Fanfic / Panem Reborn

As this is a continuation of Tales of the Hunger Games, all spoilers for that series will be left unmarked.

Panem Reborn by Lauren "Laurier-Rose" is a video Fan Sequel of the The Hunger Games video fanfic, Tales of the Hunger Games that "categorizes" the 101st to the 175th Hunger Games.

The plot picks up from the end of Tales, where Salazar Gaul is deposed and many of his subordinates disappear for what was once England. It also chronicles the Capitol's rocky relations with the European powers, the wars with them and among themselves, and the formation of a new Capitol lead by Andronicious Mace that gives rise to another set of Hunger Games.

Those stories are told through a collection of entries forming a dossier known as "The Third Incarnation - Panem Reborn", following its discovery fifty years after the Gaul Library burns down.

The series went on hiatus in Dec 2021 (the 111th Hunger Games), due to a combination of Lauren losing her passion for writing and wanting to focus her mental health. It resumed in June 2022, only to go on hiatus again. In January 2023, Lauren posted on her YouTube Community page that she didn't know when or if she would upload further installments, though she did provide a link to a page with details of what she had planned for the series.

Panem Reborn can be watched here.

Beware of unmarked spoilers!

---

Tropes related to Panem Reborn

• A Boy and His X:
  • Celia befriends a walrus in-arena, who protects her from the District Eight girl.
  • The twist in the 105th Games (the sixth Quinquennial Quell) involves the tributes being given genetically engineered squirrels to train, which they do with varying degrees of success, with the squirrels accompanying the tributes into the arena.
• Aerith and Bob: The series has names ranging from Jessica and Alexander to Perdith and Oakley. Can be justified due to Lauren previously allowing server boosters and winners of certain Tales/PR Discord contests to submit names for her series.
• A Good Way to Die: Conversed by Rill during her district's reapings for the 107th Hunger Games, where she volunteers while muttering that she has "nothing to lose for". Justified because we later learn that she comes from an impoverished background. Subverted after Blossom dies to Azure in-arena, where her death inspires Rill to keep going.
• The Alcoholic: Dario Ivers, the District Eight mentor as of the 110th Hunger Games, is described to be "perpetually inebriated".
• Ambiguous Gender Identity: Nova Merrin, the Head Gamemaker for the 101st to the 105th Hunger Games, is portrayed to be androgynous and uses they/them pronouns. Their gender identity has been yet to be addressed in-universe or by Word of God.
• Amicable Exes: Initially averted with Chryss and Alexander, the District One tributes of the 104th Hunger Games. Both of them split up before the reapings over Chryss's drunken affair with Zoisite during a family emergency.
• Airstrip One: After conquering France, the Capitol renames the country to "District Fifteen". They also divide its regions into four different sectors labelled A-D^note Sector A focuses on art supplies and entertainers, Sector B focuses on dairy farming, Sector C focuses on wine, and Sector D focuses on perfume and tourism.
• Apathetic Teacher: Imogen Catsby becomes one during the 112th Hunger Games after she stops mentoring her tributes due to their inattentiveness. When she brings her tributes into the launch rooms, she brings along a mimosa that she pays better attention to.
• Arranged Marriage Following the 110th Hunger Games, President Mace engages Zibeline to Oakley to promote district unity.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Discussed for all four 112th Games careers during the training score announcements. It's mentioned that their mentors tried to train them, but they have an "unusual" amount of arrogance that exceeds their peers.
• The Baby of the Bunch: Among the Careers of the 109th Hunger Games, Carnelia is the youngest member at fourteen. Justified because she was reaped instead of a volunteer.
• Banana Peel: During training for the 109th Hunger Games, Gloria strides into the training room but slips on a banana peel left from a trainer's breakfast.
• Beating A Dead Player: During the 110th Hunger Games, Beatrix is seen lightly kicking the corpses of both District Four tributes after managing to overpower them.
• Bedroom Adultery Scene: Conversed by Alexander to Adrian before the 104th Hunger Games. He reveals to Adrian that he caught Chryss "embracing" Zoisite after he returns from a family emergency.
• Berserk Button: Celia throws a steak knife at Cyprian after he remarks that she killed Gaius over calling her "soft". She tells him not to call her that again nor mention Gaius.
• Bilingual Bonus: In File 103, it's reported that Janvier laughed at Austin while watching his district's reaping recap, muttering "quel guguesse"^note "what a fool" in French at Valentine.
• Bland-Name Product:
  • A "Space Sword" appear in the 107th Hunger Games, as a plastic light-up children's toy that the District Six boy (Tori) and the District Nine boy (Kernel) fight over.
  • There is a Capitolian fast food restaurant selling "Cappy Meals", which the District Ten boy receives a toy miniature trident from one during the 108th Hunger Games feast.
• Blood Knight: Megan, the District Two girl of the 109th Hunger Games. She's enthralled when the Career boys fight each other, where she tells them to "knock each other's teeth out" attempts to disembowel the unnamed District Five girl.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: Like in Tales, it's okay to show footage of children killing children in numerous ways to children, but hearing them swear isn't.
