The Most BRUTAL Kill in Every Saw Movie
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VOICE OVER: Ryan Wild
Jigsaw doesn't mess around! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable, cringe-inducing and downright gnarly deaths in each of the “Saw” films. Beware of spoilers for the first nine installments. Our countdown includes characters Paul Leahy, Timothy Young, Eric Matthews and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most memorable, cringe-inducing and downright gnarly deaths in each of the “Saw” films. Beware of spoilers for the first nine installments. What’s your favorite “Saw” kill? Sock it to us in the comments!
Most test subjects in the “Saw” movies get a miniscule sixty seconds to complete their tasks. Paul on the other hand gets a whopping two hours. That’s because his task is practically impossible. Waking up in a basement, Paul finds himself stripped to his skivvies and surrounded by razor wiring. The exit door is wide open, but Paul has to traverse his spiky maze and endure deep lacerations to escape. He, of course, doesn’t make it, his sense of panic getting the better of him. While this death isn’t as flashy compared to where the series would go from here, it does lean well into the psychological angle of the scenario. We for one know we’d be too afraid to make it out ourselves.
Sometimes it’s the simplest traps that get the job done - pretty much anyone can empathize with Obi being burnt alive in a coffin-sized furnace. But when it comes to sheer anticipation and execution - literally - it’s hard to look over the Venus Flytrap. Instead of a giant plant mouth, however, Michael’s head is surrounded by two halves of an essential iron maiden. If he can’t retrieve the key behind his eye within sixty seconds… well, we think you know what happens next. We don’t blame Michael for being unable to loot through his eye socket, but there is a kind of macabre satisfaction in watching the mask close. We don’t see a lot, but we definitely feel it.
“Saw III” has a plethora of brutal deaths. Primarily because some of them are designed by Amanda, who doesn’t want her victims to escape, let alone without maximum pain incurred. While we’ll pour a couple out for Troy and Kerry, it’s Timothy’s trap that’s the most memorable. After all, the Rack is Jigsaw’s favorite. Each of Timothy’s limbs and neck are winched in place, as the device will twist each of them until he’s no more. Meanwhile, Jeff, whose son Timothy accidentally killed, has to endure a shotgun blast to retrieve the key to the device. Too distraught to act, Jeff forces us to watch as Timothy is slowly bent out of shape. By the time Jeff’s finagled the key free, it’s too late.
The main protagonist of the second movie with a cameo appearance in “III,” Eric Matthews is completely disheveled by the time he’s reintroduced in “IV.” Six months of captivity will do that to you. But he has a whole other problem when he’s put in the Ice Block Trap. Matthews stands precariously on a melting block of ice with a noose around his neck on the other end. But Matthews doesn’t get off that easy when the trap fails. Connected to the door are another pair of ice blocks, which when Officer Rigg barges in, comes down on Eric’s head. As bad of a cop as Matthews was, we can’t help but pity him. Whereas we won’t be shedding a tear for someone like Ivan.
Mark Hoffman dispatches two of his enemies in this one. The movie starts with Hoffman getting revenge on the murderer of his sister with an unwinnable pendulum trap, and ends with him getting rid of his rival Agent Peter Strahm. Strahm tracks Hoffman to one of Jigsaw’s lairs, coming across a coffin filled with glass shards. A tape from Hoffman instructs Strahm to climb inside, but the latter is hardly the trusting type. A confrontation between the two ends with Strahm locking Hoffman in the coffin, only for it to lower and the walls to start closing in. Hoffman survives, whereas Strahm can do little more than scream as he’s crushed beyond recognition.
This was a tricky one, as we almost went with the Carousel trap for its ingenuity and compelling its participants to turn on one another. However, death by shotgun was a bit too banal for something as creative as “Saw.” Instead, we’re opting for the death of William Easton. After enduring a series of trials, William is confronted by the wife and son of a man who died because William coldly denied him medical coverage. Now they’re given the opportunity to have their revenge, as the young Brent opts to execute William with an injection of hydrofluoric acid. Meanwhile, William’s sister can only look on helplessly as he’s essentially melted from the inside out. It’s a seriously grisly death.
