Characters / Brutal Series Brutal

Brutal Males, District 1 - 6

Alf Meric:

• Big Eater: He goes through several days' rations for the entire Career pack quite efficiently on his own.
• Boisterous Bruiser: Loud and as eager for a fight as any other Career.
• Dumb Muscle: One chapter title is "Conclusion: Alf's Still an Idiot."
• Evil Gloating: "I bet I could kill this guy with one punch to the head."
• Evil Versus Evil: His fight with Japan, though the latter is noticeably more sympathetic.
• Freudian Excuse: In his intro chapter, he says he has a rocky relationship with his father after his parents' divorce caused his dad to drift away from him. This leads to his death, as he deliberately volunteers to annoy the old man.
• Glory Hound: Differs from Glory Seekers Lude and Japan in that he employs no discipline, restraint, or honour in his quest for recognition.
• Heroic Wannabe Motivated by a desire to be his district's hero, though not in the traditional sense of the word.
• Jerkass: Comes with the loud-and-selfish bit.
• Large Ham:
  • "And then, I can be the hero!"
  • One of the author's sketches actually shows him reciting the large ham line.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: Spends most of his time after the bloodbath being a failure. Then Japan underestimates him and is forced into a Better to Die than Be Killed situation. Subverted, in that Alf is killed as well in the attempt.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: At one point, Lude begins to suspect that his entire ghost paranoia is an act designed to fool and manipulate the others. In reality, he's overthinking things - Alf's really that stupid.
• Off with His Head!: Japan cuts off his head after killing him.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Vivi gives one to him, detailing why he isn't worthy to be in the Career pack.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Egotastic, from a family of no particular repute that's certainly not given any more because of his Games.
• Unskilled, but Strong: Goes for the kill with his bare hands.
• Villainous Glutton: A notorious Big Eater and The Brute.
• Villains Want Mercy: Begs with Thew, who he thinks is a ghost, not to kill him.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Inverted. Rather than trying to win his father's respect, he deliberately volunteers for the Games in order to tick him off.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: He has a crippling fear of ghosts, which Thew exploits.

Lude Ermany:

• Anti-Villain: He has no qualms with being a Career, but has a softer side as seen with his interactions with Ciano (especially in the 4th What If) and a dying Japan.
• Conflicting Loyalties: Between Ciano and the Career pack. Exploited by Japan when he makes him kill Ciano.
• Dirty Business: How he sees having to kill Ciano, although he doesn't regret it afterwards so much as before and as he does it.
• Epic Flail: His signature weapon is a morningstar: a big, spiky ball on a chain.
• Germanic Efficiency: Will not put up with slackery, and is a version of Germany.
• It Has Been an Honor: Says this to the dying Japan.
• Merciful Minion: Twice in the fourth What If.
• Pet the Dog: Several times: when he tolerates Ciano's antics in training, when he hesitates to kill him, and when he assures a dying Japan that It Has Been an Honor. The Fourth What If, of course, is all about this.
• The Stoic: His emotions are neutral and angry.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Only displays his softer side to Ciano and, at one point, Japan.
• Villainous Valor: Displays courage and ingenuity in battle, particularly against the fire crickets. Averted in his final battle, when he's too cold to fight back against Russia.

Thew Canda:

• And Then What?: Realizes he has no idea what to do after scaring Alf with his ghost plan.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Quiet, inconspicuous, and will not hesitate to poison your water source. If you're a Career, of course.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Subverted. Being eaten alive by wolves can't be the most pleasant way to go ... but it helps that he was unconscious the whole time.
• Death Faked for You: A series of extraordinary coincidences leads to almost everyone believing he's been killed. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long.
• Death by Irony: Killed offhandedly after working to make himself memorable; not to mention that an inconvenient cannon firing led to his death while a convenient cannon firing saved his life earlier.
• Disney Death: A cannon fires just as Alf knocks him out, tricking the Careers (not to mention the viewers) into believing he's dead.
• Eaten Alive: Mercifully, he's unconscious as the time.
• He Who Fights Monsters: Could be seen as this. He says he hates Careers for the suffering they inflict, but regrets not being able to kill Alf himself, and takes pride in bringing death to someone who 'deserves' it. Though to be fair, that someone was a borderline psychopath.
• Moose and Maple Syrup: Fulfills many Canadian stereotypes, being polite, unassuming, and overshadowed by America (Alf). Lampshaded when he describes his headache as feeling like he's been hit in the head with a hockey puck.
• Murder by Mistake:Intended to poison Alf, but ended up taking out Vivi instead.
• Non-Action Guy: His kill certainly has nothing to do with his physique.
• Shrinking Violet: He apparently can't ask a girl out without panicking and running away.
• Took a Level in Badass: When he poisons the Careers' water supply.
• Villain Corner: Starts edging into it after killing Vivi, not that he realizes it.
• Weak, but Skilled: Physically weak, but cunning enough to take down a Career and good enough at going unnoticed to make it all the way to fifth place.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: What's that you want, Thew? Recognition? Well, we'll just have to kill you off in the most offhanded and unceremonious way possible, then, won't we?

Japan Hond:

• Anti-Villain: Lives for the glory he gets from killing, but isn't an overall cruel person in his day-to-day behavior, and places greater emphasis on honouring his district's name than taking lives.
• Better to Die than Be Killed: Chooses to stab both himself and Alf rather than be strangled to death or rescued.
• Glass Cannon: Insanely fast and skilled in swordplay, but admits in his intro chapter that his defence capabilities are minimal, as he's not as muscular as the average Career.
• Honor Before Reason: A defining trait of his. Most notable when Alf has him in a stranglehold and he chooses to kill himself rather than face the shame of being rescued by Lude.
• Inscrutable Oriental: Doesn't have many facial expressions.
• Japanese Politeness: In contrast to the rest of the Careers, he rarely has a harsh word for anyone, even "trying not to sound condescending" when dealing with Alf's stupidity. He also "briefly apologizes" for not handing out water earlier in the 4th What If.
• Master Swordsman: His weapon is a katana.
• Ninja: His stealth and agility are certainly reminiscent of one; not to mention this was his angle at the interviews.
• The Quiet One: Definitely the least outspoken of the Brutal Careers, though that's not exactly saying much.
• Taking You with Me: Rather than allow Alf to strangle him to death, he plunges his sword through his own heart – "and the heart behind it."
• The Stoic: Doesn't do much smiling or yelling.
• Villainous Valor: Would do anything for the honour of his family.
• Would Hit a Girl: Decapitates Ukraine, when she's completely unaware and (relatively) defenceless, no less.

Franse Bonnefoy:

• Casanova Wannabe: He doesn't gain much ground in his pre-Games flirting.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Despite his constant flirting, he actually does seem to care about the people he's wooing, to the point of dying for one of them.
• Handsome Lech: Flirts but is described as attractive.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Dies trying to buy Wynd some time to escape. Unfortunately, it doesn't work, making this a Senseless Sacrifice
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Lampshaded when Maria mocks his 'girl hair.'
• Neck Snap:Courtesy of Alf.
• Prince Charming Wannabe: Flirts with almost all the female tributes in his intro chapter. Their reactions range from mildly flattered to disinterested to completely livid.
• Sacrificial Lamb: The first Hetalia character to die.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Doesn't get much screentime before he dies.