  • The 108th Hunger Games also cut out footage of the District Five tributes (Georgia and Enzo) preparing pheasant mutts to eat due to its graphic nature.
• Bread and Circuses: Emilia Cardew is forced to re-implement the Hunger Games a few months after signing the Thirty Years' Treaty, due to low morale from a lack of entertainment.
• By the Hair: During the 112th Hunger Games, Sapphire (the District One girl) catches the District Eight girl by her ponytail before stabbing her in the heart.
• Bungled Suicide: When Léo Desjardins is named Victor of the 111th Hunger Games, he jumps off the lighthouse and hopes for a watery death. A Capitol hovercraft catches him when he's metres away from the water.
• But Liquor Is Quicker: Before the 104th Hunger Games, Chryss reveals to Adrian that it was why/how she did the deed with Zoisite. She was under the influence of alcohol, although it isn't mentioned if Zoisite was.
• Call-Back:
  • During the finale of the 104th Hunger Games, Alexander tells Adrian from the arena that any normal person would try to find a loophole or a way that they could win together.
  • During her interview before the 105th Hunger Games, Elia jokes about how the District One girl wouldn't appeal to her as a possible ally. Makes sense because her great-aunt, Lilac, was allies with Mirai during the 94th Games.
• Character Narrator: Lauren plays the role of "L", a researcher whose organization manages to get ahold of some dossiers about past Capitolian governments from the now-destroyed Gaul Library. It's implied that she holds a management role, as she mentions associates and having to discipline one over a lack of professionalism.
• Chekhov's Skill: Carnelia comes from a poor mining family where she was used not eating for several days. It helps her during the 109th Hunger Games where there's no food or water at the cornucopia. Subverted after the Lockes announce a tiered "tower of food" and she grabs a few loaves of bread from the base.
• Childhood Friend Romance: Chryss and Alexander, the District One tributes of the 104th Hunger Games, were childhood best friends, even taking part in a photoshoot together. Subverted before the reapings, when Alexander discovered that Chryss cheated on him for his formerly good friend Zoisite.
• Civil War: During 134', an unnamed civil war erupts between the districts over resource allocation. The most notable one is between District Three and District Six over a boundary dispute concerning the former Lake Erie.
• Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: The district color for District Fifteen (formerly known as France) is lavender.
• Comedic Underwear Exposure: President Gaul is revealed to be wearing snake-printed briefs underneath his pants when he's dragged off his toilet to the pool.
• Commonality Connection: Both Carnelia and Valletta strike up an alliance during the 109th Hunger Games, despite their different personalities and Carnelia coming from a Career district. They come from working-class backgrounds (with Valletta coming from a family of factory workers) and supported multiple siblings.
• Coordinated Clothes: Vivian and Virgil Locke, the (twin) Gamemakers replacing Nova starting with the 106th Hunger Games, are seen wearing identical outfits during public events.
• The Cracker: The relatives of both District Three tributes during the 110th Hunger Games.
  • Tinker's brother is a well-known hacker who's in Capitol prison over releasing some sensitive photos of top Capitolian officials.
  • Several members of Wolfram's family did a virtual heist on a bank whose client base consists of elite Capitolies.
• Dead Guy Junior: After the 104th Hunger Games, Alexander names his daughter after his late district partner and ex, Chryss.
• Death by Adaptation:
  • Salazar Gaul is dragged off his toilet and is collectively tossed into a swimming pool by the all of the living Hunger Games Victors (save for Rubius), while Sheaf held his head down. His drowned body is then displayed amid wild cheers.
  • "Many" of the Victors who protested against Cardew's reimplementation of the Hunger Games were killed.
  • Rubius is also thrown out of a window following the announcement of Cardew's failed 101st Hunger Games, where he's ran over a vehicle.
• Defiant to the End: Amber gives one to Beatrix as she's dying from measles during the 110th Hunger Games, by spitting on her feet and calling her an undisclosed yet insulting name. Beatrix grins and responds by telling her that "at least [she's] bowing down, like [she] should be".
• Disappeared Dad:
  • Implied with Alexander (104th Hunger Games). He's visited by his mother and grandparents, but his father is not mentioned in the series.
  • Also implied with Rill (107th Hunger Games). Her father isn't mentioned in the story.
• Disproportionate Retribution: During the 108th Hunger Games, the District One boy shakes his boot and accidentally gets mud on the District Two girl (Livia). She verbally berates the boy and buried her hoe into his skull, despite his district partner (Fluora) trying to tell her that it was unintentional. Fluora gets back at Livia on the third day, where she thwacks her on the chest with her hoe and manages to kill her following a prolonged fight.
• Double Entendre: Lee (107th Hunger Games) is asked about the size of his trident when he arrives at the Capitol from his home district. He blushes out of embarrassment.
• Dreadlock Warrior: Celia's hair is in dreadlocks that she ties into a ponytail when she's named District Two's female tribute of the 101st Hunger Games. She dyes the tips of them an icy blue by the time of the 106th Hunger Games.
