GUEST POST: Color Dynamics in “Winx Club”
Sorry I didn’t post this sooner, Will. Ever since December, I’ve had a hard time getting back into blogging. I don’t know why. I’ll try to start posting more often again.
Anyway, Will sent this to me a couple weeks ago. You know how much I love symbolism, and color holds a lot of it. I’ve talked a lot about Aisha and Nex’s color symbolism, both individually and as a couple.
But this time, we’re talking about the Winx and how their favorite colors may correspond to their relationships. Take it away, Will.
Color Dynamics in “Winx Club”
I actually got to thinking about this over the weekend, and how that Aisha’s favorite color in the Curiosities section of the season four website listed orange, but it was updated to blue from season five onwards. This then got me to thinking about her relationships and how each of the other girls’ favorite colors might play a role in their friendships…or friendly rivalries.
Going with the originally listed favorite colors of:
- Bloom: red
- Stella: green
- Flora: pink
- Musa: yellow
- Tecna: blue
- Aisha: orange
- Honorable Mention — Roxy: violet
We can then go to our color wheel and see blends, compliments, and Stella’s least favorite thing: clashes. Yes, clashes.
Orange and Green are clashing colors. Sound familiar? That could lead to multiple fights between the two, resulting in hot water. Stella, before learning to mind her temper, could have led to a color clashing issue, letting her louder fashionista mouth run ahead of her brain.
The natural complement of orange is blue. This is why we rarely saw any Tecna interaction early on. Aisha simply had no drama with her (and vice versa), almost like both of them were semi-automatic robots before somebody opened them up.
Then we have the mediator color: violet, a.k.a. Roxy. Violet blends with all, even its natural complement of yellow. Roxy is supposed to grow into Flora’s “drama nerfing” role, but is held back due to her having so many pressures on her prohibiting her adventures, studies, and just fun in general. Rainbow simply can’t allow Roxy full time adventuring because she takes the pointless Muri and cheap Bly drama away and literally feeds it to her llamas, which is the proper place for it. This is why Roxy and Aisha get closer in the season four comics. Roxy is the every fairy and can be what whoever needs.
Lastly, we come to the blends: pink, red, and yellow blend nicely with orange. When she’s needing someone to vent to, Aisha’s close to Flora because orange and pink can make peach tea or strawberry and watermelon smoothies when needed, since it’s good to vent over a healthy beverage to calm nerves, which she apparently had a lot of. If Aisha is needing to be with somebody who isn’t afraid to get dirty and likes destroying enemies on any field like nobody’s buisness, she’ll be closer to Bloom, as red and orange become scarlet. And when she just wants to be alone, but needs nice calm tunes, Musa gets the call, turning the orange and yellow into a flower named for its color: the goldenrod.
So, why was the update for Aisha from orange to blue like Tecna in season five? So time with Musa also meant the same amount of time with Tecna and Flora, since Bloom and Stella tend to be joined at the hip. By Aisha now being a blue like Tecna, she blends with green, which lessens the Stella bickering, but not enough, and Aisha is free to help Tecna get much needed screentime and make sure Tecna “speaks English” and not “Tecnababble” that requires a “Timmylator”.
This was super cool! I think it’s also interesting that orange is a secondary color, made of red and yellow. Aisha shares traits with both Bloom and Musa, but with different motivations for them. This also applies to Roxy’s violet, as she shares traits with both Tecna and Bloom. Flora being pink makes sense as she’s similar to Bloom, but less aggressive. This gets tenuous with Stella, though, as she and Tecna don’t share a lot of traits.
This also places Bloom, Tecna, and Musa as the primary colors – the ones that all the other girls overlap with. If you wanted, you could place them on a sliding scale of logical to emotional, and then see what that says about the other girls. For example, Aisha overlaps with the two more emotional girls, Bloom and Musa.
Thanks for the additional insight. Too bad it costs Tecna and Musa screentime these days. Also @Tori, don’t be so concerned so much with the delays. I don’t mind.
Since we are talking about the color dynamics, I was just wondering what are your thoughts on their latest and updated favorite colors of each WinX girl.
