadgets, such as a mini-fridge and a game system.
- Beckendorf slept at Bunk 1-A at his cabin.
- Leo Valdez is the successor of Beckendorf's bed.
- Silena Beauregard refused to do Aphrodite's Rite of Passage while she dated Beckendorf. She was the only to take this action before Piper McLean.
- Beckendorf is also the only person other than Percy who was friendly with Tyson in the start of The Sea of Monsters. This was said to be because the Cyclopes were very skilled in his father's forges.
- Oddly, Charles is only referred to by his last name, "Beckendorf," rather than his first name. Only Silena fondly called him "Charlie." Possibly displaying how close the two were before their deaths.