The Hunger Games series has captivated readers and viewers alike with its powerful storytelling and unforgettable characters. Throughout the books and films, numerous quotes have left a lasting impact, capturing the essence of courage, survival, and rebellion. In this collection, we’ve gathered 44 of the most iconic Hunger Games quotes that continue to inspire and resonate with fans around the world. Whether you’re a longtime admirer or new to the series, these memorable lines offer a glimpse into the heart of Panem and its unforgettable characters.
1. “The question is, what are you going to do?" It turns out the question that's been eating away at me has only ever had one possible answer. But it took Peeta's ploy for me to recognize it. What am I going to do? I take a deep breath. My arms rise slightly - as if recalling the black-and-white wings Cinna gave me - then come to rest at my sides. "I'm going to be the Mockingjay.” - Suzanne Collins
2. “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.” - Suzanne Collins
3. “You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope.” - Suzanne Collins
4. “You’ve got about as much charm as a dead slug.” - Suzanne Collins
5. “All those months of taking it for granted that Peeta thought I was wonderful are over. Finally, he can see me for who I really am. Violent. Distrustful. Manipulative. Deadly. And I hate him for it.” - Suzanne Collins
6. “You've got to go through it to get to the end of it.” - Suzanne Collins
7. “What must it be like, I wonder, to live in a world where food appears at the press of a button? How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by? What do they do all day, these people in the Capitol, besides decorating their bodies and waiting around for a new shipment of tributes to rill in and die for their entertainment?” - Suzanne Collins
8. “Flight is essential, but I can't let my fear show.” - Suzanne Collins
9. “You love me. Real or not real?"I tell him, "Real.” - Suzanne Collins
10. “They'll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.” - Suzanne Collins
11. “We fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice.” - Suzanne Collins
12. “As we curve around into the loop of the City Circle, I can see that a couple of other stylists have tried to steal Cinna and Portia's idea of illuminating their tributes. The electric-light-studded outfits from District 3, where they make electronics, at least make sense. But what are the livestock keepers from Distric 10, who are dressed as cows, doing with flaming belts? Broiling themselves? Pathetic.” - Suzanne Collins
13. “Listen up. You're in trouble. Word is the Capitol's furious about you showing them up in the arena. The one thing they can't stand is being laughed at and they're the joke of Panem” - Suzanne Collins
14. “Here's some advice. Stay alive," says Haymitch, and then bursts out laughing. I exchange a look with Peeta before I remember that I'm having nothing more to do with him. I'm surprised to see the hardness in his eyes. He generally seems so mild. 'That's very funny,' says Peeta. Suddenly, he lashes out at the glass in Haymitch's hand. It shatters on the floor, sending the bloodred liquid running toward the back of the train. 'Only not to us.'Haymitch considers this a moment, then punches Peeta in the jaw, knocking him from his chair. When he turns back to reach for the spirits, I drive my knife into the table between his hand and the bottle, barely missing his fingers. I brace myself to deflect his hit, but it doesn't come. Instead, he sits back and squints at us.'Well, what's this?' says Haymitch. 'Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?” - Suzanne Collins
15. “I'm more than just a piece in their Games.” - Suzanne Collins
16. “Do it. Before they send those mutts back or something. I don't want to die like Cato," he says.“Then you shoot me," I say furiously, shoving the weapons back at him. "You shoot me and go home and live with it!" And as I say it, I know death right here, right now would be the easier of the two.” - Suzanne Collins
17. “I hear Peeta's voice in my head. She has no idea. The effect she can have.Obviously meant to demean me. Right? But a tiny part of me wonders if this was a compliment. That he meant I was appealing in some way. It's weird, how much he's noticed me. Like the attention he's paid to my hunting. And apparently, I have not been as oblivious to him as I imagined, either. The flour. The wrestling. I have kept track of the boy with the bread.” - Suzanne Collins