Ciano Idalya:

• Cheerful Child: Is described as acting like a five-year-old.
• Cloud Cuckoolander: BIG TIME. After all, what else is there to do in the Hunger Games than sit down with a nice bowl of pasta?
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Engulfed and burned alive by a swarm of red-hot crickets in the fourth What If.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Serves as this to Lude in the fourth What If. Their friendship and his violent death causes Lude to question the strict values he's believed in all his life.
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: His stylists originally thought they had been given the District 6 girl instead of the boy!
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: One of the few examples in the series to be played straight. Apart from in the fourth what if, Lude never dwells on killing him after the deed is done. Thew mourns briefly when seeing his face in the sky, but isn't too troubled afterwards.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Yes, let's go make friends with the all-business tribute trained to kill you.
• Lovable Coward: Flees from everything... adorably.
• Picky Eater: Refuses to eat cooked snake when he can request pasta.
• The Pollyanna: Is in the Hunger Games but stays perky.
• Sacrificial Lion: Dies later on in the story.
• Skewed Priorities: Seems more concerned with only getting risotto for breakfast than with staying alive.
• Too Happy to Live: Always cheerful, until just before his death.
• Too Dumb to Live: Relies on his mentor to send him pasta rather than eating the food Thew picked out.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Pasta!
• Yank the Dog's Chain: The fourth What If is built around this. He is spared from an early death ... only to receive one far more horrific.

Brutal Males, District 7 - 12

Switz Wingly

• Accidental Murder: Throws an unconscious [[spoiler: Thew to a pursuing wolf pack, thinking he is dead, in order to buy him and Liet some time.
• Deadpan Snarker: At times, such as after being told he could not volunteer as a male tribute had already been selected:
  "Well, if you’d rather dress me up in drag and pass me off for a female tribute, try that.”
• Eye Scream: Gouges an alligator’s eyes with scissors to make it let go of Liet’s leg.
• Face Death with Dignity: Throughout the entire story, he is calmly accepting of his death so long as it means Liet’s survival.
• Go Out with a Smile: Gives Liet one last smile after Takingthe Bullet for her.
• Heroic Resolve: Near the end of the story he is almost too weakened to move, but when Russia is about to kill Liet, he finds the energy to push her out of the way and take the bullet himself.
• Knight Templar Big Brother: Was entirely willing to kill Austria and Veta just for encountering their alliance, all to protect Liet. Justified, as they’re in a kill-or-be-killed situation and she’s more or less defenceless.
• Self-Sacrifice Scheme: Plans to kill himself so that Liet can win the Games.
• Senseless Sacrifice: He Takes the Bullet for Liet near the end of the Games, but this leaves her without a protector against an advancing Russia. Justified in that he probably wasn’t thinking clearly and it’s really all he could do in the moment.
• WTH, Costuming Department?: Doesn’t think much of being dressed up in high heels and a too-tight suit during the interviews.

Austria Edel:

• Brainy Brunette: His one sellable trait is knowing edible plants.
• Cynicism Catalyst: His death contributes greatly to Veta's Broken Bird status in the epilogue.
• Elegant Classical Musician: While a broke orphan, he's at his best playing piano.
• Et Tu, Brute?: Switz acts as though his flight from their alliance was a great betrayal.
• Friendless Background: He states that, apart from Veta and the music store owner, he has no loved ones to visit him after his reaping.
• Go Through Me: Places himself between Switz and Veta at one point during a tense standoff, when the former is threatening to shoot.
• Heartwarming Orphan: In backstory; he was raised in an orphanage but found a father-figure of sorts in the music store owner who nurtured his skill at the piano.
• Killed Off for Real: At Gil's hands.
• Love Hurts: Especially when you're reaped alongside your fiancee.
• Love Cannot Overcome: He dies and Veta lives on alone and heartbroken.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: He has shades of this with Veta. She's brash, determined and a good fighter, while he's refined, artistic and poor at combat.
• Non-Action Guy: Not a fighter.
• So Happy Together: His and Veta's makeshift wedding and the scene where they warm their hands over the fire together serve as this for the couple.
• Stoic Spectacles: Has glasses and doesn't tend to express much emotion.
• Wartime Wedding: He and Veta are married halfway through the Games.

