Summary

• The Saw franchise delivers chilling moments through both visceral gore and sinister quotes, showcasing its ability to captivate with words.
• The movies explore introspective themes and offer surprising moments of philosophical dialogue, adding complexity to the disarming focus on dismemberment.
• John Kramer, the self-appointed moral judge known as the Jigsaw Killer, justifies his brutal actions with twisted teachings and a contempt for those he deems unappreciative of life.

Though it is most known for its brutal traps, the most sinister Saw quotes prove the franchise can deliver chilling moments with words as well as visceral gore. Following the release of the first movie in 2004, the Saw franchise has evolved from an intriguing premise to a deep and interwoven story across 9 sequels and a spinoff. The movies follow the twisted tale of John Kramer (Tobin Bell), the self-appointed moral judge known as the Jigsaw Killer, enacting his vengeance on those he deems unappreciative of life. While the series has earned a reputation for a disarming focus on dismemberment, the films often offer introspective themes that can be equally mesmerizing.

Saw X continued Jigsaw's journey with more bone-chilling lines and philosophizing dialogue from Tobin Bell and the rest of the cast that has been present throughout the best of the Saw movies. From the musings of Detective Mark Hoffman to the twisted teachings of John Kramer himself, the movies have an incredibly surprising number of quotable moments thanks to Jigsaw's philosophy being to integral to his increasingly creative games, traps, and kills. The best Saw movie quotes highlight the violence, cruelty, and disturbed philosophies the franchise has become known for — and they don't all come from Tobin Bell.

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

John Kramer (Saw)

John Kramer clearly sees himself as a hero despite the rest of the world viewing him as a monster. Though he may insist his traps are meant to help people and that they will be better off if they can win his game, the truth is that Jigsaw's origins come from a place of pain and loss. His work is fuelled by jealousy and anger, and this blunt line how his rage helps him rationalize his actions. John can hardly hide his contempt for the victims of his traps, as he suggests not appreciating life every moment they are alive deserves a death sentence. While John sees himself very differently, it is a Saw quote that highlights just how merciless John Kramer really is.

RELATED: Every Single Saw Movie (In Chronological Order)

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

John Kramer (Saw II)

John Kramer's sympathetic origins make it all too easy to mistake him for some kind of anti-hero. However, looking at the man and his actions more closely, his delusional rationale actually makes him more sinister than other more mindless horror movie killers. When confronted by the police, John pushes back on them labeling him as a murderer, insisting that he gives people the choice to live. Not only does John not seem to have a good grasp on how the law works, but it is also an eerie look into his conscience and morality — mainly being that they are non-existent. Without accepting that he has murdered countless people through his tests, John makes it impossible to ever feel guilty.

13 "Killing Is... Distasteful To Me."

John Kramer (Saw V)

As the Saw franchise continued, there was a growing sense of John Kramer being depicted as a more sympathetic character. He was intimidating because of what he was capable of, but he wasn't the most morally bankrupt character in the Saw universe. Jigsaw's future apprentice Mark Hoffman could rightly be called the true villain of the series, and took a more malicious approach to the work.

John first became aware of Hoffman when the corrupt detective staged a fake Jigsaw trap to kill a man and avoid suspicion. John captures Hoffman and lets it be known that he disapproves, despite all the blood already on his hands. The line is a darkly comedic moment, though John is oblivious to his own hypocrisy.

12 "That’s the Last Thing That You Should Be Worried About."

John Kramer (Saw X)

Saw X was a critically acclaimed return of the franchise that wisely brought Tobin Bell back as John Kramer. The journey John goes through in the movie further builds him as a sympathetic character, as he is duped into an experimental cancer treatment only to realize it was a scam. Not surprisingly, John targets the scammers, despite insisting it has nothing to do with retribution. Saw X's post-credit scene sees John about to put the last guilty party to the test. When the man pleads for John not to kill him, John delivers this haunting Saw quote that is a reminder Jigsaw's victims often suffer fates worse than death.

