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Coriolanus Snow
The protagonist, a young man from a once-powerful family who becomes a mentor in the Hunger Games. Coriolanus (Coryo to his closest friends) is highly defensive about his family's poverty and about his own diminished position. He spends his life walking on a knife-edge of lies, as he tries to convince all of the other students at the Panem Academy that he's as rich as they are. He will stop at nothing to achieve his dreams of redeeming the Snow name and becoming President of Panem.
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Lucy Gray Baird
Coriolanus’s love interest and the novel’s secondary protagonist. The female tribute from District 12 whom Coriolanus mentors in the 10th Hunger Games, Lucy is an intensely charismatic young woman, who instantly captivates all of her live and televised audiences with her bold refusal to be ignored and her wonderful singing voice. Although she is Reaped in District 12, Lucy belongs to a group of roving performers who call themselves the Covey. These characters all take their names from famous ballads and favorite colors. Lucy’s name is unusual in that it comes in its entirety from a Wordsworth poem, “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird.”
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Sejanus Plinth
A student born in District 2 who grew up in the Capitol, and who also serves as a mentor in the Hunger Games. Sejanus is from an immensely wealthy family, and although he tries not to let it impede their friendship, Coriolanus is intensely jealous of his easy life. Sejanus and Coriolanus are dear friends, but they differ in more ways than they are similar. Sejanus is a highly principled person, who, unlike many people in the Capitol, sees the tributes that have been Reaped for the Hunger Games as more than just fodder for brutal entertainment. Sejanus sympathizes with the people of the Districts and often behaves erratically when he thinks the Gamemakers or the leaders of the Peacekeepers are being unfeeling or cruel. He’s an excellent liar, as Coriolanus discovers toward the end of the book.
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Dr. Volumnia Gaul
The head Gamemaker of the Hunger Games. Dr. Gaul is a brilliant scientist, but also an unprincipled eugenicist who will do anything to prevent what she sees as the spread of chaos in the world ruled by the Capitol. She specializes in creating genetic mutations in animals and people and often uses live subjects for her experiments. She manipulates those around her at every turn, orchestrating every aspect of her existence.
Dean Casca Highbottom
The irascible and unpleasant head of the Panem Academy, where he oversees the training of the future leaders of the nation. Although Coriolanus is just one of his students, Highbottom seems to focus a lot of his energy on making things difficult for him. It's later revealed that he had a serious falling out with Coriolanus's father, which sours his relationship with the younger Snow. He's the principal antagonist of the novel, getting in Coriolanus's way wherever he can.
Tigris
Coriolanus's cousin, who later plays a significant role in the original Hunger Games trilogy. Tigris is a sweet, family-oriented girl who trained as a designer but struggles to make a living in the post-war economy of the Capitol. She adores her cousin Coriolanus and will do anything to protect his reputation and help him in his mission to restore their family name. She's also not afraid to tell him when she thinks he's behaving poorly, which almost nobody else in his life will do (apart from Lucy, the Grandma’am, and occasionally his professors).
Billy Teal
A past lover of Lucy Gray Baird from the Covey Group in District 12. He is handsome and headstrong but appears to have a drinking and philandering problem. He and Lucy split up because he made a bet that he could “have” her and Mayfair Flipp, the mayor's daughter, at the same time. When Lucy returns to District 12, he attempts to woo her again, but she rebuffs him for Coriolanus.
Maude Ivory Baird
Lucy Gray Baird’s younger sister, a loving and excitable girl and a member of the Covey who helps out at her sister’s performances.
Clemensia Dovecote
A student and tribute mentor from the Academy. Clemensia and Coriolanus often clash, but they've been friends for a very long time. Clemensia is smart, driven, stubborn, and unafraid to push boundaries to achieve what she wants. She mentors Reaper, the runner-up tribute of the Hunger Games in this novel, and has an unfortunate run-in with some venomous snakes in Dr. Gaul’s lab.
Lucky Flickerman
The host of the Hunger Games, and an amateur magician. Lucky has an appetite for violence and encourages Dr. Gaul to make the Games more ‘interesting’ for viewers.
The Grandma’am
Tigris and Coriolanus’s elderly and imperious grandmother sings the Panem national anthem as an act of patriotism every day in their fading apartment.
Ma/Mrs. Plinth
Sejanus’s warm and loving mother. She bakes wonderful pastries and makes meals for Coriolanus and Sejanus, and she has a collection of memorabilia from her home in District 2.
Lysistrata Vickers
Another student and mentor from the Academy. Lysistrata is small but tough. She mentors Jessup, the other tribute from District 12.
Jessup
A male tribute from District 12. He and his mentor Lysistrata build a close relationship. He catches rabies from a rodent bite and becomes symptomatic in the Arena.
Arachne Crane
An Academy student and mentor who cruelly taunts her tribute Brandy and is promptly murdered with her own knife for doing so.
Strabo Plinth
Sejanus’s father. He is wealthy, withdrawn, and suspicious of Sejanus’s friends, though he eventually warms to Coriolanus.
Junius/ “Beanpole”
A recruit at the Peacekeeper Barracks
Smiley
A recruit at the Peacekeeper Barracks
Bug
A recruit at the Peacekeeper Barracks
Satyria Click
The Academy’s communications professor.
Crispus Demigloss
The Academy’s history professor.
Barb Azure Baird
Lucy Gray Baird’s older sister and a member of the Covey, who plays bass in their band.
Tam Amber
A member of the Covey band, who plays the mandolin.
Clerk Carmine Cade
A member of the Covey band, who plays the fiddle.
Brandy
A female tribute from District 10 who murders Arachne Crane with her own knife.
Mizzen
A male tribute from District 4 who briefly teams up with Coral and Tanner.
Coral
A female tribute from District 4. She kills Lamina, and then abruptly kills Tanner with the same bloodied trident.
Bobbin
A male tribute from District 8. He tries to murder Coriolanus when he’s briefly in the arena looking for Sejanus. Coriolanus beats him to death.
Teslee
A female tribute from District 3. She is able to rebuild and reprogram a drone so that it forces others to attack and kill another tribute.
Lamina
A female tribute from District 7.
Fabricia Whatnot
Tigris’s employer in the fashion business.
Hippocrata Lunt
The Academy’s guidance counselor.
Lepidus Malmsey
A news reporter from the Capitol.
Sol
A female tribute from District 6
Treech
A male tribute from District 7.
President Ravinstill
The president of Panem, a stone-faced and dour leader.
Janus Heavensbee
An Academy student and mentor.
Commander Hoff
The overseer of the Peacekeeper training program.
Dr. Kay
A Capitol geneticist who works with jabberjays.
Cookie
The chef at the Peacekeeper Barracks.
Livia Cardew, Palmyra Monty, Io Jasper, Urban Canville, Persephone Price, Festus Creed, Dennis Fling, Iphigenia Moss, Apollo Ring, Diana Ring, Vipsania Sickle, Pliny Harrington, Juno Phipps, Hilarius Heavensbee, Gaius Breen, Androcles Anderson, and Domitia Whimsiwick
Academy students and mentors.
Velvereen
A female tribute from District 1.
Sabyn
A female tribute from District 2.
Circ
A male tribute from District 3.
Hy
A male tribute from District 5.
Ginnee
A female tribute from District 6.
Wovey
A female tribute from District 8.
Panlo
A male tribute, from District 9.
Sheaf
A female tribute from District 9.
