Our hero, aged sixteen from District 12, the poorest of the twelve (remaining) districts. After losing her father when she was only eleven, she managed to bring her family back from the brink of starvation almost single-handedly by hunting in the woods outside her district. When her little sister Prim's name is drawn in the reaping to join the Hunger Games, Katniss steps up to take her place, unwittingly setting off a chain of events that will soon engulf all of Panem.She's portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the film.
Action Girl/Badass: Expected, as a participant in and winner of the Hunger Games. Like all the tributes, she received four days of training on top of being an excellent hunter after learning to provide for her family.
Animal Motifs: From Catching Fire onwards, she's strongly identified with mockingjays. She received a pin of one early in The Hunger Games and it became her symbol.
Archer Archetype: She relies on her bow to hunt, survive, and lead. Katniss has strong and independent survivalist instincts due to her difficult past and is good at thinking outside the box. She is not socially adept and has a hard time making friends due to the emotional strain on her life which has made her hard and cold. She is usually very logical.
Babies Ever After: With Peeta. This was initially planned as part of continuing their ruse for the sake of the Capitol. When they do have children, it's because they want to..
Babies Make Everything Better: Sort of — it's less "babies make everything better" and more "babies make life somewhat more bearable".
Bad Liar: According to Peeta. "Never gamble at cards. You'll lose your last coin." Subverted later on, when she gradually becomes more effective at fooling people — starting with Peeta himself in the form of their initial romance.
Beauty Is Never Tarnished: After the games she finds that her hearing in her left ear is restored. Her skin's perfection, smooth and glowing with no burns, scars or anything. Peta on the other hand has his lower leg replaced with a metal and plastic device.
Subverted in Mockingjay.
Big Eater: Katniss appreciates good food due to living on such simple fare at home. She deliberately gorges herself before the second Hunger Game to get some energy reserves.
She cares about her sister so much that not only did she volunteer to take her sister's place in the games, but she submitted her name into the reaping multiple times to get her family more food so her sister wouldn't have to submit her own name.
While she was in the games Katniss thought how her sister has multiple people who will make sure she's taken care of but Rue has no one to take care of her. Rue and Katniss teamed up and blew up the other's supplies. Katniss tried to save Rue but she was too late. She killed the guy who killed Rue, sang to her as she died and buried her in flowers.
Birds of a Feather: Her and Gale, both rebellious against the Capitol's reigime but still working on providing for their families. Through illegal hunting, of course.
Braids of Action: She wears these a lot, and isn't seen with her hair down during the Games. It's a simple and practical hairstyle for living in a forest.
Break the Cutie: Pretty much the gist of the trilogy. Watch as a young girl is given Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and watch as she's forced to keep on chugging as other characters decide that she's too important to whatever is going on to be allowed to recover from her shell shock, exacerbating it at every given opportunity.
She starts out as one due to her father's death and having to be her family's main source of financial support but after the Games it turns Up to Eleven.
Taken to a rather literal extent several times throughout the series, especially in Mockingjay, which even includes a sequence in which Katniss hallucinates herself as a bird whose feathers and wings are burned off.
Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: In the first book, Katniss is blown back by the explosion she sets off destroying the Careers' supplies and is rendered completely deaf in her left ear. Unable to escape, she only survives by hiding right under their noses. However, it's completely outdone in the Quarter Quell, when Katniss nearly kills herself breaking the force field over the arena.
Can't Hold His Liquor: She gets dizzy from just half a glass of wine in the first book, and a few gulps of white liquor in the second.
Celibate Heroine: Seeing the horror of the Hunger Games is enough to make her call off marriage and children, because they would just end up in the reaping and possibly as tributes. And this was before she ever participated herself. Later averted, but it still takes 15 years, the Hunger Games being abolished and a lot of love from Peeta to change her mind.
Combat Pragmatist: Increasingly becomes this as the novels progress, though moreso during the games.
She dances on it for quite a while before this, most memorably at the end of Catching Fire where Haymitch only keeps his promise to Peeta.
She pretty much crossed it after they nuked her home town and after that just keeps barely recovering only to be pitched back over it again, and again, and again. She's the female American Shinji Ikari!
Food Porn: Katniss's narration includes full descriptions of everything she eats, since she's such a Big Eater and has spent so long without good food.
From Nobody to Nightmare: Katniss was just another player, facing a one in twenty-four chance of staying alive longer than everyone else, but by the end of the series, she is the face of the revolution, playing a role in the deaths of two corrupt Presidents of Panem.
Katniss' father fell in love with a merchant girl, Katniss herself fell in love with a merchant boy.
Not just that, this trope is doubled! Peeta meets Katniss when they are both children, after Peeta's father points her out to Peeta. Turns out, Peeta's dad wanted to marry Katniss' mother but she ended up falling in love with a miner. Peeta promptly falls in love with Katniss.
