Saw: Jigsaw's 25 Most Thought-Provoking Quotes

Summary Jigsaw's iconic quotes carry hidden meanings and reflect his twisted sense of fun in creating death-defying lessons for his victims.

Saw franchise faced near-cancellation after negative reviews for Saw 3D but made a comeback with sequels featuring Tobin Bell's return.

John Kramer's motivations in Saw movies stem from a near-death experience, driving him to make others appreciate life through brutal tests.

Nobody has better Saw quotes than the main character of the franchise, John Kramer/Jigsaw. Every statement he makes is either witty or has some sort of hidden meaning to it. After attempting suicide due to a terminal illness, the former engineer came to appreciate life even more, and he sought to impart that same death-defying lesson to those whom he believed did not value their lives. Thus began a gruesome chain of events that has thus far spanned 10 movies and nearly two decades. Saw 3D, released in 2010, looked to be the death knell for the iconic horror franchise.

The lackluster reviews of Saw 3D from critics and audiences alike almost made it the final Saw movie, but the series has since produced more sequels and a spinoff. The biggest change in those installments was the lack of Tobin Bell as John Kramer. However, 2023's Saw X saw the return of John Kramer, and he brought with him some more memorable Jigsaw lines that rank among the best Saw quotes in franchise history.

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25 "Oh, Yes. There Will Be Blood."

Saw II (2005)

The kill counts in the Saw movies show that Jigsaw is a man who is willing to shed blood in order to make his point. But despite all of his self-important rhetoric about how he is simply helping people, there does sometimes seem to be a twisted sense of fun he gets from just how brutal his tests can be.

In Saw II, Jigsaw reveals to Detective Matthews that his son is among the several captives taking part in one of his games. As he explains the fate his son faces, he cannot hide his amusement in delivering this gruesome promise.

It is one of the rare times Jigsaw seems like the bloodthirsty killer that he is. This is a switch from the more reasoning approaches he takes with his victims, where he lets them know this is a lesson they have to learn. Here, he just seems happy about it.

24 "You Can’t Help Them. They Have To Help Themselves."

Saw IV (2007)

Before he began his path as Jigsaw, it seemed as though John Kramer had lost his faith in people but that doesn't mean that he had given up on them. He had seen examples of people who offered to help those struggling in life only to see that help squandered.

In the end, John comes to the realization that the goodness in others will not change these people, but rather that they need to have their own life in their hands to help put their lives right. There is an interesting aspect to Jigsaw in how he views humanity.

The entire Saw franchise seems almost like torture porn for the sake of Jigsaw hurting other people. However, in John's eyes, the people he is hurting deserve it and the only way they will ever grow and become better is to suffer for their sins. He leaves a way out for those who want to improve themselves, but they have to make a sacrifice first.

23 "Welcome To Your Rebirth."

Saw IV (2007)

There have been a few different motivations given for why John Kramer started on his path to become Jigsaw. One of these explanations comes in Saw II where a flashback shows that, following his terminal cancer diagnosis, John attempted to end his own life by crashing his car.

He survived the crash and the painful injuries helped him to gain a new appreciation for the life he had. In a way, that was John's moment of rebirth, and he has been trying to give others their chance at starting life again with a new perspective.

He delivers this line to Rigg ahead of his test. It is also interesting that John sees a near-death experience as the most important thing that can happen to a person when they get too close to the edge, or when they have already crossed the line. When they realize that death is so close, they can finally see the world differently and make the changes needed to do better.

22 "Those Who Don't Appreciate Life Do Not Deserve It."

Saw II (2005)

As much as Jigsaw talks about giving people the means to save themselves, it also feels like there are some people he wants to see fail his tests and die. One aspect of his character that is not often discussed is the jealousy he feels towards people who have full lives ahead of them. He is a dying man who is filled with anger at the thought of people not appreciating the life he so badly wants.

In some instances, it feels like his tests are less about giving a second chance to those who earn it and more about taking life away from those who don't appreciate it to his liking. In Saw II, this was the case with Campbell Iman. He, like John, has cancer. However, instead of feeling mercy towards the man, John sees that he is a drug addict who is wasting away the last few years of his life. For John, death is a better option.

21 "This Is Not Retribution. This Is A Reawakening."

Saw X (2023)

Saw X takes place earlier on the timeline while John Kramer is still alive and explores an unknown aspect of his journey. It sees him lured into a scam for a life-saving cancer operation. When John finds out that it was all a lie to cheat him out of his money, he takes those responsible and places them in a series of traps.

