Amanda Young
| Saw character | |
|---|---|
| |
| Amanda Young | |
| Gender: | Female |
| Race | Caucasian |
| Location | Abandoned Wilson Steel Warehouse |
| Relationships | Jigsaw (Mentor) |
| Enemies | Dr. Lynn Denlon, Detective Eric Matthews |
| M.O. | Cleverly constructed, ironic and invariably inescapeable death traps |
| Weapon of Choice: | Varies depending on the individual |
| Portrayed by: | Shawnee Smith |
Amanda Young is a fictional character that has appeared in the Saw film series. She is portrayed by Shawnee Smith. At first a minor character in the original film, her role expanded in the sequels until she became one of the most important characters in the series. Template:Spoiler
Amanda's first test
Amanda's first chronological appearance was in the graphic novel prequel to the first film, Saw: Rebirth. In it, John Kramer first met Amanda at a hospital. He had just been informed that he had cancer and had little chance of recovery. Amanda was recovering from an accidental overdose on heroin. John was disgusted that such a bright young woman would throw her life away so easily. Although she had survived the ordeal, he doubted she had learned anything from it.
John Kramer would later take on the persona of Jigsaw (a name coined not by him but the media due to the puzzle-piece engravings that he cut out of his victims after they died), a psychopath who would place his victims in deadly traps. There was a method to his madness, however; those who he kidnapped were people he considered to be unappreciative of their lives. There were ways (however difficult they were) to escape the traps. Those who survived would, according to him, find a better appreciation for their lives.
One of his most significant 'subjects' was Amanda. After Jigsaw abducted her, he placed her in trap with a heavy metal apparatus to her jaw - something he described to her as being like a reverse bear trap. Jigsaw communicated with her via a talking puppet on a nearby television set, explaining that when the timer went off, the trap would rip her jaws open if she did not find the key in time. The key was in the stomach of an apparently dead man lying across the room from her. To get the key, she would have to cut into the man's stomach.
Upon further realization, it was revealed that the man was not dead, but rather heavily sedated by an opiate. Amanda violently cut the key from his stomach just in time to unlock herself and remove the device before it triggered.
As Amanda reeled from what she had just been through, Jigsaw's puppet Billy appeared, out of the shadows before her, congratulating her for surviving. "Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore."
Later, while being interviewed by a detective, her past as a drug addict was brought up. When she was asked if she was grateful, Amanda tearfully responded, "He... helped me."
Although her role in the first film was brief, the shot of Amanda in the reverse bear-trap grew to be one of the most iconic images from the film, appearing in many of the posters, advertisements and other promotional material.
Someone to follow
After surviving Jigsaw's trap and being questioned by the police, Amanda was confronted by Jigsaw at her home. Jigsaw enlisted her to become his apprentice, to devote herself to his cause and to follow up on his legacy and carry on his work after he died.
Her first assignment involved dressing in Jigsaw's pig costume and kidnapping Adam Faulkner before pulling him into the bathroom trap. Shaken by guilt, Amanda later entered the bathroom again, after Jigsaw had left, and put Adam out of his misery by suffocating him.
Another one of Jigsaw's tests involved Detective Eric Matthews, who had in the past illegally planted evidence to incriminate and arrest her. While Jigsaw was apprehended by Matthews, Amanda planted herself in a house with other victims, among them Matthew's teenage son. The house was filled with a poisonous gas, and the only way to get the antidotes was by surviving Jigsaw's traps.
Once Matthews found about the house via what he believed to be live recordings, Jigsaw told the detective that his son was in a safe place, and if he were to just talk with Jigsaw for a certain amount of time he would see his son again. Matthews, not believing him, brutalized the dying old man and forced him to take him to the house.
Once there, Matthews discovered the bathroom where Jigsaw once held Dr. Gordon and Adam. Instead of seeing his son, Amanda attacked him, sedating him and chaining him to the wall. Little did he know, the recordings on the tape were not live and Amanda had already taken his son to a safe place (a literal safe in Jigsaw's workshop)...just as Jigsaw had said.
Amanda revealed to Matthews via tape recording her agenda and how she saw Jigsaw as a father figure and someone to follow. Amanda arrived, telling Matthews "Game over." before leaving the detective to die in the dark.
However, Matthews was able to escape the ankle restraint by forcibly breaking his own foot and, though badly injured, confronted Amanda minutes after she closed the door. The two engaged in a brutal fight, which culminated when Amanda kicked his broken foot and left him to rot in the hallway. While walking away Eric screamed that she was not Jigsaw. It was later referenced that she had left him to die, and Jigsaw had "cleaned up" her mess. What is meant by this is left unclear.
Amanda's final test
Amanda would create a series of traps that resembled Jigsaw's to test those she deemed unworthy of their lives. The only difference was, whereas Jigsaw's traps had some way of escape if the victim were clever enough, Amanda's were impossible to survive.
As Jigsaw lay on his deathbed, Amanda was ordered to kidnap a surgeon, Dr. Lynn Denlon. Amanda placed a trap of her own design around Lynn's neck. The trap wirelessly corresponded with Jigsaw's heartrate; if Jigsaw flatlined, the trap would go off and kill her. Lynn was forced to operate on Jigsaw in order to keep him alive long enough to see Jeff, another of Jigsaw's victims, finish a series of tests.
Amanda became jealous of Lynn and Jigsaw's relationship, growing increasingly hostile. After Jeff succeeded, Jigsaw told Amanda to free Lynn and let her go. Amanda refused, saying Lynn has learned nothing and instead pulled a gun on her. Jigsaw pleaded with her, telling that while Amanda had the gun, her life was in Lynn's hands.
Amanda, not listening, shot Lynn just as Jeff arrived. It was then revealed by Jigsaw that Lynn was Jeff's wife. Jeff shot Amanda in the neck, fatally wounding her. As Amanda bled to death, Jigsaw informed her that it was all another test. He knew she was straying from his lessons, and he decided to give her one last chance to redeem herself. Though she had meant everything to him, she had ultimately failed in carrying on his legacy. Template:Endspoilers
