The Hunger Games book, Hunger Games book, District 12's Haymitch Abernathy is the winner of the Second Quarter Quell.

Even though Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 40 years after the franchise's first prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Katniss will still not have been born yet. Haymitch will be the protagonist and point of view character in Sunrise on the Reaping, as the story explores his story before and during the Second Quarter Quell. Even though Katniss cannot appear in Sunrise on the Reaping, her words from the original books are already influencing the prequel.

Sunrise On The Reaping's New Haymitch Quote Is A Major Katniss Everdeen Callback

She Said A Similar Quote In The Hunger Games

The Sunrise on the Reaping book trailer posted on X reveals a quote from Haymitch in which he says, "They will not use my tears for their entertainment." As noted by @balladofsongbirds on Instagram, this quote is noticeably similar to Katniss saying, "I don't want to cry ... I will give no one that satisfaction" in The Hunger Games. Both quotes share the sentiment of Haymitch and Katniss refusing to have their genuine emotions weaponized by the Capitol for their entertainment.

This is a fitting way to make a callback to Katniss and to honor her legacy, despite the timeline necessitating her absence. Her rebellious spirit, her courage, and her refusal to fall in line with the Capitol's facade can be channeled through Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping. Even though Haymitch does not know what will happen in the future, his actions are unknowingly paving the way for Katniss and the larger rebellion that will eventually topple the Capitol and President Snow's dictatorship.

The New Hunger Games Book Will Highlight How Similar Katniss & Haymitch Really Are

This Will Likely Lead To More Callbacks

Sunrise on the Reaping will not be the first time that The Hunger Games has emphasized the parallels between Katniss and Haymitch, but it will make their similarities even more apparent. They had their fair share of disagreements and openly expressed their issues with each other, but there was also an undeniable level of understanding between them. This understanding allowed Katniss and Haymitch to connect on a level that Peeta Mellark never had with Haymitch, despite him also being Peeta's mentor. Seeing Haymitch as a Hunger Games tribute will drive home that connection even further with Katniss.

With there already being strong parallels between Haymitch's first Sunrise on the Reaping quote and a Katniss quote, there are likely to be more callbacks in the new book through Haymitch's words and his arc. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes had its own Katniss callbacks, mainly through the character of Lucy Gray Baird. Sunrise on the Reaping's Katniss callbacks can be even more impactful because of the important role that Haymitch will go on to play in Katniss' life.

Source: X, Instagram