Aisha and Roy, The NoTP — Pt. I: Nice Guy? So What? *UPDATE*
A series of posts about so-called “nice guy” Roy? Yeah, sorry. The love triangle has been on my mind again lately, so I wanted to get my thoughts out.
First things first: I’ve never liked Aisha and Roy, not even in Winx season five. And I wasn’t alone — most Winx fans hated them. Even with all the lamenting that she didn’t choose him, she and Roy aren’t a popular pairing. They’re usually last in Winx couple rankings, even if she and Nex are included.
That’s how I know the only reason the Winx fandom still talks about Roy is they hate Nex. They didn’t root for Roy until the love triangle. It’s telling that they had to hate someone else more before he looked like an attractive option. It means he wasn’t good enough on his own.
So why did the Winx fandom hate him in season five? To be fair, part of it was the timing. He debuted immediately after Nabu’s death, so the pain was fresh for both Aisha and the fandom. It was too soon for Rainbow to give her a new love interest.
But that was far from the only reason.
Nice Guy? So What?
Some fans defend Aisha and Roy by praising how “nice”, “respectful”, and “gentlemanly” he was.
…That’s it? That’s all they want from an Aisha love story: Aisha/Nice Guy? Then why does it have to be Roy? There are plenty of other nice guys in Winx Club.
How about Mark from Winx season four? He was nice, but he was also confident, energetic, and fun-loving like Aisha. Plus, he had a talent: he played guitar! She obviously liked him, too, but she wasn’t in love with him. After all, she was dating/engaged to Nabu.
How about Palladium or Avalon? They’re nice.
…Wait, that’s creepy. They’re too old for her.
Okay, how about Andy? Rio? The smoothie guy from Calavera? Literally any Specialist who isn’t taken? Or one of the guys in this screenshot (they look nice):
Do you get my point? How did being nice make Roy “the one” for Aisha, especially if tons of other guys are nice, too? And why should she settle for a guy just because he’s nice? Is that really all she should want in a relationship?
As for us Winx fans who hate Aisha/Roy, why should we prefer him just because of one trait of his character? Would you tell someone to eat a pear instead of a carrot because “pears are sweet”? So are cookies, cakes, donuts, candy, and bags of sugar. That doesn’t mean they’re better for you.
When you compare things, you can’t just focus on one element. You have to look at the whole picture. (That’s why this is gonna be a series of posts. I have several reasons why I didn’t like Roy.)
The “Roy was nice” argument also has a nasty implication. When people say it’s the reason Aisha should have chosen him, it suggests he was entitled to her as a trophy for good behavior. Who cares about her right to choose? He was such a nice guy that she owed him a relationship.
Hooray for true love.
The Real Meaning of “Roy Was Nice”
Whenever Winx fans say, “Aisha should have picked Roy because he was nice,” what they really mean is, “Aisha shouldn’t have picked Nex because he’s mean” (or whatever they think he is). Those same people often call Nex “a copy of Riven” and exaggerate any flaw they see in him. They’re sure Aisha would never date “a guy like him” — whatever that is in their minds — and the couple’s relationship will (or should) inevitably fail.
Here’s the one thing they don’t consider. What if Rainbow knows Aisha wouldn’t date that type of guy? If so, what if Nex isn’t supposed to be that type of guy? What if it’s all a misunderstanding — of his character, that is?
Try watching Winx Club without the anti-Nex goggles, and read any books, comics, or articles that feature or talk about him. When you do, you’ll see that the Winx fandom’s interpretation of his character is not what Rainbow intended. Need proof? Here’s some:
- His character description calls him “friendly” (amichevole), a word the fandom would never use to describe him. In fact, most of their descriptions are negative, while most of Rainbow’s are positive.
- In an article on WinxClub.com, Aisha called both Roy and Nex “nice”. Oops, there’s that word. Guess Nex is boyfriend material, after all.
- Comic #131, “La Prova di Nex” (Nex’s Test), shows him meeting Aisha’s parents. King Teredor thinks he’s “nothing but a braggart” at first, but Queen Niobe, Bloom, Stella, and Aisha herself defend Nex. Aisha even tells him, “Once [my dad] gets to know you better, he’ll love you.” Does that sound like a horrible guy to you?
Bottom line: Rainbow didn’t mean for Nex to be an a-hole. It’s just that the fandom labeled him as one, and now they refuse to reconsider.
