Amanda Young is a fictional character created by

James Wan James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian filmmaker. He has primarily worked in the horror fiction, horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw (franchise), Saw'' and Insidious (film series), ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of ...

and

Leigh Whannell Leigh Whannell (; born 17 January 1977) is an Australian filmmaker and actor. He has written multiple films that were directed by his friend James Wan, including ''Saw (2004 film), Saw'' (2004), ''Dead Silence'' (2007), ''Insidious (film), Insid ...

and is one of the

antagonists An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.''Saw'' franchise. She first appeared in ''

Saw A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chainsaw, chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws. Saws began as serrated materials, and when man ...

'' (2004), portrayed by

Shawnee Smith Shawnee Smith (born July 3, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career at a young age, making her feature film debut at age 11 in '' Annie'' (1982). A few years later, she made her stage debut in '' To Gillian on Her 37 ...

, as a victim of one of serial killer Jigsaw's traps. Amanda's role was expanded in subsequent films, where she served as an apprentice to Jigsaw, with the goal of succeeding him after his death. Amanda has physically appeared in five of the ten films in the series. The character has gone on to appear in various other media, including video games and comic books. As an apprentice to Jigsaw, Amanda began placing victims in inescapable traps, as opposed to the traps Jigsaw made, which had the intent of being survivable if certain actions were taken. This places her in an antagonist role within the series. Even as an antagonist, she has become a fan favorite. For her role as the character, Shawnee Smith has received a largely positive reception, leading to her recognition as a "

scream queen A scream queen (a wordplay on ''screen queen'') is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. Scream king is the equivalent for men. Notable scream queen examples include ...

Fictional character biography

''Saw''

Amanda first appeared as a supporting character in the 2004 film ''

''. She was the only known survivor of the Jigsaw Killer (portrayed by

Tobin Bell Tobin Bell (born Joseph Henry Tobin Jr.; August 7, 1942) is an American actor. Appearing in over 100 titles during a five-decade career, he is most recognized for his role as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the ''Saw'' franchise. Bell started his a ...

), a man who abducts people he deems unappreciative of their lives and forces them into death traps. Amanda was targeted by Jigsaw because of her past as a drug addict. Her trap is shown in flashback as it is described to the police and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (portrayed by

Cary Elwes Ivan Simon Cary Elwes (; born 26 October 1962) is an English actor. He starred as Westley in ''The Princess Bride (film), The Princess Bride'' (1987), and also had lead roles in films such as ''Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' (1993) and the Saw (fr ...

) as Dr. Gordon was initially a prime suspect in the case of her trap. In Amanda's trap, she wakes up with a device attached to her head that is set to rip her jaws apart; the device is described as a "reverse bear trap". The key to unlocking the trap is in the body of her "dead" cellmate, Donnie Greco, who is someone Amanda recognizes from the Homeward Bound Clinic, which is where Amanda stayed to recover from her drug addiction. Amanda prepares to cut Greco for the key, only to find that he is not dead, but heavily sedated. Nevertheless, she uses a scalpel to stab him to death and searches his stomach for the key. Amanda finds the key with only seconds left before the trap would have activated. Billy the Puppet enters the room with Amanda shortly after she removes the trap, congratulating her on her survival and explaining that she now knows how to appreciate life.

''Saw II''

It is revealed in ''

Saw II ''Saw II'' is a 2005 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Leigh Whannell and Bousman. It is the sequel to ''Saw (2004 film), Saw'' (2004) and the second installment in the Saw (franchise), ''Saw'' film series. The film sta ...

'' that Amanda started using heroin in prison. She was sentenced to prison after being framed by Detective Eric Matthews for a crime she did not commit. She appears in most of the film as one of the contestants of a trap set by Jigsaw (John Kramer) involving a house that will flood with nerve gas after a time limit. Also trapped are several other people who Eric had framed, along with the detective's son,

Daniel Daniel commonly refers to: * Daniel (given name), a masculine given name and a surname * List of people named Daniel * List of people with surname Daniel * Daniel (biblical figure) * Book of Daniel, a biblical apocalypse, "an account of the acti ...

. As the last surviving woman in the nerve gas house, her character seems to fill the role of the film's

final girl The final girl or survivor girl is a Trope (cinema), trope in horror films (particularly slasher films). It refers to the last girl(s) or woman alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story. The final girl has been ob ...

, but this is a

red herring A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion. A red herring may be used intentiona ...

