Top 20 Hardest Saw Traps To Escape
#20: The Laser Collar
Top 10 Hardest Saw Traps
“Jigsaw” (2017) The “Saw” franchise is well known for its grungy and low-tech but wickedly creative traps. “Jigsaw” did away with that general theme and introduced lasers to the mix. The Laser Collar is exactly what it sounds like - a metal collar that encircles the victim’s head with laser beams. The test is relatively easy by “Saw” standards, as the victims simply have to confess to their crimes. Unlike other traps, this torment is more psychological than physical. But this trap was not designed to be beaten. Rather, it was all a ploy by Logan to trick Halloran into confessing. An unbeatable trap completely goes against Jigsaw’s MO, as Halloran rightly points out. But hey, this isn’t Jigsaw.
#19: The Subway Trap
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“Spiral” (2021) This movie does not spiral into absurdity - rather, it opens with a bang. Or, rather, the loud passing of a train. Detective Marv Bozwick finds himself in the depraved Subway Trap after chasing a criminal into the sewers. His tongue is held in a vice-like contraption, and a train is scheduled to arrive in two minutes. If he wishes to live, Bozwick has to do the unspeakable…which, ironically, would leave him unspeakable. The pain alone would be horrific, and the aftermath life-changing. That is, if you didn’t die of blood loss while trying to get help. Unfortunately, Bozwick gets the worst of both options, as he completes the task but does so too late and dies anyway.
#18: The Brazen Bull
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“Saw 3D” (2010) There are some really bad ways to die, and slowly burning to death has to be one of the worst. The Brazen Bull trap is a special kind of depraved, affecting not one but two people. One person is required to pierce their pectoral muscles with massive hooks and hoist themselves up to the ceiling, thereby saving the second. It’s absolutely grotesque, and the pain would really put your devotion and loyalty to the test. But that’s nothing compared to what poor Joyce undergoes. Bobby fails to complete the task in time, and Joyce roasts alive inside of a large oven. Her dying screams will haunt our nightmares for years to come.
#17: The Rack
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“Saw III” (2006) Not all “Saw” traps are created equal. Some, like the Subway Trap, result in near instantaneous death. But others are made specifically to cause as much pain as possible. The Rack is one of those. This is one of the most infamous traps in the series, and for good reason. It is absolutely unimaginable. Poor Timothy is enclosed in a cross-like contraption that slowly twists each individual limb before getting to the neck. Anyone who has ever broken a bone can sympathize - this pain would be like that, only a thousand times worse. Humans are not meant to endure this kind of agony, and Tim’s fate is left entirely at the hands of Jeff Denlon. The Rack is both obscene and inescapable.
#16: The Scalping Seat
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“Saw IV” (2007) The worst types of traps are the ones that combine pain with reliance. Other people are not dependable in these types of situations. This was the case with the Rack, and it’s also the case with the Scalping Seat. One person is stuck to a chair, and a gear mechanism slowly pulls at their hair. Of course, a lot more than hair comes with it. We couldn’t imagine being in Brenda’s seat, both literally and figuratively. Not only does she have to watch Rigg bumble around while trying to help, but she’s forced to endure extreme pain as…well, you know. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that Brenda likely would have died anyway from the profuse blood loss.
#15: The Horsepower Trap
Top 20 Best Saw Movie Traps
“Saw 3D” (2010) Any trap involving “peeling” is a big nope from us. This one from “Saw 3D” sees the late Chester Bennington playing a racist named Evan. Evan is glued to an El Camino, and he must force himself out of the seat to pull a lever. Doing so will save his friends from certain death. The idea of the peeling really gets under the skin, so to speak. Not only would the pain be absolutely dreadful, but a lack of skin would open you up to some serious medical complications and risk of infection. There’s also the whole psychological aspect to it - endure nightmarish agony, or let your friends die? Nothing about this trap is easy.
#14: The Classroom Trap
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“Saw III” (2006) This trap was overseen by Amanda, and you know what that means. The classroom trap is totally inescapable, as Amanda had welded the door shut. But even ignoring that, this trap is easily one of the hardest in the entire series. Unlike some others, Troy starts in excruciating pain and horrible bodily injury, as numerous chains are pierced through his limbs. He must pull these limbs loose to avoid a bomb’s blast. Doing so would cause permanent damage to the body, and even if you somehow managed to tear yourself free, you would probably die anyway from the shock, trauma, and tremendous blood loss. Amanda is one twisted woman.
