WARNING: This article contains spoilers from An Echo in the Bone
Season seven of Outlander will be introducing viewers to an adult version of William Ransom (played by Charles Vandervaart), the secret love child of Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Although Jamie told his wife Claire Fraser (CaitrÃona Balfe) about Willima’s existence, very few people know apart from Lord John Grey (David Berry) and Brianna MacKenzie (Sophie Skelton). Some may be wondering who else knows the truth with William himself still in the dark.
Does Young Ian know William Ransom is Jamie Fraser’s son?
In the show, Young Ian (John Bell) doesn’t know the truth about William with the two having very little contact.
However, in the books Young Ian and William eventually meet in the seventh novel An Echo in the Bone.
The pair are first cousins as Jenny Murray (Laura Donnelly) and Jamie are brother and sister with Ian and Brianna also sharing this familial connection.
An Echo in the Bone sees Ian helping William out of a tight spot and this is when he will notice something.
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“There’s a line where young Ian recognizes Jamie in the expression on Williams face. He knows William is Jamie’s and knows he’s a cousin [sic].”
This would suggest, Young Ian maybe knew from quite some time ago William was a relative of his.
Another called the_wkv posted: “William looks and acts just like Jamie in every way (this is shown better as the story and next book goes on).
“It becomes clear to everyone who sees them stand next to each other. Even people who don’t know them.”
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The user went on to say: “William is an adult now so the resemblance is very obvious and Ian just put two and two together because he also knows where William is from and all of Jamie’s history so he knows Jamie was once a groom at William’s estate around the time William was born.”
However, user sweettpotatopie said: “Also, Young Ian doesn’t know for sure that Jamie is William’s biological father.
“When William and John visited the ridge a few books back, Young Ian developed a sneaking suspicion then, which was confirmed when he saw William as a young adult as he is described to look nearly exactly as Jamie.”
User Celsius1014 echoed the words of others: “Ian just recognizes the family resemblance and is certain that William is actually his cousin [sic].”
Whether the show will follow the same trajectory as the novels remains to be seen with Outlander previously diverging from the source material at times.
But given Outlander is going to be coming to an end with its eighth season, it would make sense for Jamie and his son William to finally be able to acknowledge each other as such.
Either way, William is going to become a key part of Outlander going forward and there is likely to be more exploration of Brianna’s feelings towards her half-brother.
Actress Skelton previously said of William: “At first, and at the young and complicated age she was when she found it, it wasn’t an easy one for her.”
Outlander season 7 will air later this year and seasons 1 to 6 are streaming on Lionsgate+ now
