THE HUNGER GAMES WIKI
CORNUCOPIA BLOODBATH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Cornucopia bloodbath is an event that has always occurred at the very beginning of every Hunger Games since they began, as most of the tributes compete for valuable weapons, food, water and packs full of other valuable supplies that could be useful during the games. These supplies are spread in and around the Cornucopia.
Tributes seem to always die at the bloodbath. The Gamemakers, or the Capitol, probably set up the Cornucopia for optimal entertainment value and quick deaths at the beginning of the game to keep audiences interested. In the end, the Cornucopia is often taken over by a group of tributes who fought in the bloodbath (usually this is the pack of Career Tributes).
Location
The Cornucopia is usually located in the center of the arena and is where the Career Tributes normally set up camp during the majority of the games, as many tributes would attempt to return to scavenge what is left of the supplies there. The area around the Cornucopia varies between games, such as being surrounded by forests like in the 74th Hunger Games or surrounded by seawater like in the 75th Hunger Games.
Items
The value of an item depends on how close it is to the cornucopia. Items scattered in the outskirts are usually less valuable. Items in the heart of the Cornucopia are the most valuable, usually being weapons. Weapons varies usually on the type of arena. For example, tridents might only appear in water based arenas. Sometimes the Capitol limits the weapons to a specific type. In an unknown Hunger Games, it is known that the Capitol made spiked maces the only weapon available, mainly for entertainment.
Tactics
There are a variety of ways tributes will approach the bloodbath, but these strategies depend on how the Cornucopia has been positioned.
Some tributes ignore the Cornucopia completely and try to put as much distance as they can between themselves and the tributes with weapons from the Cornucopia. This means they will get little or no supplies at all and will have to rely on the arena and their skills or perhaps a rich sponsor to give them some. In the 74th Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark avoided the Cornucopia at first under Haymitch's orders, but later joined the Career Tributes and had access to their supplies until he betrayed them.
Other tributes, including Katniss Everdeen, grab what they can from the outskirts of the Cornucopia and flee before things get too dangerous. This means they still get supplies, but are not very valuable and have little or no weapons. Other tributes, mostly the Careers, dash for supplies as an opportunity to kill as many as possible while they are all together.
This means they will get the most weapons and supplies, but they also run the highest risk of getting killed or badly injured. Some tributes are agile and can reach the inside of the Cornucopia to swiftly gather supplies and leave or stay, like Thresh.
Deaths
While any number of tributes can die in the bloodbath, an average of about 8-12 tributes are killed. In the first Hunger Games, it is assumed none of tributes were killed in the bloodbath since the Games were an extremely new idea. That said, the most tributes known to die in a bloodbath was 18; which occurred during the 50th Hunger Games.
Pre-Games
74th Hunger Games
In the novel and film, Katniss Everdeen is taken to a launch station, where her stylist, Cinna, is waiting. He puts on her arena jacket and gives her the Mockingjay pin for good luck. The timer gives them 60 seconds to say their goodbyes. After kissing her, Katniss walks inside the elevator tube, and it closes, beginning to lift her up into the arena. Cinna nods to her as she is ascended into the arena.
In the film, as she ascends, light blinds her view for a few moments. When she could finally see clearly, she looks toward the silver horn-shaped Cornucopia and its supplies. Before the 50 seconds prior to the game's commence counted down, she turns her head to see the other tributes beside her.
At 10 seconds, she spots a bow and quiver of arrows, but is distracted by Peeta Mellark, her district partner, who notices her idea and gestures with his head a no, before facing the Cornucopia again. Loud horns signal the games.
75th Hunger Games
In the novel, Katniss describes the scene as quick and similar to the 74th Hunger Games. But when she walks into the tube and is elevated into the arena, peacekeepers come in and beat up Cinna. Katniss cries and screams, as he is dragged away unconscious, leaving a trail of blood.
In the film, the scene is similar, but when she is ascending, she crouches down to try and stop the elevator to save Cinna as he is dragged away, without leaving a blood trail. Once again light blinds her view, before she could see the Cornucopia, which is surrounded by seawater this time.
