Here are some of the most meaningful and iconic The Hunger Games quotes that will teach you about courage, strength, and more!
The Hunger Games zooms in on Panem, a fictional country in North America that has a harsh and strict authoritarian government. Here, the games take place annually—and it’s always a matter of life and death between the 24 chosen individuals. It’s the very definition of the phrase “survival of the fittest.”
The contestants from the country’s 12 districts become a source of entertainment for the community, and their lives and struggles become a symbol of The Capitol’s power and influence. However, Katniss Everdeen is someone who has a sense of justice, equality, and freedom. She stood firm against The Capitol and fought for her and her family’s life.
When Katniss succeeded, she became a symbol of hope for the people of Panem. But, her journey was anything but easy. To learn more about how she survived the brutal Hunger Games, read the complete list of quotes below!
Let’s begin.
And don’t forget to check out these The Maze Runner quotes and The NeverEnding Story quotes.
Best The Hunger Games Quotes
1. “Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.” – Effie Trinket
2. “Hope. It’s the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine as long as it’s contained.” – President Snow
3. “I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!” – Katniss Everdeen
4. “Do you know what my mother said? ‘It looks like District 12 may finally have a winner.’ But she wasn’t talking about me. She was talking about you.” – Peeta Mellark
5. Peeta Mellark: “So what happens when we get back?”
Katniss Everdeen: “I don’t know. I guess we try to forget.”
Peeta Mellark: “I don’t wanna forget.”
6. “War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost. When the traitors were defeated, we swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice. The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future.” – President Snow
7. Katniss Everdeen: “Any last advice?”
Haymitch Abernathy: “Stay alive.”
8. Peeta Mellark: “They have to have their victor.”
Katniss Everdeen: “No. They don’t. Why should they?”
9. Primrose Everdeen: “Just try to win. Maybe you can.”
Katniss Everdeen: “Of course. Maybe I can. I am smart, you know.”
Primrose Everdeen: “And you can hunt.”
Katniss Everdeen: “Exactly.”
The Hunger Games Quotes That Will Forever Be Iconic
10. “That is mahogany!” – Effie Trinket
11. “This is the time to show them everything. There’ll be a bow; make sure you use it. Peeta, you make sure to show your strength.” – Haymitch Abernathy
12. “Okay, listen to me; you’re stronger than they are. You are. They just want a good show; that’s all they want. You know how to hunt. Show them how good you are.” – Gale Hawthorn
13. “Welcome! We salute your courage and your sacrifice, and we wish you Happy Hunger Games!” – President Snow
14. “How would you like it if we set your backyard on fire? You know, you can’t put everybody in here! What? There’s no one left that I love.” – Johanna Mason
15. Peeta Mellark: “You definitely smell better than I do.”
Caesar Flickerman: “Well, I’ve lived here longer.”
Peeta Mellark: “That makes sense.”
16. Peeta Mellark: “I just don’t want them to change me.”
Katniss Everdeen: “How will they change you?”
Peeta Mellark: “I don’t know. Turn me into something I’m not. I just don’t want to be another piece in their game, you know?”
Katniss Everdeen: “You mean you won’t kill anyone?”
Peeta Mellark: “No—I mean, I’m sure I would be just like anyone else when the time came, but I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me. If I’m gonna die, I wanna still be me.”
Katniss Everdeen: “Yeah. I just can’t afford to think like that.”
Peeta Mellark: “Yeah, I know.”
The Hunger Games Quotes to Recite Every Day
17. “I don’t know how else to put this—make sure they remember you.” – Haymitch Abernathy
18. “Embrace the probability of your imminent death, and know in your heart that there’s nothing I can do to save you.” – Haymitch Abernathy
19. Peeta Mellark: “Together?”
Katniss Everdeen: “Together.”
Peeta Mellark: “Okay. One.”
Katniss Everdeen: “Two.”
Peeta Mellark: “Three.”
More The Hunger Games Quotes That’ll Make You Feel Like You’re Part of It
20. “Wanna see what I got you today? It’s a Mockingjay pin to protect you. And as long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you, okay? I promise.” – Katniss Everdeen
21. Haymitch Abernathy: “They’re not happy with you.”
Katniss Everdeen: “Why, ’cause I didn’t die?”
22. Peeta Mellark: “I mean, she saved my life.”
Katniss Everdeen: “We saved each other.”
23. “Ladies and gentlemen, from District 12: Katniss Everdeen—the girl on fire!” – Caesar Flickerman
24. Caesar Flickerman: “So, Peeta, tell me, is there a special girl back home?”
Peeta Mellark: “No. No, not really.”
Caesar Flickerman: “No? I don’t believe it for a second. Look at that face. A handsome man like you. Peeta, tell me.”
Peeta Mellark: “Well, there, uh—there is this one girl that I’ve had a crush on forever.”
Caesar Flickerman: “Ah.”
Peeta Mellark: “But I don’t think she actually recognized me until the Reaping.”
Caesar Flickerman: “Well, I’ll tell you what, Peeta. You go out there, and you win this thing, and when you get home, she’ll have to go out with you. Right, folks?”
Peeta Mellark: “Thanks, but I, uh, I don’t think winning’s gonna help me at all.”
Caesar Flickerman: “And why not?”
Peeta Mellark: “Because she came here with me.”
25. Haymitch Abernathy: “Now, I can sell the star-crossed lovers from District 12.”
Katniss Everdeen: “We are not star-crossed lovers.”
Haymitch Abernathy: “It’s a television show, and being in love with that boy might just get you sponsors, which could save your damn life.”
Do You Think You Can Survive in the Hunger Games?
The Hunger Games is anything but easy to conquer. Every second of the contestants’ lives seems like it’s given through The Capitol’s mercy. However, we must remember that no one can control our lives, especially how it would turn out.
Like Katniss Everdeen, we must always stand firm in the face of injustice, abuse, and ill use of power. Yes, she succumbed to the government’s inhumanity when she volunteered to be part of the games to save her sister’s life. But, every second she was in the arena, she fought against the ideals of the government and what it stood for.
Katniss Everdeen is a symbol of hope because she stands firm in her beliefs. In the end, no matter how difficult, her efforts were not in vain. She was able to make it out of the Hunger Games alive and sparked a light in the hearts of the people of Panem.
So, the next time you feel like you’re being pressured to conform to society’s rules, remember Katniss Everdeen. No matter how small you think you are compared to the world, you can always make a change and send ripples across the planet.
With that, we hope we were able to present you with a renewed sense of hope through this list of The Hunger Games quotes. Remember that you are the start of positive change!
