The world of The Hunger Games has entranced readers and viewers for over a decade, transforming Suzanne Collins' fictional country of Panem into a comparable mirror that many audiences believe reflects the real world. From page to screen, this series has become one of the premier lasting examples of the dystopian genre's impact on fans. The blockbuster success of the recently-released prequel to the original trilogy – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – proves just how memorable and relevant these stories remain.
Some of the series' movie characters have remained solidly appreciated among fans, but others and their contributions are still seriously overlooked. Here are a handful of Hunger Games characters who deserve much more genuine appreciation than they often receive.
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Buttercup the Cat
Buttercup is Primrose Everdeen's cat, remembered as an ornery and ragged creature who was played by two different kitties throughout the original trilogy of Hunger Games movies. As Prim's companion, he's often found on her lap and lurking throughout the Everdeen household, acting as a catalyst at certain points within the story. Although he and Katniss don't get along (Prim's older sister famously warns that she might cook him), Buttercup's lingering presence after the events of Mockingjay - Part 2 reignites the spirit inside of Katniss.
Why Buttercup Makes the List
After shrieking at Buttercup that his caretaker, Prim, will never return, Katniss is driven to tears by the cat's very existence after District 12 lies devastated again. Seeing him still alive forces her to begin to accept what she's just endured and the world on the other side of that world-ending moment. Buttercup's wordless resilience inspires Katniss to remember that life and good things can still be found after death and horror, and for a cat that she had always despised, that continuing connection between them says a lot.
Annie Cresta
Annie Cresta (Stef Dawson) is introduced in Catching Fire as another District 4 victor, who goes from Finnick Odair's lover to his wife and the eventual mother of their child. Scarred from her time in the Games, Annie's trauma often colors early perceptions of her, but she luckily gets to see happiness again for a short time when Finnick returns from his Quarter Quell. Almost ending up next to her own lover in the games, Annie is spared from competing in the Hunger Games for a second devastating time after Mags Flanagan volunteers for her.
Why We've Included Annie Cresta
Like many characters in the series, Annie represents one example of how deeply trauma can affect a person after experiencing traumatic events. Regarded generally as someone who "went a little..." after her Games, referring to her struggles with mental illness, Annie turns out to be one of the strongest characters. Given the events of Mockingjay and her survival after that, Annie's continued fortitude and involvement with fellow rebels remain palpable.
Cressida
Cressida (Natalie Dormer) captures the revolution from behind her camera in both Mockingjay - Part 1 and 2. As the "propo" videographer on the side of the Mockingjay herself, she's largely responsible for capturing Katniss's messages for the masses. Originally of the Capitol, Cressida is first known as a director of films before she switches sides as the rebels begin to work with District 13. She stands out not only because of her iconic haircut, but her continual bravery and willingness to run right into the action.
Cressida Want to Change Things for the Better
Cressida stands as an example of journalistic integrity in the Hunger Games universe, utilizing her talents to actually create tangible and positive social change. Caesar Flickerman, as iconic as he is, could never. Cressida also brings along members of her film crew to join her work with Katniss's squad, expanding their reach as the Mockingjay's very own media team.
Wiress
From District 3, Wiress (Amanda Plummer) reemerges into Panem's panopticon after her second reaping for the 75th annual Hunger Games. Sent back into the Capitol's cruelty again alongside Beetee Latier, he and Wiress collectively capitalized on their knowledge from their technologically advanced district to outfox the Capitol. Though she doesn't speak often, her few and far between expressions always advance the story of the Hunger Games through an extremely intelligent perspective.
Why Wiress Makes the List
When Wiress conveys that the 3rd Quarter Quell arena functions like a clock with its 12 sections, Katniss declares her a genius. Without this revelation, Catching Fire might have proceeded so differently. Wiress's intelligence and survival skills combine at the peak of the action, and despite the toll that the Games visibly took on her, her analytical thought processes remained necessary to the allies' achievements.
Mags Flanagan
Mags Flanagan (Lynn Cohen), a victor from District 4, is generally loved by fans, but she's only visually perceived as the mostly nonverbal older woman who returns to the Games in Catching Fire. Mags's selflessness underscores her character from the moment viewers meet her, when she first volunteers in Annie Cresta's place after she is reaped in the 3rd Quarter Quell. During training before the 75th Games, she agrees to show Katniss how to make fishing hooks and gives her a promising, knowing smile.
