Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place long before the revolution in The Hunger Games, but the movie depicts the tensions between the Capitol and the Districts well — though a theory posits that one scene showing the Districts’ rebellion isn’t what it appears. Just before the 10th annual Hunger Games tournament, the arena is bombed while the tributes and their mentors are inside. The Capitol attributes the attack to an unspecified group of rebels, but the movie never digs further into this plot point.
It’s somewhat bizarre that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes never elaborates on this supposed act of rebellion, but the Hunger Games prequel’s runtime is lengthy even without taking detours. Of course, there’s also the possibility that no such rebel group truly exists. One theory posits that the bombing in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is actually an inside job, with the Capitol blaming the Districts to further its own agenda.
Theory: The Capitol Bombed The Arena In Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
The Districts are blamed for the arena bombing in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but it’s difficult to see this being the case. There’s no evidence that a rebel group would have access to such technology — or be capable of infiltrating the Capitol — at this point in Panem’s history. Even during The Hunger Games movies, it takes years of work and planning before the rebels can reach this point. Additionally, even if the Districts do have the resources to launch an attack like this, it doesn’t make sense that they’d bomb the arena. Their own people are in there, so it seems more likely they’d go after Capitol leaders.
With that in mind, the theory that the Capitol is responsible for the arena attack seems more likely. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes opens with the people behind the Hunger Games struggling to get viewership, a development that suggests they’re losing their grip. Knowing how cunning the Capitol is when it comes to maintaining power, it wouldn’t be that surprising if its leaders planned the bombing. They certainly don’t mind losing a few tributes, and it doesn’t seem like the university students are that important to them either. One Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes character, in particular, is willing to make such sacrifices to further her own agenda.
Was Dr. Gaul Behind The Arena Bombing Before The 10th Hunger Games?
Of all the characters from the Capitol who might orchestrate an arena bombing, Dr. Gaul seems like the most obvious choice. The Head Gamemaker during The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Dr. Gaul proves how cruel and cunning she is multiple times throughout the Hunger Games prequel. She kills university students and covers up their deaths, and she’s responsible for making the Muttations that Katniss and Peeta face years later. She revels in other people’s pain, and she values coldhearted ambition above all else.
Dr. Gaul isn’t the type to balk at bombing an arena full of students and tributes, and she has a clear vendetta against the Districts. She even attempts to kill all the tributes in the 10th Hunger Games in an act of revenge. It’s not difficult to imagine her attacking her own, especially if it benefits her. And Dr. Gaul has the most to lose if interest in the Hunger Games continues to wane.
Why The Capitol Would Want To Bomb The Hunger Games Arena
The decreased interest in the Hunger Games is a huge plot point in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Dr. Gaul’s job is on the line if the Capitol fully loses interest in the tournament — or worse, decides it’s no longer a necessity. Gaul isn’t the only person who doesn’t want this outcome, and bombing the Hunger Games arena seems like a surefire way to increase interest in the upcoming Games. The attack might be the first of many spectacles planned in advance, ramping up fear and morbid curiosity to ensure viewership is on the rise.
Dr. Gaul and the other Capitol leaders also benefit from blaming the attack on the Districts, as it makes their continued punishment seem warranted. If anyone questions why the Hunger Games are still necessary, they can remind them that the rebels are still out there. This attack functions as proof that they’re dangerous, allowing the Capitol to continue with the status quo. The Capitol manipulating the public through this attack would add another layer to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes villains’ calculated cruelty, highlighting how powerful they really are.
