The hit romantic fantasy Outlander has an array of strong female characters, each of whom has empowering moments across the five seasons that the show has aired to date. Led and narrated by a charismatic female protagonist, the show has given fans extremely harrowing as well as exhilarating scenes where women have stood out for their show of strength and character.
Whether it is Claire Fraser saving umpteen lives, with the limited resources of the 18th century, her daughter Brianna standing up to her attacker, or young Marsali taking an impassioned step to save her family, there are several outstanding moments for women in this beloved historical drama.
Mary McNab Lying For The Murrays
The Murrays' housekeeper Mary McNab at Lallybroch saved the entire household, and especially Jamie, who was on the run as the Dunbonnet at the time, from being caught red-handed.
The young boys, including Fergus and Young Ian, had fired a gun during their boyish escapades, but unfortunately, possession of firearms was strictly prohibited at the time. The widowed Mary lied to the Redcoats, handing the gun over and telling them that it belonged to her late husband, thus saving the lives of the entire family.
Marsali Protecting Her Loved Ones
The sprightly Marsali has more spunk than many of the men on the show. Fans adore her despite her being the daughter of the much-hated Laoghaire.
The quick-witted young woman took matters in her own hands in season 5 when she realized that Claire was bound by her healer's oath and could never hurt the despicable Brown, who had masterminded her abduction and rape. Driven by her love for Claire and the entire Fraser family, Marsali decided to administer a lethal injection to Brown, killing him instantly. It took great courage and immense love to be able to take a step such as that.
Claire Making Penicillin
Claire served as an army nurse during the Second World War and then went on to become a surgeon in the 20th century and a healer in the 18th.
She earned her medical degree while in Boston and was the only woman in her class. Her medical expertise would go on to aid her tremendously in the 18th century, where she would even successfully make penicillin from scratch - a powerful moment indeed since she made the antibiotic before it was even discovered. While some believe she played God by trying to expedite something that would only happen centuries later, her achievement was rather unbelievable nonetheless.
Every Time Claire Saved A Life
Claire Fraser is the unapologetic heroine of the romance drama and she is one of the most empowering characters on popular television.
Every time Claire performed some intricate procedure or saved a life, it was a victory for her and for women in general. From helping to save a ship, full of men dying from typhoid to performing emergency surgery on a certain Mr. Fanning, Claire epitomized the extent of a woman's accomplishments in every century she lived in. She was confident and in complete command of the situation, and even got Governor Tryon himself to assist her during the procedure on Mr. Fanning.
Claire & Jenny Hunting For Jamie
In season 1, Claire and Jenny went looking for Jamie who had been taken by the Redcoats. With Ian Murray not being able to accompany them, the two women set out to search for Jamie themselves.
Jenny knew every stretch of land around Lallybroch and was able to guide Claire until Murtagh joined her. However, many fans would agree the highlight of this episode was seeing how Jamie's wife and sister were naturally independent and tough. This was also one of the few moments these two important women in Jamie's life were seen bonding over their love for him.
Jenny Humiliates Jack Randall
Jenny Fraser was a feisty one and she even managed to get the better of the notorious Jack Randall. The latter had attempted to rape her but found himself physically incapable of performing the heinous act at the moment.
Jenny was left at his mercy but she was probably one of the few people who was able to humiliate the sadistic Captain of Dragoons. She started laughing aloud when she realized that she had the upper hand on her captor and that ultimately saved her from certain sexual violence.
Mary Hawkins Killing Her Rapist
The docile Mary Hawkins showed nerves of steel when she stabbed her rapist and killed him in front of Jamie, Claire, Murtagh, and a very distraught Duke of Sandringham.
Mary and Claire had been attacked in Paris under the orders of the despicable Duke who was hand-in-glove with the Comte St. Germain. When Claire was being held captive, she eventually recognized their attacker in the Duke's place. After Jamie and Murtagh arrived, Mary took advantage of the chaos that ensued to kill her attacker. The transformation of the fragile, scared young girl into the determined woman seeking revenge for the horrible wrong done to her was yet another outstanding moment.
Geillis Sacrificing Herself To Save Claire
Geillis Duncan was a fascinating character, mysterious and dark with a deeply twisted psychology, and of course, Claire's fellow time traveler.
Before the writers brought Geillis back as a villain in season 3, there had been strong hints that the character had been killed, burnt at the stake after the harrowing witch trial of season 1 in which Claire too had been implicated. Geillis had sacrificed herself to save her friend, a gesture that stood out, especially coming from someone as self-seeking as her.
Brianna Shooting Stephen Bonnet
The series has courted some controversy over the amount of sexual violence it has portrayed over the years. One of the main storylines involving Brianna was the traumatic sexual assault she was subjected to soon after landing 2o0 years in the past.
Bree was raped by the amoral Stephen Bonnet, but that was not the last she saw of him. Brianna met Bonnet twice afterward, the second time when she was captured by him in the hopes of taking over the lavish estate of River Run (which had been made over to little Jeremiah, who, as far as Bonnet knew, was his son). Shortly after though, Bonnet was caught and sentenced to death by drowning, something he had previously told Bree he was genuinely afraid of. As Bonnet drowned slowly, Bree shot him herself. She thus got her vengeance but also offered her attacker mercy in the process.
Claire Refusing To Harm Her Attacker
As mentioned above, various characters on the show suffered sexual assaults at various times, and the central protagonist Claire was no exception. Season 5 ended on a dark note as Claire went through the devastating ordeal of gang rape, masterminded by the depraved Lionel Brown.
Claire survived the trauma and Jamie's men caught Brown alive and brought him back to Fraser's Ridge for retribution. As Brown lay in front of her, Claire could easily have got her vengeance. She had an assortment of medical tools and instruments in front of her after all. However, Claire had taken an oath to never do harm, and even at a moment such as this, she stood by it, refusing to harm the man who had caused her utter agony. Her frame of mind did her credit.