Young Ian had some standout moments throughout Outlander Season 5
Young Ian had some standout moments, partially because the writers decided to have him return earlier than expected during Outlander Season 5.
It’s time to break down the moments into the top five. Let me tell you that this was definitely not easy. It took some time to figure out why moments stood out the most for me—were they just later in the season so I remember them more clearly or were they just the standout moments.
Young Ian gained a lot of attention when he returned. He could have slinked into the background, just there as a reminder but with a secret threatening to come out. He could have been underused like Fergus. However, he was given a great storyline and interacted with various characters.
Here are my five favorite Young Ian moments from Outlander Season 5.
5. His return
This is one of the moments that made it to my 20 best moments from Outlander Season 5. Not all of those on this list did. That’s mostly because now we’re looking at purely Young Ian moments, while the best moments overall take into account all the different storylines going on.
But what made this moment stand out? It was a big return moment. Young Ian quickly showed that the last few years with the Mohawks had changed him. He was a different man to the one that left at the end of Outlander Season 4.
Throughout the return, we saw there was a darkness to him. He’d gained skills he didn’t have before. But most importantly, Rollo was still by his side.
4. Willing to kill for Claire
In the Outlander Season 5 finale, Young Ian wasted no time in getting ready for war. He joined Jamie and the other men in the hunt for Claire’s captors and torturers. His skills he gained from his time with the Mohawks came out, showing us the man that he had become.
But it was the end of the fight. When Young Ian, Fergus, and John Quincy Myers learned that Claire had made an oath to preserve life, Young Ian wasted no time in being Claire’s sword. Jamie had already said he would kill for Claire, and now Young Ian would too.
We saw this man who is loyal and protective. Regardless of everything he has been through, he will put his family first and protect them. He is so much like Jamie, and it makes me love Young Ian more.
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3. Learning the truth about the stones
Young Ian became part of the small group of people to learn the truth about time travel and where Claire comes from. This moment in Outlander Season 5 was priceless.
He was resentful that Claire and Jamie had their secrets. With Otter Tooth’s journal, he knew that there was something they weren’t telling him. When he showed the journal after the incident with the opal, he was pulled into this trusted circle, making it clear that he is a treasured member of the family.
We got a glimpse of that boy-like wonder he used to have. There was a sense of the young man the two had left behind with the Mohawks. Hearing him call Claire a fairy was so darn cute and makes me wish he didn’t lose as much as he did.
2. Calling Roger out on hypocrisy
When Young Ian returned during Outlander Season 5, Episode 8, it was clear there was a cloud over him. Really, he’d come home to die; depressed that he had to leave his wife and the people who had become his family. It was like he wasn’t wanted.
Yet, Roger stopped Young Ian from killing himself. That’s when we learned a little of what happened, of Young Ian saying that his wife is alive, but he’s lost her.
He also calls Roger out on his hypocrisy. Why does Roger get to consider suicide, but he doesn’t? Why does Roger get to bury his “weapon,” but he doesn’t? It’s a huge moment for both men, as they heal together.
1. His speech to Jamie about limbs
Finally, it has to be the moment from Outlander Season 5, Episode 9 when he learns that Jamie would rather die than lose a limb. Young Ian calls Jamie out on his hypocrisy, too.
I don’t think Season 4 Young Ian would have done this. We got to see the changes that had happened, and many of them for the better. This was a chance for Young Ian to share his disappointment, his anger, and his respect. He showed just how much he loved his dad despite only having one leg. He thought about the respect he had for Fergus despite him having only one hand.
Young Ian’s words were the ones that got through to Jamie. While everyone else tried to get Jamie to think about his own life, Young Ian was able to connect to the shame Jamie felt and called him out on it. Sometimes this tough love is needed.
What were your favorite Young Ian moments from Outlander Season 5? Share yours in the comments below.
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