Spiral 10 Best Protagonists Of The Saw Franchise

Spiral: 10 Best Protagonists Of The Saw Franchise

The Saw franchise just keeps getting bigger, and its protagonists have ranged anywhere from baddies fans were rooting against to real heroes.

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The original Saw was an unexpected smash hit from James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who have gone on to become horror movie juggernauts. Since then, the Saw franchise exploded into a massive series with nine films over almost twenty years. Saw has become one of the most successful horror franchises of all time.

A big part of that success is due to the characters. Sure, there are the ones designed to just be victims of Jigsaw’s disturbing traps. However, each film presents heroes that help guide the audience as well as the villains. Typically, there is the hero playing Jigsaw’s game, and there is usually a cop character investigating Jigsaw as well.

10 Anna – Jigsaw

This character is quite deceptive in the eighth entry of the series. At first, she seems like the final girl that the audience roots for. That’s true for most of the film until the final act where the twist about her is revealed. It turns out, Anna is actually worse than the other characters going through traps.

Out of frustration, Anna smothered her own baby and framed her husband for it. This makes one of the few times where the audience actually roots for Jigsaw to teach her a lesson. Thankfully, the character earns her death in a satisfyingly gory manner.

9 Agent Peter Strahm – Saw V

A perfect case of a great concept not executed properly. Agent Strahm was introduced in Saw IV but got promoted to the main hero in Saw V. The movie sets up Strahm as the Sherlock Holmes to Hoffman’s Moriarty. The battle of wits between the new Jigsaw and the agent who will stop at nothing to get him.

Unfortunately, Strahm is not that interesting as a character. If the character had lived to remain the main hero across multiple films, this dynamic could have been great. However, Strahm ends up dying at the end of Saw V in what is a decent confrontation along with a brutal twist.

8 Det. David Tapp – Saw

On the investigative side of the first Saw was Danny Glover’s Detective Tapp. Tapp was a great cop who ended up losing his partner to Jigsaw, thus becoming obsessed with catching him. Even to the point of losing his job and suffering a sliced throat.

Danny Glover gives an often overlooked performance as Tapp, allowing him to carry the B-plot of the film. Despite dying in a climactic fashion, Tapp was such a fan favorite that he ended up returning in the surprisingly good Saw video game.

7 Lawrence Gordon – Saw

Known mainly for family films and comedies, Cary Elwes really showed off his dramatic side with the first Saw. He plays a doctor named Lawrence Gordon who becomes chained up in the bathroom across from Leigh Whannell’s Adam.

A common theme with the heroes in Jigsaw’s puzzles is that they are flawed people. Gordon is a perfect example of that, with his secret love life and connections to Jigsaw. However, Lawrence is still willing to do anything for his family including sawing his own foot off in the first film’s signature gore scene. Add some twists and turns, Gordon was a solid character to start the franchise with.

6 William Easton – Saw VI

Continuing with flawed heroes, William in Saw VI is an insurance executive that would constantly deny coverage thus earning himself money but destroying the lives of others. As a result, Jigsaw puts him in a game of traps forcing him to literally destroy some lives in order to save others. This was social commentary during a time when insurance companies were controversial for similar things.

As Saw VI progresses, William shows a lot of progress, seeming to genuinely learn his lesson. It also showed that Hoffman was finally starting to become like John Kramer in terms of Jigsaw methods. Unfortunately, William becomes the victim of another character’s game who fails thus getting William killed.

5 Adam Stanheight – Saw

The first character to be introduced in the Saw franchise. Adam, played by Leigh Whannell himself, is trapped with Gordon, and the two are very different characters. Adam’s flaw is that he’s a private eye, paid to take pictures of others so they can be blackmailed, or for whatever reason the client wants them.

Adam brings more humanity to Saw by providing some genuine emotion but also some levity. Adam’s comedy is far and few between but always feels welcome, giving some relief from the dark and twisted story. By the end, despite his flaws, it’s easy to root for both Adam and Lawrence in the game.

4 Jeff Denlon – Saw III

The loss of a child is enough to send anyone into an abyss of misery. That’s why Jeff in Saw III is a relatable protagonist: nobody can blame him for being hateful. Jeff is the subject of John Kramer’s final trap run with Jeff having to play judge, jury, and executioner to those involved with his son’s murder as well as the conviction of the crime.

Jeff’s game is much more emotional as it shows the emotional and morality struggle. Do these characters deserve to die for their actions? Jeff’s conflict is just as legitimate as the audience’s conflict. Combined with a great performance by Angus Macfadyen, Jeff Denlon is a memorable way to end the first trilogy.

3 Lynn Denlon – Saw III

In the same film, there is Lynn, a doctor who has to operate on John Kramer’s tumor. If Kramer dies, the shotgun collar will make her head explode. Lynn’s plot along with her interactions with both Kramer and Amanda make for some of the strongest parts of Saw III.

It’s such a shame that Amanda’s violent nature ends up costing Lynn’s life, because as a twist, she happens to be Jeff’s estranged wife. Jeff fails his game, thus unknowingly causing Lynn’s death, leading to one of the bleakest and darkest endings of the series.

2 Det. Eric Matthews – Saw II

Taking over the investigative B-plot of Saw II is Eric Matthews. He’s a man with a hard life and a harder relationship with his teenage son. Matthews’ son becomes a player in Jigsaw’s game, which turns Eric into Jigsaw’s rival, leading to one of the few times where the investigative portions become more engaging.

Eric and Kramer sitting across a table from each other just talking makes for some of the most thrilling parts of the film. Of course, this is also due to the unforgettable performance of Tobin Bell as Kramer. Eric Matthews would even return in both Saw III and Saw IV as a supporting role.

1 Det. Zeke Banks – Spiral: From The Book Of Saw

Yes, much to the surprise of many, the ninth film of the series presents the best hero. Zeke Banks is a straight cop in a precinct filled to the brim with crooked cops. As a result, he is put to the test in one of the new Jigsaw copycat’s games as he targets different corrupt cops. Zeke is a combination of the trapped hero and the investigation hero.

The whole movie of Spiral: From The Book Of Saw is from his perspective. As a result, Chris Rock ends up shining as he delivers one of his best performances. However, he’s not too serious, he provides humor here and there much like Adam to ground this character in reality and make him more likable. Zeke has elements of every hero of the past, culminating in the most relatable and engaging hero of the franchise.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/spiral-best-protagonists-of-the-saw-horror-franchise/

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