The ending of Saw X, explained

Saw X's intriguing climax has left spectators reeling. Prepare for a wild voyage inside John Kramer's twisted mind as we investigate, uncover, and explain the ending of Saw X.

Since Saw X acts as both a prequel to Saw II and a sequel to the events of the original Saw, it occupies a special place in the Saw cinematic universe. The focus of the film is the journey that Tobin Bell's character, John Kramer, embarks on after an ineffective cancer treatment.

Read on to learn how John teams up with his apprentice, Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), and becomes Jigsaw again, bringing back his infamous moral tests and elaborate death traps for those who wronged him.

Spoilers ahead.

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Unveiling the plot of Saw X

The narrative kicks off after the events of Saw I, with John Kramer receiving his brain cancer diagnosis. The film’s director, Kevin Greutert, said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly,

"This film opens with that cancer diagnosis and John Kramer learning that there is some kind of experimental, semi-outlawed treatment that's available in Mexico City. He gets his operation and finds out, after thinking he's been cured, that maybe it's not all what it seems. And we go from there."

Thus, the people who conned him with the fake cancer treatment, Dr. Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund) and her cohorts Mateo (Octavio Hinojosa), Valentina (Paulette Hernandez), and Gabriela (Renata Vaca), become unwitting participants in Jigsaw's newest games.

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A blood-curdling confrontation

While Mateo and Valentina perish early in the game, Gabriela survives. Parker Sears (Steven Brand), who had earlier come claiming to be duped by the clinic, confesses his loyalty to Cecilia and forces John and Amanda to free her, after which she promptly murders Gabriela.

Octavio Hinojosa as Mateo in Saw X (Image via IMDb)

This appears to turn the tables, and John is forced to face 'blood-boarding' torture with Carlos (Jorge Briseño), an innocent youngster he had befriended earlier in the film.

The final game begins when the duo tries to flee with the money. As toxic gas fills the room, despite their apparent love, Cecilia and Parker plunge into a frenetic battle for survival, and she ends up murdering him.

A still from the movie Saw X (Image via IMDb)

This permits Cecilia to survive until the gas timer expires. John and Amanda then emerge, unharmed, and walk away with Carlos, even giving him the bag of cash intended for them.

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Jigsaw's ingenious plan

Although John and Amanda's planned goal is finally realized, the path includes several unforeseen detours. Carlos was not originally part of their plan but unintentionally became a piece of the game.

Parker Sears and Cecilia Pederson's secret relationship may have surprised viewers, but John and Amanda were well aware of it. After torturing Diego, the taxi driver who was also complicit in the scheme, John learned the truth about Parker.

John enlisted the assistance of Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), a future Jigsaw successor, to locate Parker. They couldn't immediately catch Parker, so John and Amanda placed a phone within Cecilia's grasp, knowing she'd call for Parker's help.

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The future after Saw X

Cecilia Pederson's destiny is one of Saw X's most important unsolved issues and may not be revealed until Saw 11. While the franchise’s history points to her release, the murder of Gabriela may have serious implications.

The film's ending also lays the groundwork for the Saw franchise's future. In the post-credits sequence, John Kramer and Detective Hoffman are shown in the iconic Saw bathroom, beginning a new game on Henry Kessler (Michael Beach), a purported survivor of Pederson's experiment who was part of the deception.

In the end, the newest addition maintains the franchise's timeline and Jigsaw's games are far from done.

Saw X is playing in theaters now.