The Peacekeepers are the secondary antagonists of The Hunger Games franchise. They serve as the principal law enforcement agency throughout the nation of Panem, tasked with maintaining order and ensuring compliance to the harsh laws of the Capitol. They also serve as the Capitol's military (air force and ground army).
Duties[]
The Peacekeepers are assigned the task of maintaining order and ensuring obedience to the strict laws of the Capitol. Punishments include public whippings, executions, and other forms of torture, and are used for various offenses including hunting, gathering food, weapon ownership, political dissent, and rebellion. The Peacekeepers vary in strictness and temperament depending on the district. In District 11, they are ruthless and harsh, as District 11's industry (agriculture), is vital to the Capitol's survival.
However, in District 12, a backwater district, they show more leniency, given the fact that the Capitol considers this district a minimal threat and the fact that illegal hunting allows them to get food. The arrival of Commander Romulus Thread after the 74th Hunger Games completely changes this; he instantly begins enforcing the Capitol's harsh laws, and imposing punishments on lawbreakers.
It is also a noted fact that the behavior of Peacekeepers seemed to change and evolve overtime. Haymitch mentions that prior to the arrival of Cray (the Head Peacekeeper of District 12 just before Romulus Thread), public whippings and executions were regular occurrences in the district. In addition, during the time of the 10th Hunger Games, the Peacekeepers of District 12 regularly carried out public executions, with Lucy Gray Baird's father being an example.
Peacekeepers stand guard at a train station in District 11.
It can be assumed that during the first and second decades after the First Rebellion, the Peacekeepers maintained strict control in all of the districts due to the fact that large numbers of former rebel soldiers were living amongst the populace and maintained a negative attitude towards the Capitol. Some of them, such as Arlo Chance, had hopes of reigniting the rebellion. However, as the Capitol reestablished social control and former rebel soldiers aged, wealthier districts such as District 2 and backwater districts such as District 12 likely needed fewer harsh punishments to keep order.
Weapons[]
The Peacekeepers have access to a wide range of weaponry, including batons, riot shields, and water cannons. In the film, they are shown to be issued FN F2000 and TAR-21 rifles as their standard service rifles, as well as FN P90 submachine guns. Their standard issue sidearm is the Vector CP1 pistol.
Peacekeepers armed with FN F2000 and TAR-21 rifles open fire on rebels in District 7.
The Peacekeepers are also seen using flamethrowers, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and bomber aircraft during the events of Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the Peacekeepers are shown to be armed with Heckler and Koch G3 rifles. Interestingly, despite the fact that Panem is situated in North America, the Peacekeepers, along with District 13 soldiers, are rarely, if ever seen wielding American weaponry such as M-16 rifles. Their standard issue weapons are extremely uncommon in both government and private hands. The FNF2000 and TAR-21 rifles were presumably chosen for their futuristic looks.
Trivia[]
- Peacekeepers are inspired by the Roman military (likely also having to do with the Hunger Games similarity to Gladiator games). They are mostly from the Districts and the Capitol itself (like German "barbarian" soldiers in Roman army) and must serve for 20 years without marriage or children.
- They also bear a strong resemblance to the Stormtroopers from the Star Wars franchise, as both are fascist soldiers dressed exclusively in white with full-face covering helmets who are used by the regime they serve to silence any and all opposition.
- It is stated that the Peacekeepers are not actual military since their job is to maintain order and suppress rebellions rather than fighting wars. Therefore, they are far weaker than real-life military forces, as they lack many essential combat vehicles such as tanks, IFVs, fighter jets, gunships, and camouflage suits. Most notable is the complete lack of a Navy.
External links[]
- Peacekeepers on the The Hunger Games Wiki.
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 Villains
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