• Egopolis: Consult File 11 - Rebuilding after Wartime: Mace's Infrastructure Vision mentioned in File #103 mentions that President Mace has a tradition of naming structures and places after himself. Two of them include the Champ de Mace and the Mace Tower in District Fifteen, formerly known as the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower.
• Enemy Mine:
  • The Capitol and District Two work together to end the civil war, after both agreeing that the other districts can't govern themselves well without the aid of the Capitol.
  • During the 107th Hunger Games, the District Four girl (Rill) and the District Three boy (Squeak) work together to take down the District Two girl (Adrianna) after she's distracted by the latter's presence.
• Et Tu, Brute?:
  • During the 110th Hunger Games, Beatrix betrays her career allies by giving them damaged gas masks needed to avoid a release of a measles strain into the arena. Those "allies" all die in the measles attack.
  • During the 112th Hunger Games bloodbath, the District One tributes quickly dispatch their allies from Two.
• Expy: Roselia Sanchez can be one of Eugenia Ravenstill, her predecessor seen in Tales. Both are fashion-loving Hunger Games hosts, who loves to comment on the outfits of reaped tributes.
• Face Death with Dignity:
  • During Mace's 101st Hunger Games, Henri (the District 15 boy) spreads his arms and smiles as the wave overwhelms him. So does Rylee after Celia, where she's described to have faint smile on her face.
  • During the training evaluation for the District Eleven girl (Myrtille) of the 106th Hunger Games, she selected a knife that wasn't blunted before slashing her throat with a dark smile.
  • Speaking of the 106th Hunger Games, Bern as the "real" Casper spreads his arms out during the finale, encouraging the Capitol to "come at him" as he has "nothing to lose" after they killed his best friend during the 105th Hunger Games. Word of God mentions at the end that Mace had the "real" Bern executed for Casper's stunt, before wiping Casper's memories, changing his facial features to look like Bern, and returning him back to Bern's family who accepted him without any hestitation.
• Family Extermination
  • Casper's family was executed over his attempt to escape the 105th Hunger Games arena. It's done in front of the locals with the corresponding footage being shown to the remaining tributes.
  • Prison records by L's organization mentions that Myrtille's family was quietly executed over her suicide.
• Fan Boy: Implied with Heffer over Janvier, as discovered following the 105th Hunger Games. He owns a cardboard cutout of him that he travelled with at all times, and getting into a one-sided conflict with Austin over him killing Janvier during the 103rd Hunger Games.
• The Family That Slays Together:
  • Holland Klee^note the District Eight boy of of the 110th Hunger Games comes from a family of morphling dealers.
  • Wolfram Schneider^note District Three boy of the 110th Hunger Games is related to members of a cryptocurrency counterfeiting ring within District Three.
  • According to Cordelia, Beatrix's^note District Two girl of the 110th Hunger Games cousins were arrested for assault and battery.
  • Torius's^note District Two boy of the 110th Hunger Games family members have committed white-collar crimes while opposing Gloria's actions when District Two was still autonomous.
• Fanservice:
  • Janvier's angle involves plenty of this during the 103rd Hunger Games, where he removes part of his clothes to gain gifts for himself and Valentine.
  • Zibeline unintentionally gives one to the public while in-arena, where the District Six boy (Montpellier) grabbed her jumpsuit from behind. He grabbed it with enough force that it ripped at Zibeline's jumpsuit and exposes her bra.
• Feathered Fiend:
  • The pheasants in the 108th Hunger Games use their beak to peck the District Fifteen girl (Renee) to death.
  • The parakeets in the 109th Hunger Games have sharp claws and will aggressively attack anyone/anything that is red.
• Finger Gun: Currant (112th Games) cheerfully makes some at the Gamemakers during his training session. It's misinterpreted as a rebellious gesture with the Peacekeepers lowering their guns at him.
• Foreign Exchange Student: Lourdais (109th Hunger Games) is a District Fifteen student studying in District Ten before she was reaped to represent her host district.
• Fictional Counterpart: Panem has "Macebucks", including a "caramel mace-iato".
• Foodfight!: A literal one happens during the 105th Hunger Games among the District Six girl (Kuna), both District Nine tributes (Sorghum and Pasta), the District Eleven boy (Thorne), and the District Fifteen boy (Achille). It results in the death of both Kuna and Pasta.
• Fictional Social Network: The file for the 110th Hunger Games mentions the Capitol having social media, particularly one where people can upload photos. One of those uploaded photos include sensitive photos of top Capitolian officials.
• Foreign Cuss Word: Downplayed. The file for the 102nd Hunger Games does not go into specifics into what was specifically said, but it mentions that Karim cursed in a combination of French and Arabic before he's finished off by Lina.
• Foreshadowing:
  • When Nova was the Head Gamemaker, they and and Roselia publicly wore outfits whose embellishments drop hints about the arena. Nova does so in their pantsuit and boutonniere, while Roselia does so in her dress. Subverted after the Lockes take over, where Roselia's post-Games interview outfit switches to a reference from this year's Games instead making the public guess what next year's arena would be. Justified due to the Lockes' tight-lipped nature.
