Outlander: Why did Wendigo Donner and Otter Tooth go back in time?

Why Otter Tooth and Wendigo headed back in time in the Outlander books

Outlander has introduced us to two more time travelers. During Season 4, we heard the story of Otter Tooth—and now we can learn more since Young Ian has passed on Otter Tooth’s journal to Claire. On Season 5, we met Donner, who made it clear that he knows Otter Tooth. But why did the two time travel in the first place?

This is something that is described on Outlander Season 4. At least, it’s hinted at. Otter Tooth wanted the Native tribes to join together and fight against the colonists. However, it turns out that Otter Tooth and Wendigo Donner had two different intentions. This explains why their time traveling went so very wrong.

They also weren’t alone. Five men time traveled, but only two made it through the stones alive. During “A Breath of Snow and Ashes,” Brianna explains that the five who went missing were known as the Montauk Five. I don’t remember learning what happened to two of them, but the last died on the passage.

The men didn’t really know what happened to each other, though. Donner had no idea where Otter Tooth ended up. And I guess we can believe the other two ended up in another time period.

Why would they risk the journey on Outlander?

The men wanted to prevent the destruction of the Native tribes. To do this, they wanted the Natives to join together and work with the British to prevent the Americans from winning the Revolutionary War. Many of the men believed that this would allow the tribes to receive better treatment.

Would it have, though? That’s something Otter Tooth wondered. Instead of going to just before the Revolutionary War, Otter Tooth wanted to go back further. He ended up in a time as the Colonists were settling in places in an attempt to get the Natives not to work with the Colonists at all to protect themselves.

Of course, it turned into a disaster. Like Claire has found, history can’t be changed. Otter Tooth was viewed with suspicion and danger and subsequently killed. Donner was left on his own and unable to do anything to help the cause. Instead, he just wanted to get back to his own, safer time.

Which characters would you like to know more about? Do you think Donner and Otter Tooth could have achieved their plan if they both wanted exactly the same thing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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