Saw X: How is the Jigsaw Killer Alive?

The journey of John Kramer in his transformation from being a normal civil engineer expecting a family to become the deranged Jigsaw killer was a huge step in his character development throughout the Saw franchise.

While this was the entire point of the Saw films, one of the biggest mysteries is how is Jigsaw still alive in Saw X? We definitely saw him die in Saw III, right? Well, here’s how it happened.

WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Saw X, so if you haven’t seen the movie yet, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

ALSO READ: Saw X: Does it Have a Post-Credit Scene?

Saw III Saw John Kramer Die: How Did the Jigsaw Killer Survive?

Credit: Lionsgate

Jigsaw’s traps always have a hidden ethical lesson behind every one of them. Depending on how John sees fit for the victim to learn their values and let go of their ‘addictions’, the traps were meant to be their ‘rebirth’ into the real world.

In this sense, he truly believed that his traps would set his victims (aka former criminals) onto the ‘right’ path.

Not many people believed in his method, that is until Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) got ‘cured’ from her drug addiction after surviving the iconic bear trap.

Based on John’s main goal of having his victims walk away with an injury or two (that is, if they survive their tests), the so-called players are not allowed to break the rules, especially since they’re usually time-sensitive within the scope of the setup.

Unfortunately, Saw III proves the exact reason why players of Jigsaw should never break the game master’s rules.

When Jeff Denlon (Angus Macfadyen) decided to shoot Jigsaw, this led to the death of his wife Lynn, which rendered the failure of his test and in saving his family.

Now, there was no trick behind John Kramer’s death. No matter how cruel or inhuman his methods have been, he is but a human being. So, he was essentially as dead as a doornail.

But how come he still managed to come back in Saw X, you ask?

READ MORE: Saw: Top 10 Best Traps in Franchise History Ranked

So, How is Jigsaw Alive in Saw X, Then?

Credit: Lionsgate

Let’s get one thing straight: like many American franchises, the Saw franchise has its own timeline to follow. Even when the movies are aligned based on Roman numerals, they aren’t arranged based on the timeline of how the events happened.

Saw X, see, is actually a prequel. It happened right between the first Saw film and Saw II when the Jigsaw Killer was still alive and kicking.

As you might have been able to tell, Saw X tells the backstory of when John Kramer was first diagnosed of suffering a terminal illness.

He ventured off to Mexico in hopes of finding a cure for his cancer, only to find more con artists trying to hoodwink him. This, of course, led to Kramer introducing himself as the Jigsaw Killer in his early days.

But then how did the previous movies (Saw IV and onwards) happen without John Kramer? He's had his own apprentices, Detective Hoffman and Amanda Young, take over his work for him.

It is worth noting that Saw X producer Mark Burg openly admitted they regret killing off Tobin Bell’s John Kramer in Saw III, considering he had a huge potential to make more Saw movies.

Now, whether they do get to make more Saw movies (Saw XI, perhaps?) will highly depend on the success Saw X receives at the box office, and of course, how they could possibly sneak between the timelines of when we’re going to see Jigsaw’s next victims and ingenious traps.

READ NEXT: Is Saw X the Final Movie in the Franchise?