Thresh

"Just this one time, I let you go. For the little girl. You and me, we're even then. No more owed. You understand?"

- Thresh, to Katniss

Thresh was the male tribute from District 11 in the 74th Hunger Games. Strong and burly, he featured a real problem to the other tributes participating in the Games. Almost nothing about him is known before the reaping aside from the amount of family he had left.

The Hunger Games
Thresh was reaped in the 74th Hunger Games along with the female tribute, Rue.

Thresh's interview does not go well. While Ceasar tries to help and make Thresh more comfortable and talk, Thresh just answers Ceasar's questions with quiet yes or no answers.

In the Games, it is most likely that he didn't participate in the bloodbath on day one. He left the Cornucopia and later found a field of wheat. He uses this to his advantage by using the wheat for food and also as a source of cover so he could easily hide. He comes out of hiding during the Feast to claim his backpack with what he most needs. He overhears Clove's threats to Katniss and what she says about Rue. Thresh yanks Clove off Katniss, and picks her up one foot off the ground. Thresh assumes that it was Clove who killed Rue so he attacks her and when she tried to stop him and call for Cato, Thresh smashes her temple with a large rock and she dies. Thresh goes to Katniss and asks for Rue and she tells him that she was killed by Marvel and that Katniss sang her to sleep as she died. Thresh decides to spare her life just this once to repay her for protecting and taking care of Rue. As he leaves he takes not only his backpack but District 2's bag as well, which forces Cato to chase him.

Death
The exact way in which Thresh's death came about is unknown. Katniss believes that he was killed by Cato after Cato chased him into a grain field because Thresh snatched his District 2 backpack and killed his ally and district partner, Clove while she was trying to kill Katniss. Katniss and Peeta find out about Thresh's death from their cave, and it can be ascertained that he was killed during a thunderstorm, presumably created by the Gamemakers, as the cannon that announced his death was inaudible. Thresh placed 5th out of 24 tributes, which is a very high score for a tribute from a poor district like 11.

Mutt
Thresh's muttation was said to be the biggest of them all, once again referring to his massive build. His mutt was killed by Katniss when it tried to leap on top of the Cornucopia as Cato, Peeta and Katniss tried to stay away from the rest of the pack.

Tactics
In the Hunger Games, Thresh only had one known tactic: to occupy a portion of the arena and to seldom leave its boundaries. It is unlikely that Thresh participated in the initial bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Thresh chose to enter a field of grass that was as tall as Peeta's shoulders, seeing the area as both a threat and a source of food, water, shelter and safety. He saw it as a place of safety particularly because it resembled his home District 11. Thresh was drawn out of his domain when the feast was announced, and this was where he met Katniss and Clove. It was noted that Thresh looked even bigger and well fed since the games had begun. (He was from District 11, a poor district, where no one gets enough to eat). After giving Clove a fatal wound, Thresh asks Katniss about Rue, who reveals to him that they were allies, and asks him to kill her quickly, rather than choose a slow, painful death for her. However, Thresh was touched that Katniss had tried to protect Rue, and spared her life, telling her that they were both even after that gesture. He tells Katniss to run and takes Cato's pack, forcing Cato to pursue Thresh rather than Katniss. This gesture resulted in his death.

Catching Fire
When Katniss and Peeta go to District 11 on their Victory Tour, Katniss gives a speech about Thresh. She says she only spoke to him once, but respected him for his strength and refusal to play the Games on anyone's terms but his own (the Careers wanted him to join their allience, but he refused), and thanks him for sparing her life.

Katniss and Peeta thank District 11 for their Tributes, including Thresh.

Personality
Thresh is the tribute from District 11 for the 74th Hunger Games. Little is known about him throughout the first two books in the series, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, save his appearance, family members, tactics for the Hunger Games and his actions throughout the course of the Games, especially those in the presence of Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from District 12, and hence, one of his opponents in the arena.

Thresh showed mercy towards Katniss when they met in the arena, and also at a time when he had the advantage in terms of combat, as he believed that he owed her for being in alliance with and avenging Rue, the female tribute from his district. Through this action Thresh is shown as having a certain degree of honour and dignity. By attempting to avenge Rue, Thresh also showed a side of kindness, which, in this case, is directed towards an innocent twelve-year-old girl. Another aspect of Thresh's personality is that he is vengeful. Other of Thresh's actions that reveal his personality include his choice of solitude throughout the duration of the Games, demonstrating his preference to work alone.

Throughout the Hunger Games, Thresh has always been a Tribute who commanded respect and was feared by virtually everyone in the arena, even the whole Career pack, who at the time consisted of Clove, Cato, Glimmer, Marvel, the girl from District 4 and Peeta Mellark. Thresh's physical aptitude was often complimented by Katniss. It is also revealed in training that when the Career Tributes asked him to join their pack, he refused.

Family
Thresh's family is revealed in Catching Fire, the sequel to the The Hunger Games. Thresh has only two known family members, both female, one, a tall, muscular girl whom Katniss believes is Thresh's sister, and an old woman with a hunched back, who is believed to be Thresh's grandmother. However, the exact connection of Thresh with both of the women is unknown.

Rue
Thresh liked Rue and took pity on her since she was so young and nice and felt she did not deserve this. Thresh seemed to care about her because when she died he became sad and infuriated by her death. During the feast, Thresh over heard Clove talking about Rue before she was going to kill Katniss and was angered by this. Thresh pushed Clove off Katniss and strangled her one foot off the ground and yelled at her. Thresh asked about Rue, thinking that it was her who killed Rue. In rage Thresh killed her to avenge Rue. Thresh spared Katniss' life because she helped Rue and felt he owed her for it. This proved that Thresh did like and care about Rue.,ll,l,l,l,lp,l,;p,lp,pç^

Katniss Everdeen
During the feast, Thresh saved Katniss from being killed by Clove, and Katniss was shocked at his sudden appearance. After Thresh avenged Rue's death by crushing Clove's skill with a rock, he asked Katniss in a gentle way about Rue. Thresh was touched that Katniss took care if Rue and tried to protect her from the other Tributes and felt that he owed her. He spared Katniss' life and told her to run as Cato would be there soon, as he had heard Clove's screams before she died. Thresh also took Cato's pack, as it would force Cato to chase him instead of Katniss, allowing her to escape. This act resulted in Thresh's death, which saddened Katniss, as she liked him and wanted him to win if she or Peeta did not.

During the Victory Tour, Katniss honored Thresh by making a speech about him. She stated that she didn't know him, but deeply respected him for his strength and his refusal to play the Game on anyone's ground but his own. Katniss also thanks Thresh for sparing her life.

Appearance
Thresh is adorned with dark brown skin and dark hair. He is described as having strange golden brown eyes. Katniss said that with his massive size, six and a half foot tall, and dark colored skin, he was set with muscles like an ox. He is also known for having the same skin tone as Rue, the female Tribute from his District, but it is mentioned in the book that "the resemblance stops there" in reference to the similarity in appearance between Thresh and the female counterpart from his District. Katniss often thinks of Thresh as a "physical wonder".

Name
Like many other characters in The Hunger Games series, Thresh's name has an actual meaning. "Thresh" is a method of harvesting grain that involves flailing the plant around. This name makes sense for his character because he is from District 11, the district that supplies grain, and because he is described as a very large and brutish looking person, a little bit like Cato.

Film portrayal
He will be portrayed by Dayo Okeniyi in The Hunger Games film.