20 Greatest Movie Villains Of The 2000s

19. John Kramer - Saw

As with all too many horror series, the Saw franchise ultimately suffered from the law of diminishing returns. That's always to be expected after chapters numbering in the double digits, with more on the way, but that certainly doesn't take away from the original outing from 2004.

The 2000s saw a ridiculous six Saw films released, with Tobin Bell appearing as John Kramer in all of them, and while each appearance had its own merits, it's his debut that still sticks in the memory more than anything else. And how could it not?

What made the Jigsaw killer so special in 2004 was that he largely operated from the shadows. He was built as something of a legend, referenced mainly in flashbacks and shrouded in mystery, of course with the iconic spiralled doll as something of an avatar. 

Even without seeing the killer, the uniqueness in his method and the brutality shown as the cruel genius made for intense watching, but the cherry on top was the reveal in the final moments. John had been in the room with the trapped Adam and Dr. Gordon (Leigh Whannell and Cary Elwes) all along, proving that he was always a step ahead, even of the audience, and that no one could know what to expect from him ever again.