TL;DR
- Aisha didn’t have to settle for Roy just because he was nice. You can’t use one character trait to justify an entire relationship. Besides, there are plenty of other nice guys in Winx Club (including Nex).
- Saying Aisha should have chosen Roy “because he was nice” suggests he was entitled to her as a trophy for good behavior. Who cares about her right to choose? She owed him a relationship.
- People who use the “Roy was nice” argument are really saying, “Nex is mean.” But Rainbow didn’t intend for him to seem that way. The show, the comics, the storybooks, and Rainbow’s own words prove there’s a disconnect between the fandom’s idea of him and how he’s meant to be. In other words, even though the fandom thinks Nex is a jerk, he’s not supposed to be one.
I’ve got more to say, but I’ll stop here for now. Next time, I’ll talk about some of the problems with Roy’s personality. Then later, I’ll share another theory on why “Roy is nice” is the most common argument for Aisha and Roy.
UPDATE: I ended up changing the order of my posts. The second post was actually about the pacing of Aisha and Roy’s “love” story.
well Nex willingly took on Icy in season 6 which I’ve probably mentioned already sorry but to the best of my knowledge Roy hasn’t done something like since let’s be honest Icy is probably one of the most dangerous foes that the winx and specialists have ever faced
I don’t necessarily think Roy or Nex’s good deeds qualify them as boyfriend material. Still, I find it funny that Roy was such a non-entity, especially in season five, that most fans don’t even remember what he did. Three examples:
– I met a fan who thought Aisha and Roy had kissed in season five. That never happened.
– Another fan thought Roy saved Aisha from Tritannus at some point. That also never happened. Roy saved a Selkie (Phylla, I think), but not Aisha.
– Yet another fan thought Aisha used her Sirenix wish to save Roy. Nope. She used it on her cousin Nereus.
Basically, Roy did so little in season five — for the plot or for his and Aisha’s supposed relationship development — that the fandom’s minds have rewritten memories to create moments to support the pairing.
that’s a good point and really?
Really what?
that no-one remembers what Roy did in season 5
From my experience, yes. Few people seem to remember what he contributed to the show except being a love interest. But that’s because he didn’t contribute much to the show besides that.
well yeah he was not needed when the winx are way more experienced at saving worlds
Roy nice? He’s manipulative a-hole, i’ve alway seen his “niceness” as
a act. Roy is big instigator, he first tries to make Nex crazy, that he gets mad and aggressive, and than puts the blame on him, and than Roy acts like the victim, and says that Nex
began to instigate hin. A narcissist of his worst kind
yeah i never understood at all and probably would criticise that if i reviewed the episode that featured that line of dialogue
Most of the fandom sees Roy as the victim and Nex as a bully. Unfortunately, the writers didn’t help, since the way they arranged some scenes did make Nex look like the aggressor and Roy the person we were supposed to root for.
But you’re right. First of all, Roy was the one who started the love triangle in the first place because of inappropriate jealousy. Second, as season six went on, Nex became less aggressive and Roy became more aggressive and even controlling. He was basically keeping Aisha on a leash, even though he wasn’t dating her.
Third, his “niceness” in season six was definitely insincere. That whole thing about him being entitled to a relationship with her because he was being nice to her? He seemed to actually believe that.
In general, Roy was a shallow character. His reason for liking Aisha wasn’t even clear, yet the fandom gives him a pass because of “niceness”. It makes no sense.
The weird part also was that when Nex flirted with the Winx, all of the sudden Roy became mad about it. Why? He isn’t their father!
Exactly. Roy had no reason to react like that. One fan I talked to accused it by saying Nex was treating the Winx like objects. First of all, that’s ridiculous. Flirting is not inherently disrespectful.
Second, if what Nex did was so wrong, why did only Roy step in? None of the other guys defended them. Heck, not even Riven responded, and he usually does!
It’s also important to note that Nex wasn’t flirting specifically with Aisha at that point, so Roy had no reason to be jealous. To me, it seemed like he just insecure about whatever relationship he thought he had with her. The other guys didn’t see Nex as a threat.
Roy was more the one that treated the Winx like objects. In Season 5 where he said “I should go first, because the waters here are dangerous”. Hello, they are the Winx? They’ve fought every monster, villain there is so far, and you are going to say that this is too dangerous for them? Just because they are woman? Roy, you do not make sense.
reading all the comments make me really want to do a crack fic one shot where the Winx put Roy in his place
what do you think?
