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"Ugh, the names people give their children in District One are so ridiculous."
Katniss Everdeen about Glimmer's name

Glimmer was the female tribute from District 1 in the 74th Hunger Games. Along with her district partner, Marvel, she was a member of the "Career pack" that banded together to hunt down the weaker competitors[2]. She was indirectly killed by Katniss Everdeen, who dropped a nest of tracker jackers on the Career pack as they slept[3].

Biography

Early life

Glimmer was born in District 1, one of the wealthiest districts, and one that is known for producing Career tributes. She presumably spent most of her life training for the games and due to this, she most likely volunteered for the 74th Hunger Games. It is known that her father made flowers (namely tulips) out of finely-wrought crystal. This may explain why she is called Glimmer.

74th Hunger Games

District 1 Tribute parade

Glimmer and Marvel in their parade costumes.

During the Tribute Parade, Glimmer, along with her district partner Marvel, were spray painted silver and wore bejeweled tunics[4]. However, in the film, they were dressed in fuchsia outfits covered in shiny sequins and feathers, representing their district's main export, luxury goods[5].

Training

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Glimmer at the Training Center.

Glimmer's tribute token was the only one known in the history of the Hunger Games to be confiscated. The gemstone of the ring she brought, when twisted, revealed a poisoned spike. She didn't get arrested because nobody could prove she had knowledge of the ring being a weapon, but her token was confiscated nonetheless.[6] Glimmer was not to be underestimated. Being one of the Career Tributes, she had a good chance of survival and was ready to fight. During her private session with the Gamemakers, Glimmer most likely showed the Gamemakers her archery skills[5] (in the book, however, Katniss said that "it is immediately evident that she is incompetent with a bow"[7]). However, this is only based on Katniss' perspective of one of her shots. She may have been fine with a bow, or even good.

Interview

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Glimmer with Caesar at her interview.

Glimmer's interview with Caesar went very well, as she did a great job and looked the part wearing a provocative see-through gold dress in the book[8], although in the film it was a short, light-pink dress, and she told Caesar that she was "very prepared" for the games[5]. It is said that "the crowd went wild" at the sight of her. Katniss described her as "sexy and lush", and that “her mentor didn't have any trouble coming up with an interview angle for her”[8]. Katniss guessed that she would probably get many sponsors, due to her appearance during the interview.

Cornucopia bloodbath

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Glimmer removes her knife from the District 6 female after stabbing her to death.

She stands on the pedestal next to Rue and the District 3 male. When the gong rings, Glimmer, like most tributes, runs towards the Cornucopia. Glimmer tries to steal the District 6 female's sleeping bag, but she is able to run away. After some attempts, Glimmer manages to throw the girl to the ground, get on top of her, and stabs her to death. Glimmer then grabs the yellow sleeping bag and runs, only to collide with the District 10 male. The District 10 male takes the sleeping bag and runs. Glimmer runs past Thresh into the Cornucopia.[5]

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Glimmer screams as the District 6 male is about to kill her.

The District 10 male grabs her arm. Glimmer punches his face, grabs him by the back of his neck and pins him onto a crate and tries to slash him many times but he is too quick for her. The District 6 male pushes her to the ground, making Glimmer scream. He is about to kill her when Cato pushes him away. Glimmer grabs a sword and watches as Cato kills the District 6 male. She then walks inside to look for supplies, like the bow waiting for her outside.[5]

During the Games

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Cato and Glimmer attempt to attack Katniss while she's in a tree hiding.

