Top 20 Best Saw Movie Traps
#20: Oxygen Crusher
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“Saw VI” (2009) After William Easton is abducted, he wakes up to find this trap - also known as the Breathing Room - as his first test. The objective is to outlive the opponent, with the victims hooked to a machine that detects their breathing and progressively puts pressure on their chest. It's an effective trap that rules out any chance of cheating, as the characters' breaths are taken into account no matter how much they try to get away with it. The only issue is the unfairness of the situation, as William's opponent is a man riddled with heart disease, which basically sets him up to fail. Still, the tension felt in this scene is hard to miss, especially when the trap reaches its crushing conclusion.
#19: Pendulum Trap
“Saw V” (2008) The fifth movie’s opening shows Seth Baxter, a convicted criminal let out on a technicality, bound to a metal table when his game begins. The rules seem simple enough, with the only way out by activating a mechanism that forces Seth to offer his hands to save his life. The motivation to complete this painful task is the presence of a pendulum blade that swings closer toward Seth unless he completes the requirement. Unfortunately, this trap is rigged by Mark Hoffman, who uses it as a way to avenge Seth's killing of his sister. Seth did deserve to pay for his crimes, but there's no denying he did win this trap fair and square. It also leads to Jigsaw capturing Hoffman for copying his M.O, and setting him up as his apprentice.
#18: Horsepower Trap
“Saw 3D” (2010) Appropriately called the Horsepower trap, this game involves the main subject being glued to a car seat with the goal being to reach for the lever to free not only himself, but a number of his friends. The price of failure is the resulting chain of deaths, as the car is intended to release and cause a painful end to these characters. True to its nature, the trap carries a sense of urgency as the man literally tears himself apart to pull the lever. Unfortunately, the timer runs out anyway, spelling everyone's doom - as in the end, his efforts don’t matter. Considering so many lives are on the line here, this game represents how Jigsaw considers life to be a race against time.
#17: Drill Chair
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“Saw” (2004) The drill chair is a simple but terrifying game, as the victim is left at the mercy of another person to prevent a truly awful demise. It's not known what the actual game was meant to be here, as Jigsaw activates it to distract detectives away from him. When Sing and Tapp find the hapless Jeff strapped to this chair, they have precious few moments to figure out how to save the man. Their attempts to use the keys to unlock his binds is never really an option, however - not with the drills approaching dangerously close to Jeff. In the end, Sing cleverly shoots the drills instead, providing a rare example of a character quick-thinking their way out of a game.
#16: Classroom Trap
“Saw III” (2006) Troy finds himself chained to a chair in a classroom, where he receives instructions that the only way to be free is to pull on the chains pierced into his body. As expected, this is far from an easy task, although Troy does muster a remarkable level of willpower to come close. However, certain chains are pierced in vital areas that can be ripped open, leaving Troy at the hands of death. This is one of the traps executed by Amanda Young, who developed a habit to make them inescapable. The impressive aspect about it is the symbolism it carries, as Troy had to break himself apart from the criminal lifestyle that had shackled him for years.
#15: Needle Pit
“Saw II” (2005) The Nerve Gas House has several traps specifically for certain characters, with The Needle Pit being a representation of beating addiction. Originally meant as a test for Xavier, it takes a different turn when he forces Amanda to do it instead. There isn't just the one needle, but several hundred that form a pit where the key is hidden. Unlike most Jigsaw traps, this one doesn't carry any lethal consequences, but that doesn't make the process of sifting through hundreds of stabbing needles any more pleasant for Amanda. Her success points toward her survivalist attitude and would have been a success had it not been for Xavier’s butter fingers.
#14: Pound of Flesh
“Saw VI” (2009) The games become more brutal with each film, and the sixth installment begins with Eddie and Simone being selected for a test where only one can survive. This is based on who can provide the most flesh before the timer runs out. Losing means getting one's skull drilled in by the mechanism on their head. With a distinct advantage, Eddie immediately begins handing out his offerings, prompting Simone to think of drastic measures. With seconds left, she braves through the fear and offers up her arm to win as a horrified Eddie meets his end. Having worked as loan sharks, the two are given a gruesome realization that feeding on others' miseries entails a vivid lesson from Jigsaw.
