Why Tigris From Hunger Games Looks Like A Tiger
In the Hunger Games franchise, the world of the Capitol is flamboyant and ostentatious, but that is the point. Panem citizens have been so desensitized to their government that they enjoy the spectacle of the Games. At first glance, this is what Tigris (Eugenie Bondurant) appears to be when she shows up in "Mockingjay — Part 2." Having undergone surgery to make it appear as though she is a tiger, she could be as vain as everyone else. But she then informs Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) that President Snow (Donald Sutherland) fired her from being a stylist for being too enhanced.
While it is not established in the film if these enhancements were at his behest or by her own design, they change her nonetheless. In a world where cosmetic surgery is favored, this effectively turns Tigris against the status quo. After years of devotion to the Capitol, she is betrayed and becomes the very thing she appears to be. Her transformation into a tiger is not for vanity but is symbolic of her emotional transformation. She learns that she is as dispensable as everyone else in the Games and other districts. This leads her to be heavily involved in the rebellion. She houses Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) in the final film and smiles at the thought of Snow's death. Tigris becomes as vengeful and vicious as a real tiger, and her physical appearance represents that.
Tigris is the only empathetic Snow
In the Hunger Games prequel, fans come to understand how a close dynamic can become so twisted. The timeline of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" fits into the 10th Hunger Games, long before Katniss meets Tigris. Essentially adopted into Coriolanus Snow's nuclear family following the death of her parents, Tigris (Hunter Schafer) is a close confidante of Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) because they are cousins. But where Snow is a well-practiced political animal, Tigris is not. She sees the best in things, and Snow describes her as being easily taken advantage of because of her good nature.
This nature includes her disgust with the Hunger Games. Unlike most of those who make their homes in the Capitol, she has empathy for District 12. Even more so, she is visibly disturbed when Snow shows a capacity for murder. This sensitive quality could only have been twisted into resentment during Snow's reign as president. Tigris gets a front-row seat to see how her ambitious cousin becomes a monster. This could turn anyone into a rebel, which is what becomes of Tigris.
Throughout the years, she adds more and more cosmetics and procedures as her anger toward her cousin increases. She does not support the dictatorship that has a stranglehold on Panem and becomes more rebellious as time goes on. That is why she helps Katniss, who finds refuge in her home. No matter how close two people are, there is always a breaking point.