One of the Hunger Games most important characters may not be who you think

Could you imagine growing up in a society where every year from the age of 12 to 18, you are at risk of being sent to your death?

That’s the reality for children in Panem (formally North America) who live in one of the twelve districts. Each year the Capitol hosts a day known as the Reaping where twenty-four tributes are chosen.

The tributes, a boy and girl from each of the twelve districts, are forced to fight in the Hunger Games, a battle to the death designed to serve as a reminder to the 12 districts of the failed rebellion that took place against the Capitol 74 years prior.

The rebellion, also known as the “Dark Days” was a major civil war between the then 13 districts and the dictatorial Capitol Government. The rebellion was ultimately crushed, resulting in the annihilation of district 13 and the creation of the Hunger Games as a reminder of the districts disobedience.

The first “Hunger Games” movie, released in 2012, showcases the 74th annual Hunger Games, which features a variety of key characters from a number of districts.

Each tribute has different skill sets that set them apart from each other. Depending on their skill set, some characters are more important than others.

If you ask me, one of the most important characters is one that has limited screen time but makes a big impact with the screen time he does have.

Thresh is the male tribute from District 11 who is chosen for the Hunger Games along with another important character, Rue.

Thresh, along with his female co-tribute Rue are some of the most sentimental characters in the games.

It's hard not to feel sympathy for Rue. Similar to Prim, Rue is a young girl who gets selected for the Hunger Games in her first year of eligibility. Rue’s death was a large motivator behind district 11’s growing resentment for the Capitol, which played a big part in the eventual uprising.

When her death was broadcast to the district, a riot began against the Capitol. Rue is a symbol of the cruelty of the Capitol, sending a young child to her death.

Thresh to me is one of the most impactful characters in the show, despite his limited screen time. He is considered one of the strongest tributes in the 74th annual games. Thresh is only visible in a few scenes leading up to the tributes being sent to the arena, so his impact starts once the games actually begin.

Thresh’s pure strength is on display early in the games, as he easily kills an unknown tribute during the Cornucopia Bloodbath.

Around the end of the Hunger Games, with less than 10 tributes remaining, Katniss returns to the Cornucopia in an attempt to gather supplies for an injured Peeta.

As she retrieves her supplies and attempts to return to Peeta, Katniss is blind sided by an axe to the face from Clove, which luckily only grazes her forehead. A short struggle ensues which results in Clove pinning Katniss to the ground, where she begins to taunt her about how the Careers killed Rue, and that they are going to do the same thing to her.

Just as Clove is about to deliver a fatal blow to Katniss, she is grabbed by Thresh, who overheard her admitting that it was the Career pact that killed his fellow district tribute Rue. Thresh then proceeds to kill Clove but spares Katniss because of her alliance and loyalty to Rue.

If Thresh had killed Katniss, one of two scenarios would have played out.

Thresh hunts down the remaining tributes and is crowned victorious and returns home to District 11, where the District is still angry and saddened by the death of Rue. With his winnings from the games and his now accelerated hatred for the Capitol, Thresh could become a face of rebellion and hope for his district and other districts, similar to how Katniss and Peeta were. He could even enlist the help of District 12, who, despite his killing of Katniss, would respect the relationship Katniss and Rue had.

Scenario two, Cato hunts down Thresh as revenge for Clove’s death, and then kills Fox-Face while Peeta dies due to his injuries which would lead to Cato be crowned the victor.

Cato would likely return to District 2 as a hero to the Capitol, as his district is favoured by the Capitol compared to other districts. While Cato realizes before his death that he was just being used by the Capitol, had he survived would he really have risked his wealth and new lifestyle with acts of rebellion? I don’t think so. During his tribute interview, Cato speaks highly about the games, and how his entire life he has wanted to not only participate in the games but also win them. So it’s clear that for the most part he is in favour of the Hunger Games and what it stands for.

I believe had Cato won, he would have had a similar lifestyle as Finnick Odair, another past victor. Cato would have become the darling of the Capitol, where he would train other tributes in future games. Cato almost defeated Katniss and Peeta by himself, so I imagine his anger towards Thresh for killing Clove would have helped him defeat Thresh.

Due to the fact that District 2, where Cato is from, is extremely loyal to the Capitol compared to other Districts there likely would have never been a rebellion like we see later in the series which both Katniss and Peeta play a big part in.

Thresh’s mercy towards Katniss makes him one of the most impactful characters in the Hunger Games series even if he does later die due to unknown causes.

Without Thresh, Katniss would have most likely been killed by Clove, which would have all but confirmed one of the Careers would have been crowned victor. Peeta was severely injured, and without the supplies Katniss delivered to him he likely would have died. While she was one of the smarter tributes, Fox Face would have simply been no match for Thresh’s strength.

Thresh’s decision to spare Katniss not only saved her life, but also led to the uprising from the districts that we see in later films. The Jury is out when it comes to Thresh’s death, depending on who you ask you might get a different answer. In the film, while we don’t see his death on camera, it is believed he dies after being mauled by the mutts. In the book, Thresh meets his end at the hands of Cato.

Regardless of his cause of his death, Thresh’s death can be see a sacrifice in a way. He could have easily killed Katniss, which would have dramatically increased his chance of winning, but instead he spared her.

Katniss is the main symbol of hope during the rebellions, without her, it’s likely we don’t see a rebellion from the districts. At least not one of the same success or magnitude.

In the Hunger Games Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta both show their gratitude towards Rue and Thresh. During their stop in district 11 during their victory tour Peeta pledges one month of his and Katniss's earnings each year to Rue and Thresh's families.

“For myself and for Katniss we know that without Rue and without Thresh we wouldn’t be standing here today. So in recognition of that knowing that it in no way can make up for your loss we’d like to donate one month of our earnings to the family’s of the tributes each year for the rest of our lives.” - Peeta Mellark

“I didn’t know Thresh. I only spoke to him once. He could have killed me but he showed me mercy and that’s a debt I’ll never be able to repay.” - Katniss Everdeen

Despite his limited screen time, Thresh has such a powerful impact throughout the entire Hunger Games. Without him saving Katniss it’s likely there is no an uprising following the 74th games which leads to the ongoing conflict we see in the following films.

Who do you think is an impactful character in the Hunger Games besides Katniss and Peeta?