Haymitch Abernathy

Haymitch Abernathy was the only living Hunger Games victor from District 12 before Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the 74th Hunger Games, and works as a mentor to subsequent tributes from the district.

Biography
Haymitch Abernathy was the only living tribute from District 12 up until the 74th Hunger Games. A survivor from the 50th Hunger Games, Haymitch participated in the second Quarter Quell at the age of sixteen. He was born January 27th

The Second Quarter Quell
Haymitch was reaped in the second Quarter Quell along with another male tribute and two female tributes. During his interview with Caesar Flickerman, Haymitch was asked about what he thought of the Games having twice as many tributes; he replied by saying he didn't see much difference as they'll all be just as stupid, which made the audience laugh.

During the Games, he was able to get a knife from the Cornucopia. At an uncertain point of time Haymitch ran into three Career tributes. He was able to take out two tributes with his knife, but the third Career tribute got him and was about to slit his throat until he was shot in the back with a poison dart. Maysilee Donner, a fellow tribute from District 12, had shot the dart and saved his life. He formed a temporary alliance with Maysilee Donner as she had just saved his life. Maysilee Donner was his fellow District 12 tribute. The two of them went to the end of the arena thinking that there could be something useful there.

Near the end of the Games, when there were only a few tributes left alive, they reached the end of the arena and saw nothing. She suggested going back, but Haymitch refused to leave. Maysilee then broke up the alliance, not wanting to kill him herself. Then, Haymitch kicked a pebble off the edge off the cliff, and it bounced back to the spot. He picked up a rock and threw it off the cliff, and the force field threw it back, to his pleasure. Maysilee died a few minutes later, killed by deadly pink birds which speared her throat with their beaks Haymitch rushed over to her side and stayed with her until she died. He rushed to her side just as Katniss did to Rue.

Haymitch and District 1's female tribute made it to the final two, and the two fought but both were severly injured. Haymitch, at a point, sliced her eye, and later was disarmed and hit in his stomach by her axe. A weakened Haymitch rushed to the cliff while holding in his intestines and reached the cliff with District 1 female right behind him. Haymitch fell to his knees due to his injuries. District 1 female tribute threw her axe to his head but he dodged it. By using the arena's force field at the bottom of the cliff to repel an axe thrown by the District 1's female tribute, which buried itself in her head and killed her.

After winning the Games, Haymitch became an alcoholic due to the mental and physical torture the Games inflicted on him. In Mockingjay, it is revealed that two weeks after he was crowned victor of the Second Quarter Quell his mother, younger brother and girlfriend were all killed by President Snow because of the stunt that Haymitch pulled off with the force field. For the next 23 years, Haymitch trained the tributes for District 12 alone. Due to the horror of the Games, his grief over his family's deaths, and the fact that every tribute he trained was killed in the arena, Haymitch turned to drinking and isolated himself from the rest of District 12. He began sleeping with a knife in his hand and refused to let anyone into his house.

The Hunger Games
Haymitch first appears when he goes on stage during the reaping drunk and passes out after he face-dived on the ground. He is then seen on the train taking them to the Capitol and is yet again drunk and vomits on the expensive carpet floor which disgusted Effie. Peeta cleans him up and puts him to bed. He eats breakfast with them and gets in to a fight with Peeta and Katniss breaks it up by throwing a knife at them. He is pleased to have finally gotten a pair who will put up a fight and examines them and begins to formulate a plan for them.

During the parade he is surprised with their costume and takes this advantage with making more future plans to help them. He takes them and tells them about their training for the games and asked if they want to be trained together or private. He learns their skills during the argument he has with Katniss and Peeta while on the train. He tells them to train and learn new things at the training center and to not reveal their full skills and to stay by each other side.

He is humored and laughs when Katniss tells him how the Gamemakers looked after she almost shot them with an arrow. He is pleased with their training score and tells Katniss she got a high score due to her attitude. Later he informs her that Peeta will be coached in private. He helps and fails to teach Katniss how to speak in front of the crowd during her interview with Caesar Flickerman but in only angered and says she has the charm of a dead slug. Before the games begin he gives them a final piece of advice and strategy for the arena.