#13: Angel Trap
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“Saw III” (2006) This one is designed for those with the bravest of spirits, as sufficient pain needs to be incurred to escape. Allison Kerry wakes up to a trap fixed around her ribs, as Jigsaw explains the cost of failure will be Kerry experiencing a terrible fate. She undergoes the test by plunging her hand into acid and retrieving the key at the bottom, remarkably achieving the goal with time to spare. Unfortunately, it turns out to be Amanda's inescapable trap, meaning Kerry has to suffer a tragic end to her life despite winning the game. The Angel Trap tests the victim's mental resolve as much as their willpower, as it tested Kerry's willingness to live compared to her capacity for pain.
#12: Grain Silo Trap
“Jigsaw” (2017) The games in Jigsaw vary in complexity, ranging from simpler tests like the bucket room and needle trap, to brain teasers like the cycle trap and the shotgun keys in the film’s climax. The Grain Silo trap technically shouldn't have been played, as Ryan begins it by trying and failing to escape. Things get worse when Anna and Mitch are trapped in the silo, as it's up to Ryan to free them at a great personal cost. This trap stands out in the movie for presenting a direct consequence for breaking Jigsaw's rules, and giving a selfish character like Ryan a morally conscious decision to make. It's also fun to see how overboard Jigsaw went with placing dangerous weapons in the silo, bringing in an element of dark humor.
#11: Shotgun Carousel
“Saw VI” (2009) Jigsaw's practice of giving everybody a chance to live takes a twist in this trap, as the possibility to stay alive for each participant is extremely slim. William is given a choice to save two out of six people strapped to a carousel, while the others can do nothing but stare down a shotgun barrel in their last moments. Along with the creative design of the carousel, the trap is a good depiction of how William's insurance policies appear if they’re shown in the flesh, as the person who comes up with the best argument gets to live. Despite racking up a high kill count, the carousel's scary quality comes with the certainty of death involved.
#10: Pig Vat
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“Saw III” (2006) This trap is relatively lower in intensity compared to others, although it's ultimately a stomach-churning one. Jeff finds the judge who only gave the man that accidentally killed his son a short sentence at the bottom of a vat. It's hard not to grimace when several pigs' pulped remains begin flowing into the vat and nearly drown the judge. Jeff's task is simple enough, as he needs to burn the belongings of his son to retrieve the key to save the judge's life. However, there's a certain level of pain involved, as the morose Jeff is forced to let go of his son's memory. This trap proves how Jigsaw is a master at doling out both physical and emotional pain.
#9: Knife Chair
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“Saw IV” (2007) Jigsaw considers every trap he designs as his form of poetic justice, and the knife chair is where he wrote his first verse. After losing his unborn child due to Cecil, Jigsaw, then known as John Kramer, loses his sense of morality and takes justice into his own hands. Upon capturing Cecil, John informs him that the key to Cecil's redemption is to press his face against the set of knives before him, thereby cleansing him of his sins. Having always played against the rules in life, Cecil is forced to comply for once and gets a painful lesson on the consequences of his actions. The knife chair is definitely crude in execution, but its success is what led to John turning into Jigsaw.
#8: Jeff’s Final Test
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“Saw III” (2006) Using his penchant for double meanings and half truths, Jigsaw gives Jeff the option to forgive the killer for all the things he's done. Jeff thinks he has no way to lose and takes it upon himself to end Jigsaw's life. Unfortunately, he’s unaware that Jigsaw’s survival is connected to his wife Lynn's, whose shotgun collar will go off when Jigsaw dies. A horrified Jeff learns that his test isn't only centered around forgiveness, but also holds the fates of other characters. The brilliance of this trap is how it goes directly in with Peter Strahm's own test, who arrives moments later as we see in the next film. The result of Jeff's test is also the key to Hoffman's escape, as he uses Jeff's daughter to brand himself as a hero in the fifth installment.
#7: Public Execution Trap
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“Saw 3D” (2010) By the events of Saw 3D, Jigsaw no longer has any issue with going public with his traps. This one was basically a way to end a love triangle, as the trap involved two men fighting for their romantic interest. One person has to die by directing the saw in the other’s direction. While Ryan and Brad start off by taking their rivalry to lethal degrees, they come to realize the girl they're fighting over doesn’t have genuine feelings for either of them. Deciding to literally cut their losses, the boys turn the blade towards her instead. The remarkable aspect of this trap is how so many people are present but are completely helpless, proving how there are no boundaries where Jigsaw is concerned.
