Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategy, makes her debut in EPIC: The Musical during the song "Warrior of the Mind", where she recounts her first encounter with a young Odysseus. To find a worthy pupil, Athena created a magical boar that only a clever warrior could defeat. Odysseus, still just a boy, succeeded by outwitting the beast, earning Athena’s respect and her offer to mentor him. They trained together for years, forging a strong bond—though Athena grew concerned when Odysseus began questioning her teachings under the influence of Polites and his “Open Arms” philosophy. She warned him not to disappoint her, showing her deep emotional investment in his growth. A lighter detail of her personality is revealed: she loves baking cakes.

Their relationship fractures during The Cyclops Saga, when Odysseus defies Athena’s values by not only sparing Polyphemus but also arrogantly revealing his identity—putting his crew in danger. Their falling out leaves Athena feeling betrayed, and she disappears from Odysseus’s life for a decade. She returns in The Wisdom Saga, where she befriends Telemachus and sees in him a chance to redeem both herself and the legacy she left behind. After a heartfelt conversation with the boy in “We’ll Be Fine,” Athena dives into Odysseus’s memories using her Quick Thought ability and discovers he’s been stranded on Calypso’s island. She confronts Zeus and challenges him to a divine trial—convincing five Olympians to vote for Odysseus’s release. Though victorious, she’s gravely wounded by Zeus’s thunderbolts in a rageful outburst.

Athena survives and continues to guide Telemachus, training him to become her new Warrior of the Mind. During the climactic events of The Ithaca Saga, she aids Telemachus in fighting the suitors. She later reunites with Odysseus in “I Can’t Help but Wonder,” expressing regret for the pain caused by her teachings. She yearns for a more empathetic world—one she now believes she helped prevent. Odysseus tells her that such a world may never come in his time, but she, being immortal, can still strive to build it. Accepting this, Athena lets him go to reunite with Penelope, marking her personal growth from a rigid mentor to a more compassionate figure. Her powers—including Quick Thought, Projection, and Life Creation—solidify her as one of the most dynamic and influential characters in the saga.