It feels like a more personal mission John is on. But even after these people give him hope for a new life only to take it away, he assures them that he is not looking for revenge but rather seeking to help them be better people.

This is an interesting take on John's story. Instead of the attempted suicide that led him to make people appreciate their lives more, here he was cheated and hurt. He wants to make these villains understand what they do hurts others, and by hurting them, he hopes to change their outlook on life.

20 "If You Find The Meaning Of Your Life, What You’ve Found Is Your Soul."

Saw X (2023)

Saw X is the most critically acclaimed movie in the franchise and a big part of that reason is likely due to how much it puts Tobin Bell's John Kramer in the spotlight. Bell's performance has always been the strongest aspect of these movies and Saw X uses his talents to its full advantage, digging deeper into the character and revealing more.

This quote is an insightful one that suggests part of the motivation behind his work is that it gives him purpose and meaning in the final days of his life. John says he wants to help others be better people and realize that they are wasting their lives away with their misdeeds, mistakes, and sins.

However, at the end of the day, John is doing this for himself. In the end, he helps others, or he lets them die, and whatever happens is up to them. As this Saw quote reveals, the only person he really cares about helping is himself, as he seeks to heal his own soul with these tests.

19 "So, Your Advice To Me Is To Die Easy?"

Saw X (2023)

Saw X takes place in between the first and second movie, showing John Kramer very near the end of his life and dealing with that pending death. How he chooses to address the end of his life is another interesting and thought-provoking aspect of the character. After being told his time is limited, the doctor gives John advice on how to make his final days easier. However, this sounds absurd to John. Why would he want to die easily? Why wouldn't he want to fight against it with every last bit of strength he had left?

From that perspective, John might think his victims have an obvious choice to make. This is a lesson that John passes on to these victims. Do they want to keep wasting their lives away and make their own lives easy until they die, or do they want to fight, struggle, and make hard decisions to make their worth remembering when they finally die? To John, the answer is easy.

18 "I'm Sick Of It All"

Saw (2004)

"Yes, I'm Sick, Officer. Sick From The Disease Eating Away At Me Inside. Sick Of People Who Don't Appreciate Their Blessings. Sick Of Those Who Scoff At The Suffering Of Others. I'm Sick Of It All!"

John Kramer reveals his motivations to the police early in the franchise in 2004's Saw when he is close to being apprehended in his warehouse while one of his victims is close to his death in a trap of his creation. This prompts the officers to call Jigsaw sick, which makes him list the various things that make him sick. Though a slightly tropey bit of villain monologuing, the quote offers early insight into the psyche of the Saw franchise's leading antagonist.

These Saw quotes show why John is doing this, to begin with. John claims he wants to help others, but John is sick and tired and he is disgusted when he sees others floundering and not respecting what they have when he knows he is dying. Life isn't fair to John, and his tests are punishments as much as they are tests.

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17 "When Faced With Death, Who Should Live Versus Who Will Live Are Two Entirely Separate Things."

Saw VI (2009)

2009's Saw VI introduced a new series of traps arranged by Jigsaw after his death and carried out by his latest successor that was designed to test William Easton, head of a major health insurance company that raked in incredible riches by denying medical claims based on their immoral policies.

While many horror movie series lose steam after the first few entries, Saw VI was an unexpected break for Saw — a shot in the arm for the franchise and boldly served as something of an origin story that better fleshed out Kramer's backstory and motivations.

Though he's technically been dead for some time during the events of the film, his words still sting from beyond the grave. In this quote, John is lashing out one more time from the grave, as he is left to die and knows that many more people will die because of the American health system's greed. This is a trap for revenge more than a learning experience for the victim.

16 "I've Never Murdered Anyone In My Life. The Decisions Were Up To Them."

Saw II (2005)

In Saw II, Jigsaw has seemingly allowed himself to be caught. However, when a police squadron led by Eric Matthews arrives at his hideout, they find the villain to be in the process of conducting a game — or so they believe.

In exchange for freeing his captured son and Jigsaw's other victims, he asks only that Matthews have patience and partake in conversation. Matthews, understandably, accuses him of murder, but Kramer responds by claiming that he's never murdered anyone, as those who died in his traps chose to.

