Peeta Mellark, a.k.a. The Boy With the Bread, was Katniss Everdeen’s main love interest in The Hunger Games franchise. He was portrayed by Josh Hutcherson in all four film adaptations, which see Peeta and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) thrown into an arena designed for killing—or rather having them kill—so-called tributes.
If that wasn’t already sick and twisted, both Katniss and Peeta were basically children when they entered the arena for the first time and became entangled in a social revolution.
The Hunger Games was my LIFE at 12 years old when I read the books on my Kindle. I missed the first Hunger Games film in cinemas, but I will never forget seeing Josh Hutcherson’s promotional images for the first time and thinking, “That’s my Peeta.” I couldn’t believe how spot-on they had cast him. It was truly a monumental moment in history.
Ahead of the new prequel film, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which is set 64 years before the events of THG and comes out November 17, let’s dive into just how old—or young, rather—Peeta was during the events of The Hunger Games.
How old was Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games?
During the first The Hunger Games story, Peeta was just 16 years old when he was selected as District 12‘s tribute, forced to enter the arena and fight for his life alongside his childhood crush, Katniss. In The Hunger Games‘ first sequel, Catching Fire, he was still 16 when he was forced to participate in the Quarter Quell, in which tributes who had already survived once were forced to take part once more by order of the Capitol and President Snow.
At some point in the second book and film, Peeta turns 17. He then turns 18 in the last book of the series, Mockingjay. The final book in the series also features an epilogue in which Katniss and Peeta find contentment with each other after the horrors of war and revolution. By the end of the epilogue, Peeta is somewhere in his 30s, though no exact age is given.
Peeta doesn’t have a cannon birthday, like most of the other The Hunger Games characters. The only one with a birthdate that is mentioned is Katniss, who was born on May 8.
(featured image: Lionsgate)