  • The District One tributes hear a faint noise from after reconciling and planning to pretend to still be bitter exes in front of the District Two tributes. The noise came from Celia, who told Felix about their plans to lead them on.
  • Mercury discovers a crate of Hunger Games action figures under a tarp that says "Handle With Care - Flammable Content". When she gets annoyed at Neela's one-sided conversation in the arena and wants to shut her up, she throws a Sheaf Javorski figurine at her that explodes on contact and kills her.
• Fun with Homophones: While covering Rosalia's quip during the 105th Hunger Games about the golf-cart-driving careers looking like actual golfers, one of the analysts wrote "as Rosalia putt it" instead of "put it" as an attempt at golf-related-humour. It was removed from the file over professionalism reasons with the analyst disciplined for their act.
• Garden of Evil: Downplayed with The 104th Hunger Games, as it takes place in one. It has venomous snakes, psychedelic mushrooms, stinging bees, and nightlock. However, the Games ended quickly enough due to the high bloodbath counts that Nova couldn't unleash any arena events.
• Gardening-Variety Weapon: The cornucopia weapons in the 108th Hunger Games are hoes, as the arena takes place in a rice paddy.
• George Jetson Job Security: Implied for the interns working under Camillo. After he's corrected by Roselia over making an incorrect statement about the bloodbath deaths in both the 104th and 108th Hunger Games, he promptly states that his intern fact-checker was wrong before promptly firing him on-camera.
• Golf Clubbing: The 105th Hunger Games cornucopia weapons are reinforced golf clubs with sharpened ends. Justified because the arena takes place in a country club with a golf course.
  • They make a return to the 106th Hunger Games, where they're one of the weapons found in the cornucopia.
• Groin Attack:
  • Lina gives one to the District Eleven boy during the 102nd Hunger Games, after Argus asks that she do so when he's trying to avoid getting stabbed by him.
  • Austin gives one to Janvier during the finale of the 103rd Hunger Games.
• Guile Hero:
  • Austin during the 103rd Hunger Games. He destroys the Career camp, got his alliance to give themselves minor injuries to fill up the blood box, and ran around the cornucopia to dizzy Janvier (a stronger tribute) so he can burn him to death.
  • Heffer during the 105th Hunger Games. He infiltrates the Career pack while feigning ignorance, knowing that they'd see him as a potential ally. Then he lets them kill most of the tributes they see and let him be the driver of the found golf cart, so he can drive the cart into the lake near the end and kill them while they're drowning.
  • Carnelia during the 109th Hunger Games. She prioritizes brains over brawn despite coming from a Career district, where she knows what to take from the tower of food and takes advantage of the parakeets' hatred for the color red by using it as bait to have her opponents killed.
• Hand Signals: Enzo (108th Hunger Games) is deaf and relies on a interpreter during the pre-Games ceremonies. Justified because he is from District Five, where the loud machinery noises make a handful of people deaf (as said in Tales).
• Heroic Sacrifice: During the 103rd Hunger Games, Sierra allows the Crystal Maiden to throw her into the wall so Austin can have a chance to survive. Justified because Sierra has a fatal heart condition from birth that she managed to survive, and that Austin would live longer than her if he manages to beat Janvier.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Following the 101st Hunger Games, Celia is initially shunned by her family and friends for being "soft". Many years later, she's involved in an undisclosed yet well-known affair that takes away the rest of her reputation in Panem.
• Honor Before Reason: Rylee refuses to kill Celia during the finale of Mace's 101st Hunger Games, because she doesn't want to stoop to the level of a career. Celia politely calls her out for her hypocrisy by bringing up how Rylee managed to axe Kura in the face earlier.
• Horsemen of the Apocalypse: The theme of the 110th Hunger Games, where all four aspects play a role in the arena. For example, there is no food/water at the Cornucopia (famine), while an arena event involves a strain of measles that struck the Capitol during the 100th Hunger Games (pestilence).
• I Just Shot Marvin in the Face: The Lockes drop twenty grenade launchers around the 112th Games arena before warning the tributes to not treat them like toys. The District Four boy gets ahold of one. He's instantly blown apart after pointing the wrong end at his face and pulling the trigger.
• Innocently Insensitive: While commenting on the District Eleven reapings for the 107th Hunger Games, Roselia mentions that Camellia's dress was "surprisingly chic in a rustic way". The analysts working on the corresponding file finds it tone-deaf due to the nature of the Hunger Games.
• Improvised Weapon:
  • During the 105th Hunger Games, the District Three boy (Mortran) uses a pool umbrella to attack Arbor (the District Seven boy). Arbor throws an opened ice tea bottle to defend himself, that he later breaks and uses to smash against Mortran's head. The District Fifteen boy (Achile) also uses a rib bone as a weapon to stab the District Eleven boy (Thorne) during a food fight in the kitchen.
  • As the Lockes did not include a cornucopia (and thus weapons) for the 107th Hunger Games, all of the mall items can become weapons for the tributes. For example, the Careers are seen using sporting goods and cooking utensils as weapons, while Rill uses a diamond earing to stab Sorrell during the finale. Subverted near the end when Adrianna is sponsored a dagger from an unnamed sponsor.