#13: The Glass Coffin
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“Saw V” (2008) Anyone who has even nicked themselves on a shard of glass can attest to the hideous pain that it causes. Now just imagine lying on an entire bed of them. Well, that’s the Glass Coffin in a nutshell. The subject is trapped in a room and the walls begin to close in. The only way to escape certain death is to climb into the glass coffin, which will then lower into the floor. Even worse, the trap involves a degree of trust, as Strahm must enter the coffin without knowing its function. Would you trust the person on the other end of the tape? Would you willingly climb onto a bed of glass shards? These are tough questions that this trap forces us to ponder.
#12: The Pig Vat
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“Saw III” (2006) We gotta say, “Saw III” really ramps up the gross factor. The Pig Vat is hard in a different way, asking the helpless subject not only to trust another person, but to endure what is arguably the most disgusting trap in the series. The poor subject here is Judge Halden, who is strapped to the bottom of a giant vat. This vat is then slowly filled with the stinking gray sludge of blended pig corpses. If Jeff doesn’t save Halden in time, he will suffocate in this sludge. Drowning is a truly terrible way to go - never mind drowning in this repulsive concoction. Even with all the bodily harm in the “Saw” franchise, this one might be the most gag-inducing.
#11: Reverse Bear Trap
“Saw” (2004) We never thought we’d have sympathy for Amanda, but that’s the debased power of the Reverse Bear Trap. Before she became Jigsaw’s apprentice, Amanda was a drug user fitted with a device that would tear her jaw open if she didn’t complete the task in time. Said task had Amanda killing and rooting through her cellmate, Donnie Greco. This trap is far more psychological than physical, asking you the ultimate question - would you kill to save your own life? It’s a question that leaves Amanda traumatized, as it would anyone. Of course, there is a physical aspect to it as well, as we see the grisly aftermath when it later takes the life of Jill Tuck.
#10: The Pendulum
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“Saw V” (2008) The pendulum trap is very hard indeed, considering it is...literally impossible to escape from. Seth Baxter had killed his girlfriend Angelina Acomb and was released from prison after just five years owing to a technicality. Seeking revenge, Angelina’s brother Mark Hoffman kidnapped Seth and killed him via the pendulum trap. Seth is told that he can escape the trap by placing his hands in two vices and pushing the buttons therein. His hands would be crushed, but the trap would be stopped. Seth puts his hands in the vices, only to find out that the trap is actually inescapable. The pendulum continues, slicing him apart.
#9: Knife Chair
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“Saw IV” (2007) John Kramer’s first trap is simple but incredibly effective. Its victim is Cecil Adams, a drug addict who accidentally caused John’s wife Jill to suffer a miscarriage. John, in turn, kidnapped Cecil and attached him to his primitive knife chair. To escape the shackles pinning him to the chair, Cecil had to press his face against a pressure plate on the other side of eight horizontally-placed knives. It would be an absolutely brutal trap to escape from. Not only would the pain be excruciating, but the sufferer would be stuck with the knowledge that their face would be disfigured. Luckily for Cecil, the chair he was sitting on collapsed before he could finish the test. That being said, he didn’t really make the most of his new lease on life.
#8: The Silence Circle
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“Saw 3D” (2010) If the knife chair was simplistic, the silence circle is like something out of a dystopian science fiction story. The trap is designed for two people - in this case, Bobby Dagen and Nina. Nina is placed in a contraption with various metal rods pointing at her throat. To free her from the trap, Bobby was forced to pull a key hanging from a fishing line out of her stomach. To make matters even more complicated, the rods would move closer whenever Nina screamed out in pain. Unsurprisingly, Nina couldn’t help but scream, and she ended up dying before Bobby could free her. This trap could technically be beaten, but it may as well be impossible. Who wouldn’t scream out in pain while having a fishing hook dragged through their esophagus?
