Johanna Mason was the axe wielding victor of the 71st Hunger Games from District 7. Snow would later orchestrate the slaughter of her entire family as punishment for her defiant nature. Devastated and left mentally and emotionally stranded , Johanna spent the next few years in isolation, wallowing in her sorrow and trauma. During this period of time, she served as a mentor for the tributes reaped in her district. After she herself was reaped once again for the 75th Hunger Games or 3rd "Quarter Quell", Johanna agreed to join the Mockingjay Alliance along with many other victors, and reluctantly fought to protect fellow victor and martyr of the rebellion Katniss Everdeen, despite their mutual dislike of each other. Following Johanna's capture and torture in the Capitol and subsequent rescue thanks to District 13, she and Katniss grew close to one another, eventually garnering a mutual respect. Johanna ultimately survived the rebellion, though continued to live a difficult life due to the lingering post-traumatic stress of her experiences.
Biography[]
Johanna was born in District 7, known for its primary export of lumber, where she learned how to handle an axe from a young age. It's likely Johanna worked in the industry to help provide for her family.
The 71st Hunger Games[]
At seventeen years of age, Johanna was reaped as the female tribute from District 7 for the 71st annual Hunger Games. As one of the older tributes to compete, Johanna had several advantages going into the arena thanks to her experience with axe handling and hard labor. For the tribute parade, much to her chagrin, Johanna and her district partner were dressed as trees.
A cunning competitor, Johanna implemented a fake persona, portraying herself as a "sniveling, cowardly fool" as a strategy in order to fool the other tributes. As a result, she received a low training score. Once inside the arena, Johanna revealed her true nature and once only a handful of tributes were left, demonstrated an impressive ability to murder. Her skills earned her the win, and she left the arena with her life intact.
Not long after her victory, Johanna's entire family was killed, presumably on President Snow's orders.
The Third Quarter Quell[]
Johanna was once again reaped for the 75th Hunger Games, along with fellow District 7 victor Blight, after it was decreed that tributes would be selected from an existing pool of victors in each district. This did not bode well with her and she, like many of the other tributes, felt betrayed by the Capitol due to the previous agreement that all victors would be granted life-long amnesty. She and Blight were immediately taken to the Capitol, and forced to relive the horror of their first games all over again.
Johanna undresses in the elevator.
During the chariot rides, Johanna's stylists dressed her in a bulky costume resembling a tree, much to her disgust and frustration. After the chariot rides, Johanna was able to meet District 12 victors Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark for the first time, after she quickly got in the same elevator that they were using. Introducing herself, she commented on her unfavorable stylist team and promptly stripped off all of her clothing while commenting on Katniss' wardrobe, save her slippers, leaving her completely naked right in front of Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch, and making Katniss feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Johanna in the training center.
During the interviews, Johanna was sympathetic towards Katniss' over the top wedding dress, and asks her to make Snow "pay for it" in respect, straightening her pearl necklace. Johanna is anything but subtle in her interview with Caesar Flickerman, trying to ask if anything can be done to put an end to the games before they even start, adding fuel to the fire of Capitol frustration. Before the start of the games, Johanna joins a pact along with many of the other victors to keep Katniss and Peeta alive at all costs.
Johanna in her interview dress.
Johanna survives the cornucopia bloodbath, and manages to retrieve Wiress and Beetee for Katniss before they can be killed, although Beetee takes a knife to the back, before retreating into the jungle with the two district 3 victors and Blight. When the disasters start, they are pelted by blood rain, and Blight accidentally runs into the force field, killing him, leaving Johanna upset and forced to look after Beetee and Wiress by herself. She eventually manages to find Katniss, Finnick Odair, and Peeta on Day Two on the beach, fed up with Wiress' constant repeating of the phrase "tick tock".
Johanna was enthusiastic about reuniting with Finnick, but was somewhat cold towards Katniss Everdeen, confused about her need to have Beetee and Wiress as alliance members. The six of them then made their way to the cornucopia in order to formulate a plan on how to get rid of the careers, after figuring out how the arena design resembles a giant clock, with each sector representing a disaster. However, they are ambushed by Cashmere, Gloss, Brutus, and Enobaria. After Gloss killed Wiress and Katniss shoots him with one of her arrows, Johanna buries her axe in Cashmere's chest after she charges them, killing her. After the gamemakers begin spinning the arena, Brutus and Enobaria are able to escape and Johanna, Katniss, Finnick, Peeta, and Beetee retreat back to the beach.
Johanna in the arena.
They later received bread from District Three, which they split among themselves. As they recuperate from the attack, Johanna bonds with Katniss, forging a slightly better relationship with her. After the screams from nearby jabberjays cause Finnick and Katniss to panic, Johanna is unaffected, as she claims that there is nobody left that she loves. Under Beetee's direction, they create a plan to electrocute the remaining careers with his coil of wire, using the lightning tree in one of the disaster areas to electrify the wire.
Heading towards the tree, Johanna went with Katniss to unwind the wire coil down to the beach. When they are attacked by Brutus and Enobaria, Johanna knocks Katniss out and cuts the Capitol tracker out of her arm with a knife, leading both careers away from Katniss' body so Plutarch Heavensbee's hovercraft can collect Katniss. However, Johanna is captured by the Capitol along with Peeta and Enobaria.
Mockingjay Rebellion[]
Johanna remains in the Capitol for quite a while, and she and Peeta are tortured for information concerning District 13 and the mockingjay rebellion. While in the Capitol, Johanna's entire head is shaved, making her bald.
Johanna after she is rescued from the Capitol.
The rebels eventually manage to get both Johanna and Peeta out of the Capitol and away from President Snow's grasp, and are immediately taken to the medical ward upon their arrival in District 13. She is described by Katniss as hairless, with bruises and oozing scabs all over her body, no doubt from the Capitol's unforgiving torture techniques. While recovering, a sprout of hair begins to grow on top of her head. After Katniss is shot by a District 2 refugee and taken to the medical ward herself, Johanna steals and taps into some of her morphling supply. The two chat on Katniss' bed, with Johanna admitting that she somewhat hates Katniss for her role as the mockingjay. When Gale Hawthorne arrives to greet Katniss, Johanna engages in a mildly flirtatious exchange with him, referring to his attractiveness.
Johanna is unable to fight with the other soldiers of Squad 451 due to her injuries and her state of recovery. After the Rebels take down the Capitol and effectively take over Panem, uprooting President Snow, Johanna, along with Enobaria, Beetee, Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch Abernathy, and Annie Cresta, is one of the seven surviving victors not affected by the Victor's purge. After Coin proposes a new games with Capitol children instead of district children be held, Johanna votes "yes". After Katniss unexpectedly kills Coin during Snow's public execution, the games are called off.
Personality and Traits[]
Johanna harbors a feisty and hardened persona, unafraid to make witty comments about those around her, and has no trouble expressing her mind. She can be additionally hot-tempered and quick to judge, although she is quite loyal to those she calls friends. As she states during the 75th Hunger Games, she has nobody left that she loves, suggesting that the Capitol has killed her entire family. As a result, she has grown cold and is tough on those who try to strike up a conversation with her.
Johanna is skilled in the use of an axe, and used these skills to kill those who opposed her during her hunger games. She is tough, strong willed, with great agility and speed.