Haymitch Abernathy is a fictional character of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.Haymitch Abernathy is a "paunchy, middle-aged man" who was the victor of the 50th Hunger Games, which occurred 24 years before the beginning of the first book. When he was 16, Haymitch was Reaped for the second Quarter Quell, where four tributes from each district were forced into the arena. He became an ally to a girl named Maysilee Donner, who was the original owner of the mockingjay pin, but later was forced to watch her die. Katniss finds this to be akin to what happened between her and Rue. During the Games, he found his way past a wall of shrubbery to the edge of the arena, where a force field caused anything that hit it to be flung back. When the Games came down to himself (who had been eviscerated) and a female tribute, he positioned himself by the edge so that when the girl threw her weapon at him, the force field sent it back at her, killing her and leaving Haymitch the victor. Within two weeks of his victory, Haymitch's mother, younger brother, and girlfriend were killed by President Snow, as punishment for Haymitch using the force field to his advantage. Since President Snow had left no one close to Haymitch to use to control him, Haymitch instead is "held up as an example" of what happens to those who defy the Capitol.