The Hunger Games movies cut one of Katniss' most important friendships from the Mockingjay book. Katniss Everdeen had several unexpected friendships throughout her time involved in the Capitol and District 13, and each represented something important in her story. Of course, the movies didn't have time to include all of them, so some had to be cut to make room for the war that took up The Hunger Games' central plot. However, by retconning her connections, the critical themes of Katniss' story—and the stories of those around her—were negatively affected.

At the start of the Hunger Games series, Katniss was not interested in forging connections with anyone outside her or Gale's families. This didn't end when she was reaped to enter the Games. She saw everyone, even Peeta, as an opponent who wanted her dead. Of course, this was precisely how the Capitol wanted her to think, but Katniss' empathy got in the way. She formed alliances—first with Rue, then Peeta—and learned to think outside her own survival. This continued into the Quarter Quell when she met several other tributes and had to learn who the real enemy was.

Katniss and Johanna Mason Became Allies In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Book

When Katniss first met Johanna Mason, she was immediately distrustful. She had already been reluctant to ally herself with Finnick Odair, but it was clear that Haymitch was pushing her to form connections. Therefore, in Katniss' eyes, becoming friends with Johanna was taking things several steps too far. To make matters worse, the District 7 tribute was just as distrustful of Katniss—and seemed to hate her even more. In the Hunger Games movies, this really never changed. Once they were both in District 13 in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, they mostly tolerated each other.

However, this was very different in the Hunger Games books. Katniss and Johanna's relationship started as contentious as it had been in the films, but they slowly began to understand one another. Then, in a plot line entirely cut from the movies, the duo set their sights on a common goal—they wanted to District 13's military training so they would be permitted to travel to the Capitol and be part of the team to kill President Coin. They exercised, ran training drills together, and even encouraged each other. Overall, they heartwarmingly became close friends.

Why Katniss & Johanna's Friendship Was Important To The Hunger Games

Each of Katniss' friendships in The Hunger Games meant something important to the themes of her story. In the case of Johanna, they each hated each other because that was what the Capitol had taught them to do. They were from competing Districts, and the idea of the Games was to keep the lesser citizens of Panem distrustful of one another and unwilling to form alliances (or raise arms in war). This was why when Katniss entered the arena for the second time during the Quarter Quell, Haymitch told her to who the real enemy was—the Capitol.

Johanna may have been one of the Hunger Games victors who knew about the rebel escape plan in Catching Fire, but she was just as brainwashed as Katniss to hate anyone who wasn't her own. However, after they escaped President Snow's grip, they realized they had far more in common than they had known. It was a beautiful and touching friendship and another that Katniss would carry with her through the more challenging days of her future. However, it was, unfortunately, one that Hunger Games movie audiences missed out on.