There’s a lot of talk of Stephen Bonnet being worse than Black Jack Randall. While I’m sure Bonnet is going to be a formidable foe, I don’t think any Outlander villain will be worse than Jonathan Wolverton Randall.
When it comes to Outlander villains, there will always be one that comes to mind: Jonathan Wolverton Randall. I always like to state that I’m a show first fan, so I haven’t read “Drums of Autumn” yet but I do know enough to understand what Stephen Bonnet does.
There’s a lot of talk of Bonnet being worse than Black Jack Randall, especially by cast and crew members on the series. I honestly can’t see it. Even knowing Bonnet is a chameleon, Randall will always be worse.
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Black Jack Randall reminds me a lot of Ramsey Bolton from Game of Thrones, a formidable foe who was extremely sadistic in nature. He’d hunt people for fun and tortured just for pure pleasure. We all know that Randall tortured and raped because he wanted to–and because he could get away with it.
As a man in high standing, Black Jack could get away with far more. He had people like the Duke of Sandringham who would be able to protect him and money to help secure him positions. When he needed to act the part of a good officer and a caring brother, he could. Yet, he was also a man many of his subordinates were afraid of.
The same can’t really be said for Stephen Bonnet. Bonnet is a pirate. Sure, he can be a chameleon and make people trust him, but he will always be on the wrong side of the law with no protection. There is always that threat of capture, which isn’t something that could be said for Black Jack Randall.
It’s often power that is scarier and that’s what Black Jack had. With the power came the confidence to do what he wanted. Plus, he had a far more sadistic mind that what I’ve read and heard of Bonnet.
Maybe I’ll be proven wrong about the worst Outlander villain when I watch the fourth season. Right now, while I know I’ll likely love to hate Bonnet’s character, I don’t think he’ll be worse when it comes to the bad guys.
Is Bonnet worse than Randall in the books? Who would you name the evilest Outlander villains in the show and book history? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Outlander Season 4 premieres on Nov. 4 at 8/7c on STARZ. Follow Claire and Jamie on Twitter for more updates straight to your feed.