Highlights
- Reaper Ash is a complex character with a deep hatred for the Capitol, but he's really just a conflicted teenager forced to participate in the Hunger Games.
- Dean Casca Highbottom may seem unlikeable, but he's actually a broken creature who struggles to cope with the harsh reality of his life.
- Lucy Gray Baird is a performer from District 12 who is similar to Katniss Everdeen but has her own charm and confidence. Coriolanus Snow is drawn to her, revealing a different side of him.
The Hunger Games trilogy took the world by storm when it was first released, and now fans are about to receive a movie for its prequel: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Even though the prequel's story focuses mostly on Coriolanus Snow during his early days, there are quite a few irreplaceable characters portrayed in it that were crucial to his experience and thoughts and molded the leader of Panem.
There are various memorable characters in The Ballad of Songsbirds and Snakes, but there are some favorites that will certainly catch fans' eyes when they get to watch the movie for the first time.
This article contains light spoilers for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes .
6 Reaper Ash
Reaper Ash is the male tribute from District 11 in the tenth annual Hunger Games; he is from the same district as the loveable Rue from The Hunger Games.
Reaper is a complex boy with a lot going through his mind. Although very little is known about his background in District 11 before being selected as a tribute in the Reaping, it is obvious that Reaper has a deep hatred for the Capitol, causing him to display certain acts of rebellion, even if unknowingly.
He is a hard-shelled character, but the truth is that a lot of it was mostly talk and intimidation tactics. Deep down, he's just a conflicted teenager who was chosen to participate in a sickening event against his will.
5 Dean Casca Highbottom
Highbottom makes a frequent appearance during the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but the nature of his behavior isn't truly revealed until the very end, which makes it easier to understand his addiction as well as some of his demeanor and actions.
Although at first he appears to be nothing but an unlikeable, mean-spirited creature from the Capitol, he is simply a broken creature, unable to properly deal with the harsh reality he must endure and certain unresolved issues that still occupy his mind.
4 Sejanus Plinth
Sejanus is a district-born Capitol citizen who is given the responsibility to mentor a tribute in the tenth annual Hunger Games. Through the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, he grows very attached to Coriolanus Snow, an avid defender of the Capitol's policies.
Thanks to the Plinth family's wealth, Sejanus gets the opportunity to mentor the male tribute from his own district, District 2. However, he is unable to connect with his tribute despite various efforts, and this is the source of some inner conflict.
Sejanus has a very good heart and is an extremely likable character, but unfortunately, the world around him is tough, and he has a particularly hard time fitting in.
3 Lucy Gray Baird
Lucy Gray Baird is the female tribute for District 12 during the tenth annual Hunger Games. Coriolanus Snow is the Academy student appointed as her mentor during the games.
Fans will notice that Lucy Gray can be very similar to Katniss Everdeen in many ways, but at the same time, the two couldn't be more different. They're both from District 12, their role is to ultimately protect their families at all costs, and they can sing. However, Lucy Gray is a performer. She's a charming gal with an attitude and undeniable confidence.
Snow is incredibly drawn towards Lucy Gray, which allows fans to see a completely different side of him. This is of utmost importance in the series, as it explains some of his early behavior towards Katniss in The Hunger Games.
2 Dr. Volumnia Gaul
Dr. Gaul is a cruel creature with a twisted mind and a love for head games. At first, Gaul only appears to be a strange and unsettling person, but soon enough, it's clear that she is purely evil and likes to toy with people, which is why she takes great pleasure in being the Head Gamemaker in the tenth annual Hunger Games.
Gaul is one of the most powerful people in the story of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, frightening Snow himself. Coriolanus is one of the main subjects of her mind games, but oddly enough, she takes a liking to him and ends up mentoring him indirectly. She is a great and interesting character on her own, which is why her influence is so strong towards him and turns him into the person fans were able to see in The Hunger Games trilogy.
1 Coriolanus Snow
Even though it also digs deep into important aspects of the world of Panem, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is ultimately Coriolanus Snow's origin story. In The Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow is nothing but a tyrant in power, but he wasn't always this way. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, fans get to see another side of this character.
The story explores the complex contemplations inside his mind. It mentions the importance of his family's ruin after the war and how much this troubled him. Additionally, it's also clear that during and after the tenth annual Hunger Games, he had to endure several life-altering events. This experience mixed with his ruminations and dangerous ambition shaped him into a dangerous and evil man.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is scheduled to hit theaters on November 17, 2023.