Character Relationship Map: Saw

Characters

• John Kramer / Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell) — protagonist

  The Jigsaw Killer, mastermind of deadly games testing victims' will to survive

• Dr. Lawrence Gordon (played by Cary Elwes) — protagonist

  Oncologist captured in Jigsaw's first game, survivor

• David Tapp (played by Danny Glover) — supporting

  Detective obsessed with capturing Jigsaw

• Amanda Young (played by Shawnee Smith) — supporting

  Jigsaw's first apprentice, survivor of his first trap

• Zep Hindle (played by Michael Emerson) — supporting

  Hospital orderly carrying out Jigsaw's orders in first Saw

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• David Tapp → Amanda Young (Professional Interrogator) — Tapp questions Amanda as a key witness in the case.

  Tapp and Sing obtain Amanda's testimony about surviving one of Jigsaw's traps.

• Dr. Lawrence Gordon → David Tapp (Professional Investigation Subject) — Tapp investigates Gordon's possible connection to the murders.

  Tapp and Sing interrogate Gordon after finding his penlight at a Jigsaw crime scene.

• John Kramer / Jigsaw → Amanda Young (Power Captor And Survivor) — John subjects Amanda to a deadly test that she survives.

  Amanda's testimony identifies her as the only known survivor of one of John's traps.

• John Kramer / Jigsaw → Zep Hindle (Power Controller And Subject) — Zep appears to serve John but is actually another controlled victim.

  A tape reveals that Zep is following John's rules to obtain an antidote for a slow-acting poison.

• John Kramer / Jigsaw → Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Power Captive And Tester) — John controls Gordon through a timed survival test.

  Gordon is placed in a chained bathroom game and is ordered to kill the other captive before 6:00.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• David Tapp → Zep Hindle (Conflict Pursuer And Suspect) — Tapp directly confronts Zep while trying to stop the killings.

  Tapp notices the struggle at the apartment, saves the hostages, and chases Zep into the sewers.

• Dr. Lawrence Gordon → Amanda Young (Social Witness Connection) — Gordon encounters Amanda's account as part of the investigation.

  Gordon is asked by detectives to view Amanda's testimony after his own alibi clears him.

• Dr. Lawrence Gordon → Zep Hindle (Conflict Victim And Enforcer) — Zep becomes the immediate physical threat to Gordon.

  Gordon identifies Zep in a photograph, and Zep later enters the bathroom intending to kill him.

• John Kramer / Jigsaw → David Tapp (Conflict Nemesis) — Tapp pursues John as the suspected serial killer.

  Tapp investigates the Jigsaw case, becomes convinced that Gordon is the killer, and remains obsessed with capturing Jigsaw.

Story Analysis

A desperate survival game exposes hidden guilt, manipulated loyalties, and the identity of its seemingly dead architect.

Plot Progression

1. The Bathroom Survival Game — Two captives awaken chained in a filthy bathroom and receive conflicting instructions from recorded tapes. Their failed attempt to cut the chains reveals that the game demands a horrifying sacrifice.
2. The Investigation Behind The Trap — The story shifts into the earlier police investigation of Jigsaw's crimes. Tapp follows evidence from Gordon to Amanda's testimony and a warehouse raid that ends in a fatal trap.
3. Secrets Under Surveillance — In the present, Tapp watches the house while Gordon and the photographer uncover personal motives behind the test. A photograph identifies Zep as the apparent outside enforcer.
4. The Enforcer's Pursuit — Zep moves against Gordon's family, prompting Tapp to intervene and chase him into the sewers. Their violent confrontation leaves Gordon isolated and convinced that rescue has failed.
5. The Corpse's Final Revelation — Gordon mutilates himself and fires the revolver before the photographer kills Zep. The final tape exposes Zep as another victim, and the corpse rises to reveal John as Jigsaw.