During the Games, Haymitch assisted by Effie line up sponsors and help Katniss and communicates with her with sponsor gifts. He does not help Peeta during the games as he could only save one of them and decided it to be Katniss. He is happy when both of them come back alive and hugs them both. Before Katniss goes to her final interview with Caesar, he tells her that the Capitol are furious about her and Peeta act in the arena with the berries seeing it as an act of rebellion and tells her she must act in love with Peeta so the Capitol and Panem will see it was not rebellion but an act of love. After the interview, he is positive that the Capitol is convinced she was in love and not rebelling. He goes back to District 12 with Katniss and Peeta. When he gets home he yet again drinks until he is drunk.

Catching Fire
Haymitch has been drinking and gotten so drunk that he sleeps for most of the day. When Haymitch is awaken by Katniss trying to awaken by shaking him but did not work so she dumped a bucket of water on him. He awakens startled and begins to slashes randomly in all directions and yelling. When he calms down Katniss tells him about the encounter with President Snow because he is the only one she can talk to and know what to do.

Haymitch goes with them along with Effie Trinket and their stylist and prep team on their Victory tour. Haymitch continues to drink and eat with no manners which bothers Effie deeply and laughs at her for it. Haymitch is surprised and somewhat disgusted by Katniss losing her temper with Effie after she complains about the train's unplanned stop. Haymitch helps them through preperation for their victory speech they must give to District 11's tributes, Thresh and Rue.

After Peeta finishes his speech Haymitch says Katniss could do worse. After Katniss finishes her speech to honor Thresh and Rue which is thought as an act of rebellion and the peacekeepers shot an elderly man, he along with the others are taken to a room to prepare to depart. Haymitch interogates them for answers and he and Katniss must confess what has been happening to Peeta since they kept him in the blank, which angers him. Haymitch continues to help them throughtout the rest of the time until President Snow declares the Third Quarter Quell will be reaping victors. Haymitch worries that he will be reaped and drinks his sorrows away. When Katniss enters his house, he laughs because he knows she will have to go back to the arena since she is the only living female victor of District 12. Katniss takes away his drink and drinks it herself to prevent him from doing so. Haymitch is drunk and talks about how even if he is reaped Peeta will volunteer for him to be with her, and says Peeta is a good person and is willing to die for them if it means their protection.

Haymitch promises Katniss that he will save Peeta this time and give him all the sponsor gifts instead of her. Haymitch's name is called by Effie but barely has time to frown before Peeta volunteers. Haymitch begins to plan the rebllion. He gives them instructions and tips for survival and tries to get them tributes to be in an alliance with them. When the games begin he works with District 4, and later 3 and 7 since Katniss, Peeta, Finnick Odair, Beetee, Wiress, and Johanna Mason were in an alliance together but is working with Plutarch behind the scenes to help the rebellion.

When Katniss blows up the force field and is in the hovercraft that rescues Katniss, Finnick and Beetee. He, Finnick and Plutarch gather together and talk about what has happened. When Katniss enters the room he is annoyed and explains everything that has recently happened. Katniss is enraged with all Haymitch's lies that she cuts his face with her nails and since he can not attack her they both yell at each other until she is taken away.

Mockingjay
After watching the final edit of Katniss' first propo, Haymitch went on the speaker and laughed, stating, "And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies." Haymitch called for a meeting with Katniss and the other rebels. He asked everyone to come up with a moment when Katniss had ever touched them inside. After everyone finished he stated that she did them all by herself. When Haymitch and Katniss found themselves alone in the meeting room, Haymitch told her to say what she wanted and she asked him why he let Peeta get captured. Haymitch sadly asked why she let Peeta out of her sight. The two began to reconnect and comforted each other. Haymitch told her the plan to shoot the propo live in action.

When the group returns and receives medical treatment, they meet in the command room. Haymitch, along with the others, discusses the propo. They decide to allow Katniss to go back into combat and shoot more propos after she is fully recovered. Haymitch is mad at Katniss for removing her earpiece and shows signs of vengeful thoughts towards her. She makes sure not to be left alone with him. When Katniss returns back to her hospital bed, Haymitch enters and talks to her for awhile. He later goes back to the command room to discuss topics and other objectives that must be taken care of with the head of the rebellion.

