Top 10 Best Hunger Games Characters

The Top Ten
1 Finnick Odair

He was sweet, kind, caring, shallow, broken, and I loved him until the end. He had been through so much and had his mind, body, and spirit broken a thousand times, and after all that, he was murdered in the quickest, most brutal way possible, alone. He deserved so much better, and may have been an annoying jerk at first, but watching him open up and change was what made him special. I remember reading the passage where he died on the train on my way to Germany. I was looking forward to seeing him live his life with Annie, their son, his friends, and thought that after so many tears, he could finally find peace. Then he was murdered, just like that. I cried when Rue died, when Cinna died, when Prim died, but when Finnick died, I just felt empty inside. He was the most painful, bittersweet, and memorable character, but he slipped away into darkness.

2 Katniss Everdeen Katniss Everdeen is a fictional character and the protagonist of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. She is portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the film adaptation franchise.

I love Katniss's story. I wish that we had full closure and that we got to see her children grow up, being the only children in District 12. Maybe she and Peeta move to another district with their children. We will never know.

Katniss is definitely my favourite character of all time, in and out of The Hunger Games! She is strong, brave, and kind. I love how she can make hard decisions in a matter of minutes! She is so kind to Prim. I mean, she swaps herself in for Prim! So why on earth is she below Finnick?!

Katniss is super strong and loyal but she also sees her own flaws, and that's amazing! Katniss is also relateble, I mean she sounds real and like she's actually had experiences. She will fight for those she loves. She also isn't a person constantly whining about her situation; she takes action, even when her dad die as she learnt how to hunt to get food. That bow and arrow=GOALS. I was also happy that she saw the true beauty in Peet's. That's another thing she can see true personalities and she's also super intelligent. She's a role model to all girls: Stand up for what is right, Fight for those you love, Don't whine about your situation take action, It's okay to be smart and Eveb though you don't think it you could be the leader of a revolution

3 Haymitch Abernathy

Haymitch starts off as a disliked character but ends up as one of the most beloved characters in the series. I love that he only sends things to Katniss, not Peeta. Not really. It makes my heart break. He has suffered so much loss that I was so happy when he got a happy ending. Knowing Katniss, she would probably make him her child's godfather or something like that.

It's mentioned in the book that when Haymitch entered the Hunger Games arena, he was in a large field. Some people stopped to smell the flowers, but the flowers were laced with poison and killed anyone who smelled them. Poor Haymitch. It must have been hard to participate in the Hunger Games, kill other people, and then try to survive long enough to win. It's also said that he used the arena against the last contestant.

4 Peeta Mellark

I absolutely LOVE Peeta! He is my favorite character. Peeta is smart, strong, loving, kind, and sexy. There are so many honorable and heroic things that Peeta has done in the series. In the first book, he risked getting hit by his mother when he purposely burned the bread for Katniss, and he didn't even know her at the time! His love for Katniss is one of the most beautiful things in the series.

In the first book, he risked being severely cut in the leg by Cato because he protected Katniss. He worked with the careers mainly to protect Katniss in the arena. In the second book, Peeta took Haymitch's place in the Quarter Quell so he could protect Katniss in the arena. He tried his absolute best to convince Katniss to protect herself instead of him, and that says so much about his devotion and his character.

Even in the last book, when the Capitol temporarily brainwashed Peeta, he loved Katniss at the end. It was so sweet when he gave Katniss the primrose flowers, in honor of her sister who died, Prim. Peeta is the best character in the whole story, and one of my favorite literary characters ever. Also, the people who are posting negative comments about Peeta need to stop. Peeta is a great character, and I love him immensely.

5 Johanna Mason

You know, it's really great when you like a character that they mentioned in passing, and that character actually shows up and turns out to be GREAT!

I liked her strategy: stay low, kill viciously. She was a character who I actually liked, no matter how much Katniss's narration wanted me to hate her. Her skills in the Arena, and her role in Mockingjay, alongside Finnick, was a reminder of why I love the Hunger Games. It isn't a boring adventure because the characters and story keep me invested. And Johanna Mason was a huge part of that.

So, thank you, Johanna Mason. Thank you for letting me enjoy one of my favorite book series because you were an excellent character.

Thank you.

6 Rue

Rue only ever spends one night with Katniss, and after that one night, she trusts Katniss fully. In the book, Rue reminds Katniss of Prim so much that that is why she sang the song she did. "If this is Prim's, I mean Rue's last request," as Suzanne Collins put it. My heart broke. I wish that we could have seen more of this awesome character.

Rue is the best character in The Hunger Games. She is so sweet, and when she died, I started crying. I'm pretty sure most people did. She also supported Katniss with everything she could. And even if she didn't die that soon, she would have still sacrificed her life for Katniss.

7 Cinna

Absolutely the best character, very deep, independent, and not self-absorbed, yet very individualistic. He managed to become a real person in a sea of people, where everyone is trying to be different and special. He avoided shallowness and became a true artist and rebel, able to see beyond the colorful walls of the Capitol. All Capitol citizens were very aesthetic, but along with aesthetics, he was very intuitive and emotionally stable, hiding a huge amount of emotions. I think he is a true survivor and individualist.