. In a

twist ending A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. When it happens near the end of a story, it is known as a twist ending or surprise ending. It may change ...

, it is revealed that Amanda is working with John, seeing him as a

father figure A father figure is usually an older man, normally one with power, authority, or strength, with whom one can identify on a deeply psychology, psychological level and who generates emotions generally felt towards one's father. Despite the literal t ...

and working as his apprentice. Amanda claims that the test she experienced in the first film ultimately saved her life, and this is what caused her to join him. She survives the nerve gas house, saved by Daniel from a violent victim Xavier, and upon the arrival of Eric Matthews she abducts him as her first "test subject" and rescues John from his custody. Amanda expresses vengeful tendencies toward Eric, telling him that the "tables have turned" and that she will make him experience what it is like to be imprisoned, as she traps him in a bathroom to rot. At the end of the film, Amanda claims that she intends to continue John's work after he dies.

''The Scott Tibbs Documentary''

Amanda has a brief appearance in the short film ''The Scott Tibbs Documentary'', which is included on the Special Edition DVD of ''Saw II''. In the short film, she is harassed by a news reporter who wants information about her experience when she was captured by Jigsaw, and Amanda responds by punching the reporter in the face and storming off.

''Saw III''

Saw III ''Saw III'' is a 2006 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and a story by Whannell and James Wan. A sequel to ''Saw II'' (2005) and the third installment in the ''Saw'' film series, it stars Tobin Bel ...

'' specifies that Amanda had been working with John since the first film, and that she kidnapped one of the film's protagonists,

Adam Stanheight The Saw (franchise), ''Saw'' franchise features a large cast of characters created primarily by directors and screenwriters James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Darren Lynn Bousman, Patrick Melton, and Marcus Dunstan. The films mainly focus on the chara ...

, eventually killing him out of mercy shortly after the events of the film. Flashbacks in ''Saw III'' also reveal that Eric had escaped from his trap, and struggled with Amanda over the whereabouts of his son. Amanda managed to overpower him and left Eric for dead. By the third film, Amanda is shown to be ignoring John's

modus operandi A (often shortened to M.O. or MO) is an individual's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as . Term The term is often used in ...

by creating inescapable traps that kill the subject regardless of whether or not they successfully complete their test. She also shows a tendency to cut herself under stress. The dying John decides to test Amanda to see if she is still stable enough to continue his work by having her work with Dr. Lynn Denlon to keep him alive while she oversees Jeff Denlon's tests. Amanda is aggressive toward Lynn. While John is being operated on, he becomes delirious and professes his love for his ex-wife Jill Tuck, which Amanda mistakes for a professed love for Lynn. Amanda becomes upset and refuses to remove the shotgun collar trap from Lynn, which will kill Lynn if John

flatline A flatline is an electrical time sequence measurement that shows no activity and therefore, when represented, shows a flat line instead of a moving one. It almost always refers to either a flatlined electrocardiogram, where the heart shows no e ...

s. Amanda argues about John's ethics and whether or not Lynn learned anything, revealing that Amanda made her traps inescapable because she felt that the victims would have learned nothing from the test they were put through. Amanda shoots Lynn in the stomach as Jeff walks in. Jeff shoots Amanda in the neck in retaliation. As she dies, a saddened John explains the nature of her test – Lynn and Jeff are actually husband and wife – and expresses his disappointment that she has effectively defeated the purpose of his actions by giving her victims no chance to learn from their tests. A deleted scene in ''Saw III'' shows Amanda killing Eric, by slashing his body several times while on top of him.

Darren Lynn Bousman Darren Lynn Bousman (; born January 11, 1979) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films. He has directed four of the ''Saw (franchise), Saw'' films: ''Saw II'', ''Saw III'', ''Saw IV'', and ''Spiral ( ...

fought to keep this scene in, but the producers removed it because they thought it would be better to leave the door open for Eric's return in ''

Saw IV ''Saw IV'' is a 2007 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and a story by Melton, Dunstan, and Thomas Fenton. A sequel to '' Saw III'' (2006) and the fourth installment in the ''Sa ...

''.

confirms on the ''Saw III'' DVD commentary that Amanda's murder of Eric was the first time she killed out of spite and that it was this incident that caused her to stray from John's intentions. Two deleted scenes were included on the ''Saw III'' Director's Cut DVD. The first was a flashback showing Amanda meeting Adam in his apartment building before kidnapping him for Jigsaw's game. Adam complimented Amanda on her hair, gave her a flyer promoting a friend's concert, and took a picture of her. The second deleted scene was between Amanda and Lynn, in which they had a fight that resulted in cuts on Amanda's arms. It is also noted in Leigh Whannell's ''Saw III'' commentary that Amanda's character was abused by her father as a child, although this is never seen in any of the ''Saw'' movies.

