At the center of the entire Saw movie franchise is John Kramer, better known as Jigsaw. He was famous for trapping his victims in games that test their will to live, often resulting in them dying after experiencing torture in the process. Though he died in Saw III, six more films have been released.
More often than not, the villain in the following movies were his apprentices like Amanda, Det. Hoffman, or Logan. However, given that the people put in these tests are typically criminals, each installment has had villains who weren't Jigsaw or those he trained to take over for him.
Bobby Dagen (Saw 3D)
There are many reasons why fans weren't pleased with Saw 3D and one of them was the storyline surrounding Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery). It felt like it wasn't all that important of a story but regardless, Dagen was another in a long line of unlikable test subjects.
Dagen heard about everything Jigsaw had done over the years and decided to profit off of it. He lied about surviving a trap and was put into one of his own. He failed miserably, letting everyone around him die before his lie was put to the test and it caused his wife to be incinerated.
Art Blank (Saw IV)
At the beginning of Saw IV, Art Blank (Justin Louis) was a survivor of one of Jigsaw's tests. He bested Trevor in their game by killing him and then ripping open the stitches keeping his mouth shut. Surprisingly, Art showed up again later in the film as part of Daniel Rigg's ultimate test.
It seemed like Art was working with Jigsaw but he was at risk as well and died when Rigg burst through the door. He still helped Jigsaw, making him something of a villain, and there's also the fact that before getting tested, Art was prone to defend guilty parties as a lawyer.
Obi Tate (Saw II)
At first glance, Obi Tate (Timothy Burd) just seemed to be another one of the victims of the Nerve Gas House. He didn't really interact with everyone else though that changed when they heard the tape recorder meant for him and Laura Hunter (Beverley Mitchell) recognized him.
Obi was tasked with kidnapping some of the Nerve Gas House test subjects for Jigsaw. While he did work for Jigsaw, he wasn't an actual apprentice yet still a villain. The video game series based on the movies revealed that Obi saw Jigsaw's games as gifts, so he wanted to be tested often.
Charles Salomon (Saw V)
In some cases, the antagonists of the story were the people who either didn't follow the rules of the games or attempted to ruin it for others, getting them hurt. That was the case with Charles Salomon (Carlo Rota) in Saw V, who immediately stood out for knowing more about his fellow victims.
Along with his smug attitude, he also was quick to force them to fight amongst each other. Charles encouraged them to save themselves and that was especially harmful as their group trap was designed so they would all survive. His attitude and actions are why everyone turned on him about halfway through the game.
Wiliam Easton (Saw VI)
A common trend in Saw movies is that their protagonists are typically people who the audience isn't meant to like. They've done bad things and William Easton (Peter Outerbridge) was no different, having a history as an insurance executive who valued dollar signs over human lives.
He is the main test subject in Saw VI and throughout his challenges, he is forced to kill off several people. Though he seemingly came to learn that he had things all wrong, his past led to the family of one of his victims killing him at the very end.
Eric Matthews (Saw II)
On the surface, Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) isn't anywhere near the level of villain as some others in the franchise. He's not an arsonist, murderer, or anything like that. In fact, he was a detective meant to get justice for those who have been wronged.
The reality was revealed throughout Saw II when his true actions came to light. Eric was notorious for planting evidence to get convictions and had several instances of police brutality. His rash actions throughout the film also led him to his own death and put the rest of the team with him in serious trouble.
William Schenk/Emmerson (Spiral)
2021 saw the return of the franchise with Spiral: From The Book of Saw. It seemed like the film would have Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) and William Schenk (Max Minghella) as the heroes leading the way but midway through the plot, it was revealed that Schenk was a victim.
The film never showed his trap, so everyone saw the twist coming that he was the person behind the killings. Schenk revealed himself to be William Emmerson, the son of someone who was unjustly murdered by the police. He wasn't a Jigsaw apprentice but a copycat out to take down corrupt police officers.
Xavier Chavez (Saw II)
The Nerve Gas House of Saw II was difficult enough on its own to survive but the presence of Xavier Chavez (Franky G) made it much harder. The drug dealer was a massive powerhouse, so he could boss around whoever he wanted, which he did throughout the film.
Xavier was also not one to follow rules. Instead of working together, he opted to kill those around himto get the numbers needed for the combination for the antidote. Even when he's told that he could use help to get his own number, he chose to cut off his skin rather than work as a team. Plus, throwing Amanda into the needle pit is a heinous act.
Jeff Denlon (Saw III)
As noted, the protagonists of these films are unlikable but that's especially true when they don't learn anything along the way. Jeff Denlon (Angus Macfadyen) was just that person, as he neglected his wife and daughter after the death of his son, and then let those responsible for his passing suffer and die during his test.
At the end of it all, Jeff still couldn't let things go. He shot Amanda as she killed his wife and even when Jigsaw gave him one final opportunity for redemption, he slit Jigsaw's throat. His actions ultimately took the lives of almost everyone around him and he left his daughter to potentially die.