Was Hamilton Knox a character in The Fiery Cross?

Outlander Season 5 is an adaptation of The Fiery Cross. With complaints about Jamie’s actions against Hamilton Knox, it’s important to assess the source.

Outlander Season 5 brought us a sad end to an intriguing character. Hamilton Knox is no more, killed by Jamie’s hands. It’s led to many complaints about Jamie’s actions (although really doesn’t make him a murderer), as well as questions about how the storyline played out in “The Fiery Cross.”

As many people know, the series is adapted from the books. The fifth season is mostly taken from “The Fiery Cross,” but there have been moments taken from other books and there are also moments that are developed purely for the series. Hamilton Knox is one of those elements that has been crafted for the show.

Much like Angus Mohr, the character of Hamilton Knox isn’t included in the book storyline and is more of a combination of other characters. Angus’s name was taken from a character in “Outlander,” but the actual character was created purely for the series. Meanwhile, Knox is a composite of characters we hear about in the book with the full storyline adapted for the sake of the series.

It’s a storyline that shows us just how far Jamie is willing to go to protect his family. This is nothing new. We know he’s a Highland warrior. He will make the harder decisions so others don’t need to. He’ll take a life if it means preserving his own and the lives of his family.

So, no, Knox isn’t a character from “The Fiery Cross.” His storyline isn’t included as it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad invention. The entire Regulator storyline is an invention based on dispatches we hear about in the novel. In the series, we need to be shown and not told. It’s an important part of the storyline to give us a visual sense of the events, and that’s what Knox’s storyline has offered.