Russia Bragins:

• Actual Pacifist: At first. In backstory, he refused to lift a finger against Vahn even when being beaten up, and Toris notes that he was reluctant to go to combat stations in training.
• The Bad Guy Wins: He is the Victor of the second and fourth What Ifs.
• Big Little Brother: Stated to be taller than all the tributes, presumably including his elder sister Ukraine.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Against Lude. Justified, as he's accustomed to the cold of the crater while the career isn't.
• Cute and Psycho: Stays cheerful while dreaming of cutting up people.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Subverted. It seems that Ukraine's death is this for him, and while it does turn him into a far darker character, his resulting persona is far less cynical than a straight example.
• Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: Slicing children to ribbons is fun!
• Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: Seems innocent enough from the outside, apart from that giant knife...
• From Nobody to Nightmare: He refused to go to any battle stations before the Games but ends up getting to second place.
• Hypocritical Humor: "I guess she's kind of crazy, then!"
• Ignored Epiphany: He briefly wonders whether he's just as bad as the people who killed his sister, but quickly dismisses this idea as ridiculous.
• Insane Equals Violent: He wouldn't hurt a fly until after he snaps.
• Insane Troll Logic: His mind seems to run on this after he snaps. For instance, he justifies killing Toris because "the Games are better off without his pessimism," and dismisses the idea of being no different from a Career because "nobody cries over the people [he's] killed." The fact that his victims have families who are undoubtedly crying at the moment never seems to occur to him.
• Obliviously Evil: Never considers how much he's hurting people.
• Power Born of Madness: Not a threat until after he snaps.
• Psychopathic Manchild: Keeps his innocent optimism despite running about looking for victims.
• Put the "Laughter" in "Slaughter": Out to kill with a big smile.
• Sole Survivor: Of the second and fourth What Ifs. A scrapped epilogue to these, which eventually ended up as the arguable tie-in "Asylum", ended up in him being thrown into, what else, an asylum.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Never did anything against other tributes or bullies before.

Gil Prus:

• Attention Whore: Really likes to be in the spotlight.
• Blood Knight: Relishes the opportunity to kill his opponents. He even showed himself to a Career just so he could start a fight!
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Has his skull repeatedly smashed open with a frying pan. To make matters worse, it's specifically stated he was alive for nearly all of it.]]
• Egomaniac Hunter: A complete egotist who Hunts the Most Dangerous Game. To be fair, it (most likely) wasn't his choice to be thrown into a game of life and death, but he still relishes in the opportunity to hunt and kill his fellow human beings.
• Lack of Empathy: Completely remorseless for any of his murders; not to mention that his reaction upon finding his younger districtmate has asthma was that she'd be even easier to kill.
• Laughably Evil: While it doesn't detract from his villainy in any way, his over-the-top arrogance often makes him comical.
• Kick the Dog: In the second What If, after killing Veta and Austria, he kicks the latter's body for no reason other than simple malice.
• Rasputinian Death: His skull is coming apart in pieces before his cannon fires.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Someone from a non-Career district still vying for the sponsors and the kills.
• Would Hit a Girl: Kills Corianne, as well as Veta in What If.

Philan Visce:

• Like Brother and Sister: His friendship with Peyton is depicted this way in one of Number One Fan of Journey's comedic fanarts, with Peyton stressing that they're not romantically involved.
• Taking You with Me: He dies at the bloodbath, but not without taking his killer, Chia, with him.
• Token Minority: One of the few black characters in the series, along with Cuba, Shaye and Egypt.
• True Companions: Has an extremely close bond with his district partner/friend Peyton, whom he considers to be his 'twin' as they were born on the same day.
• Would Hit a Girl: To be fair, she had just mortally wounded him.