The countdown begins at 10. Katniss looks to her sides to see career tributes beside her. She tries to find Peeta but presumes he was behind the Cornucopia. Katniss shows a vengeful expression after seeing Cinna get killed and when the games begin with a gunshot, she determinedly dives into the water.
Cornucopia bloodbaths
50th Hunger Games
In the 50th Hunger Games, 18 people were killed in the opening bloodbath, most of them likely by the Careers. However, the arena was so beautiful, the tributes were awed at first sight. Haymitch Abernathy, the victor from District 12, managed to get supplies before the bloodbath began, being the only one not stunned by the beauty of the arena.
74th Hunger Games
In the novel version of the 74th Hunger Games, eleven people were killed in the opening bloodbath. In the film version of the 74th Hunger Games, twelve people were killed instead as the District 4 tributes were not considered Careers and the District 4 female was killed off.
In the novel, Katniss grapples with the District 9 male over an orange backpack, until the boy begins coughing blood in her face and finally falls onto the ground dead with a knife protruding out of his back. Katniss looks to see the District 2 female, Clove, with a knife in her hands, indicating she had done the deed. Clove throws a knife right toward Katniss's head, almost killing her. However, Katniss shields herself with her backpack, gaining herself a knife, before running off into the forests.
In the film, including the behind the scenes, Katniss and the other tributes are risen to their podiums. The timer counts down from 60. The tributes look around at the forest arena and take their positions. Most are aimed towards the Cornucopia, including Katniss, who is focused on a bow in the center of the Cornucopia, but Peeta distracts her by shaking his head. The playing of music signals that the Games have begun and the tributes run off their podiums.
Peeta and Rue run straight towards the forest. Katniss circles the pedestals in an attempt to run towards Peeta, passing by Foxface who runs into the forest the other way, but he runs swiftly into the forest surrounding them, forcing her to stop and watch the bloodbath unfold. Thresh is the first one at the Cornucopia, with the District 4 male close behind. They both run to the back of the Cornucopia; Thresh gathers supplies and the District 4 male hides. Cato punches the District 6 male and then beats him up.
The District 8 male attempts to punch Marvel but he blocks, trips, and slashes him with a knife. Marvel then gets on top of the District 8 male and stabs him multiple times. The District 6 male sees this and runs. The District 10 male runs, but is cleaved by Cato. The District 3 male pushes the District 7 female and steals her throwing axe. The District 3 male gets into a fight with Marvel over the axe.
When he refused to let go, Marvel smacks him with his backpack, winning the axe. The District 6 male and the District 10 male fight on the floor for a backpack. Marvel swings his axe at the District 10 male but he dodges, however when it comes back around it smacks the District 10 male in the face, knocking him to the ground. The District 3 male and the District 7 female fight for a spear.
The District 3 female grabs a black backpack and runs, but the District 5 male grabs her and pulls her back into the bloodbath. The District 5 male trips and falls, allowing the District 3 female to escape. The District 6 female takes a sword and tries to attack the District 4 female with it, but she is brutally beaten and pushed to the ground, causing her to let go of her sword.
The District 4 female grabs a sword and slashes the District 3 female's leg, while Clove looks through a pack and finds throwing knifes and a vest. The District 5 male grabs a sickle. The District 3 female gets up and the District 5 male slashes her with his sickle and steals her bag, leaving her to bleed to death.
The District 6 female tries to steal the District 10 male's bag, but Glimmer comes from behind and pulls her hair, taking the bag with her. While still pulling the District 6 female's hair, Glimmer shoves her into a crate and then shoves her to the ground. Glimmer tries to steal the bag from her but the District 6 female doesn't let go of it. Glimmer picks up a knife, stabs her to death, steals the bag, and runs off.
The District 7 female sees this and ducks behind a crate to avoid conflict. The District 4 female confronts Cato. She swings a sword at Cato but he ducks. Cato smacks the sword out of her hands and smacks her with a baton. He then throws her over a crate. The District 7 male attacks the District 6 male, but the District 6 male punches him in face. As Katniss watches the District 4 female grab a red backpack and run, she spots an orange backpack and runs to it, passing Glimmer stabbing the District 6 female to death as Marvel watches and the District 6 male looking through a backpack frantically.
Glimmer grabs the District 6 female's yellow sleeping bag and runs straight into the District 10 male