Annie is probably the only tribute who won the Hunger Games without killing any tributes. However, her experiences in the Games rendered her insane.
Annie Cresta Character Profile
- Name: Annie Cresta
- Age: 23 (Catching Fire)
- Gender: Female
- Place of origin: District 4
- Physical appearance: Fair-skinned with brown hair and sea-green eyes
- Skills: Swimming
- Strengths: Unknown
- Weaknesses: Not skilled in any particular weapon, was driven mentally insane from her traumatic experiences
- Loyalties: Unknown
Personality and Physical Description
Annie is extremely gentle and kind-hearted. She is unable to process the horrors of the Hunger Games and becomes mentally unstable as a result. Although she is a victor, she cannot enjoy her rewards due to her mental breakdown. She often covers her eyes and ears (probably in an attempt to block out her memories) and falls into a stupor now and then. She also occasionally laughs for no reason. Despite Annie’s mental state, she loves and cares for her lover, Finnick Odair.
Annie is fair-skinned with beautiful brown hair that flows down her back. Her eyes are sea green. In the movies, Annie is portrayed as a redhead.
Biography
Victor of the 70th Hunger Games
Annie was reaped as the female tribute from the career district, District 4, for the 70th Hunger Games. Finnick Odair was her mentor. In the arena, Annie witnessed her district partner getting beheaded, which was highly traumatizing. As a result, she isolated herself from the rest of the tributes. She was forced to come out into the open when an earthquake broke a dam in the arena, and the area got flooded. Coming from District 4, which specializes in fishing, Annie was an excellent swimmer. She was able to save herself while the rest of the tributes drowned. Thus, Annie emerged as the victor of the 70th Hunger Games, although she went insane from her experiences.
Third Quarter Quell
In Catching Fire, Annie was reaped as the female tribute for the Third Quarter Quell. However, an old woman named Mags Flanagan volunteered in her place. Annie and Haymitch Abernathy (the victor of the 50th Hunger Games) thus become the only 2 living victors who do not participate in the Hunger Games, despite being reaped for the same (as Mags and Peeta volunteered for them instead).
In the arena, Finnick hears the jabberjays cry out in the voice of Annie. Finnick is deeply disturbed by this as he speculates that the Capitol must have tortured Annie for the jabberjays to replicate her screams so well.
Second Rebellion
After Katniss blows up the force field during the Third Quarter Quell, the Capitol takes Annie captive and presumably tortures her for information. However, Finnick later surmises that the Capitol captured Annie simply to have leverage over Finnick.
Annie, along with Peeta Mellark, Enobaria and Johanna Mason, is later rescued by the rebels and brought to District 13 in a rescue mission, where she is reunited with Finnick. She and Finnick soon decide to marry each other and the wedding occurs in the traditional style of district 4. Peeta decorates the wedding cake with dolphins and whales while Katniss lends Annie the dress she wore in District 5 during her Victory Tour. Annie becomes pregnant with Finnick’s child. After her wedding, Annie walks around in a daze of happiness.
Due to her PTSD, Annie has trouble discerning events that are real and imagined, and she constantly checks with Finnick whether an event is real or not. Finnick advises Peeta to do the same thing with his hallucinations/memories.
During the infiltration of the Capitol of Panem, Finnick is killed by the lizard mutts, leaving Annie a widow. After the Capitol has been overthrown by the rebels, President Coin asks the remaining victors to vote on whether to hold a last Hunger Games with the Capitol children or not. Annie, along with Beetee and Peeta, votes against the Hunger Games and states that Finnick would have voted with her if he was alive. Annie later watches Katniss assassinate President Coin instead of President Snow.
Annie gives birth to her son in District 4 and sends Katniss a photo of her son. Katniss keeps the photo in her memory book.
FAQs
How did Annie Cresta win the Hunger Games?
Annie Cresta isolated herself for most of the 70th Hunger Games, hardly encountering any tributes. Later, an earthquake damaged a dam, thereby flooding the arena. Annie survived the flood and became a victor by being the best swimmer.
How old was Annie Cresta when she won the Hunger Games?
Annie Cresta is 23 years old in Catching Fire (as mentioned in the Hunger Games Exhibition). This would make her 18 years old when she won the 70th Hunger Games.
Was Finnick Annie’s mentor?
Yes, Finnick was Annie’s mentor. Having won the 65th Hunger Games, Finnick worked as a mentor to all District 4 tributes that came after him, including Annie.
Was Annie Cresta a victor?
Yes, Annie Cresta won the 70th Hunger Games, and she was therefore a victor. Although her name was reaped for the Third Quarter Quell (75th Hunger Games), she did not have to participate in the Games as Mags Flanagan volunteered in her place.
How did Finnick win the Hunger Games?
Finnick was a Capitol favorite to win the Games, as he was extremely good-looking and highly skilled. As such, he had many sponsors who gave him gifts during the Games. One such sponsor gifted him with a trident, which was his weapon of choice (having grown up in the fishing district). He was therefore able to easily wipe out his other opponents to emerge as a victor.
Who won the 73rd Hunger Games?
The Hunger Games book does not mention the victor of the 73rd Hunger Games. The film, however, mentions that the victor of the 73rd Games came from District 2. Fan websites mention a male tribute by the name of Wade Rankine as the victor of the 73rd Hunger Games.