Outlander: Why The Cherokee Call Jamie “Bear-Killer”

Warning: Very minor SPOILERS for Outlander season 6, episode 2.

InOutlanderseason 6, episode 2, Jamie Fraser’s “Bear-Killer” name resurfaces, a Cherokee name bestowed upon him from a battle in season 4. Outlander season 6 debuted March 6 on Starz and has already seen religious conflict and addiction come to Fraser’s Ridge. Now, with Jamie having become an Indian Agent for the British, his relationship with the Cherokee has also become a major part of the plot.

Outlander season 6 continues Jamie and Claire’s (Caitríona Balfe) story in America in the 18th century at Fraser’s Ridge, a large plot of land in North Carolina that they’ve called home for the past few seasons. The pair has been through tumultuous times and the series has taken them to many places, including several parts of Scotland, France, and of course, America. And in season 6, their story intersects with the Cherokee more than ever before, with the tribe even referring to Jamie as “Bear-Killer” — but where does that name come from?

As Jamie and Claire work to clear the land for their homestead in Outlander season 4, episode 4, they are set upon by a Cherokee man wearing bearskins and donning bear claws on his hands. The man attacks them, and an intense battle ensues before Jamie emerges victorious, with the Cherokee naming him “Bear-Killer.” The moniker reemerges as Jamie is made Indian Agent for the crown and works to negotiate peace in the face of the oncoming American Revolution in Outlander season 6.

The Outlander season 4 battle that results in Jamie’s Cherokee name, “Bear-Killer,” was a deviation from the Starz series’ source material, Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling Outlander book series. Outlander season 4, episode 4 is drawn from Gabaldon’s Drums of Autumn, in which Jamie battles a real bear; however, the TV series adapted the scene, making the real bear into a man who has been driven mad by the wilderness after being exiled by his people. This is why Jamie’s victory is well-regarded by the Cherokee instead of being seen as an act of war.

When asked about the Starz series’ adaptation, Outlander actor Sam Heughan (who plays Jamie Fraser) points out the brilliance of the scene by telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I think it’s an interesting twist that actually begins the story with the Native Americans. It’s actually wonderful, this honor or understanding between Jamie and the Cherokee. He gets a name, he’s now Bear Killer, and their relationship becomes amicable, which is pretty big moving forward.” Certainly, as Outlander moves into the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States of America, Jamie’s Cherokee name “Bear-Killer” will likely be heard much more as his relationship with America’s indigenous peoples grows and changes.

New episodes of Outlander air on Starz on Sundays.

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