Career Tributes

They come from Districts 1, 2, and 4. Unlike tributes from other districts, they view competing in the Hunger Games as an honor. They possess far superior mental and physical strength when compared to other tributes and, as such, are almost always favorites to win the Games.

What is a Career Tribute?

Career Tributes are those tributes who make it their mission to compete in the Hunger Games. Usually, Careers come from the wealthier districts of the nation. This includes Districts 1, 2, and 4, all three of which were financially well-off and enjoyed closer ties to the Capitol.

Career tributes typically attend a special academy where they are trained by their mentors from a young age. Fortunately for them, the Capitol turns a blind eye to this kind of training, despite it being illegal in Panem. 

Since Career Districts possess the financial resources to train their children, tributes from these districts tend to be well-built and agile, as well as physically and mentally strong. They also possess special skills with weapons and tools – skills that are not available to tributes from other districts. Career training in the academy generally includes combat skills with specialization in one or more forms of weaponry. 

However, Career Tributes also face several disadvantages in the Games. Having never gone hungry in their lives, Career Tributes are not as equipped to deal with the scarcity of food in the Games. Further, they are overconfident and arrogant, making them easy targets to wily tributes, who occasionally manage to get the better of them.

How do you Qualify as a Career Tribute?

The reapings in Career Districts are usually much more eventful than in other districts. This is because volunteering for the Games is a common occurrence. While volunteering is considered a death sentence in other districts, it is encouraged and even expected in Career Districts. Volunteers are usually aged 18, the highest age one can be to participate in the Hunger Games. This gives Career Tributes an added advantage over other tributes.

If there is more than one volunteer, then the volunteers battle it out amongst themselves to get the prized spot in the Games. This results in bloodshed even before the Games begin, as most of the weaker volunteers die in battle.

Career Tributes from each District

District 1

• Glimmer (74th Hunger Games): Glimmer was the female tribute from District 1 who sported a bow and arrow (although Katniss considered her to be a poor shot).
• Marvel (74th Hunger Games): Marvel was the male tribute from District 1. His weapon of choice was a javelin (a throwing spear)
• Cashmere (75th Hunger Games): Cashmere was the female tribute (and victor) from District 1. She used daggers to target her opponents.
• Gloss (75th Hunger Games): Gloss was the male tribute (and victor) from District 1. His specialty was throwing knives.
• Augustus Braun (Games unknown): Augustus Braun was the male victor from District 1. It is believed that he was killed in the Victors’ Purge or possibly died of natural causes.

District 2

• Cato (74th Hunger Games): Cato was the male tribute from District 2, as well as the leader of the Career Pack. He used a sword as a weapon.
• Clove (74th Hunger Games): Clove was the female tribute from District 2. Her main target in the Games was Katniss. However, she was killed by Thresh, the male tribute from District 11. Clove specialized in throwing knives.
• Brutus (75th Hunger Games): Brutus was the male tribute from District 2. He sported a spear as a weapon.
• Enobaria (75th Hunger Games): Enobaria was the female tribute from District 2. She used both swords and throwing knives to take out her opponents. Enobaria was captured by the Capitol at the end of the 75th Games and remained alive after the Rebellion.
• Lyme (Games unknown): Lyme was the female victor from District 2. She was likely killed during the Victors’ Purge or died of natural causes.

District 4

• Finnick Odair (65th Hunger Games): Finnick was the male victor from District 4. He was a good friend of Katniss and one of the major faces of the Second Rebellion. His weapon of choice was a trident.
• Annie Cresta (70th Hunger Games): Annie was the female victor from District 4. Traumatized by the events of the Games, Annie went insane for the rest of her life.

The Best and Worst Career Tributes

The best Career Tribute is arguably Finnick Odair. Hailing from District 4, Finnick is charming and handsome, with a winning smile to bowl Capitol citizens over. During his time in the Games, Finnick won so many sponsors that he never went hungry or without supplies. A trident is his specialty, which he maneuvered with ease due to his superior physical strength built in the fishing district.

The worst Career Tribute is arguably Cato. Cato was the District 2 male tribute in the 74th Hunger Games. He looked upon killing with an unpleasant sadistic pleasure and was extremely brutal in his dealings with other tributes. Despite making it to the last leg of the Hunger Games, Cato is ultimately killed by Katniss when she takes pity on him for being ravaged by the wolf mutts.

Alliances

Career Tributes are famous for forming alliances in the Hunger Games. They are commonly referred to as the ‘Career Pack’. Such alliances are formed even before the Hunger Games begin, and thus, the Career Pack is responsible for most of the killings that occur in the initial Bloodbath. Sometimes, career alliances can even include strong tributes from other districts. For instance, Peeta was a part of the Career Pack in the 74th Hunger Games as the Careers believed that he could lead them to Katniss.

The Career Pack depends heavily upon the supplies at the Cornucopia, as a result of which, they usually take over the structure and make it their home base. This was what happened in the 74th Hunger Games as well.

Once the Career Pack has taken out the other tributes from the running, members of the pack turn on one another, all alliances are forgotten.

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