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

John Kramer (Saw II)

Tobin Bell plays John Kramer with a terrifying calmness that adds to John's claims that he gets no pleasure from the pain he inflicts. However, Bell drops that persona in one memorable Saw II quote. After kidnapping Detective Matthews' son Daniel and forcing him through the infamous Nerve Gas House game, Matthews confronts Kramer. Kramer offers a coy explanation of what will happen to the boy should time run out. He finishes his twisted speech with a grim smile and the affirmation that "there will be blood." While it is revealed this was all part of the test and John was trying to anger Matthews, it is a rare moment of John relishing his evil deeds.

10 "It's The Rules."

Zep Hindle (Saw)

The original Saw film introduces the killer known as Jigsaw but keeps his identity a mystery, leading to the brilliant Saw twist ending. However, there are plenty of red herrings thrown into the movie with the biggest one being Zepp Hindle, the man revealed to have been forced into orchestrating Gordon's game. When Zepp enters the basement near the climax and is about to execute Gordon, he simply explains that it's the rules. While it is a clue to Saw's twist that Zepp is just another pawn in this game, it is also a creepy reminder of how effectively John can manipulate people to play along with his games.

9 "Once You're In Hell, Only The Devil Can Help You Out."

Jigsaw (Saw II)

This is one of the examples of the mind games Jigsaw plays with his victims, offering small clues to foreshadow their demise that become clear too late for them to save themselves. This memorable, thought-provoking, and casually delivered Saw quote was a vague warning to a man about to burn alive in a furnace. However, it also serves as an example of how Jigsaw views his victims. He feels that their crimes, low morals, or bad judgment are to blame for their gruesome fates. It is a lack of compassion or understanding that John Kramer sees these brutal scenarios as worthy punishments for these people.

8 "Your Dad Is The Reason I Got Into This In The First Place"

William Schenk (Spiral)

Spiral was a bold new take on the franchise, set in the world of Jigsaw but focusing on a new killer with new motivations and leading to a new twist. After first being introduced to his new partner, rookie detective William Schenk (Max Minghella) offers Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) his thoughts on Zeke's father, remarking that "your dad is the reason I got into this in the first place." At first, the quote seems to praise the controversial police chief, but it takes on a twisted double meaning later.

The film's climax reveals that Schenk was actually the killer all along, and his reason for taking up the mantle of Jigsaw was to enact his own brand of justice against the city's police force. Ultimately, Banks' father inspired a killer, not a detective. This early foreshadowing of the twist at the end of Spiral makes this one of the best Saw quotes that aren't from Jigsaw himself.

7 "Suffering? You Haven't Seen Anything Yet."

John Kramer (Saw III)

Saw III was noted for upping the ante when it came to gore and violence, introducing new and wildly more sadistic traps and challenges. However, it remained as thought-provoking as the previous entries, and it even had the gall to kill off Jigsaw, though it would be far from his final appearance in the series. Midway through the movie, Kramer is discussing his thoughts on marriage with his captive nurse, Lynn.

Lynn remarks to John Kramer that her own marriage had gone through more suffering than he could imagine, and he retorts with "Suffering? You haven't seen anything yet." Kramer was an expert on pain at this point in the Saw franchise timeline, and as this quote shows, the Jigsaw Killer doesn't take kindly to those who think they understand the nature of suffering.

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

Jigsaw (Saw VI)

2009's Saw VI was a terrifying experience that many regard as a franchise high point. Saw VI sees insurance rep William Easton face the consequences of his lack of compassion. When forced to decide which of two co-workers will die, Jigsaw reminds him of his calloused decisions in the past, stating that "when faced with death, who should live versus who will live are two entirely separate things." An extra layer of cruelty in Jigsaw's games is that they often pit people against each other, forcing them to fight for who has the greater will to live, not only putting them through pain but taking away their humanity as well.

