Thresh

Thresh survives in the arena with the help of his brute force and knowledge of flora. Thresh prefers working alone and does not join the Career Pack when invited. It is likely that he did not enjoy the act of killing as much as the Careers did, and he did not wish to debase himself during the Games by letting go of his honor and integrity. He is killed, however, by Cato and places fifth in the Games.

Thresh Character Profile

• Name: Thresh 
• Age: 18 (in the film)
• Gender: Male
• Place of origin: District 11
• Physical appearance: Well-built, dark skin and golden brown eyes 
• Height: 6′ 6″ (according to Katniss Everdeen)
• Skills: Sword (film) and spear (novel)
• Strengths: Brute strength and force, knowledge of flora
• Weaknesses: Not good at distance combat
• Loyalties: Unknown

Personality and Physical Description

Thresh is the biggest and strongest tribute in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss describes him as a “physical wonder” and assumes that she stands no chance against his strength. He has dark skin much like his district partner, Rue, and golden brown eyes. Katniss estimates his height to be around 6 and a half feet.

Due to his appearance, Thresh is seen as the biggest threat in the arena, even by the Career Pack. However, Thresh most likely has a gentle side to him, as is seen by the care he shows towards his district partner, Rue. He is also merciful, as he allows Katniss to live (despite having an upper hand over her) as he wishes to pay her back for taking care of Rue.

Thresh was also aggressive and vengeful at times. For instance, he assumes that Clove violently killed Rue and kills Clove in revenge, beating her to death with a large rock.

Thresh in the 74th Hunger Games

Reaping 

Thresh is reaped for the 74th Hunger Games as the boy tribute from District 11, along with Rue. Thresh’s family includes a sister and a grandmother, both of whom are not fed well. Thresh is not fed well either, despite his appearance. He visibly looks better fed after being reaped and begins to look stronger and fitter before entering the arena.

Training and Interview

In the training center, Thresh is approached by the Careers with a proposal to join their alliance. He turns them down, however, and trains alone. He receives a score of 10 in his private training session with the Gamemakers, which is the second-highest score after Katniss.

During Thresh’s interview, he prefers to remain curt and sullen, rather than engage in conversation with Caesar Flickerman. Despite Caesar’s attempts to create banter with Thresh, Thresh simply answers with “yes” or “no” answers. Katniss notes that being one of the giants and strong as an ox allows him to get away with being surly as he has no requirement to charm the Capitol. She says that if she had any money, she would bet on Thresh herself.

In the Arena

Thresh survives the initial Cornucopia Bloodbath, although Katniss does not notice how. In the film, Thresh makes his way into the Cornucopia and retrieves a backpack, a water container, and a crescent sword, which he uses to kill the District 7 male tribute.

Katniss surmises that Thresh has taken over a field of wheat and uses the field as a source of food as well as shelter. The rest of the tributes (including the Career Pack) do not attempt to target Thresh, as they realize that he has a clear advantage in the field.

The Feast

“When he [Thresh] shouts, I jump, never having heard him speak above a mutter. “What’d you do to that little girl? You kill her?”

Clove is scrambling backwards on all fours, like a frantic insect, too shocked to even call for Cato. “No! No, it wasn’t me!”

“You said her name. I heard you. You kill her?” Another thought brings a fresh wave of rage to his features. “You cut her up like you were about to do to this girl here?”

– The Hunger Games

During the feast, Thresh arrives at the Cornucopia to retrieve his backpack. He overhears Clove taunting Katniss over Rue’s death and lifts her in anger. He asks her if she killed Rue, and Clove truthfully denies his accusations. However, Thresh does not believe her. He takes a rock in his hand, and as Clove is crying out for Cato, crushes the rock into her skull. 

Thresh turns to Katniss and asks her what Clove meant by her being Rue’s ally. Katniss then tells him how she had teamed up with Rue, and how Rue met her end at the hands of Marvel. Katniss also tells Thresh that she sang to Rue in her last moments before she passed away. Thresh then allows Katniss to live. He then says that the two of them will not owe each other anything after this. 

Thresh then grabs his backpack along with the backpack meant for District 2 (Cato’s backpack) and disappears back into the field.

Death

A storm rolls in after the feast as Cato pursues Thresh into the field, which was his source of cover. Katniss and Peeta cannot hear the fight that ensues, nor the cannon. However, they see Thresh’s portrait in the sky and surmise that Cato got his revenge for Clove’s death.

Katniss is highly disturbed by Thresh’s death, even if it means one less threat in the arena. She had hoped that he might kill Cato as she liked him better. He comes back as a mutt in the end.

In the film, Thresh dies after Foxface. He is pursued by the wolf muttations and the sound of the cannon confirms his death. In Mockingjay, Katniss and Peeta promise a month of their winnings to Thresh and rue’s families.

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