The Hunger Games Characters: Full List & Analysis

Who drives the story

Main characters

Katniss Everdeen

A sixteen-year-old hunter from District 12 who volunteers for the Games to save her sister Prim. She survives on skill, defiance, and a growing instinct to perform for the cameras, and comes home a victor unsure whether any of her feelings, for Peeta or Gale, are her own.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Reaping; Part 2: The Girl on Fire; Part 3: Rue and the Wasps; Part 4: The Berries
Themes:: Survival versus humanity; Performance and authenticity; Defiance and the cost of rebellion; Inequality and spectacle; Love as strategy and as truth

Peeta Mellark

The baker's son who once saved Katniss from starvation with burned bread and confesses his love for her on live television. Wounded by Cato's sword, he loses a leg but survives to be crowned joint victor, then learns her affection was partly strategy and turns cold.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Reaping; Part 2: The Girl on Fire; Part 3: Rue and the Wasps; Part 4: The Berries
Themes:: Survival versus humanity; Performance and authenticity; Love as strategy and as truth

Rue

The twelve-year-old District 11 tribute who becomes Katniss's ally and teaches her a four-note signal whistle. She dies speared by Marvel, and Katniss's flowers over her body spark a gift of bread from District 11.

Appears in:: Part 3: Rue and the Wasps; Part 4: The Berries
Themes:: Survival versus humanity; Defiance and the cost of rebellion; Inequality and spectacle

Haymitch Abernathy

District 12's only living victor, winner of the 50th Games, drunk and dismissive until he becomes Katniss's strategist. He coaches her to play the lovers' angle and later warns her the berry stunt has made the Capitol furious.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Reaping; Part 2: The Girl on Fire; Part 4: The Berries
Themes:: Performance and authenticity; Love as strategy and as truth

Cato

The Career leader from District 2 who hunts the weaker tributes and wounds Peeta. He is thrown to the wolf muttations at the Cornucopia and, after a night of mauling, is killed by Katniss's arrow as an act of mercy.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Girl on Fire; Part 4: The Berries
Themes:: Survival versus humanity

Gale Hawthorne

Katniss's hunting partner and closest friend, who promises to feed her family while she is in the arena. He waits at home, one half of the feelings Katniss cannot sort out by the last page.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Reaping; Part 4: The Berries
Themes:: Love as strategy and as truth

Also in the story

Supporting characters

Cinna

Katniss's quiet, kind stylist, a first-year Capitol man who asked for District 12. His synthetic-flame costumes make Katniss 'the girl on fire' and give her an image sponsors cannot ignore.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Reaping

Effie Trinket

The Capitol escort who draws the tributes' names at the reaping and chaperones them to the Games, all pink hair and etiquette while children are sent to die.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Reaping

How they are connected

Key relationships

Katniss Everdeen Peeta Mellark
She survives on skill, defiance, and a growing instinct to perform for the cameras, and comes home a victor unsure whether any of her feelings, for Peeta or Gale, are her own.
Katniss Everdeen Gale Hawthorne
She survives on skill, defiance, and a growing instinct to perform for the cameras, and comes home a victor unsure whether any of her feelings, for Peeta or Gale, are her own.
Peeta Mellark Cato
Wounded by Cato's sword, he loses a leg but survives to be crowned joint victor, then learns her affection was partly strategy and turns cold.
Rue Katniss Everdeen
The twelve-year-old District 11 tribute who becomes Katniss's ally and teaches her a four-note signal whistle.
Haymitch Abernathy Katniss Everdeen
District 12's only living victor, winner of the 50th Games, drunk and dismissive until he becomes Katniss's strategist.
Cato Katniss Everdeen
He is thrown to the wolf muttations at the Cornucopia and, after a night of mauling, is killed by Katniss's arrow as an act of mercy.
Cinna Katniss Everdeen
Katniss's quiet, kind stylist, a first-year Capitol man who asked for District 12.

Go deeper

The Hunger Games themes & symbols

Survival versus humanity · Performance and authenticity · Defiance and the cost of rebellion · Inequality and spectacle

Themes explained

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The full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.

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