Philoctetes

**Philoctetes** (better known as **Phil**) is the tritagonist of Disney's 1997 animated feature film, *Hercules*. He is a crotchety, old Satyr (half-human, half-goat) who served as a trainer of heroes in Ancient Greece—most notably, Achilles and the powerful demigod, Hercules.

## Character Information

### Home:

His isle
Thebes

## Other

### Enemies:

Hades, Megara (formerly), Pain and Panic, The Titans

## Physical Description

### Appearance:

A small, chubby Satyr, horns with black and red stripes

## Personality

Although he has a big heart, Phil is easily annoyed. He dislikes and becomes angry at others who ignore him or refuse to grant him respect. Philoctetes was the wisecracking trainer of heroes, having done it before with miscellany of legends including Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Achilles, all of them didn't work out despite's Phil's efforts. Until he was convinced by Hercules to help him become a true hero, Phil was disappointed so much the last thing he needed was to be let down by some starry-eyed yahoo with more muscles than brains. By imposing hundreds of Philoctetes' hero rules, and constant days of practice, Hercules transformed from klutzy boy into hero material. When not busy training heroes, he spends his time watching beautiful women and flirting with them, only to usually face rejection. He also has a rare condition called Pica, characterized by eating things that are not considered edible. For example, Phil eats a bowl (without fruit) and flowers. This is probably due to him being half goat.

## Appearances

### Hercules

At the command of his father Zeus, Hercules travels to Phil's island with Pegasus to begin his training. He stumbles upon Phil watching Nymphs bathing, angering the Satyr when they flee at his arrival. Hercules introduces himself and his purpose, though Phil refuses to hear his plea, insisting he had retired having done it before, with a chronologically Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Achilles. None of those heroes didn't work out as the many failures he had trained in the past. The last thing he needed was to be let down by some starry-eyed yahoo with more muscles than brains. Even with a tremendous display of strength and the claim that he is the son of Zeus, Phil refuses to believe him or train him. It is not until a lightning bolt sent by Zeus comically strikes Phil (during the number "One Last Hope") that he believes the story and settles on taking the demigod into his hands.

Seasons pass as Hercules trained under Phil's counsel before the training is complete, and the two are ready to begin their work. They begin flying to Thebes, a rough city in Greece, before being sidetracked by the cry of Megara, whom they believe to be a "damsel in distress" in need of saving from Nessus. After Megara is rescued, Phil flirts with her but is rejected, distrusting her immediately. The trio of Pegasus, Hercules, and Phil then continue their flight to the unfortunate city, where Phil loses his patience with the disrespect shown by the citizens there. Moments later, Phil joined Hercules in the canyon, where the two became aware of a weird hissing sound and the Hydra emerged from a cave. Phil ran for cover and tried to coach as Hercules fought the Hydra. When the Hydra swallowed Hercules whole, Phil shakes his head, and when the Hydra grows a dozen heads, Phil yells that the young hero's "head-slicing" plan wasn't working. After Hercules defeats the Hydra, that Phil receives recognition for his efforts. From there on, Phil keeps Hercules on a strict schedule while enjoying the benefits of wealth and glory.

When Hercules goes off to train and accidentally leaves his mentor behind in a garden, Phil witnesses Meg speaking with Hades, who had Meg seduce Hercules in order to learn of a possible weakness. Phil hurries to the stadium in which Hercules is training and insists that Meg is tricking him (although this is only an assumption, as he didn't stick around long enough to hear that Meg was actually refusing to work for Hades anymore). Hercules ignores him the first few times before becoming so overcome with anger that, to his own horror, he angrily slaps and accidentally knocks back Phil. At this, a saddened Phil gives up on Hercules and attempts to return home to his island during Hercules' most vulnerable hour. It takes Meg to convince Phil to forgive his student and help as the Titans attacked.

Hercules prevails in the end, and instead of becoming a god as he had often dreamed, he stays on Earth with Phil, Pegasus, and Meg. He is overcome by a sense of unrivaled pride when the stars form a constellation in the shape of Hercules and a man shouts, "That's Phil's boy!", giving him a true sense of fulfillment as a trainer.