Does Jamie lose his leg in Outlander? Explained

Outlander's seventh and penultimate season ends next Friday, January 17, 2025, when the season finale airs. The Starz drama is based on Diana Gabaldon's historical fictional novels. It brought plenty of shocking episodes and near-death experiences for the show's heroes since it aired in 2014.

So far, this season, there was a time, in Outlander season 7 episode 10, when everyone thought Jamie was dead after he supposedly drowned aboard a ship. But it was all a misunderstanding, and Jamie wasn't on the ship after all. However, back in season 5, Jamie Fraser had a real near-death experience.

A poisonous snake bit him, and he had to be amputated, or he would die. But, when it looked like Jamie might lose his leg or die, he survived. He didn't even need an amputation. It was all thanks to Claire's ministrations and Brianna's ingenious invention.

Disclaimer: This article contains some spoilers for Outlander. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Jamie's near-amputation and near-death experience in Outlander season 5 episode 9

In Outlander season 5 episode 9, Monsters and Heroes, the episode kicked off with some action, with Jamie, Roger, Fergus, Ian, and the twins heading out to hunt a herd of buffalo. However, Jamie and Roger separated from the group while trying to flank the herd. Jamie was then bitten by a venomous snake.

Roger did what he could to help Jamie—he sent the horse back to Fraser Ridge, hoping that someone would figure out they needed help. Meanwhile, he suck out the venom on Jamie's leg and created a makeshift stretcher to drag him home. Ian and Fergus found them on the way, and they brought Jamie back to his wife, Claire Fraser, at Fraser Ridge together.

The next couple of days were crucial for the Outlander hero as his body fought the snake's venom. However, he caught an infection, causing bigger problems. While they found some maggots to eat away the dead flesh from the wound, there was nothing Claire could do for her husband. She could have administered penicillin, but Lionel Brown had crushed her only syringe during the Battle of Alamance.

It was a wait-and-see game to find out whether Jamie's body could fight the infection. Meanwhile, they discussed possible options to keep him from dying if his condition worsens. One of Claire's options was to cut off Jamie's leg, which he was vehemently opposed to. Jamie said that he would rather die than lose his leg.

However, Jamie had a change of heart when he came close to dying. He had a near-death experience, and after he woke up the next morning, he told Claire that he wanted to live, no matter what, even if it meant he was going to lose his leg.

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Brianna's snake fang syringe kept Jamie from losing his leg

Just as Claire and Ian prepare for the surgery to cut off Jamie's infection-laden leg, Brianna, the engineer, bursts into the room with an ingenious invention. She figured out how to create a makeshift syringe using the fangs of the snake that bit Jamie.

Using Bree's invention, Claire was able to administer penicillin on Jamie's bloodstream to save his leg. In the end, the mother-daughter saved Jamie from losing his leg, and he fully recovered from that near-death, near-amputation experience.

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Catch seven seasons of Outlander streaming on Starz, with the season 7 finale dropping on streaming on Friday, January 17, 2025.