She's also inherited her father's hair color, skin color, eye color as well as his love for hunting and being out in the woods.
Happily Married: Oddly, in spite of everything she and Peeta go through, with both having gone through massive amounts of dysfuction junction, being saddled with tons psychological trauma from going through the games twice, losing almost everyone they are close to, participating in and being the figureheads of a revolution that nearly destroys what little remains of human civilization, and, in Peeta's case, cold blooded torture and mind rape, she and Peeta still seem to end up this way. In fact, it heavily implied that the only reason either of them is still functional is because of the other. The same goes for Haymitch, in a non romantic way.
Heroic BSOD: A minor one towards the end of Catching Fire that starts to resolve during Mockingjay, only to implode and go supernova with Prim's death.
The one in "Catching Fire" doubles as Fridge Brilliance. Her reaction to losing Peeta is quite similar to how Mrs. Everdeen reacted when Mr. Everdeen died, thus heavily implying that Peeta is the one she's in love with and not Gale.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: The other tributes saw her as being this in the second Games. Cue Finnick, Johanna, and Chaff trolling her and trying to 'corrupt' her.
Informed Ability: In the film — her archery is hailed as being quite impressive, but of the seven shots she takes during the film, she succeeds in only three, one of them shot at point-blank range, and two of those she misses are large, still targets.
I Need a Freaking Drink: Once she finds out she'll be headed for another Hunger Games in the Quarter Quell
A second one in Mockingjay, with Plutarch getting her off the hook for killing President Coin.
It Gets Easier: Trope personified, as she goes from being concerned about killing for the first time, to Mockingjay in which she kills unarmed people in cold blood while plotting the assassination of Snow; most disturbingly, it gets to the point where she murders an unarmed woman and proceeds to forget about it until she is finally reminded by a TV image of the dead woman; and even then, she brushes it off.
Jabba Table Manners: She deliberately starts eating with her fingers and wiping them on the tablecloth after Effie makes an insensitive comment about the previous tributes' table manners.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She admits herself that she's not very friendly. There are quite a few times throughout the series where she has angry/rude outbursts. But they are often caused by the various stressful situations she's thrown into and the Crapsack World she lives in. Regardless, she still has a kind heart and would sacrifice anything in order to protect the people that she loves.
Oblivious to Love: Cannot see that Gale and Peeta clearly love her until they outright state it to her. Even for Peeta, it took some time for her to realize after he blatantly says it.
Rebellious Rebel: She doesn't exactly agree with Coin on a few matters, to the point where she ends up killing Coin at the end of Mockingjay. When asked to become a mascot for the rebels, she only accepts after setting some terms to keep Peeta safe. Her inability to follow orders is a major underpinning of the third novel.
Red Baron: Starting in the first book its "Girl on Fire" because of her entrance in the Tribute parade. Afterward it becomes "Mockingjay".
Sympathy for the Devil: When she ultimately kills Cato in the 74th Games, it's not out of anger towards him or a desire to win, but as an act of compassion and pity for his condition.
There's No Place Like Home: In the first book. Inverted in the second. Mad crushingly depressing in the third.
True Companions: With Peeta and Haymitch. She even refers to Haymitch as part of her family in "Catching Fire".
Unwitting Pawn: Present, lampshaded, and part of the symbolism. A mockingjay is a powerful symbol to the rebels, but it's also a bird that can't sing its own songs, relying on what others sing to it.
What the Hell, Hero?: Imposes this on herself a few times, most notably in Mockingjay when, after killing the unarmed woman, Katniss notes how she's graduated to killing unarmed civilians, and also notes in passing that she's become so accustomed to killing that she forgot all about taking the woman's life.
Her entire public image is built around fire imagery after her debut at the 74th Games. It backfires on her repeatedly.
And literally applied when she is caught up in the explosion that kills Prim.
You Got Spunk: When volunteering for her sister at the reaping, Haymitch announces drunkenly that he likes how she's got lots of spunk.
Peeta Mellark
Drawn to go along to the arena with Katniss, Peeta is one of the merchant class in District 12. He also happens to be completely head-over-heels for Katniss, which, it would seem, is his bad luck.He's portrayed by Josh Hutcherson in the film.
Abusive Parents: His mother beats him and outright tells him she believes that Katniss will win the Hunger Games. At one point Katniss refers to her as a witch.
"Catching Fire" at one point implies that his mother might have whipped him.
The Charmer/Consummate Liar: Arguably Peeta's strongest quality is his ability to win over the audience, and even his fellow tributes, with his magnetic personality and lies.
Demoted to Extra: In Mockingjay. He doesn't really see much action until near the third act.
Disney Death: Has one of these on the first day of the Quarter Quell.
