Unveiling the Mysterious Connection: Otter Tooth's Enigma and Wendigo's Quest

Warning: SPOILERS for Outlander season 7, episode 2 ahead.

In episodes 1 and 2 of Starz's Outlander season 7, Wendigo Donner returns and continues his determined search for Otter Tooth. This storyline picks up after Donner's first appearance in season 5 and a specific event in the season 4 finale. While Donner is remembered for refusing to help Claire escape from Lionel Brown's abduction in season 5, it was previously revealed that his attempt to return to the future after his time-travel journey had failed. Claire's encounters with the Mohawk and the ghost of Otter Tooth in season 4 unveiled her knowledge about Otter Tooth and Donner's journey to the past.

The knowledge Claire exhibited in the season 5 finale of Outlander made her the target of Wendigo Donner. This ultimately led to the intrusion of Donner and his men at Fraser's Ridge in episode 2 of season 7. In exchange for her freedom, Claire offered knowledge about time travel, specifically how it worked in season 5 of Outlander. Donner was drawn to Claire because she had already proven her knowledge about the group he traveled with through time and the conclusion of Otter Tooth's story. Despite the potential for Claire to endure suffering again, as seen in the explosive incursion in episode 2 of season 7, Donner was determined to obtain this information from her.

Outlander Season 4 Explains Otter Tooth's Story

The disagreement between Jamie and Young Ian, resulting in the Native American tribe receiving Roger as punishment for allegedly attacking Brianna, unknowingly paved the way for Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian's journey to the Mohawk in order to rescue Roger. Claire was able to encounter Otter Tooth firsthand, even though he had died many years earlier, when she witnessed his ghost during a storm in North Carolina. Interestingly, the discovery of his skull bearing distinct marks of being from the future, along with the presence of the opal he had used to travel through time, allowed Claire to see the ghost of Otter Tooth in Outlander season 4, episode 3, even before she became aware of his complete story.

Wendigo Donner's Tragic End Doesn't Let Him Say Goodbye To Otter Tooth

The true tale of Otter Tooth was ultimately unveiled in the season 4 finale of Outlander. In an effort to obtain the opal discovered by Claire in close proximity to Otter Tooth's remains, Wahkatiiosta, a Mohawk woman, disclosed that even before her birth, Otter Tooth traveled from a different era to her tribe, urging them not to form an alliance with the white man but to embrace violence instead. Perceiving Otter Tooth's intentions as disruptive, the tribe's leader exiled him, but despite repeated attempts to persuade them, he was ultimately condemned to death, rendering Otter Tooth's narrative as one of the most tragic among the time travelers in Outlander.

Otter Tooth, also known as Robert Springer, played a crucial role in guiding Donner and the rest of the Mohawk 5 on their time travel journey. Their mission was to go back to the 18th century from the 20th and persuade the Native American tribes to form an alliance with the British. This alliance aimed to protect the Native Americans from the devastating consequences of the American Revolution. However, Otter Tooth had a deeper agenda. He wanted to go even further back in time to dissuade the tribes from establishing any friendly relations with the white settlers, in order to prevent their destruction.

The Mohawk 5 were compelled to travel back in time solely because Springer was not there to guide them. Their decision to travel together was driven by their desire for increased security, but their separation across different stone circles and eras ultimately sealed their fate, leading to their division and eventual demise. Even if Wendigo Donner had not been killed in the ill-advised invasion of the Frasers' home, he would never have had the opportunity to bid farewell to Otter Tooth properly. Not only did Donner miss the chance to meet Otter Tooth, but he also lacked the time to discover the full extent of Otter Tooth's story from Claire in season 7 of Outlander.