The villain in the Saw franchise is in-universe called The Jigsaw Killer, a sadistic serial killer who places his victims into elaborate puzzles themed after their perceived wrongdoings. John Kramer, more commonly known as Jigsaw, is the driving antagonist behind Saw (2004) and its subsequent movie franchise. The first and best-known Jigsaw Killer is John Kramer, played by Tobin Bell, who is the main murderer of the first, second, and third films, appearing in all except one movie. Saw franchise leader Tobin Bell has created a similar unique situation playing the role of the Jigsaw Killer, John Kramer, across the various entries in the Saw series.
For fans that have grown up on Saw franchise leader Tobin Bells portrayal of Kramer, AKA the Jigsaw, it would be hard to think of any other actor playing a bleary-eyed psychopath with a warped sense of justice. While John Kramer was the first and most notorious Jigsaw Killer, several others took on the deadly mantle over subsequent Saw films. Darren Lynn Bousman, the director of Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV, has described John Kramer as being very different than a murderer from any other horror story.
There is much to be said and more to say about John Kramer, but for many fans, a major conclusion of the first release of Saw back in 2004 was that the character was, on the whole, just downright dumb. After watching every single Saw film, except one (Jigsaw) which came out just last week, I am convinced Jigsaw, aka John, is a nice guy. Yes, I said that, I believe John Kramer, (played by Tobin Bell) — known as Jigsaw Killer, or just Jigsaw – the fictional character that appears in the movies, seen as a primary antagonist, is a good person. Leigh Whannell, a key cast member of Saw and the screenwriter for the first three films, said about John Kramer, “Freddie Krueger, Jason, Michael Myers – Freddie Krueger is our whole generation.
The Jigsaw Killers roster is made up of John Kramer, four converts to him; Logan Nelson, Amanda Young, the Cary Elwes character, and the replicant Killer, as well as the ultimate Jigsaw Killer.
The show follows Mark Hoffman, who is portrayed by John Kramer, who sets elaborate plots that cause individuals to choose life or death. A rip-off hitman is assigned to investigate Jigsaws murders, but sets his own traps in order to kill the murderers sister, framing his actions as being one more of Kramers. A fellow trainee at the Jigsaw was the one who first caught Jon Kramers eye after she feigned a murder at the hands of a Jigsaw in order to escape her sisters killer. John was unhappy taking credit for something he did not do, and offered a fellow Jigsaw apprentice the choice of becoming a disciple and joining his crusade, or being exposed publicly as the murderer.
Dr. Laurence Gordon reappears in Saw 7 to offer the fellow Jigsaw apprentice his own sweethearts, following the killing of Johns wife, Jill Tuck, by Hoffman. After the death of a Jigsaw Killer, his wife received a letter from Kramer (written prior to his death) asking that she provide Detective Hoffman with the tests that Kramer had designed for him. His wife gave Hoffman the test, but did not give him the survival option that he was supposed to, as she wanted to kill Hoffman in order to finish off the Jigsaw Killer job once and for all (2007). She was blackmailed into killing Lynne (Bahar Soomekh), one of the participants in one of Jigsaws games, by Detective Hoffman, after Hoffman discovered Lynne (Bahar Soomekh) was involved with Cecil on the night that he attacked his wife, and was partly responsible for the death of Kramers unborn son (something that Kramer had never known).
As an aside, Jons wife, Jill Tuck, although she was definitely involved with Jon Kramers job, is shown only to actually set a single trap herself, and that it did not even kill the intended target, and thus is not considered to be the Jigsaw Killer. Believing her victims brother got away with the murder, he is quickly abducted by John Kramer by Mark John Seth Baxter. Having placed his then-girlfriend at Nerve Gas House along with Erics son Daniel Matthews along with a few other victims, The Jigsaw Killer assured himself Daniel Matthews would live.
Shortly after, Jigsaw Killer Terminal Brain Cancer His, was killed by vengeful Lynns husband as the ultimate act of revenge (SAW III). The Jigsaw Killer adopted the name of “Jigsaw” and used his engineering expertise to develop dangerous, disfiguring traps for his victims.