20 best moments of The Hunger Games series

11. Katniss shoots an arrow at Gamemakers

Movie: The Hunger Games (2012)

Why we love it: No two ways about it, the first arrow Katniss fires for the Gamemakers is an absolute shocker, so we can't blame them for turning away. But, ignore Katniss at your peril. Annoyed that they're concentrating on their lavish feast instead of her perfect follow-up arrow, she decides to make her mark on proceedings by shooting through them to pierce an apple in a roasted pig's mouth. Having got their attention, Katniss curtsies, says "thank you for your consideration" and strolls off before they can respond. Ooh, burn.

10. Cinna's assumed death

Movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Why we love it: Let's be honest, there's probably never a good time to see one of your friends beaten up and dragged away, but it's surely awful timing if you're just about to head into a battle to the death. The most heart-wrenching scene of Catching Fire comes as Cinna bids farewell to Katniss. However, instead of Katniss going up into the arena, she's forced to watch her stylist brutally beaten up by Peacekeepers for defying the Capitol. It's her anguished cries that get us and, while in Mockingjay - Part 1 we're told he died, we like to think he's still betting on Katniss.

9. Katniss heals Peeta

Movie: The Hunger Games (2012)

Why we love it: It may involve tricking Peeta into taking a sleeping syrup, but it's the first time we see Katniss' heart thaw towards him when she puts herself in danger to get medicine to save his life. After being saved by Thresh to make the two even for what Katniss did for Rue, she's able to head back to the cave to heal Peeta, who must have some pretty good memories of that cave. After all, the night before, Katniss kissed him (mainly to gain favour from sponsors), which allowed us the first glance of Gale's 'I'm in pain' face.

8. Peeta publicly declares his love for Katniss

Movie: The Hunger Games (2012)

Why we love it: Ah, young love. You make a declaration that you really, really like someone, and then get throttled for it by the object of your affection. "He made me look weak," spits Katniss after Peeta tells Caesar Flickerman, in a roundabout way, that he loves her. It's a savvy move from Peeta, which allows Haymitch to 'sell' the two as "star-crossed lovers", even if it seems initially that it'll be an unrequited love. Also, why we love Effie, part three, for her cutting and finger-pointing "manners" as she walks away.

7. "If we burn, you burn with us!"

Movie: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

Why we love it: We've already seen how bad Katniss is at 'acting' the part of the Mockingjay, and this stirring scene shows what was missing: namely, the death of a bunch of innocent people. Having downed a Capitol plane, we're shown prime Katniss as she lays down the gauntlet to President Snow: "Fire is catching and if we burn, you burn with us!" It's made all the more powerful as she collapses to her knees afterwards, overwhelmed by the destruction. No longer is Katniss 'The Girl on Fire' - she is now the Mockingjay.

6. Katniss hears District 12 has been destroyed

Movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Why we love it: We wonder if, looking back, President Snow realises what a faux pas it was for him to destroy District 12. After all, Katniss was already angry enough. Gale gets his 15 seconds of fame as he tells her that District 12 is no more, and we see Katniss come to terms with the decision in an extended close-up that is peak Jennifer Lawrence. Going from sadness and confusion to stone-cold anger and determination, it's a masterclass in expressive, dialogue-free acting. Katniss is no longer angry, she's pissed. Bad move, President Snow.

5. Peeta attacks Katniss

Movie: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

Why we love it: It's only once Peeta is knocked out by Boggs (Mahershala Ali) that we realise we've been holding our breath. One look at Peeta's emaciated face and it's clear something is not quite right, but we're still not expecting him to launch a feral attack on Katniss. It's the most violent moment of the entire series to date, Katniss' eyes going bloodshot as he throttles her, and though it lasts for less than 30 seconds, its impact is huge. After the attack, it cuts to black for just long enough to make us think that's the end of the film. The teases.

4. Katniss and Peeta's threaten to commit suicide

Movie: The Hunger Games (2012)

Why we love it: After a cruel last-minute rule change, Katniss and Peeta play the ultimate game of chicken with the Capitol. The gamble to commit joint suicide pays off as, faced with having no victors, the Capitol submits and crowns the two as victors, sending them both on a collision course with President Snow. And if we weren't sure before in the cave, this is the moment that shows Katniss really cares for Peeta. You don't threaten to commit suicide with someone just because they chucked you a loaf of bread that one time.

3. "Remember who the real enemy is"

Movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Why we love it: The arrow that sparked a revolution. President Snow so wants Katniss to shoot Finnick, but all it takes is for Finnick to echo Haymitch's earlier words to change her mind: "Remember who the real enemy is." She wires up her bow, shoots it at the weak point of the forcefield and blows up the arena, getting a hell of a headache in the process. The distance and accuracy of the shot was impressive even by Katniss' standards; we can barely get the key in the door after a long night out.

2. Rue's death

Movie: The Hunger Games (2012)

Why we love it: Give us a moment, we're just composing ourselves. The most heart-breaking moment of the series to date isn't made any easier by the fact that we knew, at some point, that Rue had to die for Katniss to survive. It doesn't flinch away either - we see Rue pulling out Marvel's (Jack Quaid) spear before collapsing to the ground. Katniss comforts her, singing and repeating "you're ok", but we're definitely NOT ok. The beautifully played scene ends with Katniss laying Rue to rest amongst flowers, and marked out The Hunger Games as not just your average young adult franchise.

Ian Sandwell

Ian Sandwell is an entertainment journalist, an avid FrightFester, and horror genre lover, as well as being a bit of a Marvel geek. Ian was the Features Writer at GamesRadar between 2015-2017, and has since moved on to Digital Spy where he currently sits as the website's movies editor. 

Latest in Action Movies
The cast of Thunderbolts
Marvel fans are revealing who they'd like to see added to the Thunderbolts lineup, from Moon Knight to a major Hulk villain
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson doubles down on never coming back as Black Widow: “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?"
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four
The Doctor Doom actor from 2005's Fantastic Four thinks Robert Downey Jr.'s take on the role in the next Avengers movies will be "pretty extraordinary": "I love watching his work"
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
James Gunn reveals Jason Momoa text him about Lobo the day he was announced as DC Studios co-head
Latest in Features
The Witcher 3 screenshot of Geralt
Avowed and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 tap into the same thing that makes The Witcher 3 so compelling – and it's something I'm always looking for in RPGs
Marvel Rivals Spider-Man
Spider-Man has become every Marvel Rivals player's worst nightmare
The Punisher holding two machine guns in the rain
Daredevil: Born Again - Learn the bullet-riddled comic book history of the Punisher before he officially joins the MCU
A woman in a underwater machine waving during the cinematic teaser for Subnautica 2.
Subnautica 2: Everything we know about the new underwater survival game
The AMD Ryzen 7 8700G being held above a motherboard by a reviewer
AMD's pro-consumer 9070 strategies are exactly why it's primed to dominate the CPU market in 2025
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows' transmog looks set to combine the best of Odyssey and Vahalla to make changing my drip easier than ever