Is Lucy Gray Baird related to Katniss Everdeen? The new Hunger Games movie, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, may not take place in Katniss Everdeen’s day, but it certainly put her on the mind.
We loved the Hunger Games prequel (as made obvious in our A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes review!), but it definitely left the door open for a lot more questions from fans. For one, it made us wonder if Katniss was a descendant of Lucy Gray Baird, given their similarities. So, we did some digging to find the answer to one of the biggest questions from the new movie. (Warning: minor spoilers ahead!)
Is Lucy Gray Baird related to Katniss Everdeen?
It’s not confirmed in the Hunger Games canon whether Lucy Gray is related to Katniss, but they’re most likely not.
There are a few connections that led fans to believe that the two heroines could be related and that Lucy Gray could potentially be Katniss’ grandmother. For one, they’re both protagonists and strong-willed characters. That’s obvious.
But another element that links the two is their ability to sing. Obviously, Lucy Gray is a performer through and through, while Katniss is much more reluctant to put on any kind of show. But Katniss can sing if needed, which she does for both Prim and Rue on separate occasions. Most notably, Katniss sings ‘The Hanging Tree’ (which she learned from her father), a song that written by the Covey.
Another leg to this theory is Lucy Gray’s connection to Mockingjays. In fact, she teaches Snow all about them and has a strong knowledge of the bird. Later, when she abandons him, she uses the Mockingjays to distract him by making them mimic her singing. Of course, Katniss goes on to be referred to as The Mockingjay — a symbol of hope for the Rebels.
So, why doesn’t this theory work? Well, for one, it’s not known what happened to Lucy Gray after she disappeared. Highbottom and Snow suppose that she was probably tracked down and killed by the Mayor of District 12 on suspicion of murdering his daughter. Equally, she could have escaped Panem altogether. The odds of her returning and settling down to raise a family are incredibly low.
What’s more, we’re not fans of this idea. In fact, it’s something of a Skywalker complex. Not every major character in a shared universe has to be connected (related, especially), and frankly, it would be a little boring for the two to be that way just because they’re the female protagonists.
It’s far more intriguing to us that Snow would have two unrelated women in his life take him down on separate occasions. The Hunger Games universe should be expanded, not shrunken down to one singular family line.
Still, if you’re desperate for a Mockingjay bloodline, then there’s always one other theory that’s much more likely, and it all hangs on Lucy Gray’s fellow Covey member: Maude Ivory. She’s said to be Lucy Gray’s cousin and travels with her and the rest of the group.
Unlike Lucy Gray, she didn’t run away from District 12, meaning it’s perfectly possible she remained there and had children. All this means that Maude Ivory could be Katniss’ grandmother. It would make sense: Maude Ivory knows the same Covey songs as Lucy Gray and shares Katniss’ talent of remembering songs after only one listen.
Of course, since Katniss’ lineage isn’t discussed deeply in the movies or the books, we’ll never know. …Unless Suzanne Collins writes another prequel. (Please, Suzanne — we’re begging you!)
To take another trip into Panem’s history, check out how to watch the Hunger Games movies in order. You can also take your pick of the best movies of all time and the best teen movies for your next viewing.
We’ve also got a breakdown of the Hunger Games cast, and you can check out what went down in our interview with director Francis Lawrence. Oh, and you can also find out how to watch the new movie, if you haven’t seen it already.