#6: Mausoleum Trap
“Saw IV”(2007) This trap doesn't start off with any instructions for the victims. We watch Art Blank come to and realize he's had his mouth stitched while Trevor, his fellow participant, has his eyes sealed off. The two have collars attached to their necks that pull them toward a certain doom. Art figures out the key to his victory is placed on Trevor and the two battle it out before time runs out. While it seems unfair to Trevor, the true way to win was for Art to communicate with Trevor since he ended up opening the stitches on his mouth anyway. The mausoleum trap also signifies how ruthless Jigsaw can be, as it eventually becomes a straight-up death match.
#5: Glass Coffin
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“Saw V” (2008) Nothing could have confirmed Hoffman's inheritance of Jigsaw's tactics better than this trap. While Agent Peter Strahm gets closer and closer to figuring out Hoffman's role as Jigsaw apprentice, he chases him down to a room containing a glass coffin, which he assumes to be a trap for himself. However, he realizes his mistake upon playing the tape, as Hoffman reveals the coffin is the only way out. It's here when we learn the actual trap is the room's walls, which begin closing in as a helpless Strahm is left with no way out. What makes this so memorable is how Strahm was given clues right from the beginning, and that Hoffman had calculated his every move to ensure he was sealed in this room forever.
#4: Furnace
“Saw II” (2005) Obi is the only person who doesn’t panic when the victims of the Nerve Gas House wake up. Later, we find out Obi helped apprehend the others and is forced into a furnace to retrieve the antidotes. Unfortunately for Obi, his overconfident attitude leads him to underestimating Jigsaw, as he pulls on a chain that activates the furnace and seals him in there. This is one of the first instances where the way to escape is answered in the tape itself, as the devil mentioned by Jigsaw is seen in the furnace. While Obi meets a painful end, the trap goes a long way in establishing how Jigsaw's traps require victims to play by the rules.
#3: Acid Room
“Saw VI” (2009) William Easton is placed in a series of tests where the lives of everyone involved is placed in his hands. His motivation to see this through is to reunite with his family, who are implied to be the mother and son watching him. However, the film's twist reveals the family to belong to the man William denied insurance to and died as a result. It also turns out the real trap of the game is this one, as the mother-son duo have the option to end William by injecting him with acid. This trap represents a perfect piece of irony, as William was always responsible for deciding the fate of others, only to find himself begging for mercy. Unfortunately, he gets a lethal taste of his own medicine.
#2: Reverse Bear Trap
“Saw” (2004) As revealed in Jigsaw, this was among the very first traps the titular villain ever made. The original game is more elaborate, as Amanda is required to beat the time and fish the key out of her cellmate, which is easier said than done. Ironically, despite the Reverse Bear Trap being the most recurring in the series, we only see its successful execution in the seventh film, although it's well worth the wait. What's interesting is how the trap seems inescapable but can be avoided using clever thinking, as later demonstrated by Hoffman. Even more ironic is that it was only ever used on Jigsaw's apprentices and his own wife, making it the trap that truly tested them as Jigsaw's legacy. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Rack, “Saw III” (2006) Because This Was a Gruesome Twist of Fate Steam Maze, “Saw VI” (2009) Because This Trap Kept the Tension at the Absolute Peak Razor Box Trap, “Saw II” (2005) Because This Trap Was Simple Yet Effective Neck Tie Trap, “Saw V” (2008) Because the Hidden Theme of Teamwork Is What Makes This So Interesting
#1: Bathroom Trap
“Saw” (2004) The most elaborate trap Jigsaw's ever come up with, the Bathroom Trap is also arguably the most iconic one to come out of the series. With Lawrence's task to kill Adam and the latter's goal to just survive somehow, the trap is filled with numerous attempts by the men to escape with both their lives intact. With the addition of outside factors like Detective Tapp's involvement and Zep's role in the events, this is a game that keeps us guessing over what the outcome might be. Its minimalist setting allows the mystery of Jigsaw's identity to remain at the back of our minds, and the finale's twist places the entire trap in perfect context. It's also fitting that the original series ends right here to bring everything to full circle, as seen in “Saw 3D.”
