Summary

• Finnick's death scene in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is one of the most emotional and controversial moments in the franchise.
• Finnick's death was essential to the narrative, as it upped the stakes of the plot and dealt with the harsh realities of war.
• Finnick's death added thematic depth to the story by highlighting the unfairness of life and war, and the manipulation and targeting of even those favored by the Capitol.

Finnick Odair was a popular Hunger Games character, and the Finnick death scene in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 is one of the franchise's most shocking moments — however, despite the controversy, there are a few reasons Finnick had to die. Finnick, played by Sam Claflin in the films based on Suzanne Collins's YA trilogy, starts as an arrogant former Hunger Games champion from District 4 but develops into an endearing character motivated by his love for Annie Cresta (Stef Dawson) and his hatred for the oppressive Capitol. There are plenty of deaths in the Hunger Games series, but Finnick’s death is often considered one of the saddest.

Finnick Odair is introduced in Hunger Games: Catching Fire as the winner of the Hunger Games ten years before Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) made their stand in the arena. He’s charming and, at first Katniss believes, cocky. Finnick is one of the victors who perfected playing a part both inside and outside the arena, and his ability to charm the audience while perplexing Katniss quickly made him a regular favorite among of the Hunger Games fandom. Thanks to that, Finnick's death scene ended up being one of the most emotional — and controversial — moments in all the Hunger Games movies.

How Finnick’s Death Happens In The Hunger Games Books

The Finnick Death Scene Is Much More Gruesome In The Novel

The Finnick death scene is a little different in The Hunger Games novels. In the book version of Mockingjay, Finnick is still killed on a mission. There are, however, some differences in the details. In the book, a lizard-like "muttation," a modified animal created by the Capitol, decapitates him. However, Mockingjay – Part 2 differs from the book by making Finnick's death scene less graphic. It happens while a team of rebels, including Katniss and Finnick, travel through the sewers on the way to the Capitol to assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland).

While inside the sewers, they are ambushed by a group of muttations sent by Snow to kill the rebels. Finnick manages to kill multiple mutts and attempts to escape with the rest of the group, but one mutt drags him back down into the water. The remaining mutts end up overwhelming him and devouring him, with his suffering only cut short by Katniss using her Holo's self-destruct to grant Finnick a quick death.

Finnick’s Death Was Essential To The Hunger Games Narrative

The Story Would Be Less Impactful If Finnick Lived

From a storytelling perspective, it is clear why Finnick was killed. Mockingjay is the final installment of the original series — not including the Hunger Games prequel, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — and when there’s an epic finale like this one, there’s bound to be some casualties. The story also deals with the harsh realities of war, which include people dying on the battlefield. The films, trying to be as faithful to the source material as possible, naturally had to include Finnick's death as well.

In this sense, Finnick is the perfect candidate for upping the stakes of the plot via his death, as his hope for a future with his partner Annie made his demise seem even more untimely. However, it can be argued that Finnick’s death wasn’t needed, as he didn’t have to stay in the sewers fighting off the mutts while everyone else climbed up the ladder to safety. If Katniss and Peeta got their happy ending after the trauma inflicted by the Capitol, then Finnick deserved the same with Annie and his future child. Sadly, characters don’t always have happy endings, especially in a dystopia like The Hunger Games.

If Katniss and Peeta got their happy ending after the trauma inflicted by the Capitol, then Finnick deserved the same with Annie and his future child.

Finnick Odair’s Death Added Thematic Depth To The Hunger Games

Finnick Dying Made The Story Deeper

There are also thematic reasons for Finnick’s death at the specific moment it came in Mockingjay — Part 2 . Finnick Odair’s death represents the unfairness of life and war. Even though Finnick was a favorite of the Capitol, he still ended up being tortured and killed by them. The evil of President Snow is made clear by his manipulation and targeting of even those he favors. It’s unfair that Finnick was so close to escaping — and being able to live in the future he fought so hard for — with his family - only to be dragged back down and killed.

Finnick’s death also affects Katniss. Watching Finnick die, and later, witnessing Prim (Willow Shields) killed in a bombing that Gale (Liam Hemsworth) helped plan, serves to break Katniss emotionally. It was another example of the Capitol eliminating someone she cares for, and a stark reminder of the cost of war. Finnick’s death gave even more weight to Katniss’s mission to kill Snow, since he was directly responsible for the death of one of her friends. This makes it all the more poignant when Katniss chooses to kill President Coin (Julianne Moore) instead of getting to personally kill Snow herself.

Before His Death, Finnick Carried Mockingjay

The Reason's Why Finnick Died Don't Make His Death Easier

In the first two Hunger Games movies, Katniss is thrust into the arena and the spotlight in a way she doesn’t fully anticipate. She becomes the face of a rebellion when all she’s been trying to do is survive. By the time the Mockingjay movies roll around, Katniss is the least experienced with resisting the Capitol’s machinations than her allies, and the story becomes less focused, which is why Finnick carries the story for much of the narrative, not Katniss, up until his death. Finnick’s history of quiet disobedience and his hope for a better future with Annie, make him the more compelling of the victors the audience spends time with.

Finnick being bought and sold to wealthy Capitol residents is also glossed over in the movie. If the narrative had shifted its point of view from Katniss to Finnick, the audience might have had a better idea of what was going on with the rebels. While Katniss is frequently out of the loop, just given instructions and expected to perform, Finnick is in on the rebel Mockingjay plans. His position within the Second Rebellion, his charming character, his reliance on hope to get him through the day, and his history with the Capitol all give his story more weight and place much of the Hunger Games later chapters on Finnick’s back.