Distressed Dude: Is taken hostage by the Capitol at the end of Catching Fire and throughout a part of Mockingjay.
Dying as Yourself: Kind of. It's what Peeta wanted. If he was going to die in the arena, he didn't want the Games to change who he was, like they often did with other tributes.
In "Mockingjay" he asks the Star Squad to kill him while he's in-between hijack attacks.
"How do you think this will end? What will be left? No one is safe. Not in the Capitol. Not in the districts. And you... In Thirteen... Dead by morning!"
Generation Xerox: The story goes that Peeta's father once fell in Love at First Sight with Katniss' mother, and later pointed Katniss out to Peeta.
Good Is Not Dumb: Peeta is kind, patient, and three steps ahead when it comes to manipulating the on-camera narrative.
Guile Hero: He may be a load physically, but he's saved Katniss a lot of problems by being a big fat liar.
As such, he transforms into quite the Magnificent Bastard when he is brainwashed in Mockingjay.
Happily Married: Oddly, in spite of everything she and Peeta go through, with both having gone through massive amounts of dysfuction junction, being saddled with tons psychological trauma from going through the games twice, losing almost everyone they are close to, participating in and being the figureheads of a revolution that nearly destroys what little remains of human civilization, and, in Peeta's case, cold blooded torture and mind rape, Katniss and he still seem to end up this way. In fact, it heavily implied that the only reason either of them is still functional is because of the other. The same goes for Haymitch, in a non romantic way.
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: His plan in Catching Fire is to get Katniss through the Quarter Quells at the expense of his own life, so she can be with her family and even marry Gale.
Missed Moment of Awesome: Peeta did stay to fight it out at the cornucopia on the first day of the hunger games and apparently did some serious fighting- enough to get some bad cuts and a limp. Whatever he did, the careers did decide to team up with him after seeing him in action and even Cato compliments his skill with a knife.
Beware the Nice Ones: Although it gets brushed under the rug, he still kills a defenseless girl in the 74th games (granted, death at his hands would've been preferable to that of the Careers). It's also implied he's willing to kill almost anyone to try and keep Katniss alive. And this is without going into his Brainwashed and Crazy period in Mockingjay.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Katniss begins to see potential loves interests in two guys, Peeta, the baker's son who decorates the cakes and Gale, her hunting partner. Gale is angry with the Capitol for making them participate in the games while Peeta is reflective on how he can maintain his identity in the games despite the Capitol using them.
Sixth Ranger Traitor: He temporarily sided with the Careers in the first Games. He later teamed up with Katniss and stayed with her for the rest of the Games.
Stealth Pun: A guy named Peeta who works at a bakery. Pita bread
Unskilled, but Strong: Peeta is the closest character in the series to having Charles Atlas Super Power (due to having grown up lugging massive sacks of flour), but lacks the Killer Instinct to effectively use it.
Best seen in the film in his brief fight with Cato. Whenever Peeta could manage to get his hands on Cato (a large, well built guy), he'd be throwing him around. However, Cato easily gets him in a lock once he fights back.
Katniss' family: her mother, (formerly) her father, and her 12-year-old sister Primrose, aka Prim. As a girl, her mother was a member of the merchant class but fell in love with and married a poor coal miner anyway. Katniss' father was killed in a mine explosion and her mother disappeared under the veil of crippling depression for years, but she's okay now.Paula Malcolmson and Willow Shields portray Mrs. Everdeen and Prim, respectively, in the film.
Break the Cutie: Averted with Prim. Despite all that happens, she manages to remain relatively optimistic and kind.
Broken Bird: Mrs. Everdeen never gets over her husband's death, and after she finally gets over her Heroic BSOD, her youngest daughter dies and her oldest daughter moves back home, leaving her all alone.
Generation Xerox: Katniss looks like Mr. Everdeen, has inherited his hunting abilities and talent for singing and, like him, will marry someone from the town. Prim looks like Mrs. Everdeen and has inherited her passion for healing. Also, Mrs. Everdeen was close friends with Katniss' friend, Madge's mother, as a teenager and the father of Katniss' love interest Peeta had a crush on Mrs. Everdeen.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Prim, being a compassionate young blonde girl with blue eyes who loves all living creatures and a good healer at an early age, often helping her mother with patients. When Katniss leaves her family she doesn't bother suggesting that Prim learn to hunt because her attempts were disastrous, since the woods terrified Prim and whenever Katniss shot something it would make Prim teary and she'd talk about how they might be able to heal it.
Happily Married: Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen, apparently, before Mr. Everdeen's death.
Heroic BSOD: Mrs. Everdeen had one after Mr. Everdeen died that was so bad it left her unable to take care of Katniss and Prim.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Prim is practically like a shining light in the Crapsack World she lives in. Unfortunately, this doesn't prevent her from being killed.
