2. Dr. Lawrence Gordon - Saw 3D
The Death: At the conclusion of Saw, Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) saws off his foot to escape Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) shackles and make a break to save Adam (Leigh Whannell). Bleeding out, it seems like the only choice for Dr. Gordon was death.
The Resurrection: Now, to be fair, it was never explicitly stated whether Dr. Gordon survived the events of the first film or not, and it had been anticipated by many that he might return at some stage. In the final film, Saw 3D, he finally returns to reveal that, after escaping the bathroom, Gordon was aided in his recovery by Jigsaw, and essentially became a new apprentice. The movie ends with Gordon taking down the psychotic Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), and uttering the franchise's signature phrase, "Game over."
Why He Should Have Stayed Dead: Though Gordon's appearance in Saw 3D was an amusing bit of fan service, it was also
freaking ridiculous. Aside from asking audiences to buy the fact that Gordon would be so forgiving towards Jigsaw, it's insane to believe that he would then help him take down Hoffman, to the extent that Saw 3D really is a perfectly functional unintentional comedy. The ambiguity of never knowing about Gordon's fate, and assuming that he probably bled to death out in the hallway somewhere, would have had fans fervently debating forever more.