We are all thinking of The Hunger Games today as Catching Fire hits DVD/Blu-ray, and not to take anything away from Peeta or Gale, but we feel if Katniss had been presented with one of these other literary bachelors (and/or bachelorettes) she may have chosen a different suitor.
There are always characters left behind when a story finishes. Those that don’t necessarily get a happy ever after or conclusive end like the hero, and leave us wanting to know what happens to them next. Well, when you can’t read what happens to them, you imagine it yourself! In that spirit, here are four people we believe may have been better suited for Ms. Everdeen had she lived in another world, or been able to jump in a literary TARDIS and leave the traditional rules of inter-literary-world traveling behind.
While we all know that Neville took up his post at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after he completed his studies and helped Harry rebuild the house in Godric’s Hollow (okay we might have imagined that last part), we can’t help but wonder what he may have thought if he had ever met the ferocious Katniss Everdeen.
The Girl on Fire would present a fierce challenge for him, as he has never taken to girls as intense and broken as Katniss, but we’re certain he would be up for it. Neville is patient, kind, and loyal, basically all the essential qualities to be a Gryffindor. Gryffindor House does not take in the faint of heart or weak minded, and dating Katniss Everdeen would definitely be a job for the bold.
While loyalty is a given, and bravery is necessary, the most important quality that Neville possesses in regards to dating Ms. Everdeen is patience. She needs someone that isn’t going to hurry her. Someone that will allow her to take her time and make her own decisions. Neville demonstrates enormous patience throughout the Harry Potter series, and we’re pretty sure Neville would find dating Katniss worth the effort.
We haven’t reached the end of Leo Valdez’ story, as we all anxiously bite our nails and rip out our hair in anticipation of The Blood of Olympus this fall, but at this point in his character’s tale we can’t help but feel that he and the young symbol of revolution would get along quite nicely. Age issues aside, Leo Valdez has just enough spunk to keep Katniss on her toes, but enough empathy to not be overbearing.
Leo Valdez would make a wonderful companion for Katniss, and the reason: Fire. Her moniker, the Girl on Fire, isn’t as much a literal meaning, but Leo Valdez exudes all the qualities that describe fire, and they make him a perfect match. Fire is impulsive, but slow burning. It lashes out, but remains constant. Leo Valdez has always been the quick to act type, but is a steadfast beacon of hope to whomever he allies himself. Katniss would be a very lucky girl to catch the eye of Leo Valdez, and we’re pretty sure she would; he wouldn’t let a girl like that pass him by.
The young Dauntless-born lad embodies one quality that any man worthy of Katniss Everdeen has in spades, courage. It’s the defining characteristic of the Dauntless faction in Divergent and it makes him a different kind of suitor for Katniss. Uriah is absolutely capable of whatever revolutionary activities that Katniss and he would find themselves wrapped up in, and we think she would definitely choose Dauntless to be her home if she found herself at the Choosing ceremony with a knife in her hand.
In addition to his trademark courage, Uriah is a gentle person, capable of giving Katniss the affection she desires, while also keeping her on her toes. Ms. Everdeen needs someone that is going to continue to challenge her and inspire her to strive for greatness, and we believe that Uriah Pedrad fits the bill.
When looking for potential suitors for Ms. Everdeen, one mustn’t look any further than a different District to find one. In Catching Fire, Katniss meets Johanna Mason, and is immediately taken aback by the woman’s audacity. Any woman that can strip down to nothing but her slippers and discuss paintings with Peeta has major hutzpah, a quality that Katniss is definitely looking for in a love interest.
They may not have hit it off at their first meeting, no love at first sight in the cards for these two, but they slowly begin to understand each other during the Quarter Quell, and continue that fresh understanding after Johanna is rescued from her torture at the Capitol. They continue to bond over their tough circumstances, and Katniss tries to comfort Johanna with pine needles to remind her of her home in District 7 when she cannot join the rebel forces invading the Capitol. We cannot help but think that if Katniss really considered it, Johanna may have been a better match for her than Peeta or Gale.