Parental Abandonment: Though eventually Mom got better. Though Katniss would likely have preferred her to still be around when she enters her "exile" at the end of Mockingjay.
Katniss' childhood friend, who became the primary breadwinner for his family after his father died in the same accident that killed Katniss' father. She sees him as a big brother/role model due to his proficiency with snares and his loyalty to his family, although there could be something more.Liam Hemsworth portrays him in the film.
Ascended Extra: He doesn't see much action until Mockingjay with smaller roles in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.
Advertised Extra: In the movie. Liam Helmsworth did a large amont of publicity and Gale was featured on many of the advertising campaign despite not being in much of the movie.
Badass: The first time he gets in an actual fight he shoots down two bombers with explosive arrows.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Katniss begins to see potential loves interests in two guys, Peeta, the baker's son who decorates the cakes and Gale, her hunting partner. Gale is angry with the Capitol for making them participate in the games while Peeta is reflective on how he can maintain his identity in the games despite the Capitol using them.
Tall, Dark and Handsome: Gale shares Katniss' dark hair, olive skin, and grey eyes and is said to be over six feet tall by Katniss because when they met in the woods when he was only 14, she stated he was already that height. Muscular and good-looking, girls flock to him - Katnis herself says that Gale would have no trouble finding a wife because he's handsome and strong.
Victorious Childhood Friend: For about about a second in Catching Fire, in-between everything going horribly wrong.
Madge Undersee
The mayor's daughter and Katniss's schoolmate, Madge gives the Mockingjay pin to Katniss. She is later revealed to be the niece of one of Katniss's mother's best friends and Haymitch's District partner Maysilee, who was killed in the second Quarter Quell.She was not in the movie, her role being taken up by Greasy Sae.
Big Damn Heroes: Shows up in the middle of a snowstorm to bring medicine for Gale after he was nearly flogged to death... and disappears just as quickly.
A twelve-year-old from District 11 and one of the younger arena contestants, who develops a sisterly relationship with Katniss. Her special skills include tree-climbing, extensive knowledge of edible wildlife, and outstanding accuracy with a slingshot.Amandla Stenberg plays her in the film.
Animal Motifs: Described as having bright, dark eyes and satiny brown skin and standing tilted up on her toes with her arms slightly extended to her sides, as if ready to take wing at the slightest sound. It's impossible not to think of a bird. Her swift and almost invisible movements through the treetops added to the bird-like description. Rue's pre-games interview costume is described as a sheer dress with shimmering gossamer wings. Of course, she can also communicate to the birds through song.
Big Sister Instinct: Rue is the eldest of six children and fiercely protective of her siblings. She usually gives her food rations to her younger siblings, and forages in the fields to provide more food for them even though the peacekeepers are far less lenient than in District 12.
Combat Pragmatist: She's the one who directs Katniss towards the trackerjacker hive that gets dropped onto the Careers.
Replacement Goldfish: To Katniss, who can't help but see her little sister Prim in Rue. When Rue is dying, Katniss actually refers to her as Prim in her thoughts, before correcting herself.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Especially played up in the film where the entire fight with Marvel is silent: Katniss takes him down, and then turns around and notices that Rue has been impaled by a spear.
Weapon of Choice: Shown to be pretty handy with a slingshot during the training sessions.
Thresh
A tall, powerfully-built young man from District 11. Survives on his own in the fields of tall grass on the opposite side of the arena from Katniss. Asked to join the Career pack, but he refuses the offer.Dayo Okeniyi plays him in the film.
Hulkspeak: Mild example, suiting for a guy of few words like him. "You better run now, Fire Girl."
Knight Templar Big Brother: He seemed to have taken in Rue, the girl from his district, as a sister because when she died, he was infuriated by her death. During the feast, Thresh overheard Clove gloating about Rue's death to Katniss. Thresh grabbed Clove off Katniss, strangled her while holding her one foot off the ground, and furiously yelled at her before killing her in retribution.
Morality Pet: He was seen as nothing but the one with silent, deadly power until he shows up to avenge Rue, the twelve year old girl from his district.
Scary Black Man: In his interview, he was seen as the one with silent, deadly power. He's big, sullen, and hostile. He keeps to himself and we see in the arena that he will shout when something matters to him and he will kill.
When He Smiles: In the movie, he is seen suppressing a laugh at Rue stealing Cato's knife.
A tribute from District 5. Extremely resourceful and survives in the Games by stealing from the other Tributes.She's portrayed by Jacqueline "Jackie" Emerson in the film.
Animal Motifs: Foxes, of course, because of her fox-like appearance, which includes red hair and her foxy cunning.
Anti-Villain: The only thing bad about her is that she's Katniss' opponent (though even then Katniss doesn't bear any hatred toward her), and she doesn't do anything bad in the book or the film.
