Peeta Mellark

Peeta Mellark is one of the main characters of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Peeta is the boy tribute from District 12, picked alongside Katniss Everdeen to participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a competition that forces children to fight to the death on live television to remind the nation of Panem to not rebel against the Capitol. It is mandatory for all of Panem to watch the games. Peeta and Katniss both win, though this is against the rules. After the Games, Snow executes Seneca Crane because he allowed them both to win. Peeta and Katniss have a complicated relationship throughout the series.

He will be portrayed by Josh Hutcherson in the film adaptation of the book.

Biography
He loves katniss. He goes crazy. he hates Katniss. he marrys Katniss. The end

Early life
Peeta Mellark did not have a desirable childhood. Although he grew up in the merchant area of District 12, his family life needed major improvement. His father was kind, but his mother was known as a witch, and was liable to beat Peeta and his two brothers if they messed up. The family devotion was lax, and his mother didn't place faith in him when he was chosen as a tribute for the 74th Hunger Games. He also played with most of the other kids of the "rich" part of town including Delly Cartwright as revealed in The Mockingjay.

Ever since he was was five years old, Peeta Mellark had a crush on Katniss Everdeen. He remembered eleven years before, on his first day of school, his father pointed out another small child entering the school yard with him. Peeta was fascinated with the girl, in her red plaid dress and her hair in two braids. Peeta told Katniss that his father said, "See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner." Peeta had then replied, "A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner when she could have had you?" His father answered, "Because when he sings....even the birds stop to listen." The two never spoke until the 74th Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games
Peeta is introduced when he is chosen for the boy tribute in the Games. Katniss recalls that he took a beating from his mother after burning bread from years ago on purpose, then giving it to her. When interviewed before the competition, he confesses that he has secretly been in love with Katniss since he first saw her at school, which Katniss takes as a ploy for popularity with supporters watching the Games. In the Games, Peeta surprisingly teams up with the "Careers," a pack of tributes from the higher, richer districts who band together until they are forced to fight among each other for the victory. That was just a ploy to protect Katniss. Later, Peeta is injured with a deep sword cut in his leg from Cato, which later results in an artificial leg after his injured leg is amputated at the Capitol. He develops blood poisoning, which could kill him if Katniss couldn't treat it. Katniss joins up with him after a new rule is announced, which states that if both tributes from a district are alive at the end, then both can be crowned victors. The two decide to pretend to be "star-crossed lovers" to win sympathy from the viewers which may result in gifts. Haymitch helped them devise this plan in the beginning with Peeta, which partly results in Peeta confessing his love for Katniss during his 3 minute interview. Eventually, Katniss is able to get medicine for Peeta by attending a "feast", which is in a specific area in the Arena, where tributes will find backpacks filled with items for their use, and is used to draw the remaining tributes together. During the feast, Katniss is nearly killed by Clove, another tribute. Thresh, from District 11, kills Clove, when she admits in taking part in killing Rue, saving Katniss. She finds a hypodermic needle in her pack, which she jabs into Peeta, saving him. At the end, Katniss and Peeta are the last alive, but suddenly the rule is reversed. Katniss suggests that they attempt suicide so they will both die together, and they are reluctantly allowed to live. However, Peeta finds out that Katniss was partially pretending to be in love with him, and he becomes slightly depressed and distant.

Catching Fire
Peeta and Katniss go on the Victory tour, an event strategically placed in between each Games where the victors visit the other districts and remind them of the Games. Peeta proposes to Katniss because President Snow is forcing them to show they are madly in love, but supposedly it fails his inspection. It becomes known that there are uprisings in several of the districts, which seems to be sparked by the fact that two tributes were allowed to live. Katniss and Peeta think they are going to become mentors for the 3rd Quarter Quell, the Hunger Games that occurs every twenty-five years and comes with a change in rules. The criteria for this Quarter Quell is that the tributes will be chosen from living victors. District 12 has only 3 living victors: Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch, their drunken mentor who won the 50th Hunger Games (the 2nd Quarter Quell). Katniss is obviously drawn for the girls' tribute and Haymitch is drawn for the boys' tribute, but Peeta volunteers to take his place, wanting to keep Katniss alive. In an interview before the Games, Peeta lies to the people of Panem and tells them that he is married to Katniss and that she is pregnant. During the Quell, Peeta runs into a force field and his heart stops, but their ally Finnick Odair, from District 4, restarts it by using CPR. At the end, a hovercraft arrives and tries to take Katniss, Peeta, and their allies, revealing that a team consisting of people from different districts were planning to bail them out. But Peeta is among those captured by the Capitol, while Katniss saved from the arena and is forced to move to District 13 (which is rumored to still exist) since District 12 was destroyed by the Capitol.

Mockingjay
See 'Biography'

Characterization
Peeta is described as having "ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead", blue eyes, and a stocky build.

Personality
Peeta sucks. I honestly don't know why Katniss ended up with him. GALE RULES!!!

Abilities
HE HAS NONE

Family
Peeta doesn't care about his family. No one does

Victims
He killed foxface...By acciedent. How heroic

Film portrayal
On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate confirmed that Josh Hutcherson will play Peeta in the film adaptation of The Hunger Games.