If you weren’t waiting outside game retailers for the Xbox One this past weekend or watching “The Day of the Doctor”, you were probably at the theater watching Catching Fire. I knew I had to make this week’s crush The Hunger Games related. There are so many good characters in The Hunger Games. We all love Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, yet none of these three quite got to me like Finnick did. (Spoilers for the whole series ahead!)
The Stats:
Full Name: Finnick Odair
Age: 24
Occupation: District 4 Champion, Mentor
Who is He?
We are first introduced to Finnick in book two of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. He is a participant of the Quarter Quell. Who can forget that scene with the sugar cube? He is the champion of District 4. He was also mentor for other District 4 tributes. He is portrayed by Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman) in Catching Fire and the Mockingjay films.
Hunger Facts:
- Finnick’s weapon of choice is a trident.
- Finnick was 14 when he won the 65th Hunger Games.
- Finnick’s fighting style is based on a type of Roman Gladiatorial fighting, retarius. It involves using a net to trip up your enemy then stabbing them with a trident.
- The name Finnick is a mixture of old Scottish words meaning marshland and dwelling place.
- Poor Finnick was pimped out by the Capitol bigwigs.
Why So Crushworthy?
Finnick is like a cake with many layers. He is very good looking on the outside. His good looks will make you glance twice when you see him. He is not shy about displaying his handsome physique either. He would probably be someone I would stare and blush at in public. Goodness knows Sam Claflin makes a dashing Finnick. Finnick doesn’t act shy. He is the cake centered in the window display of the bakery. However, under the cake is many layers. And this is what is really appealing about Finnick Odair.
Finnick is not all he seems. Sure, he is cocky and flirty on the outset in the books. It makes a nice change from Katniss’s doom and gloom and Peeta’s lovelorn attitude. He’s actually a good time guy in a dark place. Yet, as we get to know Finnick he keeps showing us new depths to his character. What really got me was his love and devotion to Annie. Despite being pimped out to rich people and flirting with everyone, he loved her with wavering devotion. She was also mentally ill and he stood by her through it all. He even married her. I was happy to find out Annie was pregnant with his child at the end. Finnick Odair really proved he was a nice guy. Finnick was also a great person to his friends. I know he acted like a charisma man with Katniss for a while but he stuck by her on the island. He carried Mags on his back to try to get her away from danger on the island. He didn’t have to. Finnick was always doing nice things for people. He acted selfish but he was entirely selfless. I was really sad when Finnick did not get the ending he deserved. Maybe Suzanne Collins was having a George R. R. Martin moment. I’ve had a few character deaths in books that had me throwing the book down. Finnick’s was one of them. However, Finnick will live on as a favorite literary crush of mine.