Cunning Like a Fox: Katniss nicknamed her "Foxface" because of her fox-like appearance. She is described by Katniss as sly and elusive. Foxface demonstrated her cleverness by figuring out the path into the Careers' supply pyramid and reached the bulk of supplies, takes an unnoticeable amount of food, and then runs back to the safety of the woods.
In-Series Nickname: Katniss, not knowing her real name, referred to her as "Foxface" in her head.
Non-Action Girl: She just couldn't hope to win in a fight against some of the other tributes, which may have been one of her biggest weaknesses.
Not So Different: In the film, she briefly bumps into Katniss whilst running from the Cornucopia bloodbath, and the look of terror she wears is a reflection of Katniss's own fear.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Only scores a 5 in her evaluation. Based on her caginess in the interview, Katniss realizes that Foxface did this on purpose so the other tributes would underestimate and ignore her.
One of Us: Her actress Jackie Emerson is apparently a huge fan of the series.
Worthy Opponent: In the book, Katniss is constantly shown to respect Foxface and admire her tactics, often wishing she'd thought of them herself.
Cato
A brutish "Career" tribute from District 2 and one of the deadliest opponents in the arena.Alexander Ludwig portrays him in the film.
Arch-Enemy: To Katniss in the first book, or at least both he and Katniss seems to consider him as such. Deconstructed towards the end.
Alas, Poor Villain: Katniss puts him out of his misery instead of letting him die a slow and painful death from the mutts. In the sequels, she realises he was just as much a pawn of the Capitol as everyone else. In the film, Cato realises this himself before he dies.
And really, wasn't he always the one to kill? Now it seems the other tributes were just minor obstacles, distractions, keeping us from the real battle of the Games. Cato and me.
Eaten Alive: Happens to him because of the twenty-some Mutts that gnaw at his flesh.
Hair-Trigger Temper: He's got a short fuse, and Heaven help whoever is in his way when it goes off.
Hard Work Hardly Works: He and the other Careers spend their entire lives training for the Games, only to be beaten by a relative novice from an outlying district.
Heel Realization: In the film, Cato realizes before his death that he spent his entire life being bred to be a pawn in the Capitol's scheme and whether he lives or dies, he was just a part of the show.
Human Shield/Taking You with Me: He ends up using Peeta as a human shield in case Katniss tries to kill him with the bow. Unlike most examples of the Human Shield trope, where it's done to discourage someone from killing them, the way he is talking to her when doing so implies that he wants her to kill him, or at least doesn't care whether she kills him or not at this point.
Neck Snap: Does this to the District 3 boy after Katniss destroys the supplies.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Probably (in the novel). When it's down to the final four, the narration follows Katniss and Peeta, but we hear the cannon signaling the death of Thresh. Assuming that he didn't off himself or die of natural causes, Cato killing such a powerful opponent definitely counts as this.
Pet the Dog: After Clove died, he took a moment to grieve for her. In the film, he was also willing to sleep curled up with Glimmer.
Proud Warrior Race Guy: Like the other "Career" tributes, he comes across this way to some extent due to his District's practice of training kids for the Games.
Villainous Breakdown: Completely loses it near the end, savagely attacking Katniss and Peeta like a wild animal.
Tyke Bomb: Raised from childhood to fight and to kill.
Would Hit a Girl: Never actually does so, but he's perfectly willing to hunt down and kill Katniss himself.
You Have Failed Me: He breaks the District 3 boy's neck after the boy's trap failed to kill Katniss, instead destroying their supplies.
Clove
Cato's fellow tribute from District 2, who relishes killing her competitors with an array of knives she keeps in her jacket.In the film, she's portrayed by Isabelle Fuhrman.
Tempting Fate: Bragging about how your team killed the little girl while her Scary Black Man of a partner is nearby isn't the brightest of things to do..
Karmic Death: She really shouldn't have bragged about Rue's death in the presence of Thresh.
Knife Nut: In the film, she's shown to even sleep whilst gripping a knife handle.
Tyke Bomb: As seems to be the norm in "Career Districts".
Villainous Breakdown: She can more than handle herself in a fight, even against the more powerfully-built tributes like Katniss, but after the enormous Thresh gets his hands on her, she realizes she stands no chance and immediately goes from smug and sadistic to completely terrified and screaming her lungs out.....until she dies.
Marvel
The male tribute from District 1.Portrayed by Jack Quid in the film.
No Name Given: Subverted. We never find out his name in The Hunger Games, but in Catching Fire, it's revealed. The film sees it mentioned by Caesar when he's called up to be interview, but the non-initiated might just miss out on hearing it.
Katniss' narration: The girl from District 1, looking provocative in a see-through gold gown, steps up the center of the stage to join Caesar for her interview. You can tell her mentor didn't have any trouble coming up with an angle for her. With that flowing blonde hair, emerald green eyes, her body tall and lush... she's sexy all the way.