The Careers discovered Peeta and allowed him in the pack so they could get to Katniss. During the first night, the Careers stumbled upon the District 8 female who made a fire during the middle of the night[2]. Glimmer killed her, assisted by Peeta and Cato. After the fire havoc, Glimmer and the other Career members were not as fast as before.[5] Later, Glimmer along with the Career pack found Katniss and chased her up a tree. When Cato decided to go up the tree Katniss was trapped in, Glimmer offered him her bow and arrows, but he refused as he could do better with his sword. When Cato fell out of the tree due to his weight, Glimmer decided to try, but she quickly realized that the branches wouldn't support her either. It was obvious that she wasn't familiar with the bow and arrows, as she didn't hold the arrows straight and had a hard time nocking the arrow to the bowstring.[7] However, in the film, she seems to have slight experience with a bow and arrow[5]. When she fires at Katniss and misses, Katniss teases her by grabbing the arrow and swinging it around to embarrass her for her lack of knowledge[7] (in the movie, Glimmer and Cato both shoot arrows at Katniss and miss, prompting Katniss to sneer, "Why don't you try throwing the sword?"[5]). Furious, Glimmer agrees with Peeta that the pack should wait for Katniss to come down on her own, as she won't be able to get away without them knowing, so they sleep under the tree[7], a decision which would ultimately lead to her death[3].

Death

Glimmer being attacked by tracker jackers

Glimmer being attacked by tracker jackers.

Glimmer was killed by tracker jackers that Katniss[3], who was originally informed of the nest by Rue[7], sent down on the Career Tributes by cutting off the branch that held it. Glimmer, Clove, Marvel, Cato, the District 4 girl (in the book), and Peeta were camping at the bottom of the tree where Katniss was hiding. Shocked at the sudden attack, everyone but Glimmer and the girl from District 4 escaped to the lake. Glimmer screamed hysterically for help, but no one came back for her. Because of her many stings, Glimmer soon collapsed and began twitching and moaning from the tracker jacker hallucinations, and the District 4 girl died later on. Unfortunately for Glimmer, her death was not quick, and for several minutes after collapsing, her heart kept beating and she fell into a coma.[3]

Glimmer after tracker jacker attack

Glimmer after the tracker jackers' attack.

When Katniss returns for the bow and arrows, she notes that she could not recognize Glimmer anymore, as the venom had bloated her body grotesquely, and her plum-sized stings were oozing green pus and were bursting. When she touched one of the pimple-like wounds on Glimmer's shoulder, it disintegrated in her hand. However, there is a chance that this did not happen as Katniss was experiencing hallucinations herself. Katniss shielded Glimmer's body from being taken away by the hovercraft and desperately tried to take the bow and arrows from her, breaking many of her mutated, petrified fingers with a stone, finally getting her hand on Glimmer's shoulder blade, she pulls Glimmer onto her side to retrieve the quiver of arrows.[3] In the film, there was no green pus[5], so this may mean that what Katniss saw in the book was a hallucination[3]. Glimmer was placed 12th out of the 24 tributes, making it halfway.

Legacy

Muttation

Wolf mutts made to resemble the fallen tributes were unleashed on the seventeenth day of the Games. Glimmer's was the first one Katniss recognized, based on its silky blond fur, unsettlingly human green eyes, and a jeweled collar with the number "1". Katniss killed it with an arrow through the throat when it tried to climb the Cornucopia.[9]

After the Games

During their Victory Tour, Katniss and Peeta go to District 1 and see Glimmer's family[10]. Peeta takes up painting as a hobby, and one of the paintings is of Glimmer's mutt attacking[11].

Throughout the story, Katniss has nightmares[10], sometimes involving Glimmer's bloated body after the tracker jacker attack[11] and her mutt form[12].

Physical description

Katniss described Glimmer as being tall and sexy with emerald green eyes and flowing blond hair.[8] In the film, Glimmer wore her hair in fishtail braids for most of the time.[5]

Weapons

GlimmerArchery

Glimmer learning archery

Glimmer showed little consideration in choosing her weapon at the Cornucopia. However, it is not known if the bow would have been her first choice as a weapon, or if she had taken any other weapon from the Cornucopia. She also had a more feminine version of Cato's sword, which she had strapped to the side of her pants. During the bloodbath in the film, Glimmer used a knife to stab the District 6 female to death[5]. For the rest of the games up until her death, she utilized a bow and arrow[7] which Katniss would later take from her corpse[3] and use for the remainder of the games up until her victory[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][9]. Katniss described Glimmer as "incompetent" when using the bow[7].

