the hunger games It remains a surprisingly powerful force in modern pop culture, despite the fact that until recently, there hadn’t been a new film in the franchise in almost a decade. Thanks to some great slogans (“I willingly pay tribute,” “May the circumstances always be in your favor,” etc.) and a compelling premise, the series is still alive in the imaginations of many who love the books and movies. When they were initially a phenomenon.
With a new entry, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, now in theaters, the franchise is now back in the zeitgeist. Additionally, the recent surge in viewing on streaming platforms like Netflix and now Peacock has made it an ideal time to look back at The Hunger Games and remember the indelible characters that have made this franchise so endearing and inspiring .
10.Betty Latier
Every franchise needs a techie, but not every techie has the kind of quirks that make BT so instantly lovable. BT’s plan is key to the end catch fireAnd it’s in that book that we best understand how he thinks and why he opposes the Capitol so much.
Jeffrey Wright’s performance as Beatty enhances many of the compelling things about Beatty in the books, turning him into someone who is both extremely funny and brilliant.
9. Sinna
Katniss’s early success can be attributed to Cinna, a brilliant stylist who knows how to sell both Katniss and Peeta to the citizens of the Capitol. Cinna’s acts of defiance and his tacit alliance with the rebels ultimately get him killed, but it is clear that it is a sacrifice he is willing to make.
Even before Haymitch, Cinna believed in Katniss, and it was Cinna’s belief in her that ultimately led her to become the symbol of rebellion that she ultimately was.
8. Rs
Both Katniss and the audience get their first realization of how cruel the Hunger Games are when Rue dies. Katniss, who befriends him in the arena, is heartbroken and angry that such an innocent, small, beautiful person died for the entertainment of people she had never met.
Rue’s innocence is so important to her appeal as a character, and her death is also one of our first tastes of how rebellious Katniss can be. She decorates Rue’s grave, forcing everyone watching to remember that this child who died is real and deserves respect.
7. Plutarch Heavensbee
Plutarch, the key gamemaker who changes teams, believes in the Heavensbee rebellion and understands how to sell it to the public. Had it not been for the speech Plutarch gave at the end, it probably wouldn’t have made this list. mockingjayIn which he accepts that what they are fighting for may ultimately be in vain.
It’s a reminder that revolutions matter, even if their effects don’t last forever. It also indicates that Plutarch, as smart as he is, is far from the kinds of traumas experienced by many of the other characters in this story.
6. Joanna Mason
Joanna is angry and that’s what makes her so memorable. She exists as a version of Katniss who has already lost everything. Everyone she cared about is dead, and so all she can do is scream at the world and then try to numb the pain.
Jena Malone, in particular, gives an incredible performance in this role. catch fire, She also has an iconic scene in which she strips completely in an elevator with Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch. It’s the best character introduction of the entire series, and a clear indication that Joanna isn’t like the rest of the Winchesters Katniss and Peeta will meet.
5. Haymitch Abernathy
Katniss and Peeta’s mentor is a weary, cynical man who finds himself melted by his twin tributes. Of all the characters Katniss meets on her travels, Haymitch is the one she likes the most. He gets drunk and stuns as his tribute goes to the games every year, and Peeta and Katniss spend their initial time together trying to prove to him that they are different.
Haymitch may not always have the words to express it, but he cares deeply for both Katniss and Peeta, and over the course of this story he becomes close to a father figure to both of them.
4. Finnick O’Dwyer
Like many of the characters we meet in this series, Finnick presents as one thing and is actually something else entirely. He seems like a charming, sleazy pretty boy who treats every woman he meets in his own way, while he is actually a caring, devoted partner who is also his country’s puppet.
Finnick’s journey doesn’t end well, but he’s one of the most likable characters we meet in this franchise, and he becomes an extremely loyal friend. This is why fans have always loved him.
3. Peeta Mellark
The genius of Peeta Mellark is that, like Katniss, he undergoes severe trauma. He has been brainwashed, forced to fight through two Hunger Games, and has only a tenuous grip on his own humanity as a result. Still, Pita is good. She is kind, loving, and gentle, and she is a reminder that all of these things are possible in people.
Peeta is not a fighter or a survivor, at least not in the way most of the other winners are. Instead, he is something better. He is a reminder of everything you are alive for. He reminds that the world can be good.
2. Coriolanus Snow
A morally repulsive man who nevertheless believed he was good, Coriolanus Snow is attractive in part because he seems to have genuine respect for Katniss. She is aware of the inhumanity of her situation and the Hunger Games, but believes it is all worth it for the peace it provides.
He has a code, and although it’s not one the average person would share, it helps us understand what lies inside his sinister heart.
1. Katniss Everdeen
It’s often the case that the main character in a story like this isn’t the most interesting one, but that’s not the case here. Katniss Everdeen is the heartbeat of this series. She is a morally grey, distrustful person who becomes a symbol of rebellion, even though she’s not sure she believes it herself. She is deeply traumatized by her experiences in the Hunger Games, and often acts out of love or malice rather than virtue.
Thanks to Jennifer Lawrence’s stellar performance, many of Katniss’s darkest qualities make their way to the big screen, creating an action hero worth celebrating, not because she’s noble, but because she’s complex.
The first four Hunger Games movies are streaming on Peacock. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Now in theatres.