Hunger Games: How Old President Snow Is (Including The Prequel)

President Coriolanus Snow served as the primary antagonist throughout The Hunger Games franchise, and he was much older than most realized. Donald Sutherland portrayed the autocratic ruler of Panem for all four film adaptations of Suzanne Collins’ book trilogy. Despite his documented demise, Snow became the focus of the franchise’s first prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The story, which revealed Snow’s detailed origin story, is set to be made into a feature film with Francis Lawrence at the helm as director.

Before becoming the sadistic leader of Panem, Snow was a native of the Capitol. His family was well-known within the city, and they were once extremely wealthy. Snow’s father, Crassus, was a general in the First Rebellion, but he died during the tumultuous times. The boy’s mother was also deceased, leaving him to live with his grandmother and cousin, Tigris. Unfortunately for the surviving members of the Snow family, they had fallen on hard times after the rebellion, which Snow tried to hide while studying at the academy.

During the 10th Hunger Games, Snow was chosen as a mentor for the incoming group of tributes for the 10th Hunger Games, which became the focus of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. At the time of the prequel, Snow was 18-years-old, hoping that his work as a mentor would lead his entrance into the Capitol’s prestigious university. He was assigned to District 12’s female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, for who he eventually harbored romantic feelings for. With conflicting feelings regarding the Games, Snow ended up helping Lucy win. As punishment for his actions, Snow was ordered to serve as a Peacekeeper, but he managed to reunite with Lucy in District 12. Snow’s true colors began to emerge as he betrayed one of his only allies, losing Lucy’s trust in the process. He was eventually allowed back to the Capitol where he joined the university on the dime of his previous victim’s family. Not only did Snow study military strategy, but he also became the apprentice Gamemaker, putting him on the path to eventually become Panem’s future president.

Breaking Down President Snow’s Age In The Hunger Games Series

When President Snow was first introduced in the narrative through The Hunger Games, he was 82-years-old. The start of the story centered on the 74th Hunger Games, which notably involved the story’s protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. While Snow’s age didn’t make him a menacing figure, his power over the Capitol and the surrounding districts made him the most dangerous in the nation. With his order, anyone’s life could come to a swift end. Haymitch Abernathy learned that tough lesson when Snow had his loved ones killed following his victory in the 50th Hunger Games.

President Snow was still in power for the Third Quarter Quell, featuring the return of Katniss into the Games during Catching Fire. Seeing as the event took place a year later, Panem’s leader would have been 83 at the time. It was around that time when the Second Rebellion commenced, resulting in more violence throughout the Capitol and districts. The ongoing rebellion took the focus of Mockingjay, and it was possible that Snow reached the age of 84 before the Capitol was overthrown. The figure had no chance of growing older in The Hunger Games franchise since he was killed during the rebellious chaos before being executed by Katniss.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1744 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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