Chaff Mitchell

"I know Chaff by sight cause I've spent years watching him pass a bottle back and forth with Haymitch on television. He's dark-skinned, about two meters tall, and one of his arms ends in a stump because he lost his hand in the Games he won thirty years ago."

- Katniss about Chaff

Chaff was a male tribute from District 11 who won the 45th Hunger Games. He was reaped to participate in the 75th Hunger Games.

Biography
Chaff won the 45th Hunger Games, but lost his hand during the games. He refused to receive a prosthetic hand from the Capitol doctors. Chaff was reaped once again for the third Quarter Quell.

Chaff, along with Beetee, Wiress, Finnick Odair, Mags, Johanna Mason, Seeder, Woof, Cecelia and the Morphlings were all part of the rebellion and were instructed by Haymitch Abernathy to try their best to find Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen and make sure they both lived. He was one of only few who knew about the plan to get Katniss out of the arena to District 13.

Catching Fire
After the parade around the Capitol, Chaff and all the other tributes were talking together. Chaff gave Katniss a kiss on the lips which surprised her and she pushed him away. Chaff and Haymitch laughed at her reaction. Haymitch and Chaff were good friends and seemingly both alcoholics.

Training
During training, Chaff and Peeta became close and talked quite often during training, and had lunch together.

Interview
During Chaff's interview with Caesar Flickerman, he stated that President Snow could change the Quell if he wanted to, but wouldn't because he thinks it doesn't matter to anyone. After all the interviews were finished, Chaff along with the other Victors joined hands as a act of solidarity, which Snow took as an act of outright rebellion.

The Games
Chaff was not seen much during the Games, probably hiding to stay alive and seeking Katniss as it was his mission to protect and rescue her so she could help the Rebels defeat the Capitol. Unfortunately, he could not locate either her or Peeta until the end of the Games.

Death
While trying to protect Peeta, he was killed by Brutus, just as Katniss was rescued by the Rebels. Shortly after, Peeta avenged Chaff's death by killing Brutus.

Physical description
Chaff was at least six feet tall, probably as tall as Thresh, with dark skin, and had an arm that ended with a stump because he lost his hand in the 45th Hunger Games. He chose not to get a prosthetic arm. He and Haymitch were friends, as they both turned to drinking after they won their Games. During the reaping recaps, Effie Trinket commented that "Chaff never could stay out of a fight," implying that he had volunteered as Tribute. Chaff was in his mid to late forties when he died. He was killed at the very end of the 75th Games by Brutus at the free-for-all just minutes before Katniss Everdeen destroyed the force field surrounding the Arena.

Personality
Chaff seemed to be a troublemaker, as Effie implied when she said he never could stay out of a fight. Chaff loved to laugh and was one of Haymitch's drinking buddies. Chaff joked by kissing Katniss on her lips and laughing with Haymitch at her reaction. However, he did have his soft side shown when he was friendly and kind to Katniss and Peeta during the training sessions, when he backed Seeder up during her interview, and when he joined hands with the other Victors at the end of the interviews without hesitation. Chaff was a lot like Haymitch.

Film portrayal
E. Roger Mitchell is set to play Chaff in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Trivia

 * Chaff possibly mentored Thresh and Rue.
 * "Chaff" means husks of grasses or grains split apart during threshing.
 * Chaff was one of the oldest tributes to make it to the top ten.

Chaff Chaff