Watching "The Hunger Games" series is not just a joy because of the fantastic stories with profound themes they contain, but also because of the costumes. "The Hunger Games" series is not a cheap budget affair, and this can be seen in the glorious costumes throughout the films. They are not just awesome to look at (Cinna would be proud), but they are actually an intricate part of the plot.

Katniss' costumes are not just pieces of clothing that she wears; they are part of her identity. They help define and shape her identity. Katniss would never have been the "girl on fire" without the first chariot costume. Her power in uniting a rebellion against the Capitol was catalyzed by her mockingjay costumes.

There are so many wonderful costumes in the film, that it is difficult to rank them in a definite order. But, through evaluation of the design and implications of the costumes, it is possible to draw up a list (a subjective one at least. This is by no means infallible).

10. Red "Mockingjay" outfit

Katniss never wears this outfit in the films, but it's amazing what a mere change of color can do for a costume! In the black mockingjay outfit, Katniss is a soldier, bad and glorious. This costume seems to hint at the spilling of blood that comes with war. It hints that war is not glorious, but brutal and bloody.

9. On fire chariot outfit

Finnick is right. The little girl dresses are gone. In this gown, Katniss is a gladiator. A gladiator on fire. In this dress, she sends a message to President Snow: "No more feigning for the cameras. I'm here to fight."

8. Coal chariot outfit

This outfit is undervalued. It belongs in front of the gladiator chariot dress.

This costume is important for the impact it makes on the plot: it literally gives Katniss the persona of "girl on fire." The outfit also seems like a precursor to the mockingjay outfit in both its design and color. It is certainly fitting that the first costume Cinna designs for Katniss corresponds perfectly to the last one she wears (the mockingjay costume is last "costume" Katniss wears in the films. The rest of her clothes are mundane). The girl on fire became the mockingjay.

7. Reaping dress

This dress is simple. but so classy. It's the first dress we see Katniss in and to her it seems elaborate. This dress is to District 12 what Cinna's gowns are to the Capitol. In terms of embellishments, this gown might not rival Katniss' Capitol gowns. But its simple beauty makes a statement, as did all of Cinna's designs. It says that even a hunter like Katniss and a rundown place like District 12 bear a simple, yet profound, heir of beauty.

6. Hunting jacket

If there is any one garment that defines Katniss, it is the hunting jacket. It's tough yet has a rough kind of beauty like Katniss. It's also the garment which Katniss clings too. She wears it in all four movies. To her, whether it be in the Victor's Village or District 13, the jacket reminds her of home and the forests where she became the girl who could take down the Capitol.

5. "Catching Fire" arena suit

Let's face it, the arena costumes for the first Hunger Games were pretty boring. Pants and a plain shirt; that just seems generic even if it was following the book. The "Catching Fire" arena outfit though outdid all expectations. It's iconic in its blue and white design which symbolizes the aqua theme of the arena.

4. Wedding dress

In terms of aesthetic glory, this dress is probably the most impressive of the film series. It's number four on the list however because Katniss is more a mockingjay than she is a bride. This gown reveals just how beautiful, despite her rough edges, Katniss is. It's flattering and feminine - but it also embodies an air of inner strength and fiber, as displayed by the marvelous silver webbing that contrasts with the gentle white fabric.

3. Girl on fire

"The Hunger Games" book describes a much different interview dress than the one featured in the movie. That dress was described a made of gems that reflected the light projecting the illusions of fire. Yes, it would have been nice to see this dress; but could it really have topped the one featured in the film? This scarlet wonder cements Katniss forever as the "girl on fire."

2. Mockingjay dress

Katniss tells Cinna that the mockingjay dress was the best one he ever made. She's right. The moment when Katniss' wedding dress burns away to reveal the mockingjay beneath is one of the most powerful moments in the film. It's symbolic too.
Katniss is no longer just the victor who feigns a romance to keep herself alive; that facade has burned away. She is now, even if Katniss herself does not realize it yet, ready to openly stand against the Capitol.

1. Mockingjay

This costume may be less spectacular than the wedding or mockingjay dress, but it still deserves to be first. This costume defines, more than any of the fancy dresses, who Katniss really is: a fighter.