Wiress in The Hunger Games: Her Backstory, Victory in the 49th Games, and Role in Sunrise on the Reaping
Wiress first appears in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but she also plays an important role in the original movie series’ upcoming prequel Sunrise on the Reaping. Here’s what you have to know about the character whose Hunger Games win might deserve its own spinoff.
The Hunger Games ’ next prequel titled Sunrise on the Reaping is about to reintroduce some of the most compelling characters who didn’t get that much screen time in the original trilogy.
With its events unfolding circa the 50th Hunger Games, the spinoff will follow Haymitch Abernathy’s journey to the Capitol as he prepares to compete in the games and encounter some of the Gamemakers.
This list also includes Wiress, a District 3 tribute who won the Hunger Games just one year before Haymitch and comes on board for the next ones as an advisor, eventually contributing to Haymitch’s victory.
However, her role in the story deserves a way bigger recognition thanks to some details revealed in Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping — here’s why.
Who Is Wiress in The Hunger Games and Sunrise on the Reaping?
Wiress is initially introduced to Haymitch not long before the 50th Hunger Games, with the character joining the prep team as the tribute who won the 49th Hunger Games.
Not being able to help with anything else, Wiress gives Haymitch an advice he memorises and follows later on, which suggests the first thing he has to do in the arena is to avoid the slaughter at the Cornucopia which is usually what every Hunger Games starts with.
It goes further, saying that he then has to find some weapons and look for water, later focusing on getting food, a place to sleep and possible allies if that option is considered.
Wiress’ advice eventually serves well for Haymitch who escapes the Cornucopia, where around 20 tributes are killed, and then hides in the forest, quickly figuring out how exactly the arena functions.
How Did Wiress Win the 49th Hunger Games?
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Wiress’ story is probably what can become the next thing for Suzanne Collins to explore in another potential prequel novel.
Sunrise on the Reaping delves into the matter, revealing that Wiress had to participate in an arena which, according to Haymitch, was “full of shiny surfaces”.
While the Gamemakers were looking forward to seeing the tributes disoriented by thousands of reflective surfaces, Wiress figured how things could work out and found a blind spot where even the Capitol audiences and sponsors couldn’t see her.
On top of that, she didn’t even have to fight with the second surviving tribute, prompting him to believe the fake visions of her, which eventually made the boy smash his head into the arena mirrors and drown.
Years later, Wiress once again proves her shrewdness when she’s the one to uncover the mystery behind the clock arena in the third Quarter Quell where she teams up with Katniss and Peeta.
