Set six decades before the events of the original The Hunger Games franchise, we've come to hear more familiar surnames mentoring in the Academy in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
One of those that stood out was Hilarius Heavensbee. So, who is Hilarius Heavensbee in the Hunger Games franchise, exactly?
Who is Hilarius Heavensbee in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
Hilarius Heavensbee, at first glance at his name, might have already been a laughingstock had it not for his filthy rich family of the Heavensbees.
As you might be aware, he's tied to that of Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), also known as the Head Gamemaker after Seneca Crane got executed in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
The role of Hilarius Heavensbee in Hunger Games is more crucial than you think.
Many fans have claimed that Hilarius Heavensbee in The Hunger Games might even be the grandfather or uncle of Plutarch Heavensbee. But apart from his relations with Plutarch, who is Hilarious Heavensbee?
At most, he's one of the 24 top-performing seniors at the Academy, which gained him the upper hand in getting assigned as the mentor of the female tribute from District 8 named Wovey.
While his position at the Academy most certainly secures his name and the reputation of the Heavensbee family, he is portrayed to be a shallow person whose elitism derives from familial riches and their popularity in the Capitol.
Why Hilarius Heavensbee Despises Wovey
Notably, when he was assigned to District 8's Wovey, he wasn't at all happy about it. If anything, he was disappointed due to personal reasons.
As written in the book, Hilarius described Wovey as an "untrainable runt" who has zero personality, one he could never seem to work with on his own.
He was outspoken when it came to how much he belittles his mentee, all of which was useless to him since his ultimate goal is to impress his family: "I'm just hoping [Wovey] lasts until the final twelve so I can face my parents. They're embarrassed that a Heavensbee's making such a poor showing."
RELATED: The Hunger Games: Why Does Tigris Look Like a Tiger?
The Heavensbee Family Explained
While we did not get to see much of Hilarius Heavensbee in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the background of the Heavensbee family is quite evident in how Floriant Burgkart (Hilarius Heavensbee) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee) depicted their characters on the big screens.
Both characters were portrayed to be power-hungry despite being mere pawns in the Capitol. Hilarius held his family's opinion of him in high regard, but he didn't care about Wovey's safety in the Hunger Games as much.
All he cared about was getting the approval of his parents, which was why Hilarius was relieved Wovey at least finished in 8th place.
Plutarch, on the other hand, had higher stakes resting on his shoulders. He had not only gained the trust of President Snow, but he was able to deceive him by still being a part of the rebellion against the Capitol amidst his role as the Head Gamemaker.
Overall, this tells us how the members of the Heavensbee family would do anything for the sake of keeping their heads up high in Panem. Nothing else matters other than how they maneuver the game to their advantage.
If this were Game of Thrones, Hilarius Heavensbee would match Joffrey Lannister, while Plutarch Heavensbee is the Littlefinger who survives until the end.
READ NEXT: From Near-Siblings to Enemies: Why Does Tigris Hate Snow?
Interested in more Hunger Games news stories and updates? Check out more here on EpicStream.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!