It's an odd rationale, but it's central to Jigsaw's concepts of sacrifice and redemption. This is also something that makes John Kramer such a fascinating slasher killer. He kidnaps people (or has them kidnapped) and then places them in traps that will kill them if they make a mistake. While this technically means their mistakes cause their deaths. He is just as guilty, but by his rationale, he gave everyone a chance to live.

15 "How You Play The Cards You're Dealt Is All That Matters."

Saw IV (2007)

"Good doesn't lead to good, nor bad to bad. People steal, don't get caught. Live the good life. Others lie, cheat, and get elected. Some people stop to help a stranded motorist and get taken out by a speeding semi. There's no accounting for it."

Jigsaw's earliest victim was revealed in 2007's Saw IV, a film that further explored the history of John Kramer when his ex-wife revealed how the miscarriage of his unborn daughter at the hands of a drug-addicted thief had driven him insane.

That thief was put into one of John's first traps, which he even managed to escape, though John gave him a final lesson on fate and good life decisions with these Saw quotes. This early death was before John really got his motives together for why he did what he did.

This was an act of vengeance, and John only acted like the thief had a chance to escape. Cecil wouldn't take the lesson John offered and tried to attack him, only to fall to his death in a mesh of barbed wire. This is what John means when he says his victims are all responsible for their own deaths, although he has no problem pushing them into the act when he feels they deserve it.

14 "Once You Are In Hell, Only The Devil Can Help You Out."

Saw II (2005)

Obi was one of Jigsaw's assistants in 2005's Saw II who helped kidnap the assembled victims of the sequel's trap house. However, he was put through his own test to gather antidotes for the poison coursing through their bodies. He was forced to climb into a furnace, where Jigsaw's clue gave him the answer to escaping after it ignited thanks to a painted devil pointing to his salvation if he dared to reach through the flames.

Jigsaw's recorded message featured motivational Saw quotes in different situations. "If you're going through hell, keep going." This is one thing that John did to many of his victims, although it seems more cruel than not in many situations. He offers people a chance to live, but he demands that they suffer great pain, whether it is burns like Obi faces here, or even losing body parts. Jigsaw will give them what they need to survive but at a great cost.

13 "The Choice Is Not So Clear When You're Face To Face With The People Whose Blood Will Stain Your Hands"

Saw VI (2009)

Another of the tests Easton was forced to undertake in Saw VI continued to test the policies of his company by making him choose between a young healthy male with no relatives or a middle-aged family woman with a history of diabetes in her family, showcasing Jigsaw's typical game of high-stakes moral conundrums.

Jigsaw's Saw quotes remind Easton that, while it may be easy to make life-and-death decisions about people he'll never meet, things are much direr when done face-to-face. The fact that Jigsaw is putting these people's lives in this man's hands is harsh, but the problem comes when the man has to decide which person is more deserving of life.

The man decides whether a man with no family should die since he would leave few to no people mourning his loss, or a woman whose family will be heartbroken, but one who is at risk of dying early anyway due to health concerns. Easton makes these choices all the time at work without having to look at people's faces.

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12 "Don't Worry, You're Sound Asleep And Can't Feel A Thing."

Saw II (2005)

Saw II opened with the cruelty fans have come to expect from the franchise. Police informant Michael had a spike-filled mask around his neck. Jigsaw informed him that, to free himself, he'd have to slice through his eye to get the key to set himself free. He didn't manage it, so he died. The quote might somehow be Jigsaw's way of implying that most people go through life without actually being alert. They don't feel what's coming until it's too late.

Jigsaw added more interesting Saw quotes on top of the one above, saying that "society would call you an informant, a rat, a snitch. I call you unworthy of the body you possess." This is harsh but true, as Jigsaw knows that Michael has no concern for others and lives each day for himself. However, when faced with a harsh test of pain and suffering, Michael can't make it and Jigsaw lets him know that he knew he wasn't strong enough to make it out of this trap alive.

11 "You're Probably Wondering Where You Are. I'll Tell You Where You Might Be. You Might Be In The Room You Die In."

Saw (2004)

The very beginning of 2004's Saw showcases one of Kramer's most egregious errors. The bathtub in which Adam woke up contained a key intended to free him from his chains, but it was flushed down the drain immediately. This, of course, is lost on a panicked Adam, who, shortly after, plays a recording meant to clue him in on what exactly is going on.

Of course, Jigsaw would never be so forthcoming as to tell his victims exactly what's going on. Rather, he offers the sinister suggestion that the room in which he finds himself may turn into his grave should he fail to solve his captor's riddles. This is ominous and immediately paints Jigsaw as a formidable villain that victims should fear.

