Do you need to watch Outlander before Outlander: Blood of My Blood? Chronology of Starz's historical series, explained

Starz has expanded Diana Gabaldon's magical Outlander universe with the recently released prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood. The parent series, based on Gabaldon's series of fantasy books, premiered on Starz in 2014 and will wrap its eight-season run with the final and eighth season in 2026.

The flagship series was already a hit among fantasy-genre lovers, but the spin-off series has pulled a new audience into its magical and time-traveling universe. The curiosity is real, and we understand that watching seven seasons beforehand is certainly a daunting task and could likely deter some audiences from Starz's recent release. But don’t worry, as you can enjoy Outlander: Blood of My Blood as a standalone series, even if you’ve never seen Outlander.

This is what makes this prequel stand apart from the rest of the spin-off series. It’s designed to draw in everyone alike; whether you’re a longtime Outlander devotee or just discovering the world for the first time, Starz’s newest fantasy drama offers equal enjoyment.

While Outlander follows the epic love story between Claire and Jamie after the former accidentally time-travels to 18th-century Scotland, the prequel series features two love stories, between Jamie's parents (Brian and Ellen) and Claire's parents (Henry and Julia), across two timelines.

More on this in our story.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood follows the heartbeat of its predecessor

While Outlander: Blood of My Blood is essentially a prequel series of Outlander, it shines in its own light and can be watched independently. The spin-off series is a perfect way for a new audience to explore Gabaldon's magical and fantastical world, and more people are getting hooked on the show's intricate story and carefully woven narrative.

For new fans, who are just getting started with the prequel series, fret not! Outlander: Blood of My Blood is surely a worthy prequel series, which carries the heartbeat of its predecessor. While Outlander fans are in for a treat with every new episode, thanks to the little Easter eggs the spin-off leaves in its wake every week, the new audiences will also equally enjoy the experience of discovering magical Scottish locations and getting familiar with the Clan McKenzie.

What's more? New fans even have the advantage of oblivion. The nods and Easter eggs are fun, but long-time Outlander followers already know the ultimate destinies of many characters. New audiences are certainly in for a thrilling ride, as the story can take any unpredictable turn, without them knowing the eventual outcome.

A little premise for Outlander: Blood of My Blood

As mentioned earlier, your familiarity with the parent series will not drastically affect your Outlander: Blood of My Blood viewing experience, but a little (spoiler-free) premise will also not harm. The prequel series is the closest connected to Outlander Season 1, where Claire time-travels to 1743, and is taken to Castle Leoch by Dougal and the Clan McKenzie. While Claire was essentially given a much warmer treatment than her mother, Julia, in Castle Leathers, she was still considered a Sassenach.

Claire struck up a friendship with Jamie Fraser (Brian and Ellen's son), who protected her in the new environment. Claire and Jamie were later bound together in marriage and eventually fell in love, and Claire even revealed her time-traveling secret to her husband.

Claire and Jamie are an epic couple in the Outlander universe, who fought against all odds and reunited each time they were tragically separated. While the parent series established that Claire and Jamie's meeting was a mere coincidence, Outlander: Blood of My Blood has started to change this canon. With Julia's budding friendship with Brian and Henry's involvement with Clan McKenzie, we now know that Claire and Jamie's paths were destined to cross even before the flagship series, thanks to Claire's time-traveling parents.

The prequel series also expands on the various characters from Clan McKenzie that we see in Outlander, but their tales are as worthy independently as they are with the flagship show. So, fans tempted to dip their toes in Gabaldon's magical universe can surely do so, irrespective of their relationship with its predecessor. And who knows? The spin-off series might just convince you to binge-watch all seven seasons of Outlander, because this is surely possible.

Outlander (all seven seasons) is currently streaming, and Outlander: Blood of My Blood releases weekly episodes every Friday on Starz.

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