All 4 District 12 Winners In The Hunger Games, Ranked By Their Character Arcs

The Hunger Games has always revolved around the victors of District 12, who face some of the biggest disadvantages in the Hunger Games and all play one role or another in the resistance against the Capitol’s regime. With the release of Sunrise on the Reaping, we now have a full account of every District 12 victory in the 75 years the Capitol held the Hunger Games. There is a story to tell for each of them, regarding how they view their home district, how they win the Games, how that experience changes them, and what they do to rebel.

Katniss and Peeta are co-victors through Katniss’ idea to force the Capitol to let them both live by threatening suicide and therefore no victor at all. When the first book came out 17 years ago, Suzanne Collins established in the first chapter through Katniss’ narration that only two others from District 12 had won before. This is Lucy Gray, the singer who won the 10th Hunger Games with some rule-breaking help from a young Coriolanus Snow, and Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor who won the 50th and bloodiest Hunger Games in history.

4

Peeta Mellark

The Hunger Games Trilogy

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Peeta’s own arc of realizing the need for a revolution is watered down by the story being told from Katniss’ perspective; his main role in the narrative is how he affects Katniss’ life, which also means how he is caught up in the drama of the love triangle with Gale. Peeta has his own family, who are of little to no consequence in the story, as they are killed when District 12 is bombed and the effect this has on Peeta is never explored. Essentially, he acts as though all he has in the world is Katniss.

Title

Book Release Year

Movie Release Year

Rotten Tomatoes Score

The Hunger Games

2008

2012

84%

Catching Fire

2009

2013

90%

Mockingjay

2010

2014 & 2015

70%

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

2020

2023

64%

Sunrise on the Reaping

2025

2026

N/A

Peeta is a fundamentally kind person, but the books also don’t delve much into any ideas of how the Hunger Games might have changed this, because he needs to remain this person for Katniss. There is some good story for him in the final book, as he is depicted as learning to live with and manage the physical and mental damage that has been done to him and still having a fulfilling adulthood. However, his main characteristics are being compassionate, artistic, and in love with Katniss, things that never change.

3

Lucy Gray Baird

The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

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Lucy Gray’s character development is minimal simply because she comes into the story fully formed. She is written as an antithesis to Katniss, in some ways, as she is very confident, extending to her being at home in the limelight. She is entirely sure of who she is, the things that matter to her, and where her loyalties lie. The main changes that happen to her character in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are her concluding that it is best for everyone if she leaves District 12, and her slow realization that her relationship with Snow is toxic.

The-Hunger-Games--Lucy-Gray's-Name-Origin-&-Meaning-Explained

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What happens to Lucy Gray in The Hunger Games is very interesting because it is actually her repurposing traits she has claimed for herself to turn the tables and escape Snow and the Capitol. She has established that she is mysterious, musical, at home in nature, and capable of some degree of manipulation — leading up to her disappearing into the forest once she realizes the truth about Snow. Lucy Gray is a very intriguing character because of the way she reflects Katniss and the world they all live in — she just doesn’t change enough to have a real arc.

2

Katniss Everdeen

The Hunger Games Trilogy

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Katniss’ character arc is a difficult read, as it is heavily influenced by the traumatic events she is put through. However, there are some standout moments where she self-reflects and consciously grows: when she decides that she wants to actively fight the Capitol, when she starts taking steps to have a better relationship with her mother, and when she finally lands on what she needs from a partner. There are a lot of points where Katniss may seem indecisive, which actually serves her story as a reminder that she is a teenager in terrible circumstances who has conditioned herself to be a survivor above all else.

It all comes together in a complete individual story about choosing to fight for good and still searching for happiness.

The culminating moment of Katniss’ arc is after Prim’s death when she feels like she has nothing left. This then segues into her slow healing and the epilogue, which shows how she has continued to evolve as she learns the best coping mechanisms for herself and finds some peace with Peeta and their children. There is a lot going on in Katniss’ head that at times is chaotic, but it all comes together in a complete individual story about choosing to fight for good and still searching for happiness.

1

Haymitch Abernathy

The Hunger Games Trilogy, Sunrise On The Reaping

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Haymitch has a bit of an advantage when it comes to narrative quality because his arc spans more time than any of the other District 12 victors. We see him as a romantic young man, a traumatized victor, a grieving and alcoholic recluse, and eventually, a revolutionary who steps up to protect the young people he has come to care about and make the rebellion happen. In Sunrise on the Reaping alone, Haymitch goes through a lot of different phases and philosophies as he considers what it means to rebel and what it will ultimately come to.

The cover of Sunrise on the Reaping against a blue tinted image of a stage from the Hunger Games movies

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The prequel ends with him seemingly done with any kind of rebellion but still trapped by a promise he made to his love. It gives his arc in the original trilogy more meaning, as it was a terrifying thing for him to care about Katniss and Peeta and a monumental choice to help with the rebels’ plan during the third Quarter Quell. Haymitch is a more complex character than ever within the world of The Hunger Games, as he has reason to be deeply cynical but still takes a chance on hope.

The Hunger Games Franchise Poster

The Hunger Games

Created by

Suzanne Collins

First Film

The Hunger Games

Cast

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Willow Shields, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman

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