• Implicit Prison: Following the 111th Hunger Games, Léo Desjardins is placed under house arrest as part of a condition of being released from the Mace Hospital.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Oakley during the 109th Hunger Games consumes alcohol for most of the duration of the Hunger Games. Justified because his brother, Forrest, was reaped for the Hunger Games and he's trying to ensure that he comes back alive.
• Interclass Friendship: Happens with all four focus tributes of the 107th Hunger Games, as they manage to strike a rapport with their district partners. Among the Fours, Lee lives in a wealthier area of Four and is able to have a full stomach, while Rill has to make ends meet with her mother by selling jewelry down the road. Meanwhile with the Elevens (who both ally for most of the Games), Camellia is implied to be destitute while Sorrel is the mayor's son.
• In-Universe Nickname:
  • Like the District Victors in Tales, all of the Victors are given one following their Hunger Games.
  • Catalina Siragon is commonly known as Lina.
  • Madura is known as "The Vomit Comet" by her mentor over vomiting in the train.
• Iron Lady: Gloria Steele, a former District Two deputy mayor, current top advisor to President Mace, training master. She's described to be well-known for her "stern presence" and "calculating intellect".
• Jerkass:
  • One of Mercury's Career allies is Neela (the District One girl). She's snobby, self-centered, and refuses to take responsibility for her actions.
  • The 107th Hunger Games introduces Sunela (the District One girl), a Career who's rude to Sorrel and the District Four tributes during the parade. She's also seen mistreating her ally Adrianna (the District Two girl) in-arena from deliberately not making her a milkshake to threatening to smash a perfume bottle on her head.
• La Résistance: There is a resistance group in District Fifteen who disguise themselves as peacekeepers and attack top Capitolian officials during the arranged wedding of Zibeline and Oakley.
• Lethal Chef: During the 108th Hunger Games, the District Two girl (Livia) failed to properly cook a pheasant and gives her district partner (Aries) food poisoning the next day. He complains about it, which Livia does not take too kindly to.
• Les Collaborateurs:
  • District Two works with the Capitol on helping the latter regain control of Panem.
  • Gloria Steele also becomes both a top advisor to Mace and training master following the civil war.
• Level Ate: Downplayed during the 109th Hunger Games. One of the arena events is a tower of food laden with traps as the tributes gradually climb up for the desirable food. It results in most tributes fighting each other over specific food items while scaling the tower.
• Location Theme Naming: The series continues the tradition started in Tales of naming District 6 tributes after places, but has switched from North America to Europe as a source of inspiration for these names.
• Loophole Abuse:
  • During the 103rd Hunger Games, one arena event required tributes to spill at least 500 milliliters of blood into a metal box, in hopes of opening a metal door that would protect them from a steam wave. The careers, Connor and the District Seven tributes, and the District Fifteen tributes fulfilled this by draining the blood of another tribute they killed. The District Five tributes and Yorick gave each other minor injuries to fill the metal box.
  • During the 109th Hunger Games, the Lockes announce a "tower of food". However, the most desirable food is at the top with traps below it. The District Six girl (Valleta) sprinted while the tower rose a foot above the ground, grabs an item, and runs off in the opposite direction.
• Mayincatec: The 103rd Hunger Games takes place in an underground cave of one, containing axotels, two arena events that allude to human sacrifice, and a giant skeleton inspired by the Crystal Maiden.
• Mafia Princess: Zibeline's parents ran an underground textile smuggling ring whose raids killed peacekeepers and Capitolian officials. As the Quell twist involves the relatives of people imprisoned by the Capitol, her chances of entering the arena skyrockets.
• Memetic Mutation: In-Universe. A CapitolTube video of the District Two girl (Adrianna) calling the District Nine girl (Sarah) a "blonde mole rat" becomes one of the most-watched videos of the year following the 107th Hunger Games.
• Mistaken for Murderer: During the 106th Hunger Games, the District One boy (Sinter) thinks that it was the District Eight boy (Donegal) who killed his district partner, Neela. He yells at him over it, although Mercury was the one who killed him.
• Mushroom Samba: During the 104th Hunger Games, the District Six boy (Constantine) suffers from hallucinations from the mushroom, where he thinks that he's a tiger. He manages to climb a tree but the fragile treetop breaks below him and he falls to his death.
• My God, What Have I Done?:
  • Before the 104th Hunger Games, Chryss admitted to Alexander that this was her reaction after her embrace with Zoisite while under the influence of alcohol. She's too guilty to contact him and did not drink any alcohol till the mediation with Alexander.
  • Following the 104th Hunger Games, Alexander has regrets and remorse over killing Chryss, despite being a Career and being expected to kill their district partner. It's shown in his body language and he's reluctant to open up during his post-Games interview.
• Named by the Adaptation: Lilac, the District Seven tribute of the 94th Hunger Games, is revealed to have "Canham" as her last name.
