How do you redeem a hated couple? That question led me to make this blog. The Winx Club fandom despises Aisha and Nex, but I’ve always believed they’re better than the show has allowed them to be.
They need a better love story, but what does that mean?
Well, it starts with stripping away everything working against them: the fantasy setting, the “made for kids” mindset, events of Aisha’s story, other characters who hog the spotlight, etc. Now we can focus on these two, instead of juggling them with four or five other couples, a villain or three, six Kero-chan knockoffs, six mini-fairies (Pixies), a bunch of magic school professors, a literal star, and a flying rabbit. (Thank goodness these weren’t all in one season. The star was in Winx season eight.)
Aisha and Nex as Individual Characters
Next, the partners themselves. Aisha is well developed in Winx Club, but her story has plot holes in it. For example, how she met her fairy friends was…weird. It was thanks to a family tradition of visiting the Pixies, who live in a secluded forest on another planet, every year. Why would her family do that? The writers never explained it. (This show is full of stuff that makes no sense.)
Since I won’t have fairies or Pixies in my stories, I won’t have to worry about that. What will be a problem is she has no character goal. I’ll talk more about that on Tuesday, which is her birthday!
As for Nex, he’s one of the main reasons the Winx fandom rejects this couple. Humanizing him and making him a more interesting character are top priorities. That starts with giving him a backstory. I’ve come up with lots of ideas that don’t involve him being the son of the Devil — or the Devil himself — which is how most Winx fans see him.
Also, I need to balance his personality better. The creators of Winx Club gave him plenty of positive traits, but his flaws overshadowed them. Now the fandom won’t stop comparing him to a popular “bad boy” in the show.
How do I fix this? Stress Nex’s positive traits and make sure his backstory explains (but not excuses) his flaws. Also, an A+ character arc will help.
Finally, he needs a better character design. Not only did his first design (left) make him look too intimidating (and ugly to some fans), but it also helped fuel the “copy of the popular bad boy” accusations. ?
His second design (right) is just…weird. The creators of Winx Club wanted the younger fans to see themselves in the characters. This isn’t how you do it.
First, they don’t have to look like kids for kids to relate to them. Ever heard of the Disney princesses? The youngest one, Snow White, is 14. Does she look it? No. Does that stop kids from dressing up like her on Halloween or at Disney World? No.
Second, 15 years into a franchise is too late to make your twenty-something-year-old characters look like they’re in kindergarten!
But I digress. The artist PirateHearts is working a fresh look for Nex as we speak.
A Better Aisha/Nex Love Story
Alright, now we’re on the hardest part: repairing Aisha and Nex’s love story. In Winx Club, he was introduced in a love triangle. Mistake #1.
Solution: no love triangle. ? Let them fall in love with no other suitors getting in the way. They’re the only Winx couple who didn’t get that chance.
Mistake #2 was overemphasizing their mutual love of sports. So they have something in common. Great. That’s a start, but it’s not a relationship. They need to bond emotionally, not just surf together.
Don’t worry. I’ve got this part covered in my first Aisha/Nex fanfic Baby Steps. You’ll see them confide in each other, help each other, and be vulnerable with each other. Of course, I’m not gonna tell you what happens. ?
What was Mistake #3? Not emphasizing how they bring out the best in each other. I noticed it, but it isn’t obvious since few Winx fans see it.
This is the key to making two characters “right” for each other. A run-of-the-mill good partner would make anyone happy, but the best relationships are when two people help each other become their ideal selves. They encourage each other’s growth, they accept each other’s failings (because everyone screws up sometimes), and they choose to show love even when they don’t feel in love with each other (yes, that happens — feelings come and go).
Aisha and Nex have that capacity and loyalty, and I’ll make sure it shines through in my stories.
All that is how I will redeem this couple: by writing them the way they should have been written. It may take years, but I know I can do it.
- Featured image by Meine Reise geht hier leider zu Ende. Märchen beginnen mit from Pixabay
