No doubt, the most important part of the Spiral, released in 2021. The complex, twisting, and often convoluted plot surrounding the Saw franchise brings viewers back over and over for every new film, and Jigsaw is one of the most iconic horror villains in cinematic history right alongside Freddy, Michael, and Jason.
Jigsaw claims to test people indiscriminately based on their flaws and mistakes, but along with the murderers and dirty cops targeted both by Jigsaw and Spiral’s killer, Jigsaw and his apprentices often target people struggling with depression and addiction. He claims that he is trying to cure them by giving them more appreciation for their lives. Jigsaw's ideologies are based on his hatred for murders running into his desire to test anyone he believes has committed the biggest sin: being ungrateful for their lives. Jigsaw is usually introduced as the serial killer who doesn't actually kill anyone, but a lot of his traps don't leave any room for survival. Throughout the series, Jigsaw gains new apprentices who also contribute to his carefully crafted traps and tests.
Only traps that actually took place make the list, so The Pain Train is not included because it happens in a dream sequence. Traps created by the killer in the Spiral movie will be included, even though Spiral is a spin-off. Trials that characters are put through that don't involve actual traps will not be included. This means that characters blackmailed into helping Jigsaw to save their own lives, such as Zep and Edgar Munsen, are not listed. Lastly, booby traps such as the Quadruple Shotgun Hallway and the Sentry Gun Trap do not count, and neither does the Cyanide Box. The traps are ranked based on a combination of how memorable they are, how gory the kills are, whether they are winnable, how justified Jigsaw's reasoning is, and whether or not the traps are actually tests or just plain murder. With all of that out of the way, here is every single Saw trap from every single Saw film, ranked from worst to best.
62. The Gallows (Saw VI)
Saw VI's Gallows trap is the lowest on the list because not only is it not particularly memorable, the person taking Jigsaw's test is not the one whose life is on the line. Additionally, the two people who are in danger are completely innocent. Not to mention that the trap is unfairly designed so that one of the victims is killed no matter what.
61. The Lawnmower Trap (Saw 3D)
Saw 3D's Lawnmower Trap doesn't make much sense logistically, as after the first person falls, there is no safety net for the second, and there is no visible way for them to get down. The scene cuts away before viewers get any explanation.
60. The Brazen Bull (Saw 3D)
The only reason this trap isn't at the very bottom of the list is because of how memorable it is. It is extremely memorable, and even though it’s not the most disturbing Saw trap, it’s based on a classic torture device. Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) must save his wife by recreating a trap he pretended to have faced in order to get publicity. When he fails, his wife (an entirely innocent woman who had no idea he was lying) is treated to one of the most horrific deaths in a franchise full of horrific deaths. She is roasted alive in a brazen bull.
59. The Finger Trap (Spiral)
The scene cuts away quickly during The Finger Trap, and the kill isn't very gory. It also leaves viewers questioning why the man didn't simply climb out of the tub. Nothing was restraining him, and the wires meant to drag him by his fingers were initially long enough that he likely could've climbed out to avoid being electrocuted.
58. Exploding Puppet (Saw IV)
The Exploding Puppet isn't all that memorable. It features a cameo from Billy the Puppet, and it's halfway between a real trap and a booby trap. A Billy doll's head explodes, sending shrapnel at Agent Perez (Athena Karkanis) when she doesn't react to the puppet's recording fast enough by getting out of the way.
57. Marcus Banks' IV Trap (Spiral)
Marcus Banks' (Samuel L. Jackson) is stuck in an extremely convoluted trap at the end of Spiral. The trap involves Marcus being strung up like a puppet with various IVs draining his blood, the victim needing to shoot a target to save himself. Wires pull him back up and put a gun near his hand once police enter the room, encouraging the police to shoot him. It's an overly complicated trap that causes viewers to lose track of the plot and has made audiences question whether Saw should reboot itself again after Spiral.
56. The Suspended Cage (Saw 3D)
This is a simple trap that involves Dagen hanging inside of a metal cage above a floor with spikes. He has to remove the bottom of the cage and swing himself to safety. It's very simple, and it was easy to escape. The trap could be removed, and nothing about the film would change.
55. Public Execution (Saw 3D)
This trap is memorable for all the wrong reasons. It is logistically impossible to have had time to build the entire trap inside a public space, and it was too large to be transported in one piece. The woman involved is also a petty target, and the trap required at least one person to die. At least the gore is fairly well-crafted.
54. Classroom Trap (Saw III)
When most viewers think of unwinnable Saw traps, they think of this one. When Amanda (Shawnee Smith) s Jigsaw, she sets up this trap. A man is chained up by thick rings that are attached to him through various parts of his body including his jaw and Achilles tendons and locked in a classroom with a bomb. The characters say it’s impossible because the door was welded shut, but even without the door, there was no possible way for the man to rip out his jaw.
53. Drill Chair (Saw)
This is a scenario where the life of the person in the trap is in the hands of another person. Jigsaw's claim that he allows people to save themselves is completely ignored in the very first movie. The characters also beat the trap just by shooting at it.
