As the Outlander Season 8 premiere gets closer, there are eyes on the storylines that will come up from the books.

We already know from the trailer that there could be one heartbreaking death, and that Jenny Murray won’t return, so her storylines will need to be adapted or ignored.

However, some book arcs need to happen as we close Outlander’s epic story.

The Battle of Kings Mountain

Of course, the trailer has made it clear that the Battle of Kings Mountain is likely to happen.

Brianna and Roger are returning to Claire and Jamie’s time, and she will bring an important book with her.

Frank Randall had a book published after his death — and after Claire returned to Jamie — that shares all the research he conducted on Jamie Fraser.

In this book, he shares that the Revolutionary War will reach the backcountry and that “James Fraser dies in it.”

This is something the promo makes clear, so we need to see the aftermath.

Is this how Claire and Jamie’s story ends? In the novels, no, but the novels and the show are two separate entities at this point.

So, the Battle of Kings Mountain has to take place.

Not only is this a huge moment for Claire and Jamie, but it’s also a huge moment for the Revolutionary War.

The last couple of seasons have been building to this.

Arguably, Outlander has been building to this since Season 4, so the Revolutionary War has to be a major part of the storytelling as we get into this final season.

Including the ninth book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone’s major battle, is the best way to do that.

This would also open the door for Claire to come into her full powers, which brings me to the next point.

Claire Being Able to Heal

During Outlander Season 4, Claire learned that when her hair turns white, she will come into her full powers.

Now, she had no idea what that really meant, but there was always a hint that it would link to Master Raymond and his ability to heal.

Claire is a healer, and there are signs that her power lies in healing.

The book focuses on this a lot more than the TV show does.

In fact, the series seems to have forgotten all about Adawehi’s prophecy for Claire, which is disappointing.

Throughout the books, Claire asks about the color of her hair, and she’s eager to see what happens when her hair turns white.

Yet, there have been small signs that she can heal, even without her hair completely changing color.

After all, the color change only indicates that she’s come into her “full” power — those powers had to grow!

The Battle of Kings Mountain is a huge moment for Claire and her powers, and this is something that many book readers would love to see happen.

Young Ian and Rachel Starting Their Family

There are some beautiful moments for Young Ian and Rachel throughout the ninth book of Outlander.

At the end of Outlander Season 7, we learned Rachel is pregnant, so we know she’s sure to give birth during the final season.

There are a few images that showcase this, and they hint that another storyline from the book could unfold.

At first, Ian and Rachel’s baby doesn’t have an official name.

He’s called Oggy, and as adorable as that name is, we know he needs to be officially named at some point.

Well, that happens when Emily, Ian’s Mohawk wife, pays a visit.

Ian’s family suddenly grows, as she asks Ian to take care of her son — who she says has the spirit of Ian — and then she ends up naming Oggy.

This boy is the son Young Ian met during Outlander Season 7. 

While the book didn’t make it clear that Ian is this boy’s biological father, the TV series has decided to go that route.

Outlander Season 8 could easily see this storyline play out, and it offers real closure for Ian and Emily.

Rachel even feels inferior and is a little worried about Emily in the novels, so we could see that play out and give Rachel a chance to feel at ease with Ian’s past and hope for the future.

On top of that, the storyline leads to Young Ian getting one of Rollo’s pups, which would be a beautiful moment to end Rachel and Ian’s story.

All of this happens at once, so it’s not like Outlander Season 8 would need to spend too long on the story. There’s time!

William Running a Family Errand

Poor William has a lot to figure out during Outlander Season 8, and we know from a recent sneak peek that he is trying to figure out who he is now that he has learned about his real biological father.

He wants to renounce his title, which Lord John Grey says is impossible.

The books show him on a larger journey, exploring ways to renounce his title.

At the same time, he goes on a journey of discovery — both self-discovery and family discovery.

Hal Grey needs help when he learns that his eldest son, Benjamin, has been killed in action.

Hal refuses to believe this, and William heads out on a journey to find out what happened to his cousin.

It leads to some shocking reveals, including whether Benjamin is a traitor, and it connects to a bigger story for Lord John Grey, which I’ll get to!

This story introduces Amaranthus, and we know that she will play a part during Outlander Season 8. 

It’s through Amaranthus that William learns a few things about himself, and it’s on the journey that he learns a little about family and what family actually means.

Not only do we know Amaranthus is part of the story, but the trailer also hints that William’s journey to find Ben will take place.

He’s kneeling by a relatively fresh grave, which he comes across during Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.

This is when he learns that Ben isn’t dead. Someone else has been put in the grave, and Ben has actually switched sides to fight for the Americans.

Captain Richardson — who is also actually on the American side — is working with Ben, and this leads to the last storyline that needs to happen on Outlander Season 8.

Captain Richardson Abducts and Threatens Lord John Grey

There is a much bigger storyline for Captain Richardson throughout the ninth book, and Outlander Season 7 hinted that it could play out.

We learn that Richardson is actually on the American side.

He has been playing the British side to get information, but he wants liberty and freedom.

Or does he?

Richardson is a man of deceit, and he also reveals himself in the books as a time traveller.

He wants the British to end up winning, angry at the treatment of the Native Americans and others after the war.

This is where Lord John Grey comes in.

When Hal learns that his son is a traitor, he needs to do what he can to protect him.

This means giving a speech that helps to bring the Revolutionary War to an end. At least, Captain Richardson blames Hal’s speech for the Americans’ eventual victory.

Richardson doesn’t want that, so he decides to kidnap John and reveal his homosexuality to the world.

This would ruin Hal’s and John’s reputations, and it should help ensure British success.

That’s where Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone ends, with William turning to Jamie for help to get John back.

Again, there have been a few hints that this could play out, with leaked images showing a rather dishevelled John Grey, but the question has always been whether there is enough time.

If this is a way to bring closure and acceptance for William while also helping form a bond between William and Jamie, then it makes sense to add the storyline.

It would certainly make for a big, dramatic save at the end — and one that doesn’t involve Claire being kidnapped yet again— and it could be an arc that involves everyone.

There is just so much to fit in and only ten episodes to do it in, but these five storylines from the Outlander books have such a huge impact on individual characters that they need to be included as much as possible.

Outlander Season 8 premieres on Friday, March 6, on STARZ, and yours truly will be reviewing the episodes and breaking down some of the big moments to come.

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