Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are forced into the arena once again in the Third Quarter Quell. In the 75th Hunger Games, they are required to battle against fierce victors from other districts. Katniss ends up destroying the arena, thereby putting an end to the Hunger Games forever. Thus, the 75th Hunger Games is the only Games in history to not have a victor. It is also the last ever Hunger Games.
Key Facts of the 75th Hunger Games
- Arena: Cornucopia is situated in the middle of the sea. Tropical jungles beyond the beaches. Shaped like a clock, with a fresh disaster every hour.
- Head Gamemaker: Plutarch Heavensbee
- Arena Costume: Blue fitted jumpsuits made of sheer material. Flotation belt around the waist, nylon shoes with rubber soles.
- No. of deaths in the Initial Cornucopia Bloodbath: 8
- No. of days the Games lasted: 3
- Victor: None
- Alliances: Katniss’ alliance (consisting of Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Johanna Mason, Finnick Odair, Mags Flanagan, Beetee Latier, and Wiress), Career Alliance (consisting of Cashmere, Gloss, Enobaria, and Brutus)
List of Tributes in the 75th Hunger Games
- District 1: Cashmere, Gloss
- District 2: Enobaria, Brutus
- District 3: Wiress, Beetee Latier
- District 4: Mags Flanagan, Finnick Odair
- District 5: Unnamed, unnamed
- District 6: Unnamed, unnamed
- District 7: Johanna Mason, Blight
- District 8: Cecelia, Woof
- District 9: Unnamed, unnamed
- District 10: Unnamed, unnamed
- District 11: Seeder, Chaff
- District 12: Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark
Major Events of the 75th Hunger Games
The Reaping
Every 25 years, the Quarter Quell takes place, an event in the Hunger Games where the Capitol introduces a cruel twist. During the announcement of the rules for the Quarter Quell, President Snow reads out the instructions from an envelope and declares that for the 75th Hunger Games, the participants will be chosen from the pool of existing victors from each district. In District 12, there is only one female victor, Katniss, who is once again forced to enter the arena. However, this time, she is determined to ensure Peeta’s survival over her own. They train rigorously together for the Games, along with their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (winner of the 50th Hunger Games).
Was Haymitch in the 75th Hunger Games? No, Haymitch Abernathy was not in the 75th Hunger Games. Haymitch’s name is called out during the Reaping Ceremony. However, Peeta volunteers in his place as the male tribute from District 12. Thus, Haymitch only acts as the mentor for the District 12 tributes during the 75th Hunger Games.
Cashmere and Gloss are reaped from District 1, Brutus and Enobaria from District 2, Wiress and Beetee from District 3, Finnick Odair and Mags Flanagan from District 4, Johanna Mason and Blight from District 7, Cecelia and Woof from District 8, and Seeder and Chaff from District 11. Brutus and Enobaria are volunteers, along with Mags, who take the place of Annie Cresta in the Games.
A question that might be on one’s mind is, “What was the purpose of the 75th Hunger Games?” The purpose of the 75th Hunger Games was to mark the 75th anniversary of the rebels’ defeat by showing the districts that even the strongest among them (the victors) do not have any power against the Capitol. It also served the purpose of wiping out 23 victors, who were deemed dangerous to the Capitol, at once. It was therefore a reminder that even the strongest rebels cannot overcome the power of the Capitol.
Tribute Parade
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where they meet the other victors. At the Tribute Parade, Katniss and Peeta wear fitted black jumpsuits that light up in the form of flaming embers, along with a half-crown of black metal over their heads. The tributes from District 3 have outfits that are studded with electrical lights. Finnick Odair is almost completely nude except for a golden net tied around his groin. Johanna Mason wears a tree costume with a leafy headdress and forest green slippers. Katniss and Peeta make the biggest splash at the parade once again.
Training
Only half the tributes show up on time for the first day of training. During the training sessions, tributes try to gauge each other’s strengths and find alliances. Most tributes want Katniss as their ally. However, she is not interested in any alliance.
Katniss and Peeta anger the Gamemakers during their private training sessions. For this, they receive the highest training score possible – 12. This instantly makes them the target of every other tribute. The career tributes receive high scores, while the other tributes receive scores between low and medium.
Interviews
During the pre-Games games interview with Caesar Flickerman, each tribute points out the injustice of the Quarter Quell, making the audience understand and weep at the barbarism of it all. Katniss appears wearing a wedding costume that transforms into a Mockingjay when she twirls. Peeta falsely announces that he and Katniss married in secret. He further announces Katniss’ pregnancy, to the great horror of the audience. At the end of all the interviews, all 24th tributes hold hands and stand in solidarity with each other, an act that has never happened in any of the previous Hunger Games.
Soon, the Games begin. Right before she is launched into the arena, Katniss witnesses her stylist, Cinna, being beaten to death for designing her a Mockingjay costume during the interview.
