Saw Franchise Timeline
Every game. Every apprentice. Every hidden turn.
The Saw films hide their chronology inside flashbacks, overlapping events, secret apprentices, and one major prequel chapter.
Release order preserves the reveals. Chronological order shows where Saw X, the concurrent events of Saw III and Saw IV, and the split narrative of Jigsaw belong.
The quick answer
Chronological order
First time watching? Release order is the safest default. Chronology is shown only when it materially changes the route.
The complete timeline
Saw
Two strangers wake chained in a bathroom and discover that survival is part of a larger test.
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Saw II
A detective races to locate a poison-filled house while Jigsaw controls the conversation.
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Saw III
Jigsaw and Amanda test a grieving father while their own partnership begins to fracture.
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Saw IV
A second investigation unfolds alongside Saw III and exposes another layer of the plan.
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Saw VI
A health insurance executive faces a test built around the cost of choosing who lives.
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Saw 3D
Survivors and apprentices collide as the original cycle appears to reach its conclusion.
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Jigsaw
A new investigation mirrors a much earlier game and hides the distance between them.
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Spiral: From the Book of Saw
A detective hunts a copycat targeting corrupt police through Jigsaw-inspired traps.
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Saw X
John Kramer targets the people behind a fraudulent treatment during his early Jigsaw years.
Read entryWhy the Saw chronology is complicated
Saw X takes place between the first two films, Saw III and Saw IV unfold at the same time from different perspectives, and Jigsaw divides its game and investigation across two eras. Release order remains the best first watch because those shifts are built as reveals.
Saw Frequently Asked Questions
How many movies are in the Saw franchise?
There are 10 films, from the original Saw (2004) through Saw X (2023). An eleventh film, Saw XI, was removed from Lionsgate's release calendar in 2025, and its status remains unconfirmed.
Does chronological order match release order for the Saw franchise?
No, not closely. Flashbacks, overlapping timelines, and a prequel entry make the story order diverge from release order more than most horror franchises. Saw X (2023) is set between the original Saw and Saw II, and Jigsaw (2017) splits its own story across two different points in the timeline.
Where does Saw X fit in the timeline?
Saw X takes place between the original Saw (2004) and Saw II (2005), despite releasing nearly two decades after both. It follows John Kramer during his early years as Jigsaw, before the first film's events.
Do Saw III and Saw IV happen at the same time?
Yes. Both films take place during the same stretch of time, roughly six months after the events of Saw II, told from different characters' perspectives rather than one following the other.
Is Spiral: From the Book of Saw connected to the main Saw storyline?
Loosely. Spiral follows a new detective investigating a Jigsaw-inspired copycat rather than continuing John Kramer's story directly, making it the franchise's most standalone entry. It shares the same fictional world but doesn't require watching the other nine films to follow.
Is Saw XI still happening?
As of the most recent reporting, its status is unconfirmed. Lionsgate removed the film from its 2025 release calendar amid disputes between producers, and while the studio has maintained the franchise isn't over, no new release date has been announced since.
Which Saw movies are considered the best?
By HorroRated's verdicts, the original Saw (2004) is rated Legendary, and Saw X (2023) is the franchise's second-highest rated entry, at Recommended. Saw IV (2007) and Saw 3D (2010) are the lowest-rated films, both at If You're Curious.