Ms. Fanservice: In-universe, this is her entire gimmick for getting sponsors.
Ninja Looting: That bow was meant for Katniss, but it doesn't stop Glimmer from claiming it when she gets there first.
Pink Means Feminine: As the girliest of the named female Tributes, it's fitting that her movie interview dress is this shade.
She's Got Legs: With its artificially high waist and short, fluffy skirt, her movie interview dress seems calculated to make her legs look as long as possible. It works.
The unnamed tributes of District 3 during the 74th Hunger Games.The girl died in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. The boy survives the first day and joins with the "Career" tributes, acting as a supply guard and setting up booby traps around the area. When Katniss blows all of it up, Cato kills him in a fit of rage.They are played by Tara Macken & Ethan Jamieson respectively.
Evil Genius: He's not actually evil, but the boy is still recruited by the Careers to set a deathtrap with his Gadgeteer Genius skills, providing a major obstacle for Katniss to overcome.
Gadgeteer Genius: The boy managed to re-arm the mines around the starting area to be used as booby traps.
The unnamed "Career" tributes of District 4 during the 74th Hunger Games. The boy died in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. The girl survives the first day and joins the "Career" pack but is killed shortly after when Katniss drops the tracker jacker nest on the group.They are played by Kalia Prescott & Ian Nelson respectively.
Demoted to Extra: District 4 isn't even mentioned as a Career district in the film, and the girl is simply killed in the Cornucopia instead of joining the Career "pack".
The unnamed male tribute of District 5 during the 74th Hunger Games. (His partner Foxface has her own section above).He is killed in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia.He is played by Chris Mark.
The unnamed tributes of District 6 during the 74th Hunger Games. They are both killed in the bloodbath at the cornucopia.They are played by Kara Petersen and Ashton Moio respectively.
The unnamed tributes of District 7 during the 74th Hunger Games. They are both killed in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia.They are played by Leigha Hancock & Sam Ly respectively.
The unnamed tributes of District 8 during the 74th Hunger Games. The boy died in the initial bloodbath at the Cornucopia. The girl survives the first day, but due to a lack of supplies, she foolishly starts a fire that allows the "Career" pack to find and attack her. She is mortally wounded, but does not die quickly, so Peeta returns and Mercy Kills her, Katniss is close by and hears everything.They are played by: Mackenzie Lintz and Samuel Tan respectively.
The unnamed tributes of District 9 during the 74th Hunger Games. They are both killed in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. The boy is the first tribute killed in the 74th Hunger Games in the novel, stabbed by Clove while he was fighting with Katniss over a backpack.They are played by Annie Thurman & Imanol Yepez-Frias respectively.
The unnamed tributes of District 10 during the 74th Hunger Games.The girl died in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. The boy escaped with supplies into the forest, but is killed offscreen later.They are played by Dakota Hood & Jeremy Marinas respectively.
Katniss and Peeta's mentor, a participant in the 50th Hunger Games (and 2nd Quarter Quell) and the only surviving victor from District 12 (the other one is dead).His duty is to give them tips on how to survive the arena, arrange deals with sponsors to get them potentially life-saving items, and other things for which you generally would prefer someone to be sober - which unfortunately is not one of Haymitch's better skills. Also turns out to be a key member of La Résistance.Woody Harrelson plays him in the film.
Adaptation Dye Job: In the books he's described as dark haired (the "Seam look"), but in the movie he's very blond.
Determinator: The description of him winning his games involves him outrunning someone trying to kill him while physically holding his stomach to keeps his guts from falling out.
Drowning My Sorrows: Unable to cope with the emotional fallout of having been a tribute in the Games and subsequently having to lead fresh tributes to the slaughter, he dives into a bottle. While he seems to recover somewhat during the course of series, by the end of Mockingjay he's as much of a hopeless drunk as he ever was.
Guile Hero: How he won his Game — which happened to be the Quarter Quell, where there was double the number of tributes. His tactic was to not only stay away from the majority of the fighting, but to use the properties of the arena itself as a weapon.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's jaded and bitter, certainly, but that's because of how many times where he's watched Non-Action Guy tributes get blown up. He becomes a lot more helpful when Katniss gets fed up with his bull and proves herself having more than a snowball's chance in hell.
The Nicknamer: Katniss is "sweetheart" and Peeta is "the boy".
Sink or Swim Mentor: He starts off as this but progresses to Cynical Mentor when he discovers that Katniss and Peeta may actually have a fighting chance, and ends up as something of a Team Dad.
A devilishly handsome former victor from District 4, the fishing district. Best known for being one of the youngest victors (he was fourteen at the time) and for the string of broken hearts he leaves behind him in the Capitol. Won his Games by earning so many sponsors that he earned himself an ornate trident that he used to single-handedly destroy the rest of the competition.Played by Sam Claflin.
