Who is John Fadden? Outlander season 7 airs title card tribute

Following the conclusion to Outlander season 7 episode 9 on Starz this week, you may have seen a tribute to John Fadden. Who was he, and what did he bring to the drama series during its run? These are the things we are happy to take a closer look at as of this writing.

Now, let us begin here by noting that these tributes are often one of the most important ways that any show can honor those who are a part of it. In the case of Fadden, he is someone who was essential to something that the Starz drama holds dear: Authenticity. While the writing staff is supremely talented, you often do at times need to be able to bring other people in to understand parts of history. This was Fadden’s role as a consultant, especially when it comes to specialized Native American cultures and traditions as represented on the series.

As you have seen over the past couple of years on Outlander, numerous tribes have become important to the tale of the Fraser family, especially with Young Ian spending such extensive time with the Mohawk. Much effort was made into honoring those tribal traditions and also ensuring that a particular way of life was displayed on-screen. Fadden helped to present that for some time.

Tragically, John passed away back in 2022, and this is where we remind you that much of the planning and research for this season happened some time ago. Remember, as well, that season 8 of the series has actually wrapped production already and Starz is just significantly behind when it comes to airing the show. This is why we have not seen the tribute to Fadden until this point. This card will still be present in all subsequent airings / streams, allowing more viewers to better understand not just who he was, but also what he meant to the world of the show overall.

Our thoughts and condolences do go out to John’s family, and all who cared about him, during this difficult time. We hope that the title card serves as a comfort and a way to properly honor his work.