[Top 15] The Hunger Games Best Characters We Love

Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, hunger games, characters
Peeta, Katniss, and Haymitch are some of the main characters we love


From District 1 to District 12, there are always 2 tributes chosen each year after the rebellion. One female and one male. Age ranging from 12 - 18.

This way the Capital can remind the people and punish them for trying to overthrow the government. This is the Hunger Games. Nothing would ever compare to it and it's the most terrible thing ever.

The next 15 names are the names of the best characters we love, the characters we adore, and the characters that make the best scenes:

15. Seneca Crane

Ah, good ole Seneca Crane. We all *sorta* love him, right? I mean he’s handsome, and in control. Wow. Heartthrob. Except, he’s not because he's an evil man.

   Experts call him a “bloodthirsty, cruel individual, and I can agree with that. He is almost as bad as President Snow, but obviously, Snow is worse. 

   He was named after Seneca the Younger, or Lucius Annaeus Seneca, who was a philosopher and playwright.

   Seneca the Younger was also a part of the Senate in Rome, and (trigger warning ahead), like Seneca in the Hunger Games, was also forced to commit suicide.

 What We Love About Seneca Crane:

He is handsome

He decides to go against the rule of the Games, and he crowned both Peeta and Katniss as Victors.

He, along with other game makers, is the main motivation Katniss had to start and fuel the rebellion.

He only lasts the first movie. I am grateful he does not appear in the rest of the Hunger Games. He got his deserved ending.

 

14. Cato

  Does anybody remember this absolute muscle of a human? Remember how not scared he was? Like, ever? Yeah, that’s Cato. 

  He gets the number 14 spot because he is just as evil as the Gamemakers. He was a part of the group that killed Rue, and Cato almost killed Peeta at the end of the Hunger Games. Pure. Evil.

  Experts describe Cato as “the strongest and most threatening male tribute in the Hunger Games.”(www.shmoop.com) This is true, however, he makes fatal mistakes.

 In my own opinion though, I feel like if they used their heads and planned out their strategies better, Clove and Cato could have won.

  In Cato’s last moment of life, he had Peeta by the throat as Katniss has an arrow pointed at his head.

  He says this huge speech about how all he knows is bringing pride to his district, and he urges Katniss to shoot him. Peeta points to Cato’s hand and Katniss takes her shot and shoots his hand. Peeta elbows Cato and throws him to the mutts below.

  Katniss takes her last shot of the first hunger Games and gives Cato a mercy shot. But why and how did Cato get on the Top 15 Most Lovable if he was as terrible as this article makes him? Here’s why:

He wanted to bring Pride to his District.

He was madly in love with Clove, even though we all know he wouldn’t admit that himself.

He protected Clove instead of Glimmer, during the tracker jacker attack. Proves his love for sure.

13. Clove

  Clove, a 5’4” dark-haired ninja. Her preferred choice of weapon is none other than the amazing throwing knives. She's incredibly good with them too.

  She was a part of the group Cato was. The same group that killed Rue and almost killed Peeta. They call themselves the Career Pack.

  She almost had Katniss as well, if Thresh didn't throw her against the Cornucopia and break her neck.

  During her interview, and what experts have pointed out, Clove is described as sweet, but also arrogant and sarcastic. As they also cover, as soon as Clove got weapons, she was ruthless, getting the very first kill in the Games that year. She killed the male tribute from district nine.

  Although she seems very sweet when we first meet her in the book and see her face, she is pure evil. She’s also in love with Cato, and she wouldn’t hesitate to let people know. We love Clove for the following reasons:

She had, what I have always known it as, puppy love for Cato.

She’s quick and skilled with throwing knives(my favorite part about her).

She represents an empowering female character, and not the “damsel in distress” kind.

12. Glimmer

You think with the name Glimmer, she would be bubbly and outgoing, but kind and always helping, but she was more like a follower who wanted to fit in with the “cool kids”. The “cool kids” however left her to die to save themselves. Her gullible personality ended up being her demise.

  But somehow we still love her for these minimal reasons:

She volunteered to fight in the Hunger Games presumably. 

She had the third-highest amount of kills behind Cato and Katniss and tied with Marvel

She had more kills in 3 days than Clove did in 14 days.

 

11. Marvel

  The last member of the Career Pack that made it on this list is Marvel. Honestly, there aren't many reasons why he should be one we love considering he did kill Rue. But, alas there are still many people that love him. He was the male tribute from District 1.

  Marvel used spears as his chosen weapon. He snuck up behind Katniss as she was freeing Rue from the net trap she ended up in. He moves in quietly and throws his spear, piercing Rue straight through the stomach.

  Katniss moves with swiftness and lands an arrow in Marvel’s chest killing him in seconds. So, besides the fact that he took such a young life, these are the experts' opinions on why we love him:

He’s only a minor character, so not super important.

If he hadn't killed Rue (which is extremely disgusting), Thresh may not have spared Katniss’s life after saving her from Clove.

