The Yin-Yang Couple
Winx Fandom, Why Doesn’t Nex Deserve To Be Forgiven?

Nabu stalked Aisha in Winx season three. It’s something the fandom doesn’t talk about much. Instead, they just say she “had to learn to trust him”. Hmmm…I wonder why.

Some fans don’t even remember he stalked her! One such fan got mad at me when I reminded them. “Nabu would never do that!” they said. Sorry. Just the facts. 🤷‍♀️

As for the fans who haven’t forgotten, why don’t they talk about it? For starters, Rainbow downplayed it in the story, so most viewers didn’t see it as a big deal. Yet in real life, Aisha could have gotten him arrested! Stalking is a crime in many countries, including Italy, and the punishment ranges from fines to jail time (as much as 10 years in the U.S., depending on severity).

Of course, the Winx fandom doesn’t see Nabu as a criminal. They forgave him — I guess you could say “pardoned” him — years ago.

Yet they still won’t forgive Nex almost three seasons later for cheating on an obstacle course.

One hold-up is they’re convinced he wanted to injure Roy. Some have even said “kill”. Yes, “kill”, a word Rainbow can’t even use in dialogue. Those fans actually believe a hero — a love interest at that — would attempt murder, in a room full of witnesses (including his crush), in a magical girl show aimed at four-year-old girls. 🤦‍♀️

Even “injure” is a stretch. If Nex wanted to hurt him, wouldn’t it have been better to knock him out of the air? Or move the final platform? Kicking the hoop was the least effective option!

“Well, Roy could have gotten hurt,” you say. “Nex endangered his life!”

Fine. I’ll give you that. But he tried to atone for it at the end of the same episode by charging in front of a basilisk, endangering his own life, to save Roy. What happened? It turned Nex to stone.

That could have been the end of his life. The Winx didn’t know how to change him back — or if they could. A life for a life. Isn’t that a fair trade?

If only the Winx fandom remembered this scene. Many, including that fan who wrote the long comment on YouTube, thought he didn’t make up for his actions until randomly in “Legendary Duel” (Winx season 6, episode 24). Strange, isn’t it? The fandom forgot Nabu’s crime, but they forgot Nex’s redemption.

Riven’s Betrayal

We can’t talk about characters behaving badly without bringing up the OG: Riven. Even I’d forgotten how unpleasant he was in Winx season one. And unlike with Nabu and Nex, it wasn’t a few moments here and there. Instead, in almost every scene for the first 20 episodes or so, Riven insulted people, picked fights with the other Specialists, and undermined the team’s plans by insisting on doing things his way.

But his worst offense was his Face-Heel Turn in “Betrayed!” (Winx season 1, episode 8), a.k.a. “Riven’s Betrayal” (Il Tradimento di Riven), when he joined the Trix. Why did he do it? For power.

No, really. That’s what Darcy offered him:

DARCY: You’re a very special person, Riven. It’s too bad, though.
RIVEN: What’s too bad?
DARCY: The fact that your talent, your energy, your ambition and courage should be wasted at Redfountain. You could be so much more! If you were one of us, you could be even more powerful!
RIVEN: Go on…

Not only did he not gain power, but his actions helped the Trix conquer Magix. Cloud Tower became their lair. Redfountain was destroyed. Magix City became a ghost town with windows shattered and people strewn about, covered in ichor.

But we know this nightmare had a happy ending. After he realized Darcy used him, Riven finally saw the error of his ways. He returned to the group and fought by their side to save the realm.

Earning Forgiveness

So, we have Nabu the stalker, Riven the troublemaker and traitor, and Nex the cheater. They all made bad first impressions. They all hurt and/or annoyed people, even their loved ones. But they all made up for what they did and showed their redeeming qualities: selflessness, heroism, love, supportiveness, helpfulness, and the ability to change.

The Winx fandom forgave Nabu and Riven — but not Nex.

No matter how helpful he is to the team, it’s never good enough. No matter how much he risks his life for others, it’s never good enough. No matter how hard he cheers for Aisha, no matter how much he encourages and comforts her, no matter how many times he proves he’ll be there for her, it’s never good enough.

Yet if you criticize other characters, like Nabu or Riven, the fandom brings up these same behaviors as reasons to forgive them.

So, Winx fandom, what does Nex have to do to earn your forgiveness?

The Yin-Yang Couple
Winx Fandom, Why Doesn’t Nex Deserve To Be Forgiven?