5 "The Sewer Lines Run Under This Neighborhood Too, Doctor."

Detective Tapp (Saw)

Detective Tapp (Danny Glover) is one of the few key characters from the first Saw who does not appear again in the franchise. However, musings like this make him a memorable character. Believing that Dr. Gordon feels like he's above the city's seedy goings-on, Tapp offers him an anecdote about a dentist who lived in the same neighborhood and committed horrible crimes. To drive home the point that Gordon isn't as distant from these issues as he would like to believe, Tapp closes by saying that "the sewer lines run under this neighborhood, too, Doctor." It is an astute insight that speaks to the cynical world the Saw movies exist in.

4 "Live Or Die, Make Your Choice."

Jigsaw (Saw)

Though he doesn't always live up to his twisted code of ethics, Jigsaw believes that he's putting his victims through trials that, should they survive, will cause them to value their lives once again. Most of Jigsaw's victims are told the rules of their games by way of grainy VHS recordings framed around the infamous Billy puppet. Just about every one of them ends with the line "live or die, make your choice."

It is another example Jigsaw shifting responsibility for the outcome of his games from himself to the participants, and this tagline Saw quote has become a staple of the franchise present in many of the sequel's trailers. Though presented as a simple choice, Jigsaw's games always make it clear that it is never going to be that easy.

3 "I Want To Play A Game."

Jigsaw (Saw)

The phrase that serves as the introduction to many of his Jigsaw recordings, "I want to play a game" has become another iconic tagline associated with the Saw franchise — and the killer's decision to frame his cruel challenges as mere "games" makes things all the more disturbing. Though malignant on its own, it's made all the more intimidating by the performance of Tobin Bell, whose low, raspy voice makes the phrase sound far more menacing than it would otherwise. The fact that the line is delivered by a creepy clown doll makes it all the more unsettling.

2 "It Will Be Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack."

Jigsaw (Saw II)

Despite the fact that John takes his work very seriously and insists he is trying to help these people, it is not hard to detect the enjoyment he gets on some level. The fact that he refers to these tests as "games" is just one small example of how he taunts his victims before likely killing them. When it comes to the disturbing trap in which a key is hidden in a pile of syringes, John uses this twisted play on words to explain the rules. This Saw quote is a mean-spirited little joke that suggests John is not as righteous as he pretends to be.

1 "Game Over."

John Kramer (Saw)

Easily the most iconic and terrifying phrase uttered by anyone in the Saw franchise, Jigsaw's final line in the 2004 original adds to one of the most unsettling horror movie conclusions of all time. Following the unforgettable reveal that the body in the middle of the floor was John Kramer aka Jigsaw the whole time, John delivers this final taunt as he slams the door, leaving Adam screaming in the darkness. Though John has shown respect for those who complete his games, it is also clear he has no sympathy for those who fail. Many people have met gruesome ends at his hands, but Adam's is one of the most disturbing fates in all the Saw movies.

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  Saw

  Summary:

  Two strangers, who awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.

  Release Date:

  2004-10-29

  Assistant Director :

  Daniel J. Heffner

  Budget:

  $1.2 million

  Cast:

  Cary Elwes, Michael Emerson, Leigh Whannell, Tobin Bell, Danny Glover

  Cinematographer:

  David A. Armstrong

  Director:

  James Wan

  Distributor :

  Lionsgate

  Franchise:

  Saw

  Genres:

  Horror, Mystery, Thriller

  Producer:

  Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Gregg Hoffman

  Production Company:

  Saw Productions Inc., Evolution Entertainment, Twisted Pictures

  Rating:

  R

  Runtime:

  103 minutes

  Sequel:

  Saw 3, Saw 6, Saw 2, Saw 5, Jigsaw, Saw 4, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter

  Sfx Supervisor:

  Marlo Pabon

  Writers:

  Leigh Whannell