Peter Hayes in Divergent: Who He Is and Who Plays Him

Peter Hayes is a Dauntless initiate in the first film who becomes a recurring member of Tris's group in the two sequels. The actor is Miles Teller, who plays the character in all three films of the series. He is credited simply as Peter in Divergent (2014), directed by Neil Burger, and as Peter Hayes in Insurgent (2015) and Allegiant (2016), both directed by Robert Schwentke. Teller is billed seventh in the first film and third in each sequel.

In Divergent (2014), Tris renames herself and begins Dauntless initiation, where trainees are ranked and the lowest are cut and left factionless. Peter is the aggressive rival who targets her while her instructor, Four, pushes the recruits hard. That rivalry is his introduction, and it is the version of him that most viewers remember.

What faction was Peter originally from? He is introduced as a Dauntless initiate, and we do not state a faction of birth for him. If you want the wider picture of how the city is divided, see Divergent factions, and for the other main roles see Divergent characters and the Divergent cast.

Peter's relationships run from open rivalry with Tris to an uneasy shared escape with the rest of the group. With Tris Prior the bond starts as hostility in initiation, and in Insurgent he helps her fake her death so she can reach the simulation room. Four is Tris's instructor in Divergent (2014), and in Insurgent and Allegiant he runs and escapes alongside Peter.

Peter travels with Caleb Prior from Insurgent onward, and the two flee Dauntless soldiers together. Caleb sides with Erudite during the simulations and box storyline, after the Candor trial, but by Allegiant he helps Tris destroy the gas hub. Christina is the friend of Will, whose death Tris admits to causing, and she is also part of the group Peter crosses the wall with.

Who is David in Divergent? David is the leader of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, played by Jeff Daniels in Allegiant, and he is the figure who promises Peter a reward. On the antagonist side, Eric Coulter, the Dauntless leader played by Jai Courtney, is one of those who capture Tris in Insurgent, while Jeanine Matthews and Evelyn Johnson-Eaton are the leaders who shape the city's conflicts. Peter shoots Evelyn in the leg in Allegiant.

In my opinion, Peter is at his most interesting when the story forces him to be useful, and three moments show it. The first is his help in Insurgent when Tris fakes her death to reach the simulation room. It could be argued that this is the one point in the trilogy where Peter's selfishness serves the heroes, and it matters because it moves the plot toward the box and its message that the city is an experiment.

The second is the moment in Allegiant when David promises him a reward. Perhaps this is the scene that makes Peter most human, because it shows him being offered something for himself in a story where everyone else is fighting for a cause. The third is the shot at Evelyn and the vault that follows, which is the film's sharpest reversal. Peter realizes David has betrayed him, shoots Evelyn in the leg and opens the vault so Tris and Four can halt the gas. That being said, the film does not resolve whether this is redemption or simple self interest, and Peter flees toward the Bureau straight afterward.

For viewers new to the series, the practical route is to watch Divergent (2014) first, since his rivalry with Tris is set up in the training scenes. Where the three films are on streaming is covered at where to watch Divergent, and how the story differs from Roth's books is explained in Divergent books vs movies.