She is the protagonist of the novel. She is sixteen years old, and she has long brown hair always updone in a braid. She lives with her mother and her little sister, Prim, in District 12. They are really poor, and she acts as an adult because she is the one who procures food for her family. For that reason, she is very good at hunting with a bow and arrows that her father gave her before he died. She goes hunting with her best friend, Gale.
In the reaping, her sister is selected to participate in the Hunger Games, and Katniss volunteers to take her place instead. She is brave, but prudent. She is very sarcastic with people that do not treat her well, but very loving and attentive with the people she cares.