Titus

Titus makes history in the Games by forcing the Gamemakers to add a rule in the arena. The rule bans cannibalism from further Hunger Games. Before this, there were no rules in the Hunger Games arena. His actions in the arena did not sit well with the Capitol citizens and as a result, a new rule was established. 

Titus Character Profile

• Name: Titus
• Age: 12-18
• Gender: Male
• Place of origin: District 6
• Physical appearance: Unknown 
• Skills: Survival skills
• Strengths: Unknown
• Weaknesses: Resorted to cannibalism in the arena
• Loyalties: Unknown

Personality and Physical Description

Not much is known about the character of Titus. All that is mentioned in the ‘Hunger Games’ books is the fact that he went savage in the arena. It is unknown whether his actions were calculated or whether they were the result of insanity from lack of food and water. There is no physical description of the character in the book either.

Titus in the Hunger Games 

Titus was reaped from District 6 as the male tribute in an unspecified Hunger Games. After the gong sounds, he survives the initial bloodbath at the Cornucopia. However, he soon turns into a monster that kills and eats his victims.

At the time, there were no rules in the arena. However, no one expected the tributes to resort to cannibalism. The District 6 tribute, however, began the practice of killing his fellow tributes and eating their hearts.

Unable to allow this kind of savage cannibalism to occur in the arena, the Gamemakers intervene. Before this, the Hunger Games was a no-rules and free-for-all kind of competition. However, the Gamemakers did not expect this kind of savagery in the competition. As a result, they had to censor most of his kills before they were aired on television. 

“There are no rules in the arena, but cannibalism doesn’t play well with the Capitol audience, so they tried to head it off.”

‘The Hunger Games‘

Every time he killed a new tribute, Gamemakers would stun him with electric guns, so that he would not be able to eat the hearts of the corpses before they could collect the bodies. 

“There was a guy like that a few years ago from District 6 called Titus. He went completely savage and the Gamemakers had to have him stunned with electric guns to collect the bodies of the players he’d killed before he ate them.”

‘The Hunger Games’

Titus’ Death

Titus was not killed by any other tribute in the arena. Instead, he was killed by an avalanche that occurred one day.

Katniss recalls that there was a great amount of speculation regarding his death. Many people watching The Hunger Games speculated that the avalanche that took him out was not a natural one. Instead, it was engineered by the Gamemakers. The Gamemakers most likely wanted to ensure that the victor of the Hunger Games was not somebody insane. 

This is because, ultimately, the Hunger Games is an entertainment show at the Capitol and an insane victor would not be popular with the Capitol citizens. Thus, the Gamemakers had to intervene to keep viewers happy.

“There was some speculation that the avalanche that finally took Titus out was specifically engineered to ensure the victor was not a lunatic.”

‘The Hunger Games’

Titus’ Legacy

Titus becomes infamous due to his actions in the arena. He is also quoted as an example for future tributes regarding what not to do in the Hunger Games. It was also after Titus’ actions that the Gamemakers officially introduced a rule banning cannibalism from the arena. It is not known how the Gamemakers implement this rule. It is possible that in future Hunger Games, each time a tribute showed signs of cannibalism, they were taken out by the Gamemakers similar to how Titus was killed by the avalanche.

The character also served as a reminder to the tributes that the only way to win the Hunger Games was by appealing to the Gamemakers and the Capitol. During the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss speculates at first that Peeta is one such tribute who might turn into a beast in the arena, much like Titus himself. 

“Peeta Mellark. We will see how high and mighty he is when he’s faced with life and death. He’ll probably turn into one of those raging beast tributes, the kind who tries to eat someone’s heart after they’ve killed them.”

‘The Hunger Games’

Katniss is angry at Peeta for trying to be noble in the arena when all she cared about was surviving. She, therefore, tries to make herself feel better by speculating that her district partner might turn into a raging lunatic when the time comes. 

Etymology: The Name Titus

Titus could be named after Titus Andronicus, the titular character from Shakespeare’s play. The character of Titus in the play gives into insanity after his daughter, Lavinia, is raped. Titus then hunts the men who raped his daughter down and kills them in revenge. He does not turn to cannibalism himself. Instead, he tricks their mother into eating their remains as punishment. Incidentally, Lavinia is also a character in ‘The Hunger Games.’ She is the Avox girl who serves Katniss in the 74th Hunger Games.

Titus is the only tribute from District 6 who is named in the entire ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy. ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ also names two more tributes from District 6: Otto and Ginnee from the 10th Hunger Games.

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