While hardly the franchise’s finest installment, the purported “Final Chapter” doesn’t skimp on the bloodletting, that’s for sure. Both Nina and Suzanne end up on the wrong end of some sharpened rods, there’s a brazen bull, and even a band of racists end up in quite a wreck. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize the granddaddy of all “Saw” traps: the Reverse Bear Trap. Six installments after narrowly missing Amanda and one after Mark Hoffman escapes its literal jaws of death, we finally get to see it do its thing at the expense of Jill Tuck. Hoffman’s able to track her down and outfit her with the device, only there’s not even a key to throw away. Absolutely merciless.
While certainly no slouch when it comes to civil engineering, we wouldn’t call Jigsaw a “high-tech” killer per se. That is not the case when it comes to his protégé Logan Nelson. At this point, we’re unaware of Logan’s antagonist status. So when he and corrupt Detective Brad Halloran wake up with laser collars around their necks, we’re genuinely afraid for Logan’s safety - Halloran not so much. After it seems like Logan has bit the big one, Halloran is forced to confess to his many crimes. Then, in classic Jigsaw fashion, Logan slowly rises and reveals himself as the new Jigsaw. While Logan’s collar was all show, Halloran’s is very much real, and it turns his head into a very disgusting flower.
It’s no secret that the copycat Jigsaw in “Spiral” has no love lost for corrupt police officers. Detectives Bozwick and Fitch go through quite the ordeal before being hit by a subway train and electrocuted, respectively. But we’d argue that Captain Garza has the most memorable demise. After covering for corruption, Garza finds herself attacked by old Pig Mask and placed in a trap whereby she has to sever her own spinal cord else hot wax sear her face and suffocate her. Despite giving it the old college try, Garza can’t complete the task, and Detective Zeke Banks is too late to save her. If Jigsaw tells you to do something, you do it, else you end up like Captain Garza.
Paul Leahy
“Saw” (2004)Most test subjects in the “Saw” movies get a miniscule sixty seconds to complete their tasks. Paul on the other hand gets a whopping two hours. That’s because his task is practically impossible. Waking up in a basement, Paul finds himself stripped to his skivvies and surrounded by razor wiring. The exit door is wide open, but Paul has to traverse his spiky maze and endure deep lacerations to escape. He, of course, doesn’t make it, his sense of panic getting the better of him. While this death isn’t as flashy compared to where the series would go from here, it does lean well into the psychological angle of the scenario. We for one know we’d be too afraid to make it out ourselves.
Michael Marks
“Saw II” (2005)Sometimes it’s the simplest traps that get the job done - pretty much anyone can empathize with Obi being burnt alive in a coffin-sized furnace. But when it comes to sheer anticipation and execution - literally - it’s hard to look over the Venus Flytrap. Instead of a giant plant mouth, however, Michael’s head is surrounded by two halves of an essential iron maiden. If he can’t retrieve the key behind his eye within sixty seconds… well, we think you know what happens next. We don’t blame Michael for being unable to loot through his eye socket, but there is a kind of macabre satisfaction in watching the mask close. We don’t see a lot, but we definitely feel it.
Timothy Young
“Saw III” (2006)“Saw III” has a plethora of brutal deaths. Primarily because some of them are designed by Amanda, who doesn’t want her victims to escape, let alone without maximum pain incurred. While we’ll pour a couple out for Troy and Kerry, it’s Timothy’s trap that’s the most memorable. After all, the Rack is Jigsaw’s favorite. Each of Timothy’s limbs and neck are winched in place, as the device will twist each of them until he’s no more. Meanwhile, Jeff, whose son Timothy accidentally killed, has to endure a shotgun blast to retrieve the key to the device. Too distraught to act, Jeff forces us to watch as Timothy is slowly bent out of shape. By the time Jeff’s finagled the key free, it’s too late.
