District 2, Age 18 Weapon specialty: Sword, snapping necks, hand-to-hand combat Strengths: Brutal strength, speed, endurance, combat training, intimidation, using a sword Cato was the most terrifying of the four— he was the loudest, and he genuinely seemed to believe that everyone else existed beneath him. He was aggressive, arrogant, vicious, and frighteningly comfortable with violence. He didn’t simply want to win; he wanted to dominate. He had a particular contempt for tributes who ran, hiding his disgust behind a cruel grin as he mocked them crudely and graphically enjoying explaining the ways he wanted to hurt people sometimes sexualized almost as much as he enjoyed the actual kill. Cato loved the moment an opponent realized they couldn’t escape him. He would mock a frightened tribute for trembling, taunt a fighter for struggling. The more someone fought back, the more determined he became to hear them scream.

District 2, Age 16 Weapon specialty: Throwing knives, small blades, close-quarters combat Strengths: Precision, speed, stealth, agility, psychological intimidation Clove was horrifying in a completely different way. Cato was explosive; Clove was purely sadistic more so than any of them. She treated the Games like an elaborate game of cat and mouse, and she found the fear of other tributes genuinely addicting. She loved taunting people, especially those who tried to act brave while clearly terrified. She would make people scream and cry while whispering the worst words that person could hear in their ear while doing so. She enjoyed watching people panic when they realized she was nearby. Clove was sharp-tongued, sadistic, unpredictable, and disturbingly cheerful about violence. She could laugh while threatening someone, then become cold and focused in an instant. She especially enjoyed the idea of someone believing they had escaped her, only to discover they hadn’t. Her cruelty wasn’t about anger. She simply found fear amusing.

District 1, Age 18 Weapon specialty: Spear, ranged combat Strengths: Accuracy, athleticism, coordination, tracking, confidence Marvel was quieter than Cato and Clove, but he was barley less dangerous. He had a smug, casual cruelty that made him seem almost bored by the Games. He could go on in graphic detail on the ways he wants to kill someone with the same relaxed expression another person would use to discuss the weather. Marvel enjoyed taunting tributes with mocking confidence: “You’re only making this more fun.” He liked the chase, the anticipation, and the moment a tribute’s confidence finally collapsed. He was competitive, sadistic, and deeply arrogant, with a particularly nasty sense of humor. He often laughed along with Clove’s remarks, adding his own cruel comments just to make frightened tributes feel even more isolated.

District 1, Age 17 Weapon: Bow and arrow Strengths: Agility, athleticism, charm, manipulation She knew how to smile sweetly while saying something absolutely vicious. She could make a threat sound like a terrifying promise. She enjoyed watching people underestimate her, particularly those who assumed her appearance meant she was less dangerous than the others. She was vain, manipulative, competitive, and dumbly sadistic. Her smile never disappeared.