• The Napoleon: Implied with both Florizel and Perdita Gamp, District Three and Five's respective stylists as seen in the 102nd and 103rd Hunger Games respectively. Both are described to be petit and were accidentally tripped over by the tributes who they're supposed to be styling. In retaliation, they both dress their tributes in unflattering outfits.
• Nephewism: Lina was raised by her elderly uncle before she entered the arena.
• Never Smile at a Crocodile: The 112th Hunger Games contains vicious crocodile mutts. One sinks its teeth into the chest of Logan (the District Nine girl).
• Nobody Touches the Hair:
  • The career girls during the 103rd Hunger Games (Shyna and Aurina) are more distressed at their ruined hair from the staglimite fall than the injuries of their district partners. They attempt to comb each others' hair in the process.
  • Implied with Joliet during the 112th Games. When a grenade whizzes past her, it singes part of her braids. She shrieks in outrage and demands that its shooter pays for ruining her hair. She also takes offence and attempts to tackle Currant (the District Eleven boy) after he tells her that her singed hair looks better.
• Non-Human Sidekick: The twist of the 105th Hunger Games. All tributes were given an animal companion of the same breed that they would train to become their guide/helper (with varying degrees of success).
• Nouveau Riche: Both Heffer (105th Hunger Games) and Rill (107th Hunger Games) gain reputations in the Capitol for flaunting their wealth in extravagant ways. They're seen attending parties together and at one point, pose together with their famous money boas, diamond earrings, and golden golf clubs.
  • The latter's behaviour can be justified as she comes from an impovrished family before she was reaped.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: The strategy Heffer used during the 105th Hunger Games. He admits during his post-Games interview that he played down his intelligence, which was why he didn't train his squirrel or gave intelligible response to the Careers.
• Odd Friendship: Austin is friends with Alexander as of the 108th Hunger Games, which is unlikely because Austin is from an outlying district and Alexander is from a Career district. However, one thing that they did have in common is hearing about the Games from jaded adults, before dealing with the reality of entering the arena and having to watch their mentees die every single year after year.
• One-Product Planet: Districts One to Nine and Eleven still specialize in a specific industry like in the Hunger Games trilogy and in Tales.
  • Downplayed for District Ten as of the 105th Hunger Games. They still produce livestock, but also produce cacao for the Alpine Republic so they can refine into chocolate for Capitolians and Victors.
• Pain to the Ass: During the 111th Hunger Games, Léo is knifed in the ass by Dracus.
• The Plague: At the series's "start", the Capitol is still dealing with an ongoing measles epidemic from Salazar Gaul's reluctance to address it. During Cardew's failed 101st Hunger Games, the measles also infect one tribute, which spreads among many of the tributes and kills most of them within the first two days.
• Pie in the Face: During the 105th Hunger Games, the District Six girl (Kuna) pies the District Fifteen boy (Achille) with a lemon meringue pie.
• Plot Armor: Downplayed. If one tribute from a focus tribute is killed, their district partner is automatically given enough plot armor to make it to the final two. Justified because the dossier files focus on the districts of the tributes to make it to the final two.
• Plot-Inciting Infidelity: Chryss's infidelity is behind why the District One tributes initially refuse to work together, despite Adrian's prompting at first.
• Public Execution: After escaping the arena with the help of his squirrel, the District Six boy (Casper) is tried with treason and is executed by firing squad, which is revealed to be that of Bern during the 106th Hunger Games. So was his extended family by local peacekeepers in front of the rest of the district and the squirrel companion who helped Casper escape the arena. All three footage of their respective executions are shown to the remaining arena tributes through a projection on the arena sky.
• Raised by Grandparents: Rylee's grandparents raised her from birth, after her parents are killed in an accident during the civil war.
• Really Gets Around: The analyst chronicling the 106th Hunger Games mentions that Dollar fathered many descendents across Panem, after the District Nine girl (Tessa) touches an animatronic of him.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: During the finale of the 106th Hunger Games, Bern gives one to the Capitol about how he wasn't actually Bern Sorkin, but the real Casper Myers, and that they simply can't break him down despite what they did to him following his capture.
• Replacement Goldfish: Implied with Alexander following the 104th Hunger Games. He reconnects with a childhood friend and marries her, having a daughter that he names Chryss.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Downplayed and implied during the 112th Games, where the District One tributes kills the District Seven boy during the bloodbath. After the Lockes drop the grenade launchers on Day 2, they're blown apart while underwater by Daphne, the District Seven girl.
• Sadist: Gaius enjoys drawing out his kills, particularly with dragging two tributes into the campfire to burn them to death.
• Shoe Slap: Rill uses a stiletto heel to stab the neck of the District Nine boy (Kernel) during the 107th Hunger Games.
• Shot at Dawn: During the 105th Hunger Games, the District Six boy (Casper) and his family is executed this way, after the former manages to escape the arena (using his squirrel to find forcefield flaws) and is caught by Peacekeepers. The 106th Hunger Games reveals that the "Casper" that everyone in the arena saw is actually his friend, Bern Sorkin. Casper had his memories wiped and his appearance changed to resemble Bern's, before sent back to Bern's family and is thrown back in the arena the following year.