''Saw IV''

During ''Saw IV'', Amanda's ability to carry the much heavier Detective Allison Kerry's unconscious body is questioned by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

, leading them to believe that another accomplice is helping John. It is discovered that the events of ''Saw III'' and ''Saw IV'' occurred at the same time, revealing that Amanda was alive during the events of the fourth film. Her bloody body is found by Agent Peter Strahm in the makeshift operating room just moments after her death.

''Saw V''

Amanda reappears in ''

Saw V ''Saw V'' is a 2008 horror film directed by David Hackl, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. A sequel to '' Saw IV'' (2007) and the fifth installment in the ''Saw'' film series, it stars Tobin Bel ...

'', but only through flashbacks and voice acting. On August 7, 2008,

confirmed in an interview with ''Bloody Disgusting'' that she had heard that she would indeed be featured in the fifth installment of ''Saw''. However, she claimed that she was never on the set of the fifth film. Smith suggested that her reappearance would most likely be through the use of previously filmed archival footage."Bloody-Disgusting Dead or Alive, Shawnee Smith Returns Fifth 'Saw' Film"
Retrieved 12 August 2008 In the fifth film, Hoffman, in a flashback, questions why Amanda would be needed to participate in the nerve gas house trap (from the second movie). Amanda is briefly seen in this flashback, lying unconscious on the floor as John and Hoffman set up this game. In another flashback, in the operating room seen in Saw III, Hoffman questioned John about why he was letting emotional attachment get in the way of his perception of Amanda. Hoffman predicted that she would fail John. He then left the room through a secret exit just before Amanda entered the room with Lynn.

''Saw VI''

In ''

Saw VI ''Saw VI'' is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert (in his directorial debut) and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. A sequel to ''Saw V'' (2008) and the sixth installment in the ''Saw'' film series, it stars Tobin Bell, Cos ...

'', a flashback shows that Amanda, desperate for drugs, sent Cecil to Jill Tuck's clinic to steal some for her, making her an accomplice in the miscarriage of John's son Gideon in ''Saw IV''. It is also shown that after Amanda survived her test in the first film, John showed Amanda to Jill to prove that his method of rehabilitation was the only one that worked. It is implied that Amanda was once a patient at Jill's clinic and that Jill had given up on her. Amanda told Jill that John's method had helped her. Amanda appears in a flashback with John and Hoffman as they prepare the trap for

Timothy Timothy is a masculine name. It comes from the Greek language, Greek name (Timotheus (disambiguation), Timόtheos) meaning "honouring God", "in God's honour", or "honoured by God". Timothy (and its variations) is a common name in several countries ...

. It is shown that although Amanda and Hoffman were both apprentices of John, they were competitive and reluctant to work together. Amanda expressed doubts about Hoffman's ability to properly set up the mechanics of her devices, noting that she thought he was only useful for "heavy lifting." Hoffman openly expressed his dislike for her, saying that he was the one who truly valued his life. Amanda also questioned whether Hoffman should be tested, reflecting on the fact that she had already passed one test. Amanda's close emotional bond and care for John was also further demonstrated in the film. Amanda seemed awkward and uncomfortable when she and John later ran into Jill as they left the room. It was also revealed that the masked figure who kidnapped Lynn Denlon in ''Saw III'' was Amanda. Another flashback reveals that Hoffman plotted to sabotage Amanda's final exam in ''Saw III''. Knowing of Amanda's involvement in Jill's miscarriage, Hoffman blackmailed Amanda into killing Lynn through the letter he left for her in ''Saw IV'' (which she read in ''Saw III''). In the letter, Hoffman told Amanda that he would inform John of Amanda's indirect role in the incident. Feeling pressure not to disappoint her mentor, Amanda followed Hoffman's threats and shot Lynn. This resulted in Amanda's failure to pass the final test John had set for her and her death. In the director's cut of ''Saw VI'', one of the scenes added was a dialogue between Amanda and Cecil in which she convinces him to rob the clinic by saying, "I've been good to you". Also in the Director's Cut, a scene was added after the credits in which she approaches the room where Corbett Denlon is trapped (during the events of ''Saw III'') and frantically tells her, "Don't trust the one who saves you".

