Rue

She and katniss become allies. She is 12 years old, with dark brown hair and skin, and "golden brown" eyes. She is similar in size and demeanor to katniss' sister Prim, which is a major factor in Katniss' decision to team up with her. She is the oldest of six children and worked in the orchards for her district, which specializes in agriculture. She excels at tree climbing and can also leap from tree to tree with relative ease, a skill which earns her a seven from the Gamemakers in training. Her love of music inspires her to teach Katniss the simple four note melody that she used to signal quitting time in the orchards back home. Katniss and Rue use this melody as a signal call to each other to let them know they're both safe, since the Mockingjays repeat the tune when they hear it. Rue also brings attention to Katniss's mockingjay pin— the pin is what led Rue to trust Katniss, because of the mockingjay's symbolic significance as a protest against the Capitol. Katniss tries to give Rue the pin, but Rue tells her to keep it. While Rue is acting as a decoy and Katniss is destroying the Careers' food, Rue runs into trouble with the boy tribute from District 1, Marvel. He spears Rue through her abdomen while she is caught in his trap, provoking Katniss to kill him with an arrow to the neck. Katniss sings a lullaby to Rue as she dies, and covers her with flowers, an unconscious act of rebellion, before letting the hovercraft retrieve her. Katniss's actions are rewarded by a gift of bread from District 11 in thanks. Rue's particularly poignant death contributes to the protests that District 11 holds during the Victory Tour. At the 75th Hunger Games, Peeta draws a picture of Rue's body decorated with flowers to send a message to the Gamemakers who are evaluating Peeta's chances at the Games. This action results in him receiving a rating of 12, designed to force other competitors to target him. Amandla Stenberg portrays Rue in the film.