Of course, as the story moves on, the victims realize they have a chance to live, but only if they make sacrifices. For one of the men, there is no chance to live as Jigsaw has already determined that one of these men will die in this exact room.

10 "Congratulations, You Are Still Alive. Most People Are So Ungrateful To Be Alive... But Not You, Not Anymore."

Saw (2004)

Jigsaw's games are meant to test how much people value their own lives. Will they do anything to stay alive, even if it means killing another person or mutilating themselves? This statement was said to Amanda after she survived her test.

She did value her life, but she came out broken in the end. It seems that just about everyone subjected to Jigsaw's traps ends up either totally warped or dead, and, most of the time, it's the latter. This lesson was part of why Amanda became a Jigsaw apprentice.

This Saw quote is an interesting one as well. This shows that John Kramer knows that some people need a push to find out who they are meant to be. For Amanda, it was the same near-death experience that John himself once faced. He sees the same flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes, and he knows he has found someone who not only survived but learned the lesson of his tests.

9 "Every Day Of Your Working Life You've Given People News That They'll Die. Now, You Will Be The Cause Of Death."

Saw (2004)

Jigsaw doesn't hesitate to explain to his victims what is at stake. Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Adam Faulkner are told what they have to do, but Dr. Gordon is given the most chilling breakdown of what lies ahead of him. Initially, neither of them can understand why are there. This quote to Dr. Gordon is really meant to show him that he previously handled death very casually, but now he has to be serious about it, especially since his own is on the line.

Jigsaw often does this to his victims because he wants them to know why he chose them for these tests. For Dr. Gordon, it was actually more personal. Since he was a doctor who let John know he was dying and seemed almost nonchalant about it, Kramer realizes that Gordon needs to know what death really feels like. This is the only way that Gordon can become more empathetic in the future, although his tests don't end with this first movie.

8 "It Will Be Like Finding A Needle In A Haystack."

Saw II (2005)

Jigsaw likes having fun with his victims, and no moment made this clearer than these Saw quotes in Saw II. Here, the killer gives his victims the hardest of tasks, partially inspired by the presence of a drug dealer named Xavier Chavez. He tells them that there is a key in a pit full of needles that'll unlock a door and free them from the trap. All they have to do is dig through the hundreds of needles. The message? Survival isn't easy — not in Jigsaw's world, at least.

This task triggers a couple of other events that leave some of the victims dead. This is one of the cruelest traps that seem designed to ensure that even people who try to survive will die. This Saw quote also proves that sometimes Jigsaw isn't there to teach people a lesson, but to amuse himself. At times like this, his status as a serial killer really shines through.

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7 "Death Is A Surprise Party. Unless Of Course, You're Already Dead On The Inside."

Saw III (2006)

In Saw 3, Amanda, who is now working with Jigsaw, brings in Dr. Lynn Denlon to treat the killer and keep him from dying, so he can complete the tests and finish training her. John Kramer may have been dying, but he feels that, in a way, those around him are already dead. Jigsaw's near-death experience gave him a new lease on life, and he views those who haven't had the same enlightening experience as the walking dead.

Lynn was, in Jigsaw's mind, living an unfulfilling life while on autopilot, so he felt that it was his duty to wake her up in his typical, sadistic fashion. In this movie, Jigsaw's tests were not always what they seemed, and it turns out that he was testing people other than the ones with the traps attached to them. The climax of this movie shows an unexpected twist that leaves almost everyone dead — the ultimate surprise party that this quote suggests.

6 "You Think It's Over Just Because I Am Dead, But The Games Have Just Begun."

Saw IV (2007)

Incredibly intelligent and with access to an almost unbelievable amount of lethal machinery and abandoned warehouses, Jigsaw had quite some time to test and plan out his traps. He had so much time that he managed to implement schemes that would be carried out long after his death.

Of course, Jigsaw will always be around, as the franchise has to continue in some form. Another disciple can always take his place, but the movie won't feel complete without him. When John Kramer died in Saw III, it seemed the story was over.

However, the games continued with his pre-planned games, his various accomplices, and eventually a movie that served as a prequel. This quote is meant for the victims in the movie after John's death. However, the quote is also a message for fans of the Saw franchise not to worry because there would be more, even if Jigsaw was no longer around to taunt his victims in person.