According to the “guido al magico” the official book of the WinX club, these are the girls favorite colors.
Bloom: Red and Turquoise
Stella: Yellow and Orange
Flora: Green and Pink
Tecna: Purple and Lilac
Musa: Red and Electric Blue
Aisha: Turquoise and Sea Green
Does the change in some of the girls favorite colors indicate a change in their dynamics?
@Secrets Although if we took transformation colors into account as possible favorites…then yes, there is an account for change as to why some are closer than others, but I still think that at the end of the day it goes back to the season 4 listings.
For season 7 and 8 specifically?
Tecna and Stella hanging out a lot is unique since Yellow and Violet balance each other out. Same with Flora’s pink simply just being another, lighter red for Musa or Flora hanging out with Stella a lot since yellow and green blend to make lime or Stella and Musa contrast on orange/blue or the blend with Tecna in violet/blue and Tecna and Flora with the lilac and pink, both are floral colors (Flora’s shade of pink is orchid to be specific, which also adds to her hanging out with Stella in Enchantix mode most as Stella’s outfit is meant to be an orchid while Flora’s is a lily, Tecna’s a viola, Musa’s a Chinese Lantern, Aisha’s an Iris and Bloom’s is a bit corny…like Helia’s gift for Flora.)
However we can tell that the strongest trio based on color dynamics (and other symbolisms) should be Bloom, Aisha and Musa…oh look there’s a strong Nex link there to. If Bloom is a “heart of fire” and Aisha is “the fairy of the tides” while Musa has Nex’ color scheme and element…I think that says something about what links fire and water together despite thinking they should clash…and that is the winds of change…and we can even back this up in the early seasons as well. Bloom spent most of her time with Stella and Musa, likewise so did Aisha during season 2 with the occasional Flora or Tecna moment. The biggest evidence in season 2? The Cloudtower arc. Bloom is immeadiately defended by Musa when the witches get angsty, something Aisha also does ever since season 3 and Bloom of course has defended them in return or rescued them should the need arise….likewise this means Stella, Tecna and Flora should be a good trio too. Or if anyone likes Oz jokes…Bloom, Aisha and Tecna, I think it’s obvious who’s who amongst Bloom, Aisha and Tecna.
Thanks for the detailed analysis. This makes sense considering that the girls are slowly being paired up with each other rather than the “best friends” pairing (something we see heavily in Season 5 and 6).
Just want to know your thoughts on this, if Bloom, Aisha and Musa are the strongest trio based on their colors dynamics and other symbolisms, would this also apply to Stella, Flora and Tecna too?
It would as like @Power of Charmix said above, if Aisha aligns with the more emotional girls, then Stella aligns with the more logical since Stella, Flora and Tecna are all capable of producing light in some form. Stella being the largest amount as there is an infinite amount of stars out there, Flora drawing off only the sun specifically and Tecna making artificial light in various ways. Likewise Bloom, Aisha and Musa are capable of making sound in some form another yin-yang. Bloom’s sound is “Rice Krispies”, the Rain goes “Kerplink, Kerplop” and Soundwaves bounce according to key and tone.
Light is logic, sound is emotion. Knowing that now it’s no wonder Bloom had issues early on. Even if her magic wasn’t rusty….accessing the part of the Dragon Flame that’s related to light would have been difficult still….given her drama.
I thought that the season 8 stuff was just talking about their outfit colors. Not necessarily their favorite colors.
@Tori did you also get my message on the Specialists not exactly lining up the way it is presumed to be even if Sky’s color does? For a teaser for everyone else: It’s been mentioned a few times before on this blog about how just because Nex enjoys sports, that doesn’t actually mean he’s the male version of Aisha. If anything…his personality, design palate and wardrobe indicates he’s actually the male version of Musa only sportier instead of musically inclined….basically the Winx are dating the boy who has the personality of their bff, save for Muri. Riven does not have the personality of Aisha, he’s another Musa.
Yes, I saw it. I’ll post that, too. ?
It was a fun thought….and also it might surprise people, but i got to thinking about that after the whole “Nabu is Aisha’s clone, Riven is Musa’s clone” thing but what really gave it away for me was “Francine and Arthur” as it were.