8 Effie Trinket

Effie is a character that I personally didn't like when I first read the series, but as you watch the movies and read the books, you find out that she does care about Katniss and her team. She has a loving personality behind that 'scary white grin'.

Effie Trinket was the only Capital person I knew that cared for Katniss. She didn't like the Hunger Games. She cheered for Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss. They were a great team together!

At first, Effie just seems like another beauty queen, but then she shows how deeply she actually cares. It's so sweet how she tries to help Katniss and Peeta in every way she can.

9 Primrose Everdeen

Prim is such an awesome character, and it is sad that she dies. When Katniss yells at Buttercup that Prim is gone and never coming back, it broke my heart.

Primrose Everdeen is such a phenomenal character, despite the fact that she was never actually in the Hunger Games. She is sweet and selfless, dealing with her father's death and her mother's long stretch of unresponsiveness for years. She loved Katniss so much and took care of her during her worst times in Catching Fire and Mockingjay. When she was finally killed by District 13's bombs, she was still fulfilling her duty: healing the Capitol children who had first been attacked. Rest in peace, Prim!

10 Gale Hawthorne

Gale is the best character. He tries his best in everything, but Katniss never accepts him. I believe that Katniss shouldn't have gotten so mad at Gale because if she was in charge of blowing up the Capitol kids and didn't know Prim was there, she would have done the same. Gale deserves so much better than Katniss. She goes around kissing Peeta then Gale. In my personal opinion, Katniss should be the worst character, and Gale should be number one or two. I think Finnick is also a great character, and I love him equally as much as Gale, but I think Gale deserves more respect than he gets. Katniss treats him poorly even though he helps Prim so much and tries so hard. I think people should stop hating on Gale because he would never purposely kill Prim. He is like an older brother to her.

The Contenders
11 Foxface Foxface is a fictional character in the Hunger Games franchise. She was portrayed by Jacqueline Emerson.

She is amazing. Although she is no longer alive, she is still my favorite character. Throughout the entire game, she did not kill anyone. Her death is both sad and intriguing.

She ate some poisonous berries, but during the training scene, she demonstrated a great understanding of which berries were harmful and which ones were safe to eat. Was it suicide? It seems highly probable, given her intelligence and the fact that she had made it so far, being in the top 5. In my opinion, she could have defeated Katniss, Peeta, Cato, and Thresh with her intelligence and wit.

She was one of the few who didn't kill anyone. I believe that she is one of the most intriguing and remarkable characters in the entire film. However, I think she deserved more screen time and a better story. She was hardly ever seen, and no one really knew her. If it came down to her and Katniss left in the arena, I believe that Foxface could outsmart Katniss with her intelligence. This character will always be somewhat of a mystery.

12 Beetee

Beetee is only the smartest character in the trilogy, an important piece to the rebellion. Without him, the propos never would have aired to get Panem on 13's side. He also won his first Hunger Games at age 17 with an electric wire trick.

Beetee is the smartest character from the Hunger Games. District 3 is the most intelligent district, akin to the Asians of the Hunger Games world.

Super smart and kind. Can't believe he wasn't on the list!

13 Clove Clove Kentwell is a fictional character in the The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. She was portrayed by 19 year old Isabelle Fhurman in the film adaptation.

Clove is by far the best character. Sure, in some parts of the movie she was portrayed as heartless and bloodthirsty, but I assure you, if the movie followed her instead of Katniss, far more about her would be revealed.

In the scene where she almost killed Katniss, sure, she teased Katniss about Rue, but when she died, whose name did she call? Cato's. She called Cato's name. This shows that she cared. She cared about Cato, which means that she was capable of caring for others.

In the book, Cato came after her, following her voice or his instinct on where she might have been, and stayed with her until she died. This shows that people cared for her. She was also very tough, intelligent, and tactical. Her abilities with knives were impeccable, and she never missed.

If Thresh hadn't overheard her speech about killing Rue, she might have had a chance of making it out alive with Cato. That would've been incredible to see, a different 'star-crossed lovers' story.

14 President Snow

I think a lot of people here are misunderstanding the list's aim: it's best characters, not best "good guys". I think President Snow should be higher because he is a great villain, cunning, cruel, and merciless.

He was fine in the first book because he didn't really do anything. However, in Catching Fire, right at the beginning when he threatened to kill Gale, I was like, oh hell no!

Who doesn't like psychotic dictators played by Donald Sutherland?

Hmm, everyone? To each their own, I guess...

15 Buttercup

Buttercup is the cutest cat ever! He slept next to Prim to protect her throughout his life with the Everdeens until Prim died. Prim's death initially seemed like any other main character's death, until back in District 12, Buttercup comes looking for Prim. He howls and cries with Katniss after learning that Prim is gone. The way Buttercup moves on from what happened is what makes this cat one of my favorite characters.

He was the only one who didn't die or nearly die and yet he still gets the depression of Prim's death. He also appeared on the first page of the Hunger Games trilogy. Best character.

16 Caesar Flickerman

He was so hilarious! Every time I read about him, I literally did jazz hands!

Ok, he just had a lot of energy. When Katniss was talking on stage, I feel like he made her feel better. Just a thumbs up.