In the Arena: Bloodbath and After
Inside the arena, in a tropical island setting, Katniss swims to the Cornucopia and retrieves a bow and arrow. Finnick approaches Katniss and claims they are allies. Initially doubtful, Katniss becomes convinced when she notices Finnick wearing Haymitch’s bracelet. Finnick kills the District 5 male with his trident while Katniss fends off the Career Pack with her arrows. Finnick rescues Peeta from the water and brings him to shore. United now, Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, and Finnick’s fellow tribute, Mags, survive the Initial Cornucopia Bloodbath.
Wiress, Beetee, Johanna Mason, and Blight form another alliance and manage to escape as well. Thus, the tributes who die in the Initial Bloodbath are Seeder, Cecelia, Woof, the District 5 and 6 males, both tributes from District 9, as well as the District 10 females.
Katniss and her companions decide to navigate the jungle together. While exploring, they encounter a perilous forcefield that nearly takes Peeta’s life, but Finnick manages to revive him. Soon after, they find themselves surrounded by a deadly, dense, poisonous fog, and they sprint away to escape its poisonous grasp. Tragically, Mags succumbs to the fog and passes away.
Having evaded the deadly fog, the three finally reach the beach, where they encounter Johanna Mason, Wiress, and Beetee, who survived the blood rains. Johanna reveals that she saved Wiress and Beetee for Katniss, a statement that perplexes her. As events unfold, Katniss gradually realizes that the other tributes are actively trying to protect her and Peeta, even though she remains uncertain about their reasons.
Katniss and her companions come to a realization that the arena functions like a clock, with every passing hour bringing forth a fresh horror. The known sections of the arena include the lightning storm, the poisonous fog, the bloodrain, the tidal wave, the jabberjays, the clicking insects, and the beast.
The significance of Plutarch Heavensbee’s watch becomes evident in this context. The alliance is then attacked by the Career Pack. Amidst the chaos, Wiress falls victim to an attack from Gloss, and Katniss exacts revenge by shooting Gloss. Johanna kills Cashmere. Finnick comes to Peeta’s rescue during the resulting conflict.
Katniss and Finnick are lured by the Jabberjay section, the jabberjays screaming out in pain in their loved ones’ voices. Katniss shoots the birds and they escape. As the night settles in, Katniss and Peeta find solace in each other’s arms, sharing intimate moments together. Despite Peeta’s efforts to persuade her to prioritize her family and safety, Katniss remains steadfast in her determination to ensure his survival above all else.
Beetee’s Plan
The next day, Beetee devises a plan to wipe out the other tributes. He wishes to create an electronic trap for them with the help of a highly conductive wire. The source of the electricity would come from the lightning that strikes the tree at noon and midnight. Katniss and Johanna are tasked to unspool the wire from the tree to the beach. However, they are apprehended by Enobaria.
Working quickly, Johanna knocks Katniss unconscious and cuts away the tracker from Katniss’s arm. Enobaria then chases after Johanna. However, Katniss is under the impression that Johanna attempted to kill her. In the meantime, Brutus kills Chaff in an altercation. Peeta kills Brutus in return.
After regaining her consciousness, Katniss goes in search of Peeta. However, she is not able to find him. Instead, she finds Beetee in a weakened state. He has been stabbed by Enobaria, who was later chased away by Finnick. Katniss sees Beetee holding a knife with a wire wrapped around it. The truth regarding Beetee’s plan finally dawns on Katniss. She quickly wraps the wire around one of her arrows. As soon as the lightning strikes, Katniss shoots the arrow against a chink in the force field.
The concentrated electricity causes the force field to explode and knocks everyone unconscious. In the ensuing blackout, a hovercraft from District 13 appears to retrieve Katniss, Finnick, and Beetee, while Peeta, Johanna, and Enobaria are captured by the Capitol.
Aftermath of the 75th Hunger Games
The tributes from Districts 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 11 were part of an underground rebel network that attempted to protect Katniss in the arena. The ultimate goal of the rebel plan was to get Katniss to District 13 where she could lead the rebellion as the Mockingjay. Therefore, it was the tributes’ responsibility to keep Katniss alive, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. It was Johanna’s responsibility to keep Beetee alive, as he was necessary in devising a plan to blow up the arena.
Is there a 76th Hunger Games? No, there is no 76th Hunger Games. The 75th Hunger Games is the last and final Hunger Games in Panem. The explosion of the arena marked the end of the Hunger Games and the beginning of the Second Rebellion. Katniss’s actions in the arena caused District 12 to be bombed. Around 900 residents, including Gale Hawthorne, Primrose Everdeen, and Mrs Everdeen, make it out alive to District 13.
Katniss becomes the Mockingjay and the face of the rebellion. After several months of intense war, the rebels gained the victory, thereby abolishing the Hunger Games forever and establishing democracy in the country.