''Saw 3D''

At the end of ''

Saw 3D ''Saw 3D'' (also released as ''Saw: The Final Chapter'') is a 2010 American 3D film, 3D horror film directed by Kevin Greutert and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. A sequel to ''Saw VI'' (2009) and the seventh installment in the Sa ...

'', Amanda appears in a brief archival flashback from ''Saw II''.

''Jigsaw''

Although Amanda does not appear in the eighth film, '' Jigsaw'', it is revealed that John was assisted by Logan Nelson in preparing the "reverse bear trap" for the game that she survived in the first film.

''Saw X''

Amanda returns in ''

Saw X ''Saw X'' is a 2023 American horror film directed and edited by Kevin Greutert, and written by Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg. It is the tenth installment in the Saw (franchise), ''Saw'' film series, following ''Spiral (2021 film), Spiral'' ...

'', a film set before her death in the third installment. In this film, Amanda serves as an active apprentice to Jigsaw, providing support under his guidance as he executes his plans against those who deceived him with a fraudulent cancer treatment.

In other media

''Saw: Rebirth''

Amanda Young is featured in comic book '' Saw: Rebirth'', which takes place before the events of the first movie. It is revealed that John Kramer noticed Amanda while in the hospital being treated for his illness. She is portrayed as a fellow patient in the hospital being treated for an overdose she had suffered due to her drug addiction. John expressed his frustration that Amanda had learned nothing from her overdose. This motivated John to create her test, which was featured in the first movie.

''Saw: The Video Game''

Amanda appeared in the video game ''

'' as the first victim that protagonist David Tapp had to save. When she was brought to the asylum, she was held in a poison/antidote injection trap to reflect her

intravenous drug use Drug injection is a method of introducing a drug into the bloodstream via a hollow hypodermic needle, which is pierced through the skin into the body (usually intravenously, but also at an intramuscular or subcutaneous, location). Intravenous ...

habits A habit (or wont, as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. A 1903 paper in the ''American Journal of Psychology'' defined a "habit, from the standpoint of psychology, ...

. Tapp rushes to rescue her, and she follows him around the asylum. However, she is soon "kidnapped" by Pighead, a henchman wearing Jigsaw's robes to hide Amanda's identity as Jigsaw's apprentice."IGN: Saw: The Videogame Preview"
Retrieved 8 January 2009.

''Dead by Daylight''

Amanda became a downloadable playable killer “The Pig” for ''Dead by Daylight'' in 2018, utilizing a hidden blade and the reverse bear trap as weapons. After Amanda's death in ''Saw III'', she is transported to the universe of ''Dead by Daylight'' by some unknown force; Amanda believes that these circumstances were brought on as another test from Jigsaw.

Characterization

Several of the film crew behind the ''Saw'' film series have commented on how Amanda's character is a focus point of the franchise.

Marcus Dunstan Marcus Dunstan is an American screenwriter and director who, along with frequent collaborator Patrick Melton, wrote screenplay for the film ''Feast (2005 film), Feast'', which was the winner of Season Three of the filmmaking competition reality T ...

, writer of ''Saw IV'', ''Saw V'', ''Saw VI'', and ''Saw 3D'' stated that "Shawnee Smith's character mandarepresents a tremendous viable, emotional thread throughout the narratives." Fellow writer of ''Saw IV'', ''Saw V'', ''Saw VI'', and ''Saw 3D'' Patrick Melton further stated that "I don't think we could have effectively told the story of Hoffman and John Kramer without including Amanda."

Kevin Greutert Kevin Greutert ( ; born March 31, 1965) is an American film editor and director, best known for his work on the ''Saw'' film series, as well as character-based supernatural horrors. He is married to actress Elizabeth Rowin. Career Greutert ...

, the editor of ''Saw'', ''Saw II'', ''Saw III'', and ''Saw IV'', and director of ''Saw VI'' and ''Saw 3D'', further stated that " mithdid a great job, and manda'ssuch a peculiar aspect of the Jigsaw character, with the fact that he had these tender feelings for this weirdo."'Interview: Saw VI Filmmakers Kevin Greutert, Mark Burg, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton'
Retrieved 21 February 2010. Actress