Hidden Depths: Katniss builds him up as a ruthless manslut, making fun of him for being a pretty womanizer and privately wary of the fact that he won his Games by being irresistible to the audience and merciless to his competitors. She respects him more as she gets to know him, seeing how he cares for Mags and Annie, and is further stunned when he reveals that his 'womanizing' is just the public presentation of the fact that President Snow has been prostituting him to the highest bidder, and if he refuses, someone he loves will be killed. Katniss deeply regrets every negative thought she'd had about him prior.
Jail Bait Wait: He was fourteen when he won his games, so his fanbase had a couple of years to wait before going after him.
Morality Pet: First clue that he's a decent guy? His care for his district partner, Mags. Despite being a Career, he, like Katniss, values the eighty-year-old lady over the younger, stronger competitors.
Off with His Head!: He is killed by having his head bitten off by giant white lizard mutts in Mockingjay.
So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Justified, as it turns out. Apparently being an extremely attractive victor has a bigger downside than you'd think.
Survival Mantra: Non-verbal example: his constant knotting in the third book.
Troll: Tries to corrupt Katniss by seductively eating sugar cubes in front of her before the Quarter Quell.
Johanna Mason
A former arena tribute from District 7, the lumber district, who pretended to be weak and useless before ruthlessly cutting her way to victory.Played by Jena Malone.
Naked on Arrival: Not exactly, but the first thing she does on-page is complain about her costume and strip down to her slippers. And then get in an elevator with Katniss and Peeta, chatting casually the whole way up.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Again, how she won her Games. She appeared so weak and harmless that everyone pretty much left her alone. Then she started kicking ass.
The Smart Guys: Beetee in particular is described as having managed to win his Games by building an electrified trap for his competitors; he also develops new weapons for the rebellion and helps cut into the Capitol's TV broadcasts so the rebels can spread their own propaganda.
Annie Cresta
A past tribute from District 4, who won her Games by being able to swim to safety when the arena was flooded. Is in love with Finnick.
Ambiguous Disorder: While she went through Heroic BSOD during her Games, her symptoms in the books sound an awful lot like schizophrenia.
Heroic Sacrifice: Two. First, she took Annie's place in the Quarter Quell, knowing that the Games are a death sentence at the best of times. At her age, she doesn't stand a chance. Second, she walks into the poison fog, since Katniss is injured, and Finnick isn't strong enough to carry her and Peeta.
The Load: Katniss and Finnick don't care, though. What she loses in physical strength, she makes up for in strength of character.
Big Bad: Averted. Unlike Cato, Brutus is just another competitor. This is because Katniss has realised that the Careers are pawns in the Capitol's game too, and this time, she has bigger fish to fry.
We Hardly Knew Ye: The male is killed in the initial brawl at the Cornucopia.
The Capitol and Other Associated People
Effie Trinket
The escort of the District 12 tributes. Though she hates being stuck with the lamest district, Effie still tackles her job (you know, bringing kids to die for the entertainment of the masses) with enthusiasm and gusto, hoping for a promotion to somewhere better.Played by Elizabeth Banks in the film.
Demoted to Extra: In Mockingjay. She isn't seen till much later.
Feigning Intelligence: She's probably dumber than a jar of mayonnaise, but she certainly doesn't see it that way.
Skewed Priorities: In the movie, she's more upset that Katniss stabbed the table ("That is mahogany!") than that she almost stabbed Haymitch in the hand.
Leans on Completely Missing the Point: "Careers train for the games until they're 18, but they don't get dessert! And you do!"
Stepford Smiler: Katniss eventually realizes that Effie's shallowness is a defense mechanism which is her way of coping with her role in the Games.
Team Mom: To an extent. Seems more obvious in the movie.
Katniss' soft-spoken personal stylist for the Games who quickly becomes one of her closest friends in the Capitol. He has a flair for the dramatic which is in part what leads to his downfall.Portrayed by Lenny Kravitz in the film.
Age Lift / Dawson Casting: Cinna is described in the book as being a young man Though He's played by Lenny Kravitz in the film, who's pushing 50.
Meaningful Name: The original Cinna was a doomed opponent of Sulla the dictator.
Also, the word "Cinna" kind of sounds like "cinders."
Nice Guy: One of the nicest, sweetest people in the Crapsack World that is Panem, so much that Katniss quickly grew to like him.
Only Sane Man: Katniss at least considers him to one when she arrive to the Capitol.
Stylish Protection Gear: The Mockingjay suit he designs for Katniss. Justified in that Katniss the "Mockingjay" is the symbol of the rebellion, and so needs to look suitably iconic.
President Coriolanus Snow
The president of Panem. He has puffy lips and smells of blood and roses. He's not very fond of Katniss.Donald Sutherland portrays him in the film.