Why We've Included Mags Flanagan
Mags from Catching Fire is an interesting comparison to the Mags, who won her first Games when she was very young. Her final choice to lay down her own life to give her allies safe passage is an honorable way to go, but even more so is her victory in the Games as a child and her willingness to return to them as an elder, in Annie's stead. The most important objective for Mags, even at the end of her life, is to save others before ensuring her own survival.
Beetee Latier
Beetee Latier (Jeffrey Wright) and his District 3 partner, Wiress, were referred to as "Nuts and Volts" thanks to Johanna Mason, but others' perceptions of them quickly fall to the wind. There's much more than one way to win the Games, but the district that centers around technology is a fine match to actually outsmarting the Capitol. Beetee's intelligence, exemplified first in the training room when he points out the Gamemakers' forcefield to Katniss, emphasizes the naturally observant nature that serves him well in the Games.
Why Beetee Latier Deserves More Appreciation
As one of the few instances of disability representation in Hunger Games movies (which have been criticized for excluding disability from the source material), Beetee uses a wheelchair due to his injuries from the Quarter Quell arena. He also becomes even more involved with the rebellion after Catching Fire, allowing him to proclaim the Mockingjay's cause over the airwaves and utilize his own voice to amplify the rebels' essential messages.
Boggs
In Mockingjay - Part 1 and 2, Boggs is introduced in District 13 under President Alma Coin. As the leader of the continued mission of Katniss and company as the Second Rebellion begins, his strong and steady headship contributes to the rebels' safety when he becomes the Mockingjay's designated protector. Boggs is absolutely a soldier at heart, which drives his identity and his goals, even in his final moments on Earth.
Why Boggs Is on the List
In the face of their nation's decay, Boggs provides a sense of hope and solidity for his fellow rebels through his gently firm leadership. He alludes to the true prerogatives of Coin and her cronies, emphasizing corruption that appears hidden, even in District 13. As Boggs lies dying in Mockingjay, he encourages Katniss to remember their squad's mission at all costs, since he won't be there to remind her.
Greasy Sae
Greasy Sae (Sandra Ellis Lafferty) appears at the Hob in District 12, as a kindly presence to those who come to buy, sell, and trade their wares. In a place as closely scrutinized and largely surveilled as her district, the existence of a black market makes all the difference to citizens' camaraderie and overall survival. The old woman outlasts the District 12 bombing in Catching Fire and even survives in Mockingjay in District 13, persisting through some of the most horrific events her home has ever seen.
What Makes Greasy Sae Unappreciated
In the movies (thanks to the removal of Madge Undersee from Collins' original books), Greasy Sae gives Katniss the original mockingjay pin when she and Gale go there to trade their meat. The imagery of the pin has obviously come to symbolize the entire Hunger Games series, which has bled into real-world activism. Representing the inherent spirit of District 12 and the fictional community's continued tenacity, the character of Greasy Sae sparks hope from the beginning.
Plutarch Heavensbee
Plutarch Heavensbee is played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. This character is responsible for turning the tables from the inside out, and viewers first meet him as the Head Gamemaker in Catching Fire (after President Snow encourages him and Katniss to dance together). Appearing morally fluid, depending on who's asking, Plutarch's true objectives aren't immediately clear, but that's exactly what makes him so intriguing. To whom is he actually telling the truth?
Why Plutarch Heavensbee Belongs Here
A turncoat to the Capitol and a contributor to the Mockingjay's goals, Plutarch is underappreciated due to his work on the inside, and his ability to keep a poker face towards each side until he's ready to reveal himself. His leadership skills are undeniable, and he can easily have whatever he wants, but he ultimately chooses to be on the right side of history. He says it himself to Katniss: "The plan was always to get you out."
Thresh
Thresh, who represents District 11 in the 74th Hunger Games, represents strength in its many forms. Reaped alongside his soft-spoken young district partner, Rue, Thresh shows a sense of big-brother tenderness towards her in the beginning. His physical prowess during training is also noted by the Capitol and audience members, which serves him well in the arena. Online fan theories have discussed how he might have been the most probable victor that year if Katniss and Peeta hadn't entered the Games.
Why We Love Thresh
Thresh's sense of justice and his loyalty to his allies encourage him to spare Katniss in honor of Rue, after she honors the girl following her killing. When Clove puts a knife to Katniss's throat, Thresh grabs Clove and kills her, allowing Katniss to escape "just this time, Twelve – for Rue." After Katniss's improvised speeches about Thresh and Rue during the Victory Tour in Catching Fire, the rebellion truly finds its footing in District 11, where its citizens fight back to avenge their fallen and kick-start the Second Rebellion.
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