Have you gone through life feeling shame that you’re not Team Peeta? Do your friends ostracize you because you love Gale? These 15 reasons why it’s okay to be Team Gale might be just what you needed.
Let’s face it: Following Mockingjay, it’s a little difficult to be 100% on board with Gale and all of his decisions. But despite what we know (or think we know), Gale isn’t a bad guy. And it’s perfectly fine to raise your Team Gale flag high in the air.
And we’re going to keep telling ourselves that.
If you can’t stand Gale (and, frankly, we wouldn’t blame you if that’s the case), you might want to check out now. Additionally, if you’re a spoilerphobe…go finish the series and then come back and read our article.
We’ll wait.
Ready? Then let’s get to it! We love Gale because…
…he can hunt.
And when you live in the Seam, a talent like this is worth its weight in gold. Or possibly squirrels.
…he’ll take all the Tesserae.
One of Gale’s greatest sacrifices was putting his name in for the Reaping time and time again to provide his family with food, and yet not allowing his siblings to do the same. It was a great risk considering he was the hunter of the family, but he just couldn’t stand the thought of having his brothers and sister go to the Reaping with a higher chance of being chosen than they already had.
…he makes Katniss smile.
And that, my friends, is no easy feat.
…he understands Katniss.
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Also not easy. Katniss keeps everyone at arm’s length, but Gale has always been able to read her like a book. He knows just what to say to her in times of need.
…he knows how to be the man of the house.
Gale provides for his family, and when Katniss was gone during the first Hunger Games, he took care of hers, too. In a world where you have to look out for you and your family first and foremost, this is something only a true friend would do.
…he could survive the Games.
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Gale is tough. Not only does he know how to hunt, but he’s also strong and smart enough to survive the Games. If he had been called for the 74th Annual Hunger Games, there’s a good chance he would have survived.
…he was never content with the system.
Katniss was always very focused on keeping her family alive, particularly her sister. Gale, on the other hand, saw the big picture. He knew what the Capitol was doing to the districts, and he had always felt a need to fight back. In the end, this made him an asset to the rebellion.
…he’s not one to give up.
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Gale took a big risk when he kissed Katniss. It could have ruined their friendship, but even worse, they could have been caught and punished. That very thing nearly happened to them, and Katniss had to fight to keep him alive. Gale knew the consequences from the beginning, but he just had to know if Katniss felt the same way he did.
…he also knows when to quit while he’s behind.
And, yes. Gale may or may not have done something unforgivable, but you do kind of have to give him credit for knowing Katniss enough to understand that all of his chances had gone up in smoke.
…he saved District 12. Sort of.
He may not have saved everyone from the District 12 bombing, but he was a major reason why around 800 people survived the Capitol’s attack. And he kept them alive in the forest until District 13 came to the rescue.
…he believes in freeing Panem over selfishly escaping.
At first he wants to escape, and Katniss is the voice of reason. Then when all Katniss wants to do is leave, Gale realizes that this is their chance — that Katniss has provided them with an opportunity to stick it to the Capitol. And he won’t leave before he gets the chance to do just that.
…he designs weapons against the Capitol.
We know this ends…rather poorly. And there are some moral questions that should be raised concerning the rebellion’s objectives. However, Gale’s intentions are about as pure as anyone else’s, and all he really wanted to do was end the Capitol’s reign of terror.
…he saves Prim that one time in the bunker.
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So, yeah. This ends up being kind of moot, but in Catching Fire Gale does indeed save Prim (and Buttercup) from certain death. That’s got to count for something, right? …Right?
…he volunteers to go save Peeta.
If that’s not taking one for the team, we don’t know what is.
…he’s willing to give his life for the rebellion.
And in the end, his belief in a better world and his determination to see that come to life is one of the best best qualities about Gale Hawthorne.