 

10. Foxface

  Foxface is a beautiful freckle-dusted redhead, but she gets her nickname because of her sly, fox-like features. Her real name is just as beautiful as her nickname. Her real name is Finch Crossly. As Cesar mentions during her interview.

  She makes the Top 10 of this Top 15. She was shy and quiet, and very slick. She has a lot of brains and it was shown that she knew her plants like it was nothing. But she died from eating nightlock berries.

  So, do we believe the theory she may have unlived herself? I think she did. Because she knew all her plants.

  Experts' opinion and take on Foxface is that she may have eaten the berries to warn Peeta and Katniss because she wanted Katniss to win if she couldn’t. I don’t 100% agree with this, only because it's shown that she memorized the plants during the training scene in the movie. She knew what Night Lock was, and she was on the brink of starvation so, she could have wanted to end her suffering. 

  Although she met a very tragic end, Foxface wasn’t evil at all like the above people. She and Katniss ran into each other, and that would have been the perfect opportunity for her to kill and she didn't; she ran off instead.

  Although, there are many theories about the berries and Foxface’s fate. She may have known about the berries and eaten them to end her suffering, or she may have thought they were safe because she saw Peeta picking them.

  Foxface is very skittish and too trusting. But Foxface is easy to love, and these are only a few of the reasons why:

She was intelligent and avoided the other tributes as much as possible.

She was terrified when she ran into Katniss and just ran in the opposite direction instead.

She just had a sweet and shy personality, kind of how I think Katniss’s little sister Prim would act if she went in.

 

9. Gale Hawthorne

  Gale, as we all know, is Katniss’s long-time best friend, and as some of us have caught on before it was known, he has a crush on her. 

  They became close when both of their fathers were killed in a mine explosion. Katniss was 12 and Gale was 14 at that time. Gale was devastated when Katniss volunteered, but he understood why she did.

  He is one of the main characters, and very important in the Rebellion that starts at the end of the Hunger Games. He is Katniss’s rock to lean on when she needs to. 

  Gale deserves the number 9 spot because he doesn’t have a lot of parts in the movie, yet the parts he has are super important. 

  What do the experts have to say about him though? Well, one says she didn’t feel strongly towards either Peeta or Gale when they were casting them in the movie. She thinks they nailed the look of Gale when it's all said and done. I can very much agree with that fact.

  We love Gale and so does almost everyone else:

He can hunt, which is a huge one because that's basically how he and Katniss started hanging out together.

I think one that all the girls can agree on why we love him is, that he understands Katniss. He understands her struggles and her purpose.

He, just like Katniss, risked their life for the Rebellion. He is an all-around great guy and the type of best friend every girl should have. 

8.  Effie Trinket

  Effie, Effie, Effie. Sweet little Effie. She likes to dress up in big, frilly outfits along with lots of crazy but matching makeup. She has a bubbly personality and she only gives off lovely vibes. She cares for Katniss and Peeta, but she’s gonna have to be stuck at the number 8 spot.

  I know, I know. If she gives off such good vibes, why is she number 8? Well, it’s because she is a government official, and she is a part of the Games happening.

  Unfortunately, she is a big part of the Games. Considering she chose the names of the kids who were to fight to the death. 

  Now, there are different opinions about Effie, and different feelings about her. But, we will be covering the amazing reasons she is a kind soul, like:

She shows us not to judge a book by its cover. She knows that Katniss is a hard nut to crack, but she somehow still gains her friendship and it doesn’t take too long.

She always has an upbeat and bubbly personality.

She loves Katniss and Peeta because, unlike other tributes, Katniss and Peeta had manners. She LOVES manners.

She tries to see the bright side of everything.

7. Thresh

  Thresh without a doubt deserves a spot in the Top 10. He spared Katniss’s life, but only to honor Rue and only that time. Thresh was the male tribute from District 11, which makes him Rue’s district partner. 

  One of Thresh’s main scenes was when he was going to grab his bag from The Feast scene, and he overhears Clove taunting Katniss about Rue’s death. He then asks if she killed her and smashes her head into the Cornucopia until her neck snaps. 

  He is quoted by the experts as the toughest male tribute, above even Cato, who was favored by the Capital for only giving yes or no answers or staying quiet during his interview with Caesar, and his physical appearance.

   Many people adore him because:

He gave respect to both Rue and Katniss when he saved Katniss’s life and then spared her life.

He was quiet and didn’t talk, so he was mysterious.

He refused to give the Capital any satisfaction with his interview by not reacting to Caesar's little jokes and such.

6. Cinna

  Cinna, the man responsible for creating the girl on fire. This amazing stylist created all of Katniss’s outfits, including the one that was for the tribute parade in the first Hunger Games.

  He created Katniss’s tribute costume, which matched Peeta’s and both costumes went up in flames… literally. Cinna constructed the dress and Peeta’s outfit, to catch flame while they are being paraded around. 