• Shout-Out:
  • As Lauren previously gave privileges to name PR characters as rewards, the series has its own share of pop culture references with tributes. Examples include Tauros, Raya, Casper, and Adora.
  • During the 103rd Hunger Games, Sierra's last words Austin before the Crystal Maiden takes her is that it had been an honour to be his district partner.
  • Arbor names his squirrel "Squirrelly McSquirrelface".
  • During the 105th Hunger Games food fight, the District Eleven boy (Thorne) clamps two pieces of bread on each side of Achille's head before calling him an "idiot sandwich"
  • While interviewing the 106th Hunger Games tributes, Roselia notices Cyprian's vampiric outfit and asks if he sparkles under sunlight.
  • During the 107th Hunger Games, Sunela tells Adrianna that just because her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard doesn't mean that she can have one^note "Milkshake" by Kellis.
  • During the 108th Hunger Games, Livia is seen humming "another one biting the dust", which is now an old folk song in Panem.
• Shown Their Work: Anything in French is pronounced accurately as Lauren is currently minoring in French.
• Shrinking Violet: Lourdais is described to be shy yet sweet. Heffer berates her for it during the parade, while Roselia has to ask her to repeat some words.
• Sins of Our Fathers: All of the tributes reaped for the 110th Hunger Games are relatives of those imprisoned by the Capitol, in hopes of making a point that their actions have consequences on loved ones. For example, the unnamed girl from District One has a sister who was arrested for dancing in an illegal burlesque.
• Smart People Play Chess: Lina's favorite way of evaluating her tributes' intelligence is to have them play chess with her during Capitol train rides. One of her opponents is her mentee, Wolfram, who's able to checkmate her initially within a few minutes, before checkmating her again while closing his eyes during some parts. Wolfram justifies it by being part of the Schneider family^note the family of Gif, the Victor of the 91st Hunger Games in Tales.
• Sole Survivor: Among the Career pack of the 109th Hunger Games, Carnelia is the only person who survived the bloodbath. Justified because the outlier pack mistook her for the District Fifteen girl (Zelie) who also has bright red hair.
• Sore Loser:
  • Following the tribute parade of the 107th Hunger Games, the District One girl (Sunela) furiously went up to the District Four tributes and furiously declared that her district deserves to win the "best dressed" award. When Lee tells her to leave them alone, she throws a glass of fruit punch at the him.
  • Following the parade of the 110th Hunger Games, Beatrix tosses the laurel wreath from her head and stamps on it after she learns that the District Three tributes' outfits won the "best dressed" award.
• Speak in Unison: The Lockes' method of delivering speeches in-arena. They use it when congratulating tributes during the 106th Hunger Games. They also use it again during the 110th Hunger Games when talking about their vision for the arena.
• Spin-Offspring:
  • Gaius (101st Hunger Games) is from the Dalton family, a family with two Hunger Games Victors^note three if you count Octavia, who won her District's 100th Hunger Games but died during the Grand Final..
  • Tweed (102nd Hunger Games) is implied to be related to Freya and Ava Berrick.
  • Downplayed with Austin (103rd Hunger Games). He's a distant cousin of the late Victoreen Vattenfall, the runner-up for the 91st Hunger Games.
  • Elia (105th Hunger Games) is a great-niece of Lilac^note (the District Seven female tribute for the 94th Hunger Games).
  • Georgia (108th Hunger Games) is related to the late Tatianna Nielson after she moved to District Five to become a peacekeeper.
  • Wolfram is a descendant of Gif Schneider as mentioned during his 110th Hunger Games interview.
• Steampunk: Implied to be the motif for the District Six tribute parade outfits before the 106th Hunger Games. Both tributes were fitted for an old-fashioned suit and dress embellished with tiny functional gears that makes them look like machines.
• Take This Job and Shove It: After Rosemary and Currant refuses to pay attention to her Hunger Games preparation tips before the 112th Games, Imogen Catsby (the District Eleven mentor) snaps, calls them out for their inattentiveness, and slams the door on them while walking out of her mentoring job. She is also heard telling the duo that they're on their own.
• Tampering with Food and Drink: Kerry is given a vial of undisclosed liquid by his mentor, where he's instructed to pour it on his opponents' food and drink. He pours it into Collard's canteen, which Collard takes a swig from and ends up vomiting into the ocean.
• Together in Death: During the 107th Hunger Games, the District Two girl (Adrianna) is disgusted by the District Ten tributes having sex on a mattress. She finds out that the mattress has a control panel which includes a big red "DO NOT TOUCH" button that she presses. The mattress seized up and snapped its ends, crushing both tributes and sounding their cannons in unison.
• Too Desperate to Be Picky: We learn from Rill before she finishes off Sorrel during the finale of the 107th Hunger Games that winning the Hunger Games means that she will no longer have to eat rotten shellfish.
• Total Party Kill: Implied with the post-Reclamation District Two Victors.