18. “In stark contrast to two nights ago, when I felt Peeta was a million miles away, I'm struck by his immediacy now. As we settle in, he pulls my head down to use his arm as a pillow; the other rests protectively over me even when he goes to sleep. No one has held me like this in such a long time. Since my father died and I stopped trusting my mother, no one else's arms have made me feel this safe.” - Suzanne Collins
19. “Okay, listen to me, you're stronger than they are. You are. They just want a good show, that's all they want. You know how to hunt. Show them how good you are.” - Suzanne Collins
20. “I don't think it's going to work out. Winning...won't help in any case. Because...she came here with me. - Peeta Mellark” - Suzanne Collins
21. “Don't. Don't let's pretend when there's no one around.” - Suzanne Collins
22. “I just...I just miss him. And I hate being so alone.” - Suzanne Collins
23. “In the end, the only person I truly want to comfort me is Haymitch, because he loves Peeta, too.” - Suzanne Collins
24. “We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear.” - Suzanne Collins
25. “And here I am, strapped into a tree, a stone's throw from the biggest idiot in the games.” - Suzanne Collins
26. “Not exactly. You see, Portia and I think that the coal miner thing's very overdone. No one will remember you in that. And we both see it has our job to make District 12 tributes unforgettable,' says Cinna. I'll be naked for sure, I think. 'So rather than focus on the coal mining itself, we're going to focus on the coal,' says Cinna. Naked and covered in black dust, i think. 'And what do we do with coal? We burn it,' says Cinna. 'You're not afraid of fire, are you, Katniss?' He sees my expression and grins.” - Suzanne Collins
27. “the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. Which says we do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong.” - Suzanne Collins
28. “They'll be granted immunity!" I feel myself rising from my chair, my voice full of resonant. "You will personally pledge this in front of the entire population of District Thirteen and the remainder of Twelve. Soon. Today. It will be recorded for future generations. You will hold yourself and your government responsible for their safety, or you'll find yourself another Mockingjay!” - Suzanne Collins
29. “Of course you are. The tributes were necessary to the Games, too. Until they weren't," I say. "And then we were very disposable - right, Plutarch?” - Suzanne Collins
30. “He looks down at his legs as if noticing his outfit for the first time. Then he whips off his hospital gown, leaving him in just his underwear. "Why? Do you find this" - he strikes a ridiculously provocative pose - "distracting?” - Suzanne Collins
31. “I lean over and put my good ear to his lips, which tickle me as he whispers. "Remember, we're madly in love, so it's all right to kiss me any time you like it.” - Suzanne Collins
32. “Come to finish me off, Sweetheart?” - Suzanne Collins
33. “I'm hard to catch. If they can't catch me they cant kill me. So don't count me out.” - Suzanne Collins
34. “Apparently our portmanteau is trending on Twitter." He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I didn't even know what a portmanteau was before Jukebox Hero. It's a mashup of our names, like Brangelina or Robsten. No idea what ours is -- what do our names make?" He considered this a for a moment before shaking his head. "It's probably awful," he decided. "Could be worse, though; I hear the portmanteau for the main characters in The Hunger Games is... well, their names are Peeta and Katniss. I'll let you guys figure that one out on your own.” - Andrea D. Smith
35. “She crept up on me.” - Suzanne Collins
36. “The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell…well she never kissed me like that…I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then…I guess it’s Katniss’ problem. Who to choose…Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can’t survive without.” - Suzanne Collins
37. “I'm so tired, Katniss.” - Suzanne Collins
38. “Crying is not an option.” - Suzanne Collins
39. “Smiling is mostly about smiling more.” - Suzanne Collins
40. “He could have had his choice of any woman in the district. And he chose solitude. Not solitude – that sounds too peaceful. More like solitary confinement.” - Suzanne Collins
41. “Each day i wake and think at last this nightmare is over. But it never is.” - Suzanne Collins
42. “The final days of training ends with our private sessions. (...) There's a lot of kidding about it at lunch. What we might do. Sing, dance, strip, tell jokes. Mags, who I can understand a little better now, decides she's just going to take a nap.” - Suzanne Collins
43. “A leather bag filled with food and a flask of hot tea.” - Suzanne Collins
44. “Five years later I still wake up screaming for him to run” - Suzanne Collins