I’ve been lurking this blog for a while now and I just wanted to kind of drop in and give my appreciation and support! I have spent no time interacting with the Winx fandom (which seems a bit…unhinged if what you say is true) and I only love this show for the nostalgia and coziness of the first four seasons, but I enjoy poking around here every so often and reading what you have to say about this odd gem of a couple despite never even seeing the sixth season and onward besides a few clips and an odd episode or two… Of course, I have always found Nabu (and all of season 3 really) cringy, creepy and kind of convoluted so that may be partially why I’m happy to see our girl, Aisha with a decent guy. XD
I can totally see why you’re having some “bloggers block” though. You’ve clearly have put a lot of time and thought into these articles and probably need a break to kind of refresh and think of new topics.
As for this article, Will, this was an interesting read! I would’ve never guessed that these colors would be their favorites; especially Stella’s and Bloom’s since I would just assume their favorites are orange and blue respectively since it’s always what they wear. This fact alone makes it seem like Rainbow purposely assigned these colors to them just for symbolism in their relationships which is really awesome…Of course, with Rainbow there is no telling if this was an on purpose thing or a funny coincidence, but it’s gonna be my new head-cannon now regardless lol.
If you like this one, you’ll enjoy my Specialists post whenever it’s uploaded…and has a very good reason why Nabu and Riven aren’t suitable for their respective fairy…and why knowing that Riven actually would have been more suited to Aisha and been the one to not be around….i mean since nobody was actually dating until Sky and Timmy asked,
I’ll totally check it out! The Specialists and their relationship dynamics used to be one of my favorite things about the series and honestly probably still is depending on the season/episode lol.
Sorry, Will. I try to get that up by this weekend.
That’s fine, also I might have a tiny bit more to add then that smaller bit. I mean no one really ever thinks of the Specialists that way…but mostly on Brandon being the equal to Bloom….he’s the general leader most times, he tells corny jokes and most importantly…..he’s the only other person who actually tries to tell Stella to cut her nonsense sometimes….see s6 Enchanted Mirror when both of them are fed up with her….was Brandon more mad or was Bloom? That’s a 50/50 cointoss….and probably Bloom if she actually had the nerve to indirectly call Stella the opposite of a fairy.
Thanks a lot! Glad to finally hear from you!
Yeah, the Winx fandom has…issues. I’ve realized that even more after venturing into other fandoms. I just got into one recently — a fandom for a series I’ve followed in silence for years — and they’re so much more welcoming, chill, and open-minded than the Winx fandom has ever been. I feel like I can discuss and debate about anything with almost anyone, without getting patronized and chewed out if they disagree with me.
Honestly, you’re smart to avoid the Winx fandom. But I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my blog, and I hope you feel welcome here.
Yeah, I’ve been working on a few posts, but I do have writer’s block. Not a lot is going on right now, anyway. I don’t know what will happen when season nine premieres, but if Aisha and Nex are still together, I’ll have more to talk about again. If not…well, I have plans. ?
Will’s articles are always awesome! I didn’t notice a lot of this, either! I doubt it’s coincidence. Writers put a lot more thought into these kinds of details than the audience may give them credit for. That’s why I love finding and reading about these little bits of symbolism.
Here’s something else i noticed about Aisha and Nex. If Tecna and Timmy are literally Francine and Arthur in the Cinèlume dub….then that makes Aisha and Nex similar to Keesha and Ralphie. It’s the weather jokes between them and their interactions that give it away (especially in the NeoSirenix arc)….it also implies Nex is “Weatherman” and Aisha is “Weather Woman”….and they both like to “Kick up a Storm”
*If any of you fail to get that reference, the episode can easily be found online or in book form at your local library and be preparred for a potential prior form of Faragonda to take you on a wacky fieldtrip….and no that’s not out of the question for that teacher given what she told D.A. about how she spends her summer vacations.
Yeah, I think a lot of people around here are too young to get that reference. ? But I got it, and I appreciated it. I think that episode was one of my favorites. Haven’t watched it a while, of course, but maybe one day for nostalgia’s sake. ?
