Amanda Young is a fictional character created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell and is one of the antagonists in the Saw franchise. She first appeared in Saw (2004), portrayed by Shawnee Smith, 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".