The Hunger Games: Reaping by Chance or Rigged?

Hello, Fanaticals! Today we are going to take a look into the legitimacy of the Hunger Games. While there is really not a lot known about the earlier Games, despite Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes filling in a few holes, there is definitely reason to call into question the legitimacy of the Games overall. Were the Hunger Games Reaping done by chance or were they rigged?

While we know that they were started to "keep the Districts in line" after the first rebellion, and that quite obviously in between the 74th and 75th Games there was some unrest that the Capitol was absolutely tracking, you have to wonder if they only started tracking when there were clear signs of unrest in the Districts; if they were, then did they intentionally rig the Reapings to "get rid of" the children of the main trouble makers?

It should come as no surprise that there is a fan theory floating around out there that the 3rd Quarter Quell was completely rigged by Snow to attempt to get rid of at least one if not both of the District 12 Victors. The question is, did he have it rigged so that Haymitch's name came out, knowing that Peta would volunteer? Or was it just the fact that he was Reaping from the previous Victors?

No one can deny that Johanna's rage was very well warranted. Considering that the Victors of the Games are promised a long life of basically being "left alone" by the Capitol, never having to starve ever again, and having beautiful houses to live in before suddenly being told that they have to go back in? Speaking of ways that the 75th Games were rigged, there's a second theory floating around that while yes, the 75th was absolutely rigged to pull from the Victors, that it was not Snow alone acting in the rigging but also Plutarch Havensbee as well!

When you take a look at the Victors that were reaped or volunteered, most of them had some form of ties to the Rebellion. There's a reason that Haymitch asked Katniss and Peeta who they wanted as allies, to see who they saw as friends and who could potentially help them. While Katniss as brought up throughout the series as this kick-ass heroine who is the leader of the Rebellion because she dared to defy the Capitol in making sure that she and her District Mate BOTH got home, we also see the side of her that volunteered for her sister; the softer side that no one gets to see.

We see it when she chooses Mags, Beetee, Wiress, and the Morphlings from District 6 as the people she wants to ally with. She doesn't choose the fighters and warriors who can keep her safe, she chooses the ones that SHE could keep safe. Speaking of the Morphlings...

It has been pointed out to me that you can actually see the Reapings being rigged based on those who were Reaped. Not only is there the conundrum of District 12 and Haymitch being chosen, but looking at the other Victors, there are patterns as well.

District 1

This District is considered a "Career District" when it comes to their tributes, meaning they've probably got more than just a few names to Reap from. So HOW, out of all those names, did a brother/sister pair get picked? During their own games, which were BACK-TO-BACK by the way with the 63rd and 64th, they were most likely volunteers considering it is made clear that it is not unusual for Districts 1 and 2 to have volunteers most years; it was Katniss being in District 12 that made her volunteering such a shock.

So, this begs the question, was their Reaping rigged? Could it be due to Gloss and Cashmere's violent natures that Snow rigged it to bring them in hoping that they would take down Katniss? Maybe, maybe not... But you will find me hard pressed to believe that back-to-back Victors who are siblings were pulled by chance.

District 2

Brutus, who was clocked at around 40, volunteered to get back in the Arena yet again. While his original Games are unknown, you're still looking somewhere around the 51st Games time frame as he would have been about 16. Even then, he still could have competed before Haymitch, too; so late 40's-early 50's Games. He volunteered, but it's quite possible he had a very strong love for the Capitol and would have willingly taken Katniss out for Snow. Despite the fact that he DID offer up an alliance to Haymitch with Katniss after he saw her with her bow, it could have been that he sensed what was coming and was trying to figure out what side of the line he sat.

Enobaria was the Victor of the 62nd Games, and one of the few who lived after the bombing of the Arena and the Capitol both. She was one who agreed to throw the children of the Capitol into one final Games, which brings up the issue of why she volunteered again. It wouldn't be a surprise if it was due to having a moment of sanctioned killing as she clearly was blood thirsty; I mean, she had her teeth filed into fangs!

While this District had previous Victors who were ready and willing to volunteer, theirs may not have been rigged but motives are definitely questionable.

District 3

Wiress and Beetee both had their original Games along the same time as Brutus, somewhere in the 40-50 Games. While not much is known about their original Games, it is more than likely that if their Reapings were rigged that theirs would have been rigged by Plutarch and here's why: they were both obviously at one point brilliant. I say at one point because Wiress was a bit unhinged before the Games which is why no one wanted to ally with her, except Katniss.

Wiress was the one who figured out that the Arena was a clock, while it was Beetee who had the "idea" of blowing the Arena during the 12 o'clock segment at night. I say "idea" because I believe that at the very least Beetee was rigged to be Reaped so that he COULD blow the Arena at the right moment so District 13 could come and rescue all who they could. Not to mention, HE was the one that was able to hack into the Capitol's network from District 13.

I fully believe Wiress was most likely a Reap of chance, but Beetee was most likely a Rebellion plan.

District 4

Finnick, oh FINNICK! Who doesn't absolutely love this character. He won the Games immediately following Cashmere, taking the 65th Games for his own. He was also one of the youngest Victors at only 14, he was also mentored by Mags.