After Peeta's interview, Haymitch clarified that Peeta gave a hint about an attack that was going be launched by the Capitol. District 13 did not believe him but Katniss did, and the citizens began to panic. Haymitch and the other head members of the rebellion began to form a plan for the impending attack. Haymitch informs Katniss about the rescue team to save Peeta, Johanna, Enobaria, and Annie from the Capitol and tells her Gale was the first to volunteer to be a member of the rescue team.

Haymitch comforts Katniss, who is sad because she did not go along with them. She asks him if they need her help and he informs her she could shoot propogandas to air during the rescue mission. He always explains to her that two weeks after he was crowned victor, President Snow killed his mother, younger brother and girlfriend. Around midnight, Haymitch informs them the rescue party has made it back safely and they go to meet them.

Haymitch goes to District 2 with the others. He meets Lyme and attempts to think of a plan to attack The Nut and take control of District 2. Gale pulls a plan together where they would blow up the inside of The Nut, which Haymitch does not fully agree with.

Work
Haymitch doesn't work, but before the war he mentored tributes yearly. However, after the war he raises geese in addition to obsessively drinking.

Physical description
Haymitch is described as paunchy and middle-aged in The Hunger Games. In Catching Fire, he is described as formerly being young, strong, and "something to look at" 25 years ago when he won the games; he had curly dark hair, his gray Seam eyes bright and dangerous.

Relationships
It is mentioned in Mockingjay that 2 weeks after being crowned victor his girlfriend, mother, and younger brother were killed because of the stunt he pulled with the force field in the 50th Hunger Games because he made the Capitol look stupid, knowing the advantage of the force field before the Gamemakers or anybody else.

Katniss Everdeen
Haymitch first meets Katniss when she volunteered to go in instead of Prim at the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. He stated that she had "spunk." He was impressed by Katniss but he collapsed afterwards because he was drunk, falling off the stage. At first, he dismissed her as well as Peeta but decides that they may be worthy of winning the Games after they gang up on him. Katniss is convinced that Haymitch hates her and he does not try to contradict her. He is hard on them but his teachings are the only things that help them through the Games. During the Games, Katniss and Haymitch, albeit being apart, develop an understanding and a strong bond is forged. Haymitch is the first whom Katniss thanks when she leaves the arena.

In Catching Fire, Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch are closer and always deal with whatever threat comes in front of them. Haymitch keeps his role as a mentor despite the end of the Games.

After Peeta is captured by the Capitol, Katniss becomes angry with Haymitch and rejects him. It isn't until she decides to be the Mockingjay that they speak again. Haymitch cares about her, understanding her more than others. For instance, when she realizes how Snow is using Peeta, Katniss runs to Haymitch as she breaks down, for they both care about him. Later, Katniss goes to Haymitch to confide in her idea of Coin killing Prim, and when he teases her, causing her to flee, he tries to follow her (but trips) and get her to talk of her problems. He continues to be her "mentor" when she is sent back to District 12.

Peeta Mellark
Haymitch and Peeta start off fighting with each other on the train ride to the Capitol during the 74th Hunger Games. Haymitch attacks Peeta to see if he will put up a fight in the arena and is pleased when he and Katniss both show strength aganist him by ganging up. Haymitch forms plans and informs him of all his plans during the preperation for the games. Haymitch helps him and the two both become close to each other. Haymitch and Peeta work together to form the plan of the star-crossed lovers act to gain sympathy from the audience. The two later start to work together and get on good terms. Haymitch favored Peeta since he was very useful and good. He admits that he likes Peeta better. He and Peeta form plans together like Peeta's act of love to Katniss. Peeta is able to be told secrets and plans by Haymitch and keep them to himself. Haymitch does not help Peeta during the 74th Hunger Games, and later on it is revealed that this is because Haymitch was betting on Katniss's victory, but he is overjoyed when both of them come back alive. He does everything he can to prevent them from being harmed by the Capitol since they are enraged about two victors being allowed to survive. Haymitch is somewhat hurt when Peeta is angry at him for keeping secrets from him and is deeply hurt when President Snow announces the Third Quarter Quell will be reaping victors since Peeta may die. Although he does not admit it, Haymitch truely loves Peeta. Haymitch is deeply concerned when Peeta is captured by the Capitol. He and Katniss both work together to rescue Peeta. Haymitch and Katniss try their best to help Peeta through the stress and affects of the trackerjacker juice they used to hijack his memories. The two reconnect at the end of Mockingjay.

