#TT: The development of Young Ian in Outlander so far

When we first met Young Ian, he was more like the runt of the litter. He’s grown into a sweet, kind, and strong-willed young man in Outlander Season 4.

Young Ian was the sweet and adorable son of Jenny and Ian Murray in Outlander Season 3. Close to his Uncle Jamie, Young Ian has clearly wanted to be independent from his parents. He’s got that wish this season and here’s a look at the transformation we’ve had so far.

Just a note that this is just about the show. Young Ian in the books has mostly had the same transformation but the scenes go into more detail and there’s a different reason he remains in the Colonies at first. So instead of trying to explain both, I’m sticking to the show as there are show-only fans out there.

And I will admit that there’s more transformation to come. You may have noticed a behind the scenes video where John Bell talks about a cuff from the Native Americans. That’s still to come, so to avoid spoilers, I’m sticking to Young Ian’s considerably transformation up to Outlander Season 4, Episode 4.

Sweet and adorable to a brave young man

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A lot has changed for Young Ian. As he pointed out to Jamie, he’s been set upon by pirates twice, kidnapped, thrown into a pit…he’s almost been killed all for the sake of a prophecy and a view of one woman. Everything that’s happened has certainly left a mark, but this opened the chance for him to grow.

After opening up to Jamie about the things that happened, we got to see him turn from a scared boy to a brave young man. He’s stepped out of his shell.

Just standing up to Jamie about staying in North Carolina showed this. At first, he just moaned that Jamie was going to put him on a ship to America. Now he’s made it clear that he’s his own man. Of course, as his own man, he’s still living with Claire and Jamie but there’s no way the two would have it any other way right now.

Eager to learn of others’ ways

Young Ian is a progressive young man for his time. Like his Uncle Jamie, he’s a man ahead of his time and it’s not all Claire’s influence. He’s eager to learn and in awe of the Native American practices and beliefs.

When initially hearing about the Cherokees, he was in awe and purely loved the land he had found himself in. Even though the Cherokees also showed their threatening, savage-like nature, he remained calm for the most part. And he’s still eager to learn more about them. You just have to look at the pride and awe in Jamie’s name Bear Killer.

It’s not like he can blame the Native American tribes for their actions. Young Ian wasn’t afraid to point out that North Carolina was their land first, after all. Once again, he proved his kind heart and love for different cultures.

There’s so much more of this to come, but he’s becoming a sweet young man who is well worth the investment in. Like Roger, Brianna, Fergus, and Marsali, I hope that we see more development for Young Ian, because he has a big transformation to come very soon, along with loyal Rollo.

What do you think of Young Ian’s transformation over the last year? What do you hope to see from him in the future? What’s been your favorite moment so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander airs Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.