Why Katniss Everdeen Is an Unreliable Narrator

So, I was rewatching The Hunger Games movies the other night, and something hit me: Katniss Everdeen might be one of the most unreliable narrators of all time. Hear me out.

We all know Katniss as this humble, gritty survivor who’s just trying to save her family and not die. She’s tough, sure, but she constantly downplays herself. Like, in her head, she’s just a girl who can shoot a bow and scrape by in the arena. But the way everyone else reacts to her tells a completely different story.

Think about it: the Capitol fears her because she’s a symbol of rebellion. That makes sense. But even the people close to her are actually terrified. Peeta and Gale? Yeah, they love her, but there’s also this underlying vibe of awe and maybe even intimidation. She’s unpredictable, insanely skilled, and will do whatever it takes to protect the people she cares about. Rue trusted her, sure, but Rue also idolized her like she was some untouchable hero. Even Johanna Mason, who doesn’t trust anyone, sees Katniss as someone you don’t mess with.

And then there’s her Mockingjay symbol. Katniss doesn’t think of herself as a leader, but she becomes this symbol of rebellion because people project their fears and hopes onto her. She’s not just good at surviving; she’s so good that it’s almost scary. But Katniss never sees herself this way. She thinks she’s just a pawn, a puppet of the rebellion, but in reality, she’s the whole game board. Everyone’s afraid of what she’s capable of—even President Snow! And Snow doesn’t mess around with people he doesn’t see as a threat.

I think what makes Katniss unreliable is that she’s so deeply in her own head, she doesn’t realize the full impact she has on everyone else. She’s too busy surviving and trying to figure out her own mess to notice that she’s this larger-than-life force. And, honestly, that’s what makes her so fascinating. She’s not a perfect hero. She’s messy and complicated and also kind of oblivious. But that’s why she is so loved by viewers.

If you ever reread the books or watch the movies again, pay attention to how people react to Katniss. It’s like she’s walking around with a "handle with caution" sign, and she doesn’t even know it. And maybe that’s why she’s so relatable. Because, deep down, we all kind of underestimate ourselves, too.

What do you guys think? Am I way off, or does Katniss give off "underestimated powerhouse" vibes? Let me know!

With love and good health,

Teagirlmed ⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