Outlander parents guide: Why you shouldn't let your kids watch the historical drama, explained

Aashna
Outlander parents guide (Image via Instagram/@outlander_starz)
Outlander parents guide (Image via Instagram/@outlander_starz)

Starz's Outlander, which was adapted from author Diana Gabaldon's series of fantasy books, has become one of the most popular historical drama titles on television in recent years. With strong performances by Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe and a strong premise that combines time-travel with Scotland's history in the 18th century, the show is bound to end up on your children's streaming devices.

But if you are wondering if Outlander is suitable for your kids, the answer is no. The Starz series is rated TV-MA in the USA and is not fit for a young audience.

While the show boasts many historically accurate events like the Jacobite Rebellion, the Battle of Culloden and the Highlander lifestyle, it also features explicit violence and gore. Some of the mature themes and bloody scenes are even unfit for the faint-hearted adults, making it an unsuitable title for your children.

Here are some factors before you make Outlander a family watch with your children.


Outlander parents guide: Starz's historical series is rated TV-MA in the US

While Outlander is an impressive historical series, it is rated TV-MA and is thus unfit for a young audience. In addition to the mature rating in the US, the fantasy series is R-rated in almost all major countries. Some of the mature ratings include R18 in New Zealand, 18+ in the UK, Thailand, Canada, South Africa & Russia and 19+ in South Korea.

A mature rating is usually awarded to TV shows and movies that contain one or more elements from coarse or crude language (L), sexual content (S) and violence (V). Since rating is one of the best ways to decide whether a title is suitable for young ones, a TV-MA rating proves that the content should not be made available to children.

While the show is a highly popular title, it contains strong language, extreme violence and mature themes of war and survival. not fit for a young audience.


Things to look out for before watching the Starz series

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Before you let your kids stream this steamy Starz title, here are the things you should check out. Following is a detailed overview of all the mature themes and violence featured in Outlander:

Extreme violence and gore: The factor that stands out the most and justifies the TV-MA rating of the show is its severe violence and gory scenes. As a show set in 18th-century Scotland, expect many bloody battles and stretched-out wars. Jamie and the Highlanders often find themselves in precarious situations that involve a lot of blood and gore. In addition to usual gunshots and bloody wounds, Outlander features a recurring incident where Jamie was brutally flogged by a Redcoat officer. There are many flashback scenes showing Jamie's thrashed back, with blood oozing out from his fresh wounds.

In another incident, the said Redcoat officer nails his hand on a table, resulting in another bloody sequence. Additionally, Outlander also features extreme violence against its female characters, who are often kicked in their stomachs by male officers, strangled and beaten ruthlessly. Since the female protagonist (Claire) is a WWII nurse, she is surrounded by injured soldiers with bloody wounds.

Severe n*dity and intimate scenes: In addition to the gut-wrenching violent scenes, Outlander also features severe male and female n*dity and intimate scenes. There is frequent explicit female n*dity and full frontal male n*dity, which makes the show strictly for a mature audience only.

Additionally, Claire and Jamie are often featured in elaborate and intimate scenes, which are among the most talked-about sequences from the show. To make matters worse, the historical series also features graphic r*pe scenes, where both women and men are being physically abused by a Redcoat officer. The scene where the male protagonist is repeatedly and physically tortured is very graphic and disturbing.


Outlander also features sequences about witchcraft, magic, charms and pagan rituals that could be frightening for a young mind. While it highlights the brutality of a certain time period authentically, it could be too jarring for many. The death count and brutality in the show are sometimes too extreme even for adults, which proves that the title should not be made available to your children.

The series will return with an eighth and final season in early 2026 on Starz.

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Edited by Aashna