said that while did not personally fully identify with Amanda, she found many of Amanda's traits to be admirable. Smith stated: "When you first meet manda she's at the bottom, she can't go any lower and it's the combination of that and having nothing left to lose and finding someone to love and to sacrifice for. Obviously she's tragic, but 95% of her was capable of growing the strength to serve and sacrifice for another human being. Now that's rare and it takes strength, courage, practice, diligence, and a fearlessness to build that."'Shawnee Smith Saw 3 Interview'
Retrieved 23 March 2008. Smith also stated that she attempted to find the human being in Amanda, and tried not to merely turn her into a "super killer". Smith remarked of Amanda's relationship with Jigsaw that it was not so much an apprentice relationship, but that she perceived it as "a true friendship and a real partnership". Through interviews with Shawnee Smith, it was revealed that Amanda's evolution into the killer she was at the end of ''Saw III'' was in part due to a horrible childhood. Smith stated on numerous occasions that Amanda was severely abused and neglected when she was a child. This was confirmed by ''Saw'' series writer, actor, and co-creator

, who also commented on Amanda's past in a commentary for ''Saw III''. In the original script of ''Saw III'', dialogue between John and Amanda made references to her past; in a scene describing her view of the bathroom trap she explains to John that "When I was a little girl, my father would lock me under the stairs. I was terrified of the dark, and he would leave me in there alone. For hours." Leigh Whannell describes in the ''Saw III'' DVD commentary that because of her childhood, Amanda had never properly learned to deal with stress and emotional pain, and thus turned to

self-harm Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...

as a way of dealing with her problems. While in prison, her abusive tendencies were replaced with heroin use. However, after surviving the "reverse bear trap", she no longer used heroin and returned to cutting, burning, and other forms of self-injury. Her frail emotional state and somewhat mental instability made her quick to anger, and she would often act purely on impulse or emotion (such as trying to kill Eric Matthews, and her emotionally and physically abusive behaviour towards Lynn Denlon). A scene in ''Saw III'' explores Amanda's self-injuring tendencies, and shows her cutting the inside of her thigh. The scene was not in the original script, and instead there was a brief scene in which Amanda is shown squeezing a razor blade (which was later replaced by a scene of Amanda squeezing a leather cutter), only hinting at Amanda self-injuring. Prior to filming, Smith had been reading '' A Bright Red Scream'', a book that explains the reasons one would turn to self-injury. It was Smith who insisted that a self-injury scene be filmed and put into the film, believing it was necessary to show Amanda's tendencies for character depth. Amanda displayed indications of guilt and remorse in her actions, as she had a nightmare of one of her victims in a deleted scene in the director's cut of ''Saw III''. In her dream she was confronted by Adam for what she had done to him, thus further revealing the emotional turmoil that her character exhibited. Jake Huntley wrote of the complexity of Amanda's character in the ''Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies''. Huntley noted that although Amanda sets herself as notably different from the Jigsaw Killer, her attachment toward him and her desire to be like him are central to her character's state of mind. Huntley stated that: Huntley further points out that the biggest dilemma that Amanda's character faced is that she lost her sense of "self" following her "reverse bear trap" in the first film. This is characterised by her claim to have been "reborn", symbolising her neurotic desire to be somebody else other than herself. The viewer is confronted with a character who grapples with trying to understand her own identity as she simultaneously attempts to emulate Jigsaw's characteristics, while also setting herself apart as different from him. Huntley claims this predicament that caused Amanda's gradual emotional breakdown. Huntley stated that: Kyle Turner writing for ''

Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non- objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant ...

'' commenting on Amanda's role in ''Saw X'', stated "She’s all id, a tempest of emotion and fully embodied desperation and psychosis."

Symbolic representations

Emulation of Jigsaw's icons

After becoming one of John's apprentices, Amanda often took on many of John's iconic symbols. For instance, she often wore a pig mask when capturing her victims. Also, in ''Saw III'', she appeared wearing John's iconic red and black theatrical robe. Huntley analysed this as an attempt by Amanda to be "dressed as Jigsaw". Huntley further stated that: "For Amanda, Jigsaw as signifier can only ever stand in the place of a vexatious and frustrating lack and it is this which locates Amanda in such a conflicted position – having given "every cell" of herself to Jigsaw she is only able to act in an imitative and repetitive way, a second, or understudy, in danger of being only slightly more useful than the Billy doll, waiting both for and against Jigsaw's inevitable and impending death."

