Outlander aficionados are diving back into the series as they eagerly await season eight, scouring past seasons for intriguing snippets.

What might come as a surprise is that the Outlander scriptwriters altered a pivotal detail about Fergus Fraser (portrayed by Romann Berrux) when he was first brought on screen in the show, reports the Scottish Daily Express.

In Diana Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber, the novel behind the series, Fergus—originally called Claudel—crosses paths with protagonist Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) in dramatic circumstances.

Jamie encounters the young Fergus after bursting into a brothel to escape pursuit from enraged sailors, finding that the boy is the son of one of the establishment's women.

However, the television adaptation took a different route, with Fergus making his debut serving drinks in the brothel and crossing paths with Jamie who was among the patrons.

Fergus' skills as a sneaky thief were also highlighted early on, demonstrated by his pilfering from customers, an act observed by Jamie, witnessing him as an adept pickpocket.

Outlander's executive producer Ronald D. Moore and Anne Kenney discussed this significant shift from the original novels on the official podcast for the show.

Anne Kenney remarked: "We introduced Fergus in a very different way than he is in the book. Because in the book Jamie's being followed by guys from the dock.

"We just had to simplify things. They go after him and remember there's the whole big thing where he has the sausage fight? And Fergus helps him get away from those guys."

She elaborated: "Fergus is still a child of a w****house but he helps him get away from those guys and again, sometimes we just have to simplify things because we just can't get it all in. So we went at it this way."

Moore further explained: "Just like get to it. He's a thief. Jamie figures it out, he wants to hire him."

In the hit series Outlander, Fergus emerges as a significant figure, becoming Jamie's adoptive son, yet he endures numerous hardships, including a harrowing sexual assault by Captain Jonathan 'Black Jack' Randall, portrayed by Tobias Menzies.

Additionally, after returning to Scotland with the Frasers, Fergus suffers a brutal loss when a merciless Redcoat severs his hand for concealing Jamie in a cave following the Battle of Culloden.

The show later introduced a grown-up version of Fergus, played by actor César Domboy, who took over the role as the character matured.

Despite Fergus and his spouse Marsali Fraser (played by Lauren Lyle) taking a step back in the narrative lately, fans have been assured that the cherished pair will make a comeback in the eighth season of Outlander.

Celebrating actor Domboy's 35th birthday, the Outlander Instagram account shared a tribute post featuring a picture of Fergus, captioned: "Happy César Domboy day! Raise your hand if you're looking forward to his return in #Outlander Season 8."

Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now