  • Ennius, Alisia, and Selena died in the main Tales series.^note Ennius is stabbed in the throat by Selena before she slits her own throat following the 99th Hunger Games, while Alisia is killed in a hovercraft explosion following the 97th Hunger Games.
  • Rubius is killed before Cardew's failed 101st Hunger Games.
  • A new mentor replaces Maxima during Mace's 101st Hunger Games, suggesting that Maxima died during the purge in 112'.
• Underestimating Badassery: Downplayed during the 112th Games with Rosemary's training evaluation. The Gamemakers laugh at her when she asks them to activate a set of holograms, even mocking how they think she'll fight off the holograms. Rosemary shuts them up by easily slashing through each hologram.
• Undignified Death:
  • During the 106th Hunger Games, the District Two boy (Cyprian) dies from the side effects minutes after drinking a highly-caffeinated Macebucks caramel mace-iato.
  • During the 111th Hunger Games, the District Three boy chokes to death on a fish skewer.
• Unreliable Narrator: Averted. The dossier used to "chronicle" PR are analyzed and archived by a neutral party. This is compared to Tales where the corresponding files used to chronicle them were prepared and analyzed by Capitol-centric historians, showing negative biases to those who oppose the Capitol (as seen with Katniss, Paylor, and Potenza).
• Veteran Instructor: Played straight with the Capitol-appointed mentors for District Two and Fifteen (Tavia Scattergood and Charmian Quince). They're both Great War veterans who try to maximize their tributes' chances of winning.
• Villain Has a Point:
  • Many of the Capitolians do believe that they're superior to the districts. However, when some of them have to take refuge in District Two during the civil wars among the other districts, they angrily point out to the locals that those other districts aren't able to handle their own problems (and cannot survive without them). The District Two leadership (including Gloria Steele) admits that their perceptions seem correct, before agreeing to work with the surviving leaders of the Capitol.
  • During the 107th Hunger Games, both the District Two girl (Adrianna) and the District One girl (Sunela) are seen arguing over a milkshake that Sunela made for some unnamed "boys", but Adrianna drank. Adrianna points out that Sunela shouldn't have left it in the open if she expected to drink it. It goes over Sunela's head where she threatens to smash a perfume bottle over Adrianna's head.
• Victoria's Secret Compartment: Nicosia managed to smuggle out some knives using her bra from the cornucopia during the 111th Hunger Games, saying that she's been used to smuggling 'other' things in District Six.
• Vomit Discretion Shot: While Heffer (the District Ten boy) was listening to his mentor about their Games strategy prior to the 105th Hunger Games, both of them can hear Madura (the District Ten girl) vomiting from the window.
• War Is Hell: The dossier entry chronicling the Great War is described to be this from the citizens' perspective.
  Dossier Entry #1: In the ashes of the Great War with the European Nations, the country stood in a state of ruin. Streets strewn with crumbling building structures. Livelihoods destroyed. Families torn apart. And everywhere, the smell of death. Panem was silent.
• "Which Restroom?" Dilemma: Prior to Roselia commencing the reaping commentary for the 108th Hunger Games, an intern hurried a newly-hired production staff member (a fifty-four year old man) to the restroom. It turns out that said intern sent the staff member to the ladies restroom due to the chorus of screams Roselia heard from the commentary room's walls.
• Windmill Scenery: The arena for the 102nd Hunger Games is an extensive tulip field dubbed "Flower Fields" that has a functioning windmill in it. Lina uses part of its milling mechanism to kill the District Fifteen boy (Karim), while the finale between Lina and Surah takes place there.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Mercury's strategy during the 106th mock Hunger Games in her district. She pretends to be wounded in the center of the arena, but successfully defends herself while detonating her opponents' bracelets.
• Working-Class Hero: Carnelia Creed of the 109th Hunger Games. She comes from a poor family where they have to go several days without food and water, and is tasked with taking care of her younger siblings. She's named Victor, where her Rags to Riches story inspires others in District One to become tributes for future Hunger Games.
• Working with the Ex: Played straight with the District One tributes before the 104th Hunger Games before they're the last two tributes remaining. They split up on bad terms before the reapings and give the impression to the public that they dislike each other. However with the help of their mentor Adrian, they reconcile and agree to work together during the Hunger Games.
• You Can't Go Home Again: Downplayed with Léo Desjardins following the 111th Hunger Games. As part of an agreement with President Mace, he is forbidden to return back to District Fifteen beyond Capitol-sanctioned events.
• You Have Failed Me: Implied with Nova Merrin following the 105th Hunger Games, where a tribute managed to escape the arena. Roselia claims that they stepped down and are vacationing in the Mexican Lands with no plans to return back to Gamemaking. However, she sounds shaky and was reading from a cue card, something not usually associated with her.
• Young and in Charge:
  • Andronicus Mace is the de-facto leader of the surviving Capitolians at thirty-two.
  • Nova Merrin's age isn't disclosed, but they're described to be a "fresh-faced but highly talented young engineer" by the time they're named Head Gamemaker for Mace's 101st Hunger Games.
• Young Entrepreneur: Joliet (112th Games) produces drugs for extra income. It helps her family afford a wreath for Valletta's grave.