The second I hear the trumpets playing his theme, I get so excited!

17 Mags

Mags isn't my favourite character, but she definitely ranks in my top 5 favourites from the Hunger Games. She is such a brave character, from volunteering for Annie Cresta to sacrificing herself for Peeta by entering the poisonous fog. I don't understand why FoxFace is ranked higher. FoxFace never really talked and was just trying to stay alive. As for Gale, how did he make it into the Top 10? Some people, like myself, actually wonder what Gale has done and consider him to be somewhat of a jerk.

Alright, I just have to say, Mags is the best. She was the most useful member of their group. She found Peeta while he was drowning, taught Katniss how to make that hook thing, and sacrificed her life for Peeta (who is a huge liability). She did so much more than the others and is truly underrated. Plus, she volunteered for Annie - I forgot to mention that part. And she was EIGHTY! I genuinely believe she deserved better.

Rest in peace, Mags.

18 Cato

Cato was absolutely amazing. Everyone says he was a ruthless, blood-craving beast that had no heart. But they were wrong. He had a heart, it's just that... His district taught him to show no affection. And that's how he was raised. We would be like that too if we were raised like that all our life.

In the book, he ran to Clove's aid. Sat there beside her until she died. It even says that his voice sounded pained and hurt when he heard her calling his name. He was determined, focused, and ready. Not what you guys put him as.

He should have won, think of it this way: All your life, you've trained for an event that comes once a year, and if you won, you'd get money, popularity, and more. All your life. Then, some girl who comes from another district (never trained) beats you at something you've worked for every day since you were a kid. It hurts... I'm not going to lie.

He should be first, how did a nameless tribute rank higher than him and Clove?

19 Thresh

He is one of my favorite characters. Here's why:

1. He helped Rue. He felt bad when Rue was in the Hunger Games and wanted to help her because she was so young and small.
2. He killed Clove. I'm sorry, but Clove was a terrible character.
3. He died for Katniss. Right after he killed Clove, Cato was coming, and he grabbed Cato's backpack and ran away, so Cato would chase him instead of Katniss. He saved Katniss' life with his own and let Cato kill him. Right after killing Clove, he could've easily killed Katniss. But it turns out that Katniss helped Rue, so he made sure that Cato would kill him instead of Katniss. Cato could've easily killed Katniss, and the only reason Katniss killed Cato later in the Games was that he was hurt and weak. At that time, he was not and would've killed Katniss, so Thresh got himself killed, putting others in front of himself.

Now that, my friends, is a good character.

20 Annie Cresta

She deserves the world, a world in which Finnick didn't die, and they could raise their son in peace without worrying about the games. I just wish that she could have had a better life. She deserves a life without pain or the Games.

A sweet and innocent girl who won the Hunger Games almost by chance... And spent the rest of her life terrorized by it. The fact that Finnick fell in love with her speaks volumes about her true character.

She's incredibly strong, having survived the Games. Even though she was slightly insane, she found love and raised a child by herself.

21 Madge Undersee

Explain to me RIGHT NOW why the District 9 Male, who wasn't important to the story in any way, is above Madge? Without Madge, Katniss wouldn't have anyone to sit with at lunch, Gale probably would've died, Rue wouldn't have trusted Katniss, and 90% of the story wouldn't happen. Explain this RIGHT NOW.

Think about it, guys. Who gave Katniss the pin? Madge did. Without Madge, Catching Fire and Mockingjay wouldn't exist, and neither would most of the storyline with Rue.

Madge was a kind friend to Katniss. She brought some medicine for Gale during a snowstorm. She sat with Katniss at lunch. And most of all, she gave the Mockingjay pin!

22 Plutarch Heavensbee

He is very suspicious but turns out to be good when he rescues Katniss and Beetee and is part of the rebellion. I honestly think he is a better game maker than Seneca Crane.

23 Cressida

Due to her history, the strength she shows in the movies is incredible. She continues to cope and support the revolution in memory of her love.

Cressida was such a fighter! Always standing up for Katniss. Not my favorite, but she's up there.

She's cool. She should be ranked above Katniss and Peeta.

24 Boggs

An amazing man who sacrificed his life for his squad and Katniss' mission. Also, he made the brave and wonderful move of assigning the Holo to Katniss instead of Jackson. Oh, yes, and let's not forget his sense of humor, especially in the "Do you find this distracting?" scene.

This man was the only person who wanted Katniss to complete her mission to kill Snow. He believed and trusted her.

Such a great character. He died way too soon. I wish we could've seen more of him.

25 President Coin

She was ruthlessly power-hungry but much more subtle than Snow, which had the potential to make her twice as deadly. She was exceptionally well-cast. Who could suspect a soft-spoken, kind-eyed, and pin-straight grey-haired Julianne Moore? She's incredibly tactful. She uses people against themselves. She's so cold that her coldness passes off as warmth - she can execute great evil and manipulation without remorse while feigning compassion and morality. Her coldness to the core enables her to execute her strategy so inconspicuously. She's practically a sociopath with tremendous intelligence and ambition. A very dangerous combination. Incredibly compelling villain.

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