In the Hunger Games movie saga, Katniss Everdeen uses a variety of different bows, and, interestingly, every one of them has a backstory. In fact, Katniss' bows are very different from each other not only in the way they look but also in how the protagonist uses them. Similarly, every bow Katniss uses plays a significant part in her story and in the development of her character throughout the Hunger Games films. Katniss' bow and her archery skills are both elements that characterize the main character all throughout the Hunger Games franchise.
Katniss' signature weapon is her bow and arrow throughout the whole Hunger Games franchise. From the very beginning of the franchise, it is clear that her ability to use a bow is the primary reason why she has a shot at winning the Hunger Games. Along with the Mockingjay pin Katniss received from Madge, her bow is one of Katniss' most identifiable characteristics. Throughout the series, Katniss manages to stay alive and face every danger also thanks to her archery skills, which play a significant part in her survival in District 12, in the arena, but also during the rebellion in the later films.
Katniss' Bow In District 12
In District 12, Katniss uses her bow to hunt animals for food in the woods outside District 12. Despite the restrictions on hunting and owning private weapons, she still does it to ensure her own survival and that of her family. It is revealed in Hunger Games that she has learned archery from her late farther. Her father made her first bow, which she keeps in a tree outside the District 12 border at the beginning of Hunger Games, in order to avoid any possible repercussion should the weapon be found in her home.
The Practice Bow In The Training Centre
At just 16 years old in Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen has to fight for her life in the Hunger Games as the representative of District 12. During the training that precedes the Games, she is advised by her mentor not to show her skills with archery, and to only pick up her bow and arrow in the private training session to impress the gamemakers. During her private training session, Katniss misses her first shot, perhaps due to using a different bow than the one she was accustomed to. Frustrated by this and the gamemakers' ignoring her, she ends up hitting an apple on the gamemakers' table instead of the practice dummy.
The Hunger Games Bow
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It is in the Hunger Games that Katniss uses a new bow as her main weapon, which she uses not only to hunt for food as she once did, but also to make Katniss Everdeen's first Hunger Games kill of many. At the beginning of the Games in Hunger Games, Katniss noticed a bow in the Cornucopia, but she does not retrieve it, choosing instead to grab some supplies and escape the bloodbath as soon as possible, as per Haymitch's recommendation. It is Glimmer from District One who claims the bow and arrows. However, after causing her death through a nest of tracker jackers, Katniss is able to retrieve the bow.
The Practice Bow In Catching Fire
After winning the Games, Katniss continues to hunt, most likely with her first bow built by her father. In the second Hunger Games films, however, she uses another practice bow as Katniss goes through the Hunger Games for the second time. Similarly to the first film, she undergoes three days of training as well as a private session with the gamemakers. In Catching Fire, however, she is not hiding her archery skills as she uses the practice bow in the training center from day one. This time, however, her bow does not feature in her private sessions with the gamemakers.
The Bow In The Second Hunger Games Arena
Once again, Catching Fire portrays another arena and another edition of the Hunger Games. In the bloodbath of the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss does manage to identify and retrieve one of the bow and arrows from the Cornucopia, after facing off with Finnick Odair at the beginning of the Games. This bow takes center stage at the end of Catching Fire, as Katniss learns that the arena's protective force field can be dismantled with a well-placed arrow, allowing her to initiate the rescue mission to take the tributes away from the arena.
The Bow During The Rebellion
In Mockingjay: Part 2, Katniss kills Coin in the last Hunger Games film when she was supposed to execute Snow in front of everybody with a new custom-made bow she used during the rebellion. In fact, she uses a new bow, one that is specifically built for her by Beetee after she joins the rebels in District 13 in Mockingjay: Part 1. This bow is a military-grade bow that comes to life with the sound of her voice and goes back to a regular bow when she says, "Goodnight." What's more, the bow can shoot incendiary, regular, and explosive arrows, making it the most advance bow Katnis uses in the Hunger Games saga.