Toris Lithu:

• Doomed by Canon: In The Hunger Games, District 12 has only ever had four victors (three in the canon series, one established by Journey's other fics), so it's certain from the start that he's going to die.
• The Philosopher: Spends much of his intro chapter debating whether it's better to die in front of the entire nation in the Hunger Games or waste away in the mines with your name lost to history. If Poal is to be believed, he goes into these phases a lot.
• Properly Paranoid: Unlike Poal, he actually realizes that everything in the Games is out to kill him.
• Sacrificial Lion: Although he's not terribly important, his death has a powerful impact on the plot because it shows that Russia has become a villain.
• The Stoic: Doesn't have many emotional highs or lows.

Brutal Females, District 1 - 6

Vivi Daley:

• Ax-Crazy: Takes delight in the bloodshed of the Games, going so far as to shove a sickle into her own throat because she thought her impending death by poison wasn't violent enough.
• Informed Ability: Can slash over into the Know-Nothing Know-It-All territory. Vivi keeps on saying that she's intelligent, but we see no evidence for that. In fact, she essentially commits suicide from her own arrogant unwillingness to trust.
• Nightmare Fetishist: She views slaughter somewhat romantically.
• Undignified Death: Getting a death sentence by drinking from a canteen of water that was poisoned by Thew that Alf was freaking out about. Tries to avert this by cutting open her own throat as she thought that it wasn't a gory enough death for her.
• Weak, but Skilled: She's not weak, per se, but she's just fifteen and is on the smaller side when it comes to the usual Career fare. Her partner Alf is much stronger than her, and she said that her intelligence will help her, so she's really essentially this in the Career pack.
• Write Who You Know: Anybody know Vividly Visceral? Yeah, that's right. Vivi Daley's based on her. It now makes a whole lot of sense in perspective.

Corianne File:

• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: We later find out in Horrible that she was good friends with Dardana.

Maria Carriedo:

• Forgotten Fallen Friend: Thew remembers her once, but never thinks of her again after that.
• Go Out with a Smile: She's so relieved that she managed to get out her Last Words that she manages to smile.
• Last Words: A goodbye to her family; she said that she loved them and they shouldn't get depressed over her death.
• Sacrificial Lamb: We hardly got to know her before she was killed.

Chia Mendel:

• Father, I Don't Want to Fight: She longs for a normal life and ends up volunteering for the Games so that her parents will finally quit pestering her about bringing honor to the district.
• Food Porn: Describes all the delectable courses she's served on the train.
• I Just Want to Be Normal: She only wants to be normal and not want to be a great Career like her parents always bothered about.
• Mutual Kill: Philan and her take each other out in the Bloodbath.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies early on.

Wynd Blune:

• Damsel in Distress: Is this, and Franse goes and does a Senseless Sacrifice to try to buy her time and save her during the Bloodbath.
• Red Shirt: Means nothing in the grand scheme of the story.
• UST: A bit with Casanova Wannabe Franse. He just keeps on flirting with other girls while she watches, a bit bitter.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies before leaving the bloodbath.

Tiee Bongiovi:

• Red Shirt: All she does is die.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: First death, no less.

Brutal Females, District 7 - 12

Liet Wingly:

• Children Are Innocent: The youngest tribute and the most innocent.
• Dying Alone: Averted at the last moment in backstory. Turned away from an orphanage because she was not old enough to accept tesserae, Liet was close to dying on the streets when Switz took her in.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: One of the most innocent characters in the series, she's presumably blonde just like her Hetalia: Axis Powers counterpart.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Took several blows from Russia's blade to shield her brother. Regrettably, it doesn't do much good, as they are both killed soon after.
• I Owe You My Life: Realizes how much she owes Switz partway through Brutal, and spends the rest of the fic trying to repay him.
• Little Miss Badass: In the second What If, the way she climbed a tree, jumped Russia, and managed to land some blows with her bow and arrow ( albeit useless) was pretty cool.
• More Hero than Thou: After realizing that Switz intends to sacrifice himself for her, she vows to do the same for him.
• Rasputinian Death: Amazingly, in the fourth What If she survives being clubbed in the head with a morningstar and has to be hit several more times before finally dying.

