- "Let’s show a little district pride for a change, Miss Everdeen. Hm?"
- —Darius to Katniss Everdeen [src]
Darius was one of the youngest known Peacekeepers in District 12. Katniss often talked with him at the Hob and considered him her friend.
Biography
Gale recalled during one New Year's Eve that Darius flirted with Katniss, telling her that she ought to buy one of his kisses. It was at this point that Gale realized he had developed feelings for his hunting partner because it bothered him that Darius was indeed flirting with her.
In Catching Fire, when Gale was whipped by Romulus Thread, Darius tried to intervene after 20 whips, but was knocked unconscious. To Katniss' horror, he was then made into an Avox who served the District 12 tributes at the 3rd Quarter Quell, along with Lavinia, whom Katniss had previously encountered. Katniss believed it was no coincidence that Darius was placed in their apartment, and that President Snow had ordered him to serve there to frighten her.
Darius is tortured in Mockingjay alongside Lavinia for interrogation about the rebels but since he is an Avox, he is unable to answer their questions. The only noises he could produce were a mixture of animal sounds. Peeta Mellark believes that his captors did not want answers, but they just wanted him to see Darius being tortured. It took a few days to kill Darius as they beat him and continued to cut off body parts.
Peeta reveals later on that their cells were next to each other when they were held in the Capitol.
Physical description
Darius is described probably in his early 20s, but only looks as old as Katniss. He has messy red hair, giving him a boyish charm and makes him stand out from most of the people living in District 12. He loses his tongue when it is cut off in the process of becoming an Avox.
Trivia
- Darius's name indicate he was probably born on the Capitol or in District 2, as the latter is one of the primary sources of Peacekeepers and where greco-roman names are also common.
- Katniss mentions that Darius is her "favorite" Peacekeeper.
- Darius was shown as one of the many easygoing Peacekeepers who disliked the new regime introduced in Catching Fire by Head Peacekeeper Thread.
- Darius does not appear in film adaptation of Catching Fire.