Victims

It is unknown exactly how many people Glimmer killed. In the novel, Katniss never saw her kill anyone. In the film, she killed the District 6 female and District 5 male by repeatedly stabbing them to death, and presumably killed the District 8 female with Cato's sword[5].

Trivia

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Glimmer's Tribute Identification Card

  • In the novel, Glimmer and her district partner Marvel are described as being spray-painted silver for the chariot rides[4], but in the film, they are wearing fuchsia feathery costumes[5].
  • In the film, Glimmer acts flirtatiously toward Cato. They talk and joke around the fire, she sleeps beside him that night, and even snuggles into his arm. However, the relationship is largely one-sided, and Cato leaves her to die to the tracker jackers.[5]
  • In the film, Glimmer has the lowest odds of the Careers, those being 7–1. She is tied with the District 7 female and Foxface, each with a 7-1 chance of winning.[1]
  • On Twitter, Kara Petersen (who portrayed the District 6 female) confirmed that she was killed by Glimmer; she is seen being stabbed at the Cornucopia before Katniss falls with the backpack.
  • In the Tribute Guide, Glimmer is the only Career tribute to not have a favored weapon, though she carries a bow and arrows in the films.
  • In the film, Glimmer weighs 130 pounds.[1]
  • Glimmer survived for five days in the book and three days in the film.
    • In the film, she survived roughly 3 days, 6 hours, and 26 minutes into the Games, according to the board behind Caesar when Katniss goes to cut the tracker jacker nest free[5].
The infamous Glimmer dummy.

The infamous Glimmer dummy.

  • In a behind the scenes featurette titled The Hunger Games: Capitol Couture - Styles of Panem, makeup designer Ve Neill said she suggested to Gary Ross that they make a prosthetic body for Glimmer's death scene, in order to spare actress Leven Rambin from wearing "huge, elaborate makeup". However, Ross liked the look of the makeup better, so the dummy wasn't used in the final film.
    • According to Neill, Josh Hutcherson pranked Jennifer Lawrence by putting the Glimmer dummy in her bathroom: "The dummy was sitting on her toilet. It was quite disturbing for her. She— I heard her scream all the way, in the makeup room, with my door closed."
  • On May 16th, 2024, Leven Rambin published a memoir about her acting career titled Glimmer's Game. This included, but was not exclusively about, what it was like to play Glimmer.[20]
  • In The Hunger Games Adventures, the player interacts with Glimmer while in District 1, and she explains that her father is a craftsman who makes flowers (namely tulips) out of finely-wrought crystal.

Gallery

References

The Hunger Games trilogy
Novels The Hunger GamesCatching FireMockingjay
Main Characters Katniss EverdeenPeeta MellarkGale HawthorneHaymitch AbernathyEffie Trinket
Supporting Characters Primrose EverdeenPresident SnowCinnaMrs. EverdeenMr. EverdeenPresident CoinClaudius TemplesmithCaesar FlickermanMadge UnderseePaylorPlutarch HeavensbeeSeneca Crane
Tributes MarvelGlimmerCatoCloveFoxfaceThreshRueMaysilee DonnerTitus
Past Victors Augustus BraunAnnie CrestaBeetee LatierBlightBrutusCashmereCeceliaChaffEnobariaFinnick OdairGlossJohanna MasonLymeMags FlanaganMorphlingsPorter Millicent TrippSeederWiressWoof
Groups RebellionGamemakersPrep teamTributesVictors
Locations PanemThe CapitolDistrict 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8District 9District 10District 11District 12District 13
Behind the Scenes Suzanne CollinsGary RossFrancis Lawrence
Films The Hunger Games (film)Catching Fire (film)Mockingjay - Part 1Mockingjay - Part 2
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