In the end, Katniss and Gale grew apart, as many childhood friends and young loves do. She needed something different in her life, and with Gale's link to Primrose's death, Katniss found a reason to cut ties.
Although she will never know for sure, Katniss does recognize that she cannot be with Gale. She will never be able to forgive him for his idea — the parachute bombs — that killed Prim.
Gale and Katniss did not see each alone until a few weeks after the end of the Hunger Games, at their meeting place in the woods. They shared an emotional reunion. At the end of a day of hunting, Gale spontaneously kissed Katniss and told her that he “had to do that, at least once.”
Katniss's focus on survival and her family's safety prevented her from fully considering romance, but her feelings for Peeta and Gale diverged in the end. Katniss ultimately chose Peeta because he understood her trauma and she didn't want to lose him, proving her love for him.
Gale does not marry anyone in The Hunger Games. He and Katniss talk about running away together and starting a new life in the wilderness, but they never officially marry.
Gale was responsible for creating weapons that would trigger a second wave of bombs to target first responders and combat healers. This invention potentially ended up killing Prim, but even if he wasn't directly responsible, Katniss found this tactic so abhorrent that she lost her affection for him.
They have grown apart and changed; maybe that would have happened even without their roles in the rebellion. Although she will never know for sure, Katniss does recognize that she cannot be with Gale. She will never be able to forgive him for his idea — the parachute bombs — that killed Prim.
The problem was that Gale was the one who created the firebomb devices. Despite not being fully responsible, Katniss couldn't overlook his possible involvement. Katniss returned to District 12, where she reunited with Peeta after she couldn't allow herself to fully forgive her childhood best friend.
Katniss Fell in Love With Peeta During the Quarter Quell
However, it wasn't until Mockingjay -- when Peeta got kidnapped by the Capitol -- Katniss realized how much she cared about him and that she couldn't live without him.
When Gale is most in pain is when Katniss kisses him, and this is true again as we see her answer Gale's pain with a kiss. She wants to give Gale what he wants, but she can't yet completely commit to him, as she must think of her family and Peeta and being the Mockingjay for the revolution.
Katniss speculates that Coin deliberately sent Prim to die in the Capitol bombing in order to fully gain her trust, but it's never outright confirmed or denied.
It's only implied that they get it on via snuggling and other affectionate acts in close quarters — but if you have read the book, they really imply that they took their relationship to the next level.
In Mockingjay, Katniss asked her long-time friend to kill her after she assassinated President Coin instead of President Snow. Whilst Gale's wish for death was because he wanted to avoid becoming the Capitol's puppet, Katniss' is more to do with depression and not facing the consequences of her actions.
Ultimately, in Mockingjay, it was undeniable that Katniss was completely in love with Peeta. Even though both Gale and Peeta are great men who wanted the best for Katniss, there's no doubt Peeta was kinder, and more loyal and understanding. These qualities made Peeta way better as a character and as a love interest.
This interaction was so surprising to fans because it's not in the books at all. While, throughout the series, there's some chemistry between the two, nothing ever comes of the tension in Suzanne Collins' novels. Beyond the kiss, nothing happened between the two in the movies either.
Peeta, Annie, and Beetee vote no, while Johanna and Enobaria vote yes. After some thought, Katniss demands to kill Snow. Once she receives an agreement, she votes yes, for Prim. Realizing something is up (as Katniss would never do that), Haymitch votes yes, too.
The Hunger Games series, much like Harry Potter is for young adults, and the themes and motivations are not hard to understand. Katniss NEVER hated Peeta. She figured she'd have to kill him to survive and had no desire to like him because of that.
He Didn't Save Peeta's Family But some people believe Gale may have had more malicious reasons for not helping them. However, Peeta's family wasn't great. His parents were abusive, or at least distant. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had his family survived, but no one missed them much.
Gale is jealous of Peeta and the relationship he has with Katniss, and he wants Katniss to decide between them, though he doesn't press Katniss during her recovery in District 13. Gale is an excellent hunter and excels at setting snares and traps.
Gale's jealousy towards Peeta stemmed from his feelings for Katniss and his desire to be with her. Even after Katniss became engaged to Peeta, Gale still harbored feelings for her and was unable to fully let go of his jealousy and resentment towards Peeta.
In a private meeting between Snow and his executioner, he revealed to her that it was, in fact, Coin who had ordered the bombing of Capitol children, which had taken the life of Primrose.
The double bomb that kills Katniss Everdeen's sister, Primrose, was designed by two rebels: Beetee and Gale, Katniss's lifelong friend. Previously, Gale had explained that the double bombs are designed to appeal to mankind's weakness for compassion.
She was only 13 years old when she was killed in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, and her youth only makes the tragedy that much harder for Katniss to bear after everything else she had suffered. Prim's death is a truly heartbreaking moment.