Inescapable traps

Amanda eventually developed her own unique

, in which the traps she set were inescapable, and would kill the test subjects even when the victims had achieved the goals of their games. While John always refused to acknowledge his traps as murder, Amanda openly admitted that her actions did define her as a murderer. She chose to execute her subjects because she did not believe anyone would change, including herself. Huntley pointed out that Amanda's traps are used as a creative tool of juxtaposition with that of Jigsaw's, to effectively point out what the Jigsaw killer was not. Huntley outlined this, stating that: "If Jigsaw's games are encounters with

Deleuzian Gilles Louis René Deleuze (18 January 1925 – 4 November 1995) was a French philosopher who, from the early 1950s until his death in 1995, wrote on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular works were the two volumes o ...

affect, Amanda's games are anti-deleuzian, operating more as encounters with

Lacanian Jacques Marie Émile Lacan (, ; ; 13 April 1901 – 9 September 1981) was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist. Described as "the most controversial psycho-analyst since Freud", Lacan gave yearly seminars in Paris, from 1953 to 1981, and ...

notions of the signification of death within the symbolic order and the death drive. This is because Amanda, as a Lacanian subject, becomes caught between her own subjectivity and the object of her desire. In purely cinematic terms, Jigsaw directs his games while Amanda acts in hers... The subjects of Amanda's games, undertaken for Jigsaw, constitute only the throwing away, the discarding... At the most basic level, Amanda does not allow chance or potential to interfere, only ever seeing Jigsaw's games as constitutive of the symbolic order, as an elaborate cover for staging the death of those who lack the survival instinct and thus do not deserve life."

Reception

In a list compiled by Scott Collura for

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

of the top fifty villainesses in modern popular culture, entitled "Top 50 Chicks Behaving Badly", Amanda Young was ranked as number 42. Collura remarked that Amanda was so villainous that she made "a killer like Jigsaw look like the good guy..."'Top 50 Chicks Behaving Badly'
Retrieved 20 October 2009. On Tom Cullen's list of the top five most noteworthy fictional female serial killers, as featured on ''Asylum'', Amanda Young was ranked as number four. In a list that included

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...

's iconic

Catherine Tramell Catherine Tramell is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the film '' Basic Instinct'' (1992) and its sequel '' Basic Instinct 2'' (2006). Tramell, created by writer Joe Eszterhas, is played by Sharon Stone in both films. Tramell is ...

, Cullen remarked that of all those featured on his list, Smith's Amanda would be the "most in need of psychiatric help".'Five Foxiest Serial Killers of the Silverscreen'
Retrieved 21 November 2009. Don Summer, a writer for ''Best-Horror-films.com'', commented that Shawnee Smith did a "fantastic job" in her recurring role as Jigsaw's "trusty

sidekick A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...

", Amanda. Shawnee Smith has been acknowledged as a "

" due to the roles she has played in horror films, which includes her role as Amanda in the ''Saw'' films. This culminated in the selection of Smith as a judge and host for the reality series ''

Scream Queens A scream queen (a wordplay on ''screen queen'') is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. Scream king is the equivalent for men. Notable scream queen examples include ...

'', in which contestants competed for a role in ''Saw VI''."Gals try out for 'Scream' of the crop"
Retrieved 25 October 2008. Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith were nominated for the

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (Broderick book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter ...

Scream Award in the category of "Most Vile Villain" for their portrayals of John and Amanda respectively in ''Saw III''.'Scream 2007 Awards Coming to Spike TV on 23 October'
Retrieved 11 October 2009. Smith's depiction of Amanda in the reverse bear trap was used in promotional posters for the first film. The same image also appears on the soundtrack for the first film. A depiction of Amanda in this device was released as a collectable statue by Hollywood Collectables, indicating the iconic status that the character has obtained.
. Retrieved 6 January 2011. Reviewing ''Saw X'', Alison Foreman of IndieWire writes that Smith's "pitch-perfect performance — self-aware, soapy, and rivaling

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and obse ...

for funniest in the series — is still stunningly effective." Siddhant Adlakha observes that Smith returns for "a surprisingly sizable role that, like Bell, allows the actress to tie a neat bow on a character who may have been killed off far too quickly." Jack McCarthy cited Smith as giving the best of the film's "outstanding performances", and Joshua Rothkopf opines that Bell's "half-cracked grandeur, boosted by Smith’s skewed stares of adoration, sends the film into a loopy giddiness." Alternatively, Casey Drury called Smith's acting and line delivery "exponentially shallow". Some commentators also noted that Bell and Smith had noticeably aged since last playing their characters in films set after the prequel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Amanda Female horror film characters Fictional female serial killers Fictional kidnappers Fictional vigilantes Fictional henchmen Fictional drug addicts Fictional heroin users Film characters introduced in 2004 Fictional sole survivors Female film villains Saw (franchise) characters