Katniss Everdeen is the main character inThe Hunger Gamesoriginal trilogy, but she is not the best character in the franchise. Played by Jennifer Lawrence,Katniss was the one who led the rebellionthat overthrew the corrupt power in the world and helped lead the uprising. However, other characters surpass her in brilliance.
One of these is Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson in the original trilogy. Haymitch was the mentor to Katniss and Peeta,and he was a former winner of the 50th Hunger Games(the Second Quarter Quell) 24 years earlier. It is his story of winning that unfolds inthe next movie,Sunrise on the Reaping, as the franchise capitalizes on the interest in his character.
Why Haymitch, Not Katniss, Is The Hunger Games' Best Character
Haymitch Rebelled As Much As Katniss, But His Accomplishments Were Buried
Fans followed Katniss Everdeen and, to a lesser extent, Peeta Mellarkas the main protagonists ofThe Hunger Gamestrilogy. However, asthe first prequel,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesdemonstrated, there were interesting stories to be told about lesser-known characters, as it showed how Coriolanus Snow became President Snow.
Now, the next prequel jumps a few years into the future, following the first prequel, and tells the origin story of Haymitch Abernathy. Fans will see how the former winner of the 50th Hunger Games went from a champion to someone who mostly needed to keep drinking to keep his mind from sending him down a dark path.
When it comes to Katniss and Peeta, they are both young adults with little to no life experience, fighting for their own reasons. However,Haymitch is someone who has been through a lot, and it clearly weighs on him. He lost a lot of people, as Katniss did, but he never had the victories that she had. Everything about Haymitch is more interesting than Katniss.
This is also an interesting thing because Katniss became a legend. Haymitch’s rebellion was covered up and hidden by the government. He was just as rebellious as Katniss, but when he won, his accomplishments were buried.In theSunrise on the Reapingending, Haymitch lost more than Katniss ever dreamed of losing.
Haymitch’s Strength As A Character Is Promising For The Hunger Games' Next Movie
Haymitch Is The Main Protagonist InSunrise On The Reaping
There isa line in the new novel,Sunrise on the Reaping,that Haymitch says, which should tell anyone what they need to know about the story.In his quote, he says he’s not “much of a drinker.“This plays into what fans know about Haymitch, and that is that he is always drinking, as being sober takes him to dark places he would rather avoid.
Joseph Zada plays Haymitch inSunrise on the Reapingwhile Ralph Fiennes plays President Snow.
Haymitch has made it clear in the trilogy that he has seen too much, and it has left him broken, damaged, and unable to find a good place in his life, or even within himself. As someone who has seen things and then had to just drink for the next several years with nothing but regret, he has a lot of issues the new story explores.
This is an exciting take, and a character that has more to offer than another “Chosen One” story like that of Katniss Everdeen. While Katniss’s story was important for the first trilogy, it was no different from any other Chosen One story. Haymitch offers something more interesting forHunger Gamesfans — a tragic hero who got nothing for his actions.