  This was a smart move because this gave Peeta and Katniss a lot of attention which, in turn, will become a lot of people's lifesaving money. Cinna always was on Katniss’s side, but just like Effie, he, unfortunately, works on the wrong side.

  Even though Cinna works for the Capital, he loves Katniss as his daughter it seems, especially later in the other movies. Experts consider him a major factor in Katniss’s rebellion, by creating her into the Mockingjay. He is the one that helped her stand up to the Capital, through her clothes.

  Among these next reasons are why we love Cinna:

He just knows what Katniss thinks before she even knows.

He’s 100% katniss's side of the Rebellion, he was more on her side than I think she was. He was the one who sparked the rebellion with Katniss’s dresses.

He made sure Katniss had a voice.

5. Haymitch Abernathy

  Coming in hot at #5 is Haymitch Abernathy, a raging alcoholic. Haymitch was the last District 12 Victor, which should show you how many Victors District 12 has had and why Haymitch drinks his life away.

  Being the experts they describe Haymitch as the hard-drinking former Hunger Games victor and now a mentor. He is also described as stubborn, temperamental, and frequently surly. He hates the Capital more than Katniss.

  We love him and his drunk personality, and these are just some reasons why:

Even though he comes off cold towards Katniss and Peeta, we can’t blame him because he watched too many of his tributes die before them.

He is the official start of the Rebellion, and he hates the Capital.

He is always cheering them on from the sidelines, even if they don’t think he cares.

He cares so much about his two tributes.

4. Rue

  Known as one of the most memorable characters in the Hunger Games, this young 12-year-old female tribute from district 11, named Rue, always looked up to Katniss in the training room and the Games arena. Rue had a few scenes but they were very precious. 

  One scene I think is worth mentioning is in the training scene, when Rue stole Cato’s knife and hid it in the ceiling with it. She, along with Prim, is very lovable and there are too many to count, so here are a few:

She was an innocent child.

I felt a strong urge to protect her the minute she was introduced.

She was unfairly killed in the Hunger Games.

She was Katniss’s little shadow and eventually, in the arena, was Katniss’s ally.

3. Peeta Mellark

 The main male character and the love interest of Katniss. Well, in the Games, he’s her love interest. Peeta confesses during his interview that Katniss is and has been his longtime crush and how winning wouldn’t help him because he wouldn’t want to live if he won and she died. 

  Thankfully, however, Peeta and Katniss win together. Peeta didn’t believe he could though, because his mom was talking about Katniss when she was talking about a new winner for District 12. He didn’t believe in himself at all,

2. Primrose Everdeen

  Primrose Everdeen, the little blonde sister of Katniss that we all love. She was the original name picked to be District 12’s female tribute. Young, just like Rue and stole our hearts as soon as we met her. 

  Katniss volunteers to be a tribute in her place, so her little sister didn’t have to fight that year. When Prim goes to say goodbye to Katniss, she gives her the Mockingjay pin that Katniss bought for her for luck. 

  This scene always absolutely crushes me because Prim didn’t want Katniss to go, but she knew she had a chance to win. We love this little girl to pieces for her bravery and love her for her sister, Katniss.

  This list is a list of why we adore Primrose Everdeen:

She is the one reason Katniss fights to win

She’s Katniss’s entire world.

She shows how brave she can be when she tells Katniss she can hunt, so she has a chance of winning.

She’s an intelligent and gentle being who is the opposite of Katniss in personality and looks, experts point out.

1. Katniss Everdeen

  The number 1 spot is reserved for none other than the heroine of the movies/books. Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is the symbol of the Rebellion for all of the districts, showing that they can take back their lives and take back all control. 

  The Mockingjay is her symbol and it becomes a part of her identity in the second movie after she is known as “the girl on fire” in the first movie.

  She puts flowers on Rue’s body, and all around her body, to show the government that that was their fault and they were responsible for such a young death.

  We love our female main character and we show it every time we talk about the movies/books. She is brave, outspoken, empowering, and an amazing icon for women all over the world. She is the most likable character and most likely forever will be, including these reasons:

She inspires young and older women to be brave and independent.

She’s an icon for everyone

She shows that you can be scared and still stand up for what's right.

She doesn’t take any crap from anyone, ever.

  This movie is full of amazing and iconic characters, but only these are the most important and loved. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, show a lot of bravery from the moment they are brought in from the Reaping to the very end of Mockingjay. Everybody on this list went through a lot. But their struggles were important to the cause.

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Hi! My name is Victoria Thone and I have been gaming since I was just a kid. I have also been writing for 13+ years. Game writing is a dream for all writers who love gaming too! Thank you for reading!
Gamer Since: 2010
Favorite Genre: RPG
Currently Playing: Dying Light, Fallout 4, Dishonored
Top 3 Favorite Games:Dishonored, Dying Light, Fallout 4


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