Although Outlander and Game of Thrones are both eight-season adaptations of fantasy novel series, the Starz series is now poised to have a far stronger conclusion than the infamously messy ending of the HBO hit. At the height of its popularity, Game of Thrones was arguably the biggest show in the world.
The series made A-list stars of its leading actors, spawned countless imitators, and almost single-handedly revived the R-rated adult fantasy genre. However, the ending of Game of Thrones was so divisive that it cast a dark shadow over the show’s history after that infamous final season, and its legacy was compromised as a result.
While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms made up for some of the earlier show’s mistakes, neither that recent spinoff nor its predecessor, House of the Dragon, could recapture the outsized success of the original show. It is not clear whether any adaptation of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire saga could, given Game of Thrones’ disappointing ending.
Outlander Season 8 Is Poised For A Much Better Ending Than Game Of Thrones
Sam Heughan looking ahead in a promo shot for Outlander
To make matters worse, the Starz series Outlander is now poised to outdo the earlier show with its superior final outing. A historical fantasy show based on the book series of the same name by author Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is set in 1700s Scotland. The show follows Catriona Balfe’s Claire, a military nurse who is transported from 1945 to 1742.
When Claire falls for Sam Heughan’s Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, she becomes involved in political intrigue as the rebel Highlanders from Clan MacKenzie welcome her into their fold. Jacobite rebels are pursued by the show’s first major villain, Black Jack Randall. A Captain, Black Jack, works for the government.
In Outlander season 1, Claire and Jamie wed so that she can be protected from Black Jack’s attacks, but this is only the beginning of the pair’s lengthy and unpredictable adventure. Later seasons take the duo to Paris, Boston, the West Indies, and, later, North Carolina, where they end up involved in the American Revolutionary War.
If that all sounds rather complicated, that’s because it is. The source series of novels by Gabaldon includes a whopping nine books, and the show has condensed certain plots and elided others entirely to clear up its storytelling. However, since season 8 of the series will be its final outing, Outlander now faces an issue that plagued Game of Thrones before it.
Like Game Of Thrones, Outlander’s Book Series Isn’t Actually Finished
The final season of Outlander will be based on 2021’s Gabaldon novel Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, first released in 2021. Although there are numerous spinoffs that bring the entire series up to more than nine books, l Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone is the ninth book in the main, original Outlander timeline.
In May 2025, Gabaldon announced that she was working on a tenth novel, to be titled A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out. In the same post, the author seemed to suggest that this would be the last book in the original series, bringing the story of Claire and Jamie to a long-anticipated close.
Of course, this means l Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone is the penultimate book in the series, leaving Outlander season 8 in the same position as Game of Thrones season 8 some eight years earlier. Like that much-maligned outing, this season of TV needs to finish an epic fantasy story that, until now, had existing source material to adapt.
With A Solid Ending, Outlander Can Overtake Game Of Thrones As An All-Time Great Fantasy Series
Throughout its run, Outlander has enjoyed critical acclaim from reviewers who commend the show’s ability to blend romance, fantasy, and historical drama. Although the show’s time travel premise does dip into sci-fi, most of its storyline is devoted to fairly straightforward historical drama with few fantastical elements.
Since the show has been so consistently acclaimed, Outlander now has a chance to outdo Game of Thrones season 8 in one pivotal regard. The show has never come close to matching the historically high ratings of HBO’s hit, which is hardly surprising since Game of Thrones was one of the biggest TV shows of the last 30 years.
However, if season 8 manages to provide a satisfying ending despite needing to abandon the safety of its source material, the show could become more acclaimed than Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones lost the show’s critical hot streak as early as season 5, according to some commentators, but almost everyone agreed that the show was truly struggling by season 7.
Season 8 was the true death knell for the show’s once peerless reputation, and it was hard not to assume that the lack of source material was what worsened the show’s critical performance. In contrast, Outlander’s seven seasons have never struggled with critics.
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There’s 1 Outlander Book Tragedy That’s All But Guaranteed To Happen In Season 8
Outlander season 7 had an unexpected ending that contradicted the books, but it seems to be setting up a devistating canon moment for season 8.
Instead, the show has gone from strength to strength over the years, proving that romantic fantasy can be taken just as seriously by critics as its darker competitors. Only time will tell whether Outlander can stick its landing, but the Starz show now has an impressive chance to outdo Game of Thrones with its final outing.
Release Date
2014 – 2026-00-00
Showrunner
Matthew B. Roberts
Jack Tarlton
Kenny Lindsay
John Sessions
Arthur Duncan