Eric Matthews
“Saw IV” (2007)The main protagonist of the second movie with a cameo appearance in “III,” Eric Matthews is completely disheveled by the time he’s reintroduced in “IV.” Six months of captivity will do that to you. But he has a whole other problem when he’s put in the Ice Block Trap. Matthews stands precariously on a melting block of ice with a noose around his neck on the other end. But Matthews doesn’t get off that easy when the trap fails. Connected to the door are another pair of ice blocks, which when Officer Rigg barges in, comes down on Eric’s head. As bad of a cop as Matthews was, we can’t help but pity him. Whereas we won’t be shedding a tear for someone like Ivan.
Peter Strahm
“Saw V” (2008)Mark Hoffman dispatches two of his enemies in this one. The movie starts with Hoffman getting revenge on the murderer of his sister with an unwinnable pendulum trap, and ends with him getting rid of his rival Agent Peter Strahm. Strahm tracks Hoffman to one of Jigsaw’s lairs, coming across a coffin filled with glass shards. A tape from Hoffman instructs Strahm to climb inside, but the latter is hardly the trusting type. A confrontation between the two ends with Strahm locking Hoffman in the coffin, only for it to lower and the walls to start closing in. Hoffman survives, whereas Strahm can do little more than scream as he’s crushed beyond recognition.
William Easton
“Saw VI” (2009)This was a tricky one, as we almost went with the Carousel trap for its ingenuity and compelling its participants to turn on one another. However, death by shotgun was a bit too banal for something as creative as “Saw.” Instead, we’re opting for the death of William Easton. After enduring a series of trials, William is confronted by the wife and son of a man who died because William coldly denied him medical coverage. Now they’re given the opportunity to have their revenge, as the young Brent opts to execute William with an injection of hydrofluoric acid. Meanwhile, William’s sister can only look on helplessly as he’s essentially melted from the inside out. It’s a seriously grisly death.
Jill Tuck
“Saw 3D” (2010)While hardly the franchise’s finest installment, the purported “Final Chapter” doesn’t skimp on the bloodletting, that’s for sure. Both Nina and Suzanne end up on the wrong end of some sharpened rods, there’s a brazen bull, and even a band of racists end up in quite a wreck. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize the granddaddy of all “Saw” traps: the Reverse Bear Trap. Six installments after narrowly missing Amanda and one after Mark Hoffman escapes its literal jaws of death, we finally get to see it do its thing at the expense of Jill Tuck. Hoffman’s able to track her down and outfit her with the device, only there’s not even a key to throw away. Absolutely merciless.
Brad Halloran
“Jigsaw” (2017)While certainly no slouch when it comes to civil engineering, we wouldn’t call Jigsaw a “high-tech” killer per se. That is not the case when it comes to his protégé Logan Nelson. At this point, we’re unaware of Logan’s antagonist status. So when he and corrupt Detective Brad Halloran wake up with laser collars around their necks, we’re genuinely afraid for Logan’s safety - Halloran not so much. After it seems like Logan has bit the big one, Halloran is forced to confess to his many crimes. Then, in classic Jigsaw fashion, Logan slowly rises and reveals himself as the new Jigsaw. While Logan’s collar was all show, Halloran’s is very much real, and it turns his head into a very disgusting flower.
Angie Garza
“Spiral” (2021)It’s no secret that the copycat Jigsaw in “Spiral” has no love lost for corrupt police officers. Detectives Bozwick and Fitch go through quite the ordeal before being hit by a subway train and electrocuted, respectively. But we’d argue that Captain Garza has the most memorable demise. After covering for corruption, Garza finds herself attacked by old Pig Mask and placed in a trap whereby she has to sever her own spinal cord else hot wax sear her face and suffocate her. Despite giving it the old college try, Garza can’t complete the task, and Detective Zeke Banks is too late to save her. If Jigsaw tells you to do something, you do it, else you end up like Captain Garza.