Interestingly there was a followup a few years back that’s currently on hiatus as of last year, but yeah…most people say the followup tanked because of the fact that there was no Phoebe…even though the sequel had Arnold provide her catchphrase as the reason why she was absent…also the artstyle was weird for something based on Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen’s books….although I’m glad the tv series just said “it’s OYL” from the original…not a reboot…since the original aside from the computer episode could take place “anywhen”.
My favorites other than that episode were….Color, Light, Space, anything Ralphie or Carlos centric and Val’s B-Day. Also….in any PBS fandom or Pun-Based video/comment section….Carlos reprimanding is expected.
I love it when fandoms are down for debate and all don’t lean one way. I especially love it when something in the book, movie, game, etc is kept vague and like everyone has their own opinion on what’s happening if that makes sense. It’s a shame as well when you’re a fan of a really interesting series with a lot of debatable topics yet the whole fandom just jumps on one opinion boat — the Fire Emblem games have this issue, except sometimes it’s like they all hold hands jump boat-to-boat lol.
Winx Club is just such a random fandom to be toxic imo. It seems it’s usually the larger fandoms are more toxic, but I can’t imagine it’s very large anymore since the fans don’t seem to care for anything past season 4 or sometimes even 3 and it’s not like it’s doing much outside of the cartoon and that Archie—I mean Fate Saga show *cringes*.
I’m not even really sure how new people find the show since it’s always been fairly obscure, of course I am American and I do hear the show did/does much better in Europe and Australia.
This season 9 reboot fiasco is probably just going to make things much worse as well and for that reason I’m low-key looking forward to it just for the laughs lol. I feel like at this point it’s probably going to be Nex that stays since I feel like if they wanted to axe him for Nabu, they would’ve in 8 since that was a seemingly kind of fan-service season, but there is no telling with the recent direction this show has taken lol. I’m looking forward to whatever you have planned regardless for them though!
Well, part of the problem is Winx Club itself. It’s a simplistic show that leaves little room for interpretation aside from symbolism here and there, which most fans don’t care about or notice. That’s why there’s not a lot of variety in opinions. It’s also why people don’t like to debate because what’s there to debate about if (supposedly) everyone believes the same thing? Debate is seen as an attack or an nuisance.
I think some of the toxicity comes from exactly what you said: most of the fandom doesn’t care about anything past seasons 3 or 4. Yet they’ve stuck around for 10+ years, complaining about how the show is now. It’s like a bad relationship. They’re not happy, but they’re too emotionally attached to leave.
I haven’t read many people’s thoughts on season 9, but I’m expecting everyone to be disappointed, too. This isn’t gonna be the return of “old Winx” like some people think it will. As for the Nex or Nabu thing, I think it could go either way. It makes more sense to keep Nex, but Rainbow doesn’t always pick the logical option. I still can’t believe they brought back Valtor and made up some garbage about getting his life force put back together (I don’t even remember), when they should have brought back Darkar, who has a built-in resurrection mechanic (he’s a phoenix!) and whose theme is darkness. ?♀️
I think Fate is more Sabrina Chilling 2.0, which is really odd. Still an Archie property, but I think Sabrina style stories are more Mirta’s department instead of Bloom’s don’t you? Archie even with it’s ah…oddness as it were in various titles was mostly just Slice of Life…even in the Weird Mysteries cartoon they would use the mystery for Slice of Life Lesson, much like how Sabs in TAS and Secret Life would use a reason why “magic isn’t a solution for everything” for a lesson. The sad thing about Fate? One good character trapped in a Sabrina clone. That would be Sam…who is a much better boyfriend for Musa.
Tell me about it. A fan recently argued something that some fans actually are willing to discuss or at least say “not from earth, so maybe not” as a compromise only existed in someone’s head and even the Rainbow Symbolism got dissed. Tecna being autistic female is a popular fan theory because of how….narrow she is and how Timmy or Flora’s the only one she ever shows she’s not a total robot to…and how Zenith is a logical world…that one kinda stings…because…you actually have a puzzling spectrum infinity loop writing some of these new angles….and being able to sum up Daphne in one sentence….basically “Awesome with a capital A.”