In the series premiere of Outlander, the ghost of Jamie appears, but is that an apparition, or is it really Jamie time-traveling to the future?

Collage of Jamie Fraser and Jamie Fraser as a ghost.

There’s a moment in the first episode of Outlander where it appears the ghost of Jamie is watching Claire. Outlander is the historical drama TV series from Starz based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon. In the series, Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) is a World War II nurse who is suddenly transported back in time to 1743 in the Scottish Highlands. Claire and her partner Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) have a complex relationship timeline as they fight across the world and history to be together through time. Premiering in 2014, Outlander has been widely praised from the start, earning four Emmy and six Golden Globe nominations over its seven seasons.

History, romance, and action all combine to make an exciting adventure show, but it’s the added element of science fiction that makes Outlander unique. Time travel figures heavily in Outlander and though the rules of time travel are not always completely explained, it’s fairly consistent across the series. Only some characters in Outlander are able to time travel, and it’s been proven that Jamie is not one of these people, causing heartbreak whenever Claire jumps without him. However, this raises a question regarding a scene in season 1, episode 1 “Sassenach” when Jamie appears in 1945. If he didn’t time travel there, then there must be another answer.

Outlander Author Diana Gabaldon Confirms That Yes, Jamie’s Ghost Is In The First Episode

Jamie in a battle in Outlander

Despite some theories that Jamie can time travel in Outlander, Gabaldon has repeatedly stated that Jamie cannot time travel (via Town & Country), as this would break one of the core conflicts of the series, the separation of Claire and Jamie across time. However, in the series premiere, on vacation, Frank comes home to his lodgings when he sees a man dressed in outdated Scottish garb staring up at Claire in the window. When Frank approaches the man, he suddenly disappears with a ghostly turn. People have long speculated about how Jamie could have appeared in the future, and Gabaldon has given the answer.

The Outlander author confirmed that Jamie is a ghost in that scene. She has even tweeted about it saying, “He’s a ghost. Ghosts don’t need no stinkin’ stones… #OutlanderFinale“, via X formerly known as Twitter, referring to the Craigh na Dun stones Claire uses to time travel. Clearly, Gabaldon has strong feelings about the question and is happy to make it plain that it’s Jamie’s ghost outside Claire’s window rather than a version of him who learned to time travel. If Jamie could time travel, Outlander would be a very different show.

Theories About Why Jamie’s Ghost Is 25 Years Old (Despite Him Living Longer Than That)

Frank noticies a ghost under a streetlight in the Outlander premiere.Knowing that the figure in the Outlander premiere is Jamie’s ghost does raise some more questions, such as why he is 25 when the series shows him living much longer than that. There are a couple of theories that could explain this. One idea is that it’s Jamie’s spirit that traveled through time, rather than his body, to guide Claire. Gabaldon’s comments about the figure being a ghost make this unlikely (via Town & Country). Another Outlander theory is that Jamie had a near-death experience after the Battle of Culloden when he was 25, which could have made his ghost choose his appearance at that age.