125 Hunger Games Wiki

Panem and the Hunger Games
Sometime in the distant past, the nation of Panem rose from the ashes of the country previously known as North America. Panem consisted of a Capitol, surrounded by thirteen districts which provided goods and necessities to the people of Panem. Their existence would not be a peaceful one, however, and during a period of history known as the Dark Days, the districts rose up against the Capitol, and a war began. Using its superior technology and weaponry, the Capitol decimated the districts, beating twelve into submission and obliterating the thirteenth entirely.

In the wake of this tragedy, the Hunger Games were born. Once a year, a boy and girl from each district, excluding the Capitol, would be chosen as a "tribute" in a gladiatorial contest of strength and skill. This was a reminder and demonstration of the Capitol's absolute power.

Fifty-one years ago, during the 74th Annual Hunger Games, the rules began to change dramatically. Until this point, only one winner had ever been declared. However, because of the antics and rebellious nature of a female tribute from District 12, the rules of the game were changed to allow a male and female victor from the same district.

During the Quarter Quell the following year, this rebellious tribute, along with her district partner, were forced back into the arena, and both were slaughtered.

However, the events caused by this tribute had already begun to dramatically change the face of the Hunger Games. The people of the Capitol loved the District 12 tribute -- her spunk, her rebelliousness, and the star-crossed, ill-fated love between herself and her counterpart. Potential sponsors wanted more -- more drama, more romance, more violence and gore, more twists and surprises. In order to claim sponsors, tributes found themselves getting more and more brutal and risque, and the Game Makers found themselves bending and changing the rules of the game, eager to please the people and keep things fresh and exciting.

Now, fifty years after the 75th Annual Hunger Games, Panem continues to hold its yearly tournament, and it's time for another Quarter Quell -- the 125th Annual Hunger Games.

This year's theme, as determined by the Game Masters, is entitled "The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few". For this Quarter Quell, the odds have been drastically altered. For every prior game, children of each district claiming tesserae were required to enter their name into the lottery yet another time, increasing their chances of being drawn for the game. For this Quell, the lottery has been reversed, meaning that the children in each district who have the least chance of being drawn suddenly have the highest. In addition, the "needs of the many" clause has decreed that twice as many tributes be drawn from each district, giving more of the "few" the honor of participating in the games.

Follow this year's tributes as they battle for their lives, and for the honor and privilege of winning the Hunger Games for their district!

Portal

 * Tributes