When does ‘Saw X’ take place in the ‘Saw’ timeline?

Despite Saw X being the tenth feature in the Saw franchise, it’s going back to the earlier days of John Kramer’s metamorphosis from despairing cancer patient to unhinged Jigsaw killer. As the latest trailer reveals, we’ll also be seeing Amanda Young and possibly Mark Hoffman, Jigsaw’s apprentices, return to the fold. And that gives us a good indication of where Saw X falls on the timeline.

Directed by Kevin Greutert and written by Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, Saw X follows John Kramer as he travels to Mexico to undergo a risky medical surgery to cure his cancer, only to discover the whole thing is a scam to defraud the most desperate candidates. Armed with the motivation to make these wrongdoers re-evaluate their lives, the Jigsaw killer springs into action to torment the fraudulent con artists.

As Lionsgate have confirmed, Saw X will be set between the events of Saw and Saw II, during which time John Kramer is still mentoring Amanda Young to continue his work long after his death. Adam Stanheight is dead, as per Jigsaw’s infamous bathroom trap, whereas Lawrence Gordon manages to crawl out alive.

In Saw II, Jigsaw’s only known survivor, Amanda, is revealed to be his co-conspirator in both the bathroom trap and the nerve-gas house. Meanwhile, we discover John had attempted a suicide attempt before orchestrating the kidnapping of six felons and Detective Matthews’ son, Daniel.

It is highly probable that Saw X will showcase John Kramer’s first-ever multi-victim ‘game’ and the motivation for this occurred following his attempted suicide, which in itself likely succeeded the aforementioned scam. That’s the estimation for this timeline, since all the events add up.

In layman’s terms, John kills Adam, Zepp, and Sing during Saw, having received his terminal cancer diagnosis from Gordon. He seeks out medical assistance, which turns out to be a scam, then attempts suicide out of desperation. He discovers a newfound appreciation for life and he and Amanda kidnap all the chosen victims of the nerve gas house.

Relive John Kramer’s legacy when Saw X arrives in theaters on Sept. 29, 2023.