Summary

• The ending of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire sets up a thrilling revolution and raises questions about character motivations and the fate of Peeta. The explosive conclusion changes Panem forever.
• New characters, like Plutarch, Finnick, and Johanna, add depth to the film and elevate the danger faced by Katniss and Peeta. The Arena becomes deadlier, and shocking betrayals occur.
• Johanna's supposed betrayal is actually a clever move to ensure the success of the rebel plan, sacrificing her own safety. Peeta's fate is uncertain, as he is captured by the Capitol and Katniss believes he is dead.

The ending of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire offers a thrilling twist, many questions, and a setup for the franchise's final two movies. One year after Katniss and Peeta narrowly survived the 74th Annual Hunger Games, the Capitol is more vulnerable than ever and a revolution is simmering. In order to impose control over the districts, President Snow prepares a shocking surprise for the special 75th Hunger Games: the tributes must be selected from previous winners. In no time, Katniss and Peeta find themselves once again on the way to the Arena for a competition that will change Panem forever.

Some of the best Hunger Games characters debuted after the first movie, including Plutarch, Finnick, and Johanna. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire also elevates the danger with a set of deadlier enemies — after all, they survived the violent game in the past — and an Arena that functions like a clock. The movie ends on an explosive note, concluding the 75th Annual Hunger Games in an unexpected fashion and featuring shocking betrayals by some of the tributes as well as Plutarch. Questions aren't answered right away in the shocking final 30 minutes of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, including those regarding character motivations and the fate of Peeta.

Why Did Johanna Attack Katniss?

Johanna's True Heroic Side Shines Through

The first of many twists in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's ending revolves around Johanna's supposed betrayal when she attacks Katniss in the woods. Johanna is one of the most determined characters in the franchise, yet her intentions always seem suspicious in the second movie, which adds up to the ending's shocking moments. Separated from the group, Katniss and Johanna lay down some wire in order to execute their plan, but they're suddenly intercepted by the Careers. Instead of joining forces with Katniss to fight them off, Johanna unexpectedly hits Katniss and runs away.

What seems like a gratuitous attack is actually one of the smartest moves by any character in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. While only the blow in Katniss's head happens onscreen, Johanna is also shown grabbing her ally's arm and getting her knife to remove Katniss's tracker. In order to ensure President Snow wouldn't suspect anything, Johanna makes it all look like another genuine betrayal.

Additionally, she orders Katniss to stay down so that the Careers will think she's dead, targeting only Johanna. Johanna's plan is also an act of sacrifice; by luring the Careers away from Katniss and the group, she makes sure everything happens as planned by the rebels, even though it ends up costing her own safety: at the end of the day, Johanna is captured by the Capitol and undergoes horrifying torture.

What Happened To Peeta In Catching Fire's Ending?

Did He Know About The Plan

Just as Johanna is captured by the Capitol and brought to President Snow, so is Peeta. What makes The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's ending so anxiety-inducing is how it portrays Katniss's despair when she can't find Peeta anywhere in the Arena, especially after believing Johanna and Finnick betrayed her. Naturally, Katniss presumes Peeta is dead, which weighs on her decision to shoot the wired arrow into the roof. Half of the tributes knew about the Rebel plan in Catching Fire, but not Peeta and Katniss. While she was the Mockingjay, there was no particular reason for the rebels to keep him as a priority.

After the 75th Hunger Games are abruptly interrupted by the explosion, the Capitol rushes to rescue the six remaining tributes, only to discover that Katniss, Finnick, and Beetee are nowhere to be found. Because Peeta still has the tracker on his arm and gets lost from the group, he becomes an easy target to President Snow, who imprisons and tortures him in the Capitol. It's heartbreaking that Peeta and Katniss's final moment before Peeta gets brainwashed by the Capitol is the kiss they share in the forest.

Where To Watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Plutarch Heavensbee's Betrayal Explained

Were His Actions All Meant To Help Katniss

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire introduces the character of Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker. Initially, he doesn't seem any different from the greedy Capitol citizens, complying with President Snow's demands as if he's his most precious ally. However, Heavensbee is the commander of the opposition in District 13, and the head of the evacuation plan organized with other tributes. While Heavensbee might not have been the sole mind behind the arena's clock design, he knew everything about it and used it in his favor. His betrayal is a turning point in the franchise, showing that President Snow's oppressive system has room for loopholes.

The moment Heavensbee has the Gamemakers spin the clock to disorient the tributes is open for interpretation but hints at a clever strategy. While Katniss grew a lot during the Hunger Games, she still struggled with trust issues. Aware that Katniss doesn't fully trust Finnick and Johanna, Heavensbee knows it won't take long before she turns against them when the Careers are defeated. By suddenly spinning the clock, Heavensbee gives more time for his plan to be perfectly executed and deflects any suspicion about a rebel plan taking place.

Who Survives At The End Of Catching Fire?

Not Every Survivor Gets A Victorious Ending

Similarly to the book, which is told from Katniss's first-person perspective, the ending of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's adaptation unfolds solely through her eyes. As a result, many crucial moments happen offscreen, and the fate of some characters is only suggestively mentioned. Six tributes in total survive the 75th Annual Hunger Games: Enobaria, Beetee, Finnick, Peeta, Katniss, and Johanna. Katniss, Finnick, and an injured Beetee are rescued by the rebel forces. On the other hand, Enobaria, Johanna, and Peeta are captured by the Capitol and imprisoned.

How Catching Fire Sets Up Mockingjay

The Rebellion And Katniss' Romance With Peeta Are At Stake

Catching Fire sets up Peeta's tragic fate and the future of Panem by finally introducing a solid rebel force. While the revolution was bound to happen, the first two movies only hint at it. By the end of Catching Fire, Panem is in total rebellion, with many of the tributes igniting it from inside the Hunger Games Arena. That's why the second movie hits even harder after a rewatch, with each of the characters' motivations finally making sense.

Katniss stands at the center of everything as the Mockingjay, the ultimate symbol of the revolution. With President Snow growing increasingly obsessed with her, Heavensbee makes Katniss his top priority and, consequently, his most powerful weapon. Besides setting up the path for the revolution that takes place in both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Catching Fire's ending is crucial for the development of the main characters, especially Katniss and Peeta.

It's only by losing him that Katniss understands her true love for Peeta, but his capture by the Capitol has harrowing consequences for their romance: imprisoned and forced to undergo brainwashing sessions, Peeta almost completely loses his grip on reality. On the other hand, the ending of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire suggests a great development between Katniss's acquaintances as she finally learns to trust Finnick, Johanna, and even Heavensbee. The movie's final scene is what truly ignites Katniss's anger, giving rise to an insatiable thirst for revenge: District 12, her home, no longer exists.

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  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

  Director:

  Francis Lawrence

  Release Date:

  2013-11-01

  Cast:

  Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin

  Writers:

  Francis Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence

  Rating:

  PG-13

  Runtime:

  2h 26m

  Genres:

  Action, Sci-Fi

  Budget:

  78 million

  Studio(s):

  Lionsgate

  Distributor(s):

  Lionsgate

  Sequel(s):

  The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

  prequel(s):

  The Hunger Games

  Franchise(s):

  The Hunger Games