The real hero of Outlander is not who you think of

Starz is massively popular Outlander Series, adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s novels of the same name, continues to deliver just the right blend of history, swashbuckling, time travel and romance. Over the course of the show’s seven-season run so far, the show’s stars Jamie and Claire Fraser (played by Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe, respectively) find themselves in story-altering proportions. While romantic hero Jamie Fraser comes to Claire’s rescue many times, his character tends to act on instinct, sometimes without considering the long-term impacts of his actions.

On the other hand, his unlikely best friend, the closeted gay man Sir John Gray (played by David Berry), has swooped in to save both Jamie and his family on a number of occasions, and his motivations are completely selfless. In season 3, when Jamie is held as a prisoner of war in Ardsmuir for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion Battle of Culloden, Sir John confesses his romantic feelings for Jamie, and while they remain unrequited, he continues to be a Loyal friend to Jamie. , Often going to great lengths to protect his family, making him the unsung hero of the show.

Despite his unrequited love for Jamie, he still selflessly helps the family

Sir John Gray is a rare diversion from toxic masculinity in Outlander

While Outlander Gaining traction for the passionate romance between Jamie and Claire that spans time, the series also offers a unique look at a tumultuous few decades in Scottish and early American history. Both Claire and Jamie save each other in a number of pivotal moments (mostly when Claire helps him heal from serious injuries because of her experience as a World War II combat nurse and later surgeon), but they are often motivated only by the love that They have each other.

On the contrary, Sir John Gray’s motivations are often incredibly selfless. Sir John first meets Jamie as a teenager as he spares his life amid the Jacobite Rebellion. In return for this, when they reunite at Ardsmuir prison, he saves Jamie from being shipped to colonial America alone, instead allowing him to choose indenture in England. Sir John marries his friend Isobel Dunsany, whose sister once blackmailed Jamie in a one-night stand (she vowed never to consummate the marriage with the elderly Earl of Ellesmere and threatened to expose Jamie’s gangster status).

After Jamie and Geneva conceive a child out of wedlock and Geneva dies in childbirth, Sir John raises William as his own, vowing never to expose Jamie’s secret. This is the first of many cases in which Sir John helps the Frasers in situations where they cannot help themselves. Later, in season 3, when Jamie and Claire go to Jamaica to rescue young Ian Murray after he was captured, Sir John happens to be the governor of Jamaica, and manages to help them retrieve him and arrange for safe passage to Scotland. This was another complex situation that he did not need to involve But he did it purely out of kindness.

Sir John Gray raises Jamie’s son to be an English nobleman

After seeing Jamie’s struggles in Scotland, he vows to give his son a better life

Sir John Gray keeps Jamie’s secret at his request. Jamie was once the Laird of Lallybroch in Scotland, but loses his inheritance of the family land in a business deal made at Culloden in season 2, placing it with his nephew Young Ian Murray instead. Given Jamie’s socioeconomic struggles, Sir John graciously Offers William a high-quality education and a title of nobilityHe knew that his friend could not provide for both at that time. Protecting children born out of wedlock is not the norm, which makes this secret even greater than a sacrifice.

When Sir John Gray and Willy go to visit North Carolina in season 4, it is evident that Willy has access to an upper class education that Jamie never had the same access to. Lord John gives Jamie room to get to know Willie without revealing his secret, when he takes Willie camping at Fraser’s Ridge. While Sir John is incredibly jealous of Jamie’s love for Claire, He comes to accept that the best thing he can be for Jamie is a friendAnd he parted with the family on good terms when he left for England.

He volunteers to marry Brianna to protect her child when Roger is presumed dead

After Roger is sold to the Mohawk, Sir John steps in yet again

20 years later, when Claire travels back to the 1760s of the 1960s, her daughter Bree, who she shares with Jamie, goes there to warn her of a disastrous fire. When Bree arrives in colonial-era North Carolina, she becomes engaged to her boyfriend, Roger McKenzie, who follows her through time to protect her. Immediately after their union, she was raped by Stephen Bonnet, leaving her pregnant and unsure of the father of the unborn child. After Roger is accidentally sold to the Mohawk tribe and widely presumed to be dead, Sir John agrees to marry Bree for her protection.

While this plan took some coaxing, Sir John’s willingness to once again offer a helping hand to a marginalized man at a time when his status as a white nobleman of England did not require him to do so is incredibly altruistic. Then again, he has nothing to gain from marrying Bree, given his sexuality and his own wealth, and he only agrees to do so based on her time of need and his long-standing friendship with her father. Sir John tends to settle issues through careful planning that benefits all parties involved, while Jamie’s passion sometimes escalates into conflict, making Sir John the unsung hero of Abroad.

Sir John Gray’s character is one of the few LGBTQ+ characters in Outlanderand portray his positive attributes at a time when the community is often criminalized Brings a tragic hero element to the story of the show. His character weaves in and out of the show during the Frasers’ time of need, and he is too often the forgotten hero of the Outlander Universe.