Veta Ungar:

• Broken Bird: She's definitely one as of the epilogue.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Surviving the Games without Austria turns her into a cynical Broken Bird in the epilogue.
• Determinator: Keeps going just because she can.
• Final Girl: The Victor of the Games.
• Her Heart Will Go On: She survives, but her fiancé/husband doesn't.
• Improbable Weapon User: Wins the Hunger Games with a frying pan ( and Russia's knife.)
• It's Personal: Veta never takes a directly aggressive stance against her opponents until Gil kills Austria. Then ... let's just say you do NOT want to go that far.
• Love Makes You Crazy: Her darkest and craziest act was powered by her pain over Austria's death.
• Love Hurts: If being reaped with your fiancé isn't bad enough, surviving while he dies definitely is.
• The Mourning After: Even after Austria's death, Veta still considers herself to be "Mrs. Veta Edel." Woe to you if you forget it.
• Official Couple: Veta/Austria is the only 'ship in the series that actually stays afloat ( until, of course, he dies).
• Pervert Revenge Mode: Goes absolutely insane when Franse hits on her.
• Plucky Girl: Not necessarily cheerful the whole time, but doesn't think much about giving up.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Wins the Games, but after Austria's death.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: "I survived the Hunger Games. I'm about as broken as they come."
• So Happy Together: Veta's and Austria's makeshift wedding and the scene where they warm their hands over the fire together serve as this for the couple.
• Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome}}: Sort of. She's the Sole Survivor of Brutal, but the first of its characters to die in What If.
• Survivor's Guilt: The Sole Survivor after failing to save her fiancé.

Ukraine Bragins:

• Big Sister Instinct: She vows that she'll protect Russia, although she's not ultimately successful.
• The Eeyore: lampshaded in the title of her introductory chapter, Optimism and Pessimism.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: a sweet, innocent character with pale blonde hair.
• Kill the Cutie: Not too cheerful, but on the cuter side.
• Killed Off for Real: By Japan.
• Nice Girl: Doesn't think for a moment about living at the cost of her brother's life.
• Off with Her Head!: Japan's method of execution.
• Prone to Tears: She never claims to be tough.
• Sacrificial Lion: like Toris, while she doesn't last long enough to be as developed as some of the other characters, her death contributes hugely to the plot in that it sends Russia over the Despair Event Horizon.

Eudocia Conc:

• Kill the Cutie: Quite innocent, now dead.
• Red Shirt: Doesn't mean much more than a Kick the Dog moment for Corianne.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: The only real glimpse of her life is her 750 words in her introductory chapter.

Peyton Unbi:

• Cruel and Unusual Death: Vivi takes care to kill her in the most agonizing way possible, leaving time between the sword blows so that her pain is not dulled.]]
• Kill the Cutie: One of the perkier characters to die.
• Like Brother and Sister: Her friendship with Philan is depicted this way in one of Number One Fan of Journey's comedic fanarts, with Peyton stressing that they're not romantically involved.
• Red Shirt: Since Philan doesn't live, either, her death doesn't amount to much.
• True Companions: Has an extremely close bond with her district partner/friend Philan, whom she considers to be her 'twin' as they were born on the same day.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies before we get to know her.

Poal Feliks:

• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Acts more concerned with eating berries and pony-riding than staying alive in the Hunger Games.
• Dropped a Bridge on Her: Has her neck broken from being bucked off a horse shortly after the bloodbath.
• Dumb Blonde: Blonde, and not too acquainted with logic.
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: To Toris, although his next POV consists mostly of him running for his life and being killed, so it could be assumed that his grieving took place off-screen.
• Gender Flip: To the male Poland in Hetalia.
• Like Is, Like, a Comma: To the point the author apologised for her POV's.
• Skewed Priorities: "I, like, totally want to ride a pony before I die!"
• Valley Girl: Quite fond of "like" and "totally" in particular.