Outlander Season 6: 6 Quick Things We Know About The Starz TV Show

Claire and Jamie in _Outlander._

Claire and Jamie in Outlander.

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The latest season of Outlander ended back in 2020, and while it feels like we have been waiting centuries for the popular Starz original series to return, luckily, we don’t need to wait that much longer for Outlander Season 6 to debut.

You heard that right - it won’t be long before see Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan once more as Claire and Jamie in this time-travel fantasy show, but when exactly will it return? And, what is this upcoming season going to be about? Look no further, because these are some quick things we know about the upcoming sixth season of Outlander.

Some of the cast of Outlander.

Outlander Season 6 Will Return in 2022

While it’s not new for seasons of Outlander to have a long time between them, that has really been the case for Season 6 of Outlander. It’s set that the new season will premiere sometime in 2022, hopefully in the earlier months.

This isn’t the first time that fans of Outlander have had to wait for their new season for some time. Between Season 4 and Season 5, there was a two year gap, so with everything that’s happened in the last year, it’s not a surprise that it’s taking so long for the new season. Regardless, we won't be adding Outlander on the 2021 fall TV schedule, but we can at least look forward to next year.

After Season 6, Outlander won’t be going anywhere, because a Season 7 has already been ordered. The president and CEO of Starz, Jeffrey Hirsch, told Deadline that they hope to continue the Outlander story for as long as possible.

As long as the fans continue to crave the story, we’ll continue to have Outlander on the air. We are constantly talking to our partners at Sony and the show continues.

If that’s the case, it looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot more of the Outlander world, and I am so down for that.

Claire and Jamie in Outlander.

Outlander Season 6 Will Only Have Eight Episodes

For the shortest season yet, it’s been confirmed that Season 6 of Outlander will only have eight episodes to tell its story. In Season 5, the show had 12 episodes, and Seasons 4, 3, and 2 had 13. Meanwhile, Season 1 had 16 episodes.

When talking about the upcoming season with the Just the Facts podcast, Sam Heughan said that while the season might be shorter than most, he still feels it will tell a fantastic story.

I’m really pleased with this season. It feels almost like early western vibe. And, you know, we’re building to the War of Independence. Obviously, there’s time travel as well and all the other elements. It feels like a small, but mighty season.

Outlander has never strayed from telling a great story, so even if the sixth season will be shorter than most, I’ll still be looking forward to it with all the theories people might have as well.

Some of the cast of Outlander.

Production Has Wrapped On The Sixth Season Of Outlander

Thankfully, production on Outlander Season 6 has actually already wrapped up, after several long months filming in the cold. With that in mind, that means that, hopefully, we might get the latest season sooner in 2022 rather than later.

When talking about production for this season with The Daily Record while filming, Sam Heughan said it was an exhausting process:

We started in January and it's going well obviously. It's been tough with Covid protocols but also the weather in Scotland has been pretty horrendous. The snow has been bad but it feels like the spring is finally here, there is hope around the corner!

Spring did come soon enough, and the show wrapped by June 1, 2021. Now, all we need to do is wait for a trailer.

Claire and Jamie in Outlander.

The Main Cast Members Are Returning For Outlander Season 6

With several seasons already in the books, it would be pretty shocking if the two main faces of the series, Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, didn’t return, but they are confirmed to be back in Season 6 of Outlander as Claire and Jamie Fraser.

Alongside them, other confirmed cast members that will also be returning for Season 6 of Outlander are Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin as Brianna and Roger MacKenzie, and John Bell as Young Ian.

Sam Heughan spoke about Jamie’s character arc in the upcoming season, and how he’s excited to continue his story with the other characters in an interview with Parade.

There is also something that surprises you as well. Every season, every episode, there is always something that you don’t expect. And I’m like, ‘OK, that’s what Jamie’s doing. That’s who he is.’ Actually, this season from what I’ve seen of the scripts, I’m excited because I think there is another side to him you haven’t seen before.

Outlander always seems to take its characters in directions they’ve never truly been in before, with the intricacies of the story and lore. With Season 6 being only eight episodes, one can wonder where exactly they will go next with the plot - and how much Jamie and Claire will change over the course of it.

The new characters of Season 6 in Outlander.

Outlander Season 6 Will Also Have Some New Faces

While there are plenty of confirmed faces that are returning for Season 6 of Outlander, there are also some new ones that are joining on to the cast. Mark Lewis Jones, Alexander Vlahos and Jessica Reynolds have all signed on for the drama series’ sixth season.

The actors will appear as Tom Christie, Allan Christie, and Malva Christie, respectively, rounding out the whole Christie family.

I’m eager to see what this family will bring to the table for Outlander overall, and what it means for Jamie and Claire as they navigate their lives together.

Claire and Jamie in Outlander.

Outlander Season 6 Will Be Based On The Sixth Novel In The Outlander Series, A Breath Of Snow And Ashes

Outlander is adapted from the book series of the same name, and the sixth season will be no different, as it will be adapted from the sixth novel in the series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

A part of this book was already covered in Season 5, but the rest will be the basis for Season 6. Starz released a whole statement about the upcoming storyline, and where it will take Jamie and Claire’s story from here.

While trying to settle down in colonial America in North Carolina, they are faced with a period of dramatic political upheaval. With this, it is up to them to somehow defend their new home against the dangers that are sent their way and somehow keep the life they have been trying to build.

Time will tell what the Frasers will have to face.

The novels for the Outlander series are ongoing, with the latest one set to release sometime in 2021, however, even if we know that the season will be based on the sixth book, there’s no doubt that there will be plenty of new twists and turns, and a great story to go alongside with it.

What are you excited for about the upcoming season? Do you think Season 6 will have plenty of dead bodies? Do you believe there will be changes from the book? How many more shirtless pics do we need to see to be teased about this upcoming season? It needs to get here already - even waiting this short amount of time feels like too long.

Alexandra Ramos
Content Producer

A self-proclaimed nerd and lover of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, Alexandra Ramos is a Content Producer at CinemaBlend. She first started off working in December 2020 as a Freelance Writer after graduating from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in English. She primarily works in features for movies, TV, and sometimes video games. (Please don't debate her on The Last of Us 2, it was amazing!) She is also the main person who runs both our daily newsletter, The CinemaBlend Daily, and our ReelBlend newsletter.