Summary

• Prim's vulnerable nature and lack of survival skills would have made her an easy target in the Hunger Games.
• Peeta's caring personality would have likely led him to protect Prim, but his skills may not have been enough to keep her safe.
• Prim forming an alliance with Rue could have kept them both alive longer, but it's unlikely Prim would have won the Games.

Although The Hunger Games starts off with a bang when Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute to save her sister Prim from the 74th Hunger Games, this decision leaves a major question behind: what would have happened to Prim if she had entered the Hunger Games? In many ways, The Hunger Games movies do not even entertain this question. Katniss sacrifices herself for Prim within seconds of her name being called, and the rest of the story follows Katniss closely through two Hunger Games and the revolution against the Capitol. However, following Prim's interrupted fate brings up many interesting theories.

In The Hunger Games, Primrose Everdeen is Katniss' 12-year-old sister. Not only is Prim vulnerable because of her age, but because of her personality. Prim is incredibly kind and open-hearted. She has a liking for animals, and has taken on her mother's skill for healing. In this way, Prim is not well-suited to the Hunger Games, which require inciting and surviving violence. That explains why Katniss, who is emotionally hardened and talented at hunting, is in a much better position to take Prim's place. However, if Katniss was not around, Prim would inevitably be forced to become a tribute.

Prim Would Not Have Been As Big Of A Target As Katniss In The Hunger Games

One benefit of Prim entering the Hunger Games rather than Katniss is that Prim would not have been the major threat that Katniss eventually became. Although tributes from District 12 were often overlooked by their fellow competitors, Katniss quickly earned a target on her back after Cinna's designs made her the "Girl on Fire," and after receiving the highest score during her evaluation with the Hunger Games' Gamemakers. Prim's shy demeanor likely wouldn't have had the same effect on fashion-wise, and furthermore, she likely did not have skills that would allow her to receive a notable score.

While the other tributes certainly had their eye on Katniss, so did the audiences watching from the Capitol and the Districts, and their attention in the form of gifts was life-saving. This was only amplified when Katniss and Peeta played up their romance. Undoubtedly, Prim would not have benefited from this. Once again, Prim's meek appearance and soft personality would have made audiences believe her to be an easy target, and she would not be able to enter a romance that made people root for her. All in all, Prim would be judged her looks, and therefore, immediately ignored.

Prim Everdeen was played by Willow Shields in The Hunger Games movies.

Peeta Might Have Become Prim's Protector

Prim also could benefit from having Peeta as her protector during the Hunger Games. Regardless of whether Katniss exists during Prim's hypothetical Hunger Games, Peeta's caring personality means that he would likely do everything in his power to protect Prim. Her age and their shared District 12 connection would make this inevitable. So, from the start of the Games, Peeta would probably be kind to Prim and form an alliance with her. He could teach her his skills in camouflage, and if Prim made it far, she could use her own healing skills to help him with his injuries.

Unfortunately though, Peeta likely would not be enough to keep Prim completely protected during the Games. Notably, Peeta needed quite a lot of help from Katniss to survive the Hunger Games. When he was nearly dead, Katniss dragged him out of the mud, cleaned him up, tended to his wounds, and played up their romance to earn them food. Later, Peeta's lack of stealth put them at risk of attack. In this way, Peeta's skills would only do so much for Prim, and without Katniss' hunting experience, both Peeta and Prim would be in a very dangerous position.

Prim & Rue Could Have Formed An Alliance

Both Rue and Prim are especially young, small, and easily underestimated.

If Prim had entered the Hunger Games, there is one alliance that she undoubtedly would have made. Just like Katniss, Prim would likely have connected with Rue during the Games and formed an alliance. In many ways, Prim and Rue are better suited to each other than Rue and Katniss. Both Rue and Prim are especially young, small, and easily underestimated. However, their dynamic would have been quite different than Rue and Katniss because Rue would have all the skills, whereas Prim would have little to bring to their alliance. Regardless, this still would help Prim immensely during the games.

Notably, a Prim and Rue alliance may have also kept Rue alive for longer. Rue is killed during The Hunger Games after she teams up with Katniss and the two form a plan to take out the Careers. As Katniss returns from her part of the scheme, she finds that Rue is being attacked, and ultimately, she is too late to save her. This situation likely would not have happened if Rue and Prim were partners, and if it did, it probably would have been Prim getting killed, leaving Rue to avenge her death rather than Katniss avenging Rue's.

Prim Would Not Have Won The 74th Hunger Games - Who Would?

If Prim went to the Hunger Games rather than Katniss, there is very little chance that she would have won the Games.

From the start, Prim is at a severe disadvantage due to her lack of skills and her temperament. Even with allies like Peeta and Rue, Prim would not have enough skills to survive. If anything, she would have to take on the role of the protected, while others risked their own lives to keep her safe. Therefore, if Prim is out of the running to win the Hunger Games, that leaves countless other potential winners.

It seems most likely that the 74th Hunger Games would have been won by Cato, Clove, or Foxface. Notably, Cato and Clove both came from District 2, which made them some of the best fighters in the entire Games. In the original story, Clove was only killed by Thresh because she was taken by surprise, whereas Cato was the last tribute to die, killed by The Hunger Games' mutts after going against both Katniss and Peeta. Foxface is another strong contender due to her elusiveness. Without Katniss and Peeta's intervention, she might not have been poisoned by the nightlock berries.

Katniss Becoming The Mockingjay Could've Happened After Prim's Death

Although putting Prim into the Hunger Games changes the entire trajectory of The Hunger Games trilogy, there is still a chance the plot could get back on track. If Prim died in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss would likely still have yearned for revenge against the Capitol. During Catching Fire, the resistance was already building without Katniss' knowledge, and spurred by Prim's unnecessary death, she could have ed up with the rebels just as she did in the original story. Undoubtedly, the story would take different routes, but Prim entering the Hunger Games could still lead to the same conclusion.