When “Outlander” first graced our screens in 2014, it quickly captivated audiences with its compelling blend of historical drama and heart-racing romance.
At the heart of the series, which is celebrating 10 years since its premiere on August 9, are the characters brought to life by the exceptionally talented cast.
Based on a series of best-selling books by Diana Gabaldon, the series follows Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a former World War II military nurse who travels through time and falls in love with Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), a dashing 18th-century Highland warrior.
Both actors were relatively unknown when they first landed the parts that would transform their lives and make them globally recognized stars.
Let’s dive into how Jamie and Claire have changed over the years alongside other key characters on the show.
Caitríona Balfe has played headstrong protagonist Claire since the very beginning of the show.
At the beginning of the series, Claire Randall was a combat nurse living in the 1940s with her university professor husband.
But everything changed for her when she stumbled through some magical standing stones while honeymooning in the Highlands, which transported her to the 1740s and into the arms of her second husband, Jamie Fraser.
Claire has been through a lot over the show’s last seven seasons.
However, she’s still a nurse. In the show’s most recently aired season, she was seen administering medical aid to survivors of the Second Battle of Saratoga.
As of season seven, Claire — who is supposed to have aged over 30 years since the series began — is living in North Carolina with Jamie with their daughter and grandchildren.
Sam Heughan is the only other actor on the show who has been playing his character since season one.
Audiences were introduced to the young, redheaded Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in the pilot episode shortly after Claire’s tumble through the standing stones of Craigh na Dun.
On the run from the English, Jamie initially hid the fact that he was a Laird and had a castle to his name when he and Claire married to protect her from being captured by the English Army too.
Like Claire, Jamie has noticeably aged since season one but he still has his distinctive red hair.
Viewers have seen Jamie stay true to his wedding vows to protect Claire time and time again.
Over the last seven seasons, which have spanned over three decades, the characters have faced myriad challenges — including a 20-year separation — but they’ve always found their way back to each other.
Sophie Skelton made her debut in the season two finale as Brianna, Jamie and Claire’s teenage daughter.
Brianna was born after Claire traveled back to her own time and was raised believing that her father was Claire’s first husband.
Upon learning the truth about her biological father, she followed her mother back through the stones in season four.
Brianna has since returned to the 20th century and has become a mother.
Brianna initially struggled to adjust to life in the 18th century, having grown up strong and independent like her mother.
However, her strong bond with Roger helped her through and after marrying at Fraser’s Ridge, the two became parents to children Jemmy and Mandy.
After it was discovered that Mandy had a life-threatening heart defect that required more advanced surgery than Claire was able to perform, Brianna and the rest of her family traveled back to their original timeline.
Roger, played by Richard Rankin, was also introduced to audiences at the end of season two.
While Roger is the adopted son of Claire’s friend Reverend Wakefield, he also has ties to the Frasers as a direct descendant of Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Duncan.
When audiences first met Roger, he was a thirty-something Oxford don, keen to help an old friend of his father’s on a project about the Jacobite Rising of 1745. It didn’t take him long to fall for Claire’s daughter, Brianna.
The character has had a wild journey and is now a devoted husband and father.
Roger has had to learn to adapt to the past and endured brutal hardships as a result. After questioning his place in the 18th century, he has felt much more at ease since returning to his time period with Brianna and his children.
Claire’s first husband Frank Randall, played by Tobias Menzies, was introduced in the pilot.
Frank was Claire’s first husband, whom she met while serving as a WW2 nurse.
Audiences are shown from the beginning that Frank has a passion for uncovering his genealogy and his ancestor’s links to the 1945 Jacobite uprising.
Frank tragically died in the show’s fourth season, setting into motion Claire’s journey back to Jamie.
Although he was devoted to Claire before she disappeared, after she returned carrying Jamie’s unborn child, he struggled to accept what happened.
In season four, while planning to leave Claire after falling for another woman, he died in a car accident.
Menzies also portrayed Frank’s ancestor, Black Jack Randall, in a clever bit of casting.
In the book series Frank and his 18th-century ancestor are said to bear a strong resemblance, so the show creators decided to have Menzies play both roles.
While Frank was a mild-mannered and principled professor, Black Jack was the total opposite. He was introduced in the pilot as a sadistic British officer who later develops an obsession with Jamie that leads him to commit violent and depraved acts against the Scot.