Effie Trinket
Effie annoys Haymitch greatly with her Capitolistic ways—for example, her appearance and her nitpicking about manners. His own appearance and manners frustrate her, like when he eats with his hands, which she considers animalistic. The two do have their moments together, though, like the night before the Third Quarter Quell. The two say their final goodbyes before she is taken away and Haymitch shows some care for her.

Haymitch and Effie do not start off right. They first encounter each other when Haymitch shows up drunk and in poor condition at the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. He throws up and hugs her, which messes up her pink wig. He reappears again when he throws up on the train, which only makes Effie more enraged. Haymitch and Effie work together to help Katniss and Peeta and she helps him line up sponsors. The two seem to let Katniss and Peeta decide their own choices during preperations for the Third Quarter Quell. The night before the Third Quarter Quell, Effie is taken away but before Haymitch and her say their final goodbyes and this is the first time they show to like each other and care for one and another.

Chaff
Haymitch and Chaff are old friends who both have a sense of humor and, at times, a bad attitude. They often get drunk together and play jokes to get laughs at others' expense. For example, Haymitch and Chaff play a joke on Katniss after the parade in Catching Fire when Chaff kisses Katniss on the lips; they both laugh over her reaction. The two probably worked together to keep Katniss and Peeta alive.

Personality
Haymitch is usually drunk, and acts surly and harsh, but on rare occasions he is understanding. District 12's only living victor until Katniss and Peeta is often sarcastic and unfriendly, but it is revealed in Mockingjay that, even though he doesn't say it, he adores Peeta and Katniss. Even though he admits he had chosen to keep Katniss alive during the 74th Hunger Games.

He and Katniss are on the same "wavelength" for most of the books, as he can "communicate" with Katniss by unconventional means, such as the timely deliverance of a sponsor's gift. After the war is over, Haymitch is sent to District 12 to look after Katniss, but for a long period after arriving he does not visit her, opting to stay in his house and drink. It is indicated that his relationship with Katniss and Peeta is somewhat repaired as time goes on.

Haymitch doesn't sleep at night because of nightmares pertaining to the Hunger Games. When he does sleep he always clutches a knife. Drinking is Haymitch's way of tuning out the present and the pain of his Hunger Games. His alcoholism was also prompted by the loss of his entire family shortly after he won the Games, at the hand of President Snow, due to his rebellious victory. Haymitch did not have access to his liquor while he was in District 13, as the intoxicating substance is banned. He was mostly unaffected by this after therapy, but his skin became noticeably yellower. As soon as they returned District 12, he began drinking again. When Haymitch is in withdrawal, he becomes violent, incoherent, and prone to hallucinations, screaming and shaking and scaring people half to death.

Skills
Haymitch is quite handy with a knife, as proved when he used only that weapon to kill two Career tributes. He is also quite intelligent, shown when he outsmarted his fellow tributes and made the Capitol look stupid by discovering how the force field in the arena worked and using it to his advantage. He was remarkably strong and quite handsome when he was younger. Although he has low endurance, he is an extraordinary liar, shown when he kept Katniss clueless about the rebellion. He is most likely good with words, as he was able to convince Districts 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 about the rebellion and to protect Katniss. Haymitch is good at subtle and tacit communication with Katniss especially, shown in the way that they seem to read each other's intent and how he was able to give her hints in the Games by the timing of his sponsor gifts.

Film portrayal
He will be portrayed by Woody Harrelson in The Hunger Games film.