it seems weird because the apocalypse was the start of all the horrors he went through, but i genuinely believe it gave him a kickstart down a better path. and don't get me wrong when i say this, i don't think "bad" people need bad things to happen to them to make them good, nor do i believe five was a "bad" kid. this is just how what caused him to become a better person happened, and it was unfortunately an apocalypse.

from the little bit of five's childhood we see, he was generally a pretty egotistical kid, he thought he was too big for his britches. and honestly, i can't blame him. what 13 year old child of a billionaire with superpowers WOULDN'T be egotistical or overly confident in their abilities? especially one that was specifically held back from his full abilities because it was dangerous for him. i'm honestly surprised the rest of the brellies aren't as confident in their abilities as he is (except maybe diego...he's pretty damn confident in himself/his powers).

adult five definitely puts on that same rude, snarky, overly confident, a fair bit egotistical persona he had as a child. maybe he was just doing it so his siblings had someone familiar instead of a whole new man to meet, he probably did to some degree. but there is something distinctly different about him, and it's that he's less selfish, more devoted to other people (his family, the world he wants to save, etc.), and that he's using his powers for more reasons than "i want to."

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (2013) Directed by Francis Lawrence.