Who is Master Raymond in Outlander? The character's reappearance explained

It's been a while since we've seen Master Raymond in Outlander, and some might need reminding about when he made an entrance in the show - many viewers have been left wondering why he's back and what his apology to Claire means.

Well, kudos to Outlander for leaving viewers with the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers - and for some, wondering just what on earth is going on. The Outlander season 7 ending really was quite perplexing, and now we know that it's not the last season of the show - season 8 is on the way - at least there should be some clarity coming.

But for now, just who is Master Raymond? Viewers have so many questions about the man whose very quick appearance in season 7's final episode appears to have changed the trajectory of the series. Why did he return? What does his apology to Claire mean? Let's take a look at the burning questions surrounding the character.

Who is Master Raymond in Outlander?

If you can remember all the way back to season 2 of Outlander, this is when Claire and Master Raymond first met. He was working in France as an apothecary and Claire was keen to use her knowledge of the healing properties of herbs to heal others. The pair bonded over the medicinal qualities of plants and a friendship developed.

When Claire became gravely ill after giving birth to Faith, it was Raymond who managed to clear her of the infection the nuns caring for her were sure would kill her. A piece of placenta remained lodged inside Claire, and during the 18th century there would've been no cure for this.

However, Master Raymond puts his hands on Claire's face, and she could see a blue aura - she later makes a full recovery. Master Raymond explain blue is a healing colour, and the books reveal both he and Claire to be blue light healers. Before he leaves her, he promised their paths would cross again, telling her to "have faith."

Although it's yet to be acknowledged in the series, the Outlander books reveal Master Raymond to be a time traveller. Not only that, but he's actually a prehistoric time traveller, hailing from around 500 BC - the books also appear to suggest he could be immortal and might be travelling through multiple timelines manipulating important people such as Claire to be in the right place at the right time.

During season 7, Master Raymond appears to Claire and asks for her forgiveness, although he doesn't explicitly state what for, simply telling Claire she'd understand one day. When Claire later hears Frances singing the 1907 song I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside - the song Claire sang to Faith as she cradled her in her arms - viewers instantly jumped to the conclusion Master Raymond resurrected Faith and she's Frances and Jane's mother.

The belief of most viewers appears to centre largely on Master Raymond wanting Claire's forgiveness for not letting her know that Faith was actually alive. However, neither the series or the books have confirmed this, therefore until season 8 arrives, fans are going to have to continue speculating until the truth is revealed. That said, zero other theories currently exist explaining the link between Claire, Faith, Frances and Master Raymond, and Faith having lived seems entirely plausible in the Outlander universe.

Is Master Raymond related to Claire in Outlander?

There is currently no firm answer to this. However, it is widely speculated that Claire is related to Master Raymond, and he could be related to all of the time travellers we've met in the series, as he's the original time traveller.

Claire, Geillis, Roger, and everyone that can slip through the stones, could have inherited that ability from Master Raymond genetically, giving bones to the idea all are descended from him. Moreover, other time travellers are either drawn to him or seek him out, meaning there could be a genetic pull if they are all distantly related.