Jigsaw's Body Count: How Many People Did He Kill?
The Saw franchise has brought many murders to the big screen. Over the years, Jigsaw, the violent persona created by John Kramer, has given the Saw series an extensive timeline. Known for taking a puzzle-piece-shaped chunk of flesh from those who fail to survive his brutal tests, Jigsaw has killed a variety of victims with sinister technology. From a Venus Flytrap collar to a reverse bear trap, Saw shows some of the most painful deaths.
Oftentimes, JigSaw positions his victims themselves to contribute to their own deaths. Due to the passive style of Jigsaw's crimes, John Kramer would argue that he has never directly killed anyone. However, the majority of his attacks require significant planning beforehand, making him the driving force behind many characters' demises. As the Jigsaw Killer's murder machines all aim to stretch the limits of human will, they have created a long list of people ultimately unable to pass his terrible tests. The Saw franchise has a whopping 10 films, and with Saw XI due to release soon, more bodies can be expected.
How Many Victims Did Jigsaw Kill?
Though keeping track of Jigsaw's ever-growing Body Count is a challenge, the killer is responsible for 80 murders across the 10 films. A notable amount of John Kramer's damage is done through his accomplices, those who take on the Jigsaw title to continue his reign of terror. As the franchise expands with an increasing fan base, so do the ways in which victims are tortured in Jigsaw's twisted attempt to awaken people to the value of human life. Saw 3D claimed the most victims, as Jigsaw was responsible for 26 deaths.
Here is a breakdown of the number of Jigsaw's murders in each Saw film:
- Saw: 4
- Saw II: 7
- Saw III: 5
- Saw IV: 7
- Saw V: 5
- Saw VI: 12
- Saw: 3D: 26
- Jigsaw: 4
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw: 6
- Saw X: 4
Why Did John Kramer Become Jigsaw?
Since his killings seem intensely inhumane on the surface, understanding Jigsaw's motivations is a puzzle in itself. However, a closer examination of John Kramer's tragic origin story exposes the reasoning behind his brutal acts. John Kramer started as an average civil engineer. Yet upon the premature death of his child, losing his wife, and receiving a cancer diagnosis, he undergoes a suicide attempt that forces him to realize the importance of life. Through this trauma, Kramer determines that the only way to make others appreciate the delicacy of existence is to put them through a painful fight for survival.
"Those who don't appreciate life do not deserve it." - Jigsaw - Saw II (2005)
Jigsaw's Twisted Philosophy
Although the sad parts of Kramer's previous life help explain his transformation into a serial killer, they cannot justify the 80 deaths Jigsaw championed. Due to the spectacle of his violent sprees and the many movies released, viewers may forget just how many people the man has murdered. But seeing the 80 slaughtered characters dispersed throughout the 10 Saw films forces fans to see how strong moral stances can escalate into outrageous outcomes, just like how Kramer's understandable grief turns him into a cold killer.
The Saw film franchise is an anthology of horror films centered around the Jigsaw Killer, a mastermind who crafts elaborate traps to test his victims' will to live. Victims, often morally flawed, are forced into gruesome games where they must inflict severe pain on themselves or others to survive.
