The original Saw movie is renowned for its surprising twist ending, but it turns out Jigsaw's true identity was subtly revealed early on in the film. Ending a film's story with a surprise twist is always a risky move. If the twist in question is surprising, makes sense, and is dramatically satisfying, it can send a good movie into great territory. However, if the twist is confusing, poorly thought out, or feels like a cheat, audiences can be left with a bad taste in their mouths, even if they enjoyed the film up to that point.
Thankfully, Saw's ending twist is generally considered part of the positive category, shocking many, but not in a way that calls the whole film's story into question. Sure, there are some loose threads to be pulled if one looks hard enough, but few scripts are perfect, and Saw's conclusion is well regarded for a reason. In fact, it's arguable the twist was such a knock out that it's one of the main factors that led to Saw becoming a word of mouth success story.
That said, looking back, those with eagle eyes shouldn't have been as surprised how Saw ended as the rest of moviegoers. For those paying close attention, Jigsaw's identity is telegraphed very early in the running time.
Saw: How Jigsaw's Identity Was Revealed (Before The Twist Ending)
The first time John "Jigsaw" Kramer is shown in Saw, he's laying in a hospital bed, thanks to the terminal cancer that would ultimately kill him. In front of him on a table is a sketchbook, and the sketch visible looks exactly like the Reverse Bear Trap that Amanda Young and several other characters would eventually be placed in over the course of the series. While it's a bit odd that John would leave potentially incriminating imagery out for everyone to see, at the same time, who is going to suspect a dying man of being a famous serial killer?
What makes this clue work as a fun after the fact detail more than anything that spoils Saw on the first viewing is that it goes by in mere seconds, and at that point, the Reverse Bear Trap hadn't been onscreen yet, that would come a few minutes later. Therefore, only the most highly observant viewers would've likely noticed the sketch and made the connection with what's seen subsequently. By placing it there, director James Wan essentially played his own mental game with the viewer, and considering most were shocked by the ending twist, it would seem that he won.
