THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY

 

Katniss Everdeen, her sister Prim, and her friends Finnick Odair and Gale Hawthorne all reluctantly adjust to a highly structured life in the underground District 13, which has been spearheading the rebellion in Panem. Katniss eventually agrees to act as "the Mockingjay"—a poster child for the rebellion—but only on the condition that District 13's President Alma Coin vows to grant immunity to all of the past Hunger Games tributes, including Katniss's friend Peeta Mellark and Finnick's lover Annie Cresta, and to reserve for Katniss the right to personally kill Panem's President Snow once he is captured.
District 13 hosts Finnick and Annie's wedding and a controversial strategy proposed by Gale wins a decisive victory at District 2, readying the rebels to launch a final campaign against the Capitol itself. Katniss and her propo team are deployed on a trivial assignment to the Capitol, joined by Peeta. While filming in a purportedly safe Capitol neighborhood, the team's commander, Boggs, is killed. Consequently, during intense urban warfare that involves Hunger Games-like monsters, Katniss' team mates, including Finnick, are killed. Katniss presses on alone towards President Snow's mansion. As Katniss reaches the mansion, a hover plane drops parachutes that explode. The rebels (including Katniss' sister Prim) come to help the injured children but more parachutes explode. Prim is killed and Katniss sustains burns.
During her recuperation, Katniss becomes deeply depressed over her sister's death. Katniss confronts President Snow. Now ready for his execution, Snow claims that Coin orchestrated Prim's death, persuasively arguing that the hoverplane airstrike could have served him no purpose. Katniss realizes in horror that the hoverplane attack closely resembled Gale's bombing strategy at District 2. When Katniss confronts Gale about his possible involvement, he merely expresses uncertainty. Katniss' suspicions grow into a conspiracy theory.
President Coin proposes an idea that leads to the majority of the surviving tributes (including Katniss but not Peeta) voting in favor of punishing the Capitol just as the Capitol punished the Districts: by holding a final Hunger Games that will target the children of the Capitol's leaders. Before Coin can organize this event though, the day of Snow's execution arrives and Katniss is given the task of executing him. As she prepares to do so, Snow flashes her a smile. Katniss makes her decision, raising her bow and shooting Coin instead, killing her. Katniss immediately attempts suicide, but Peeta stops her and she is arrested during the ensuing riot. After the riot, Snow is mysteriously found dead. Katniss is ultimately acquitted of Coin's murder by reason of insanity, and she is relocated to the ruins of her home in District 12. Months later, having recovered from his hijacking, Peeta and some other District 12 natives also return there. Gale settles in District 2. Katniss embraces her love for Peeta, recognizing her need for his hope and strength, in contrast to Gale who has the same fire she already finds in herself. Together, they write a book filled with the stories of previous tributes of the Hunger Games in order to preserve the memory of those who died.
In the epilogue set 20 years later, Katniss and Peeta are now married and have two children. The Hunger Games are over for good, but Peeta still suffers trauma from his "hijacking" and Katniss dreads the day her children learn about their parents' involvement in both the Games and the war. When she feels distressed, Katniss plays a comforting but repetitive "game": reminding herself of every good thing she has ever seen someone do. The series ends with Katniss' somber reflection that "there are much worse games to play."