With Finnick, I guarantee you that his Reaping was rigged but the question is by which side. Finnick dealt in secrets, and he had a lot. Therefore, Plutarch could have rigged him into the Games so that he could help Katniss survive as he was a strong Tribute but then he could have a secondary job of letting out the information he knew to shake Snow up. However, there is also the possibility that Snow either found out or knew that while he was being sex trafficked, he asked for secrets and not money; Snow could have easily thought that he might have known something that could be damning to him and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Either way, Finnick's Reaping being rigged is something I can definitely see happening, it just depends on which side did it.

Now, as for our female Tribute... Annie was pulled, but after already having enough PTSD from the 70th Games where she became Victor, the oldest living Victor took her place immediately. Our beloved Mags, who I guarantee you knew that Finnick was madly in love with Annie. I have a feeling that she wasn't the only one. As Snow would threaten Finnick with harm to his loved ones if he didn't comply, it would not surprise me if he had discovered Finnick's feelings for Annie and had it rigged for her to be Reaped to attempt to keep Finnick in line.

Whether Snow could have imagined Mags volunteering in her place doesn't matter, because all he needed was the scare tactic to remind Finnick that no one was safe no matter what; and Reaping Annie, whether she competed again or not, would definitely do the trick. Remember, it was HER screams that the Jabberjay's let out... Snow was letting Finnick know that he knew.

District 6

While skipping District 5 due to absolutely no information on either Tribute, I bring up District 6 only because I feel like there is a possibility that they were another pair of siblings thrown into the Arena together. It is unknown which Games they won, but I feel it would be safe to say that the looks of them being older come with being addicted to the drug Morphling, and they probably were 60's or 70's Games Victors.

The reason I feel that they are siblings is partially due to the fact that it was known that both of them won their Games by camouflaging themselves and hiding until all the other Victors were dead; BOTH of them won their Games this way. They are both seen drawing on both Katniss and Peeta which indicates that they both have artistic abilities, which seems odd when you come from a District known for transportation. The artistry likely is something that runs in a family.

I don't know if I can judge whether they were Reaped by chance or rigged, but if they WERE Reaped due to rigging it would probably be to show that even the most vulnerable could be unprotected at any given moment; likely a dig at Katniss about Prim.

District 7

Johanna Mason... Such a fierce woman that it actually broke me when reading and then watching the shell of who she became after they rescued her from the Capitol alongside Peeta. Johanna's rage was honestly completely understandable, as she had only recently become a Victor four years before being Reaped a second time. Next to Katniss and Peeta, she was the youngest of the group. Based on what she tells Katniss in the Arena, if her Reaping was rigged, I would bet more on the side of the Rebellion doing it than Snow; it would give them a secondary if Katniss failed and Peeta was not around. Unless Snow used it as an opening to get rid of her as well, since we know she had no one left that she cared about.

While not much is known about Blight, it is possible that he was either rigged for the Rebellion, to have an older and possibly wiser agent from 7 or he was a Reap by chance.

District 8

While not much is known about Woof or Cecelia, I feel confident that HER Reaping was quite possibly rigged. It is stated that three children ran up to hug her after she was Reaped. Now, I'm not 100% sure if it is canon or fanon but I'm almost positive that it is canon that the children of previous Victors had been Reaped in the past. If we go based off of this being canon, that to me shows that more than just the 75th Games were rigged; because if a Victor did something Snow didn't like, and their children were suddenly Reaped that is a huge power flex and probably served as a good reminder to said Victor. That being said, it is quite possible that if Cecelia had any part, even a small one, with the Rebellion, this was Snow's chance to get rid of her instead of having to rig the Reaping to pull her children instead to send his message.

The only real thing known about Woof is that he is also quite a bit older, and while his Games are unspecified, he probably won not long after Mags.

Districts 9 & 10

While nothing is known much about these two, it could easily be said they were just Reapings of chance as the District 9 Victor Tributes were a bit older, and the duo from 10 were a bit on the younger side.

District 11

Fun fact for those who didn't know, but Chaff was drinking buddies with Haymitch. He actually knew about the plan to get Katniss in and out of the Arena and was a part of the Rebellion. Considering that he was clearly a secret active member, I feel like there is a huge possibility that he may have found out about the Quarter Quell requirements and volunteered or knew there was a possibility that his name would come out regardless. If any rigging of the Reapings took place, they were known and died with Caff I am sure.

It is unknown if Seeder was aware of the Rebellion overall, I feel there was a chance she may have also been a rigged Reap if she knew about it considering that after the chariot rides, she made it a point to find and hug Katniss and let her know that Rue and Thresh's families were safe after what happened during their stop in the District on their tour.

It feels pointless to reiterate my feelings on the Reaping of District 12, because we all know that one was rigged somehow. While it's obvious that not ALL Reapings are rigged, I feel that it seems clear some years that there are definitely some behind the scenes rigging going on. While it's obvious that the Capitol wouldn't strictly give immunity to the children of Victors, I do feel that Snow kept those tabs so that if a Victor did or said something he didn't like that he could make sure they went into the Arena and went home in a box.

The way Snow basically stalked Katniss and his "hints" to her made it very well known that he kept tabs on anyone he was uneasy about, and honestly probably on everyone when you consider that Johanna and Haymitch both lost everyone they ever cared about; although poor Haymitch lost someone he cared about and then fought to win instead of giving in right away.

What do you think? Was the 3rd Quarter Quell mostly rigged? Or were they truly all by chance, besides those who volunteered? Come swap thoughts with us in our community forums! Until tomorrow, Fanaticals, keep on theorizing!