Even Evil Has Standards: A right bastard he might be, but when he gives his word, he keeps it. This clued in Katniss that he was telling the truth about Coin being responsible for Prim's death.
Meaningful Name: Named after the Shakespearian Tragic Hero in the eponymous play. He shares similar traits - he cares little about the ordinary folk and wants to maintain a totalitarian state.
Not Me This Time/Frame Up: He was in fact innocent of the bombing of the Capitol children and then the District 13 medics, even when it seemed as though he did it because the hovercrafts with the bombs (which were really from District 13, as the Capitol had lost all of theirs during the destruction of the Nut) were emblazoned with the Capitol seal.
Pragmatic Villainy: When he tells Katniss that he didn't bomb Prim and the Capitol children, he says that he would be willing to do so and it isn't a matter of moral squeamishness on his part. He just doesn't subscribe to committing atrocities For the Evulz.
Something about a Rose: The smell of blood is natural, thanks to not taking an antidote quickly enough after poisoning both himself and a rival. The smell of roses covers it up.
Hidden Depths: Flavius and Octavia, at least, are very fond of Katniss and can't hide their emotions when Katniss is being sent to the 75th Hunger Games
Genghis Gambit: In order to rally the people in the Capitol on her side and end things early, Coin blows up a bunch of children and makes it look like Snow is responsible. It works, initially.
Shoot the Hostage: She orders a bombing attack on children being used as human shields by President Snow - and makes it appear that the attack was initiated by Snow, in order to destroy any remaining public support for Snow's regime.
Would Hurt a Child: Doesn't do it directly herself, but she has Capitol children blown up to make it look like Snow was behind their deaths.
Seneca Crane
The Head Gamemaker of the 74th Hunger Games. He orchestrates everything that happens in the arena except for the actions of the tributes themselves (and even sometimes, he controls that). He ends up executed because of his allowing for two winners instead of one as planned.Portrayed by Wes Bentley in the film.
Ascended Extra: In the film. In the book, he's not identified by name, let alone singled out by appearance; he was first mentioned as the Head Gamemaker in the second book well after his death.
Damned If You Do Damned If You Dont: He ended up being forced to let both District 12 tributes become Victors because if he didn't, there would be no Victor at all, which would have been a colossal failure on his part. This decision leads to his execution between the first and second books and his implied forced suicide at the end of the movie.
Punch Clock Villain: He's not really that evil, just doing his job - he even gave Katniss the top score of 11/12 because: "Well, she deserved it".
Slave to PR: Most of the decisions Seneca makes regarding the Games is a result of him trying to appeal to what the masses would like. Ends up being his Fatal Flaw.
Villainy-Free Villain: Being in charge of the games makes him the bad guy by default.
Though seeing as he shows visible sadistic delight at doing things like driving Katniss to the Careers by igniting a forest fire, he isn't that innocent.
You Have Failed Me: Snow orders his execution over the 75th Hunger Games debacle.
Plutarch Heavensbee
The Head Gamemaker of the 75th Hunger Games. He has a fascination with clocks, which becomes a key point in his design of the arena for the Quarter Quell. He's later revealed to be an important member of La Résistance.Portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film.
Ascended Extra: He remains nameless in The Hunger Games as the Gamemaker who knocks over the punch bowl when Katniss shoots and arrow through an apple in a roasted pig's mouth. In Catching Fire he's promoted to Head Gamemaker where at the end he's revealed to be a Reverse Mole and working for the rebels. His role is greatly expanded in Mockingjay
Foreshadowing: His watch has a Mockingjay on it. He's later revealed to be working for the rebels who have adopted the Mockingjay as their symbol.
Meaningful Name: Named after Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus also known as Plutarch, who was an essayist and historian in ancient Rome. This is fitting since Heavensbee is the source of many comments about the old world such as the plans for the new government being a republic. Heavensbee points out that this has worked in the past. Heavensbee also makes several references to ancient Rome, such as when he throws out the phrase "panem et circenses" meaning bread and circuses, when describing the Capitol. It was used in ancient Rome in pretty much the same way, as Heavensbee points out.
Reverse Mole: He's been working for the rebels and helps orchestrate the escape of Peeta, Finnick, Johanna, Katniss, Beetee and Wiress. Wiress is killed and only Katniss, Beetee and Finnick are saved.
Caesar Flickerman
Host of The Hunger Games, famous for dyeing his hair a new color for each iteration. His main concern is keeping the televised interviews light and upbeat. His co-host and announcer is Claudius Templesmith.Portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the film.
Older Than He Looks: Although 24 years have passed since the Second Quarter Quell, he looks the exact same when he interviews the tributes for the 74th Hunger Games. This is achieved through massive amounts of cosmetic surgery, common among Capitol citizens.
