Why Did Luke Steal The Lightning Bolt In Percy Jackson?

The "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" novels follow their core heroes as they find their respective places in society and learn to demand and expect more from their parents and the world at large. Throughout the series, the Greek gods don't treat their demigod children particularly well. They ignore their kids for years at a time, demand sacrifices, send them on life-threatening quests, and severely punish them for the smallest slights or signs of disrespect. The gods, by and large, are depicted in Rick Riordan's books as vain, overly prideful characters, and it's their behavior that makes Luke grow to resent both them and their power.

Bitter over the gods' detached, occasionally cruel treatment of their children, Luke teams up with Kronos to try to tear Olympus down. He never succeeds in persuading Percy or Annabeth to his cause, but they both understand and relate to his negative feelings about the gods. His actions ultimately influence Percy and Annabeth in meaningful ways, and his driving beliefs reinforce the series' themes about expecting better from those in power.

It remains to be seen how faithfully the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Disney+ series adapts Luke's story, but his and his fellow demigods' shared bitterness toward their powerful parents has already been established well on the show. As a result, if there's one thing non-book readers likely won't ever be confused about throughout the live-action series, it's why Luke chose to steal Zeus' Master Bolt and rebel against the gods.