#7: Pound of Flesh
“Saw VI” (2009) Like the knife chair, this trap is simple in theory - the person to cut off the most flesh wins and is allowed to live. Eddie decided to cut from his own stomach, whereas Simone had the idea of cutting off her arm using the provided meat cleaver. As her arm was heavier than Eddie’s stomach flesh, Simone lived and Eddie was killed via a mechanical device attached to his head. This is a hard test for many reasons. It requires creativity, determination, and an incredible tolerance for pain. The thing is, it also forces the victims into competing with each other, all but guaranteeing that—in addition to their self-inflicted injuries—the winner will suffer survivor’s guilt.
#6: The Angel Trap
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“Saw III” (2006) One of “Saw III’s” most brutal devices, the angel trap is a contraption that tears its victim’s ribs apart. To escape the trap, Detective Allison Kerry was forced to dunk her hand in a vat of acid to retrieve a key. Like the pendulum from “Saw V,” the angel trap was technically inescapable. However, that wasn’t by design. Instead, Jigsaw’s apprentice Amanda Young manipulated the trap, making the lock and key completely useless. Even if it wasn’t inescapable, this trap would be a tough one to conquer. Turning your hand to goop in a vat of acid probably doesn’t feel very good, you know?
#5: The Syringe Pit
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“Saw II” (2005) It really is the most primitive traps that prove the most horrifying. Maybe it’s because we can actually relate to the pain - or at least imagine what it would feel like. The Nerve Gas House in “Saw II” features a room containing a pit filled with used syringes. To unlock a metal door and retrieve the antidote to the nerve gas, the victim is forced to sift and dig through the syringes to retrieve a key. The trap was meant for Xavier, but he threw Amanda into the pit instead. Despite the lack of blood and gore, the syringe pit is a grisly trap, and it proves one of the most wince-inducing of the entire series. You can just feel the pain.
#4: 10 Pints of Sacrifice
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“Saw V” (2008) This trap is quite similar to the pound of flesh. Only this one would prove even more excruciating. To escape the room, Mallick and Brit were forced to sacrifice ten pints of their own blood. The blood was collected in a beaker, and it was retrieved by the victims sticking their hands into spinning saw blades. It was Brit’s idea to work together, so both she and Mallick were “only” forced to give five pints of blood each. At least the pound of flesh trap could be over in a matter of seconds, provided someone is brave enough to hack off a limb. In this one, the victim is forced to sit in excruciating pain and watch their hand be shredded by a saw blade.
#3: The Mausoleum
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“Saw IV” (2007) This trap is both cruel and incredibly complicated. Trevor and Art are shackled to a device that will strangle them to death if they don’t work together. Unfortunately, Trevor’s eyes and Art’s mouth have been sewn shut, effectively preventing any obvious means of communication. To make matters even more complicated, Trevor is provided with various deadly tools, and Art notices that the key to the device is located on Trevor’s shackle. Unsurprisingly, Trevor begins to panic, forcing Art to kill him with a hammer. Poor Trevor really got the short end of this stick. He couldn’t see, didn’t know what was happening, and had no idea how to escape the trap. Both men walking away from this one was nearly impossible.
#2: Venus Fly Trap
“Saw II” (2005) Police informant Michael Marks was the victim of the particularly horrifying Venus Fly Trap - a steel contraption outfitted with numerous nails. To prevent the mask from springing and clamping down on his head, Michael needed to remove a key from his own body using the provided scalpel. In “Saw 3D,” it’s established that Dr. Gordon operated on Michael and placed the key behind his eye. This situation would prove unimaginably terrifying, and we don’t think many people would have the fortitude for what this deadly trap demands of them. Michael certainly couldn’t, and he died as a result.
#1: Razor Wire Maze
“Saw” (2004) Poor Paul Leahy. He was targeted by Jigsaw for attempting to take his own life. To teach Paul a lesson, Jigsaw rigged a room with razor wire. Paul had two hours to traverse the deadly maze before the escape door closed. Unfortunately, Paul was unable to find his way out, and he quickly bled to death. This is another simple trap in execution, but it proves more horrifying than the elaborate tests of later movies. Not only would it prove excruciating, but the puzzle aspect of the trap would be endlessly frustrating—especially once the mind became preoccupied with the pain. It’s a dastardly combination, and it makes the razor wire maze one of Jigsaw’s most depraved creations.
