Outlander is a 2021 show about Claire, a WWII nurse who zips back to 18th century Scotland. There, she meets Jamie, a Highlander warrior who probably has more abs than personality. Based on Diana Gabaldon’s books, it serves up romance, adventure and enough political drama to make your head spin. With jaw-dropping scenery and a cast that can actually act, Outlander has hooked viewers everywhere.

Meet the female characters from Outlander

Mary McNab

Okay, Mary McNab is one of those quietly stubborn types who somehow does all the heavy lifting without making a big show of it — she’s practical, loyal, and has this unshakeable small-town gravitas. She’s the kind of person who remembers everyone’s birthdays and also hides a ridiculous stash of odd little trinkets in her apron (don’t ask where the ribbon came from). I keep thinking she’d roll her eyes at drama but then ruin her own plans to help someone, which is kinda adorable. Also she’s surprisingly sharp when it comes to gossip — not that she’d admit that aloud.

Louise

Louise is the slightly flighty spark in the room who wears scarves like they’re a personality trait — lively, chatty, and way more observant than she lets on. She flits between being utterly charming and oddly stubborn, like she’ll forgive you but also quietly rearrange your life choices (in a helpful way, honestly). Sometimes she seems impossibly modern in her jokes, and then she’ll wax poetic about the old ways and I’ll be like, which Louise is this today? Either way, she’s the friend everyone wants at tea because she brings gossip and comforts in equal measure.

Mother Hildegarde

Mother Hildegarde gives full-on no-nonsense abbess energy — stern, wise, and somehow both terrifying and soothing depending on whether you’re confessing or crying. She has rules, she keeps them, but she’s also got a soft spot that sneaks out like when she sneaks you an extra slice of bread at midnight (not that she’d ever admit to sneaking). There’s a real sense she’s seen a lot and doesn’t have time for nonsense, but don’t be fooled — she’s fiercely protective in her own quietly terrifying way. Also I’m 70% sure she has a secret hobby like embroidery or keeping matchbooks, which seems very plausible.

Marsali

Marsali is chaos wrapped in ribbons and sensible shoes — bossy, fashionable, and somehow both a tender mother and a tiny tyrant of the household. She will lecture you about manners and then singlehandedly organize a midnight raid of the pantry; also she’s ridiculously good at reading people when she wants to be. She started as a bit of a social climber (in my mind) but grows into this fiercely loyal pillar — and yes, she will scold you for your hair but also fix it. She’s equal parts soap-opera diva and practical genius, which is honestly the best kind of person to have around.

Geillis Duncan

Geillis is absolutely deliciously dangerous — charismatic, brilliant, and borderline obsessed with destiny in that dramatic, witchy way that gives me chills every time. She’s theatrical, confident, and has this maddening ability to make you believe almost anything, including her own conspiracies, which is both impressive and terrifying. Sometimes she’s cold and calculating, sometimes she’s heartbreakingly lost — inconsistent? yes, but in a way that makes her fascinating rather than annoying. Also, she probably has a secret perfume cabinet and keeps notes on everything like a very intense scrapbooker.

Mary Hawkins

Mary Hawkins has this gentle, bewildered sweetness but don’t mistake that for weakness — she’s quietly resilient and full of little surprising guts. She smiles a lot and remembers everyone’s tea preferences (seriously, uncanny memory), but will stand up shockingly fast when something matters to her. There’s an awkward charm — like she’s slightly out of step sometimes — but she’s grounding in this quietly brave way. I swear she also has a ridiculous obsession with buttons or dainty gloves; maybe both, who knows.

Jocasta Cameron

Jocasta is the canonical formidable aunt — proud, commanding, and absolutely full of complicated love (and secrets). She runs things with a silver-gloved fist and a softness that leaks out at the worst possible times — usually when someone mentions family heirlooms or haggis. Her moral code is complicated and she can be infuriatingly stubborn, but she’s also the kind of person who’ll quietly fix your life if she decides you’re worth it. And yes, she probably keeps a very fancy teacup collection and uses them to wield passive-aggressive power, which is peak Jocasta.

Brianna Fraser

Brianna is that brilliant hotheaded genius who insists on fixing engines and feelings with equal intensity — determined, fiercely protective, and occasionally hilariously blunt. She’s modern in thought but stubbornly loyal to family, throwing herself into danger with both practicality and terrible puns (I swear she does). She can be prickly — like, aggressive-ally so — but underneath is a huge, flailing heart that will do anything for her kid and her parents. Oh, and she’s probably hoarding random mechanical parts in the pantry; yes, it’s chaotic and yes, it works.

Jenny Fraser

Jenny is the firecracker with a golden rulebook — salty, sharp-witted, and impossibly devoted to her family in a way that makes everyone feel safe (and slightly scolded). She’ll roast you with a look, fix your roof, and then make you tea that heals emotional wounds; multi-talented and emotionally efficient. She has a way of telling truth like it’s a joke, which somehow makes the bluntness easier to swallow. Also she hoards scones and terrible jokes, and honestly that’s the combination I want in a friend forever.

Claire Fraser

Claire is brilliant, stubborn, and the kind of woman who can perform surgery by candlelight while arguing philosophy — intensely practical and wildly compassionate. She’s a walking contradiction: modern sensibilities jammed into a past that would rather see her quiet, and she refuses to be anything but herself, consequences be damned. She’s fierce in love and relentless in protecting those she cares about, but also delightfully nerdy about herbs and nineteenth-century scandal — she has opinions, lots of them. And okay, she probably carries a tiny emergency sewing kit and a habit of giving oddly timed historical trivia, which is one of her many charms.