About Nex, Pt. 2 (From Winx Club Amino)

(I originally wrote this on the Winx Club Amino. This is an edited version.)

In “About Nex, Pt. 1,” I said understanding a character is more important than liking them. Here’s another example of why this is the case.

Villains are supposed to be unlikable. They’re cruel and manipulative. They kill people, destroy cities, and conquer countries and planets — and they’re proud of it! If you met someone like that in real life, you’d call them a horrible person.

Yet most of us have villains we love, even in Winx Club. They’re unlikable, yet we love them? Why?

Because we understand their roles. They’re supposed to do evil things, and the heroes are supposed to try and stop them. Plain and simple. Knowing this, we can appreciate a villain — even like them  — if they’re good at being bad.

But Nex isn’t a villain (contrary to some fans’ beliefs). He’s a hero. Heroes are supposed to be likable, right? Is there ever a reason for a hero to be unlikable — or at least have some unlikable character traits? 

Of course there is. 

Any professional writer will tell you all heroes should have flaws. Flaws make a hero feel more “normal” — more like us — because as the saying goes, “Nobody’s perfect.” No one is nice all the time.

If you don’t believe that, let me ask you something. Do you know what a person is really thinking when they’re smiling at you? Food for thought. ?

A basic hero has only positive traits. A more complex hero has a mix of positive and negative traits, like a real person.

The Winx fandom has practically memorized Nex’s flaws, but what are some of his positive traits? He’s brave, friendly (yes, according to Rainbow), affectionate, and encouraging, and he’s cooperative in a team.

If you shook your head at these, maybe you should watch Winx season six and seven again. Remember the horn/devil effect? If your overall impression of someone is negative, your brain ignores anything positive about them.

So Nex’s flaws help make him a more realistic hero. That’s a good reason for him to have them, but it may not be the most important reason. I think Nex’s flaws have more to do with Aisha’s character, not his own.

I’ll talk about that next time.