That would be funny! ?
but would you post it here if i sent it to you? since it would be going up on where i post my fanfics as normal
Um, maybe not. I’d rather only post Aisha X Nex fanfics. ?
okay that is fair enough but now would the crack fic work better in a season 5 or 6 setting?
I wondered that myself. ? Maybe season six, since Roy was being overprotective and possessive of Aisha.
hmm yeah but i’m wondering if Selina or the specialist should get should get involved in some way
Maybe. I’m not really sure.
well the specialists have seen what the winx are capable of such as the rescue of tecna from omega, Bloom and Sky destroying the obsidian for example
Roy is such a nothing character that I find it hard to compare his relationship with Aisha to Nex’s relationship with her. Roy just kind of…existed for no apparent reason. Remember how he didn’t even get aproper exit scene at the end of season six because Rainbow cared that little about him?
yeah that’s a good point and i’ve watched roy’s debut scene and he does come off as condescending which Aisha reacts in a manner i’d expect
I guess Roy was overprotective from the start.
Maybe that first line was meant to show us “Roy isn’t who you think.” Also yeah that’s odd that in season 6 he didn’t get a boomerang to his wrist for daring to even look at Musa from Riven. Speaking of those two…Riven was also near Nex in those confrontational scenes. If we consider Riven to be the male equivalent of Musa, then him being near Nex should have been something of a cue as well. Whenever something concerns whoever is Aisha’s equivalent in the boys squad, Helia and Riven aren’t that far behind. I think that says quite a lot about Aisha’s choices as Musa and Flora are also near her during those times.
Could that mean in regards to Aisha, Musa would be the equivalent of a high tide and Flora a low tide?
yeah it seems so
I agree. There really isn’t a good way to compare them. I think that’s why the best argument the fandom has is, “Roy was nice.” Or they’ll say Aisha was flirting with him, too, or something like that.
It’s easy to like someone who’s nice to you. Getting that kind of attention feels good. But what else did Aisha and Roy even have? Heck, why did he like her in the first place? That was never explained. ?
You might say, “You don’t always know why you like someone”, but even if you can’t explain it, there’s still something. Unless you’ve never experienced kindness before your entire life, it’s not gonna be because the person is nice. There has to be something else creating a bond between you, and that something has to be strong enough to sustain the relationship. What was that for Aisha and Roy? I saw nothing.
I’m going to be honest. After Nabu, I think they should have left her single like they did with Musa. I feel like they just had to have someone for Aisha to ‘mend’ her broken heart. They could have just left it as it is. Musa and Riven didn’t work out so they were like okay. She can stay single. Her mother died. Bad ending. She broke up with Riven cause he was focused on getting stronger and not paying a lot of attention to her. Bad ending. Aisha lost Nabu to the Wizards. After she was happy being in a relationship but she was PERFECTLY fine without a lover after and before Nabu. Musa didn’t have to be the only one single. It could be Aisha too. Nex and Aisha are basically too similar. They could have been the first two to have a Winx to Specialists friendship. It didn’t have to become a relationship. Aisha and Roy didn’t work out. So what? I don’t like Aisha and Nex as a couple either. So what if it’s nice guy/mean guy… I don’t care. They should have left her single. Wasn’t it enough after Nabu? Honestly. Aisha and Nabu was the only pairing I’m here for. Because they basically ruined the other couples with he other seasons after sirenix besides Timmy and Tecna and Brandon and Stella. I don’t even want to explain why I really don’t like the others I haven’t listed. I only was on board with those because they were canon and there was no real competition or love triangle.
So…Aisha should have gotten one chance at love — one chance — and that was it? No more dating after that? For the rest of her life?
First of all, she was a teenager. She met Nabu when she was about 17. Second, she’s a fairy. Fairies live a lot longer than humans. Think about her teachers at Alfea. They’re hundreds of years old. According to the website, Wizgiz has been teaching for more than 1,000 years.
So Aisha should spend the rest of her life — hundreds of years — alone, because her first boyfriend she met as a teenager died? ?
That sounds like a punishment.
As Aisha and Nex being “too similar”, I disagree with you. Yes, they have a lot in common, but they have some key differences that complement each other. I’ve written a few posts about them. Here are a couple of them. You don’t have to read them, but it might help you understand what Rainbow might have had in mind when they put them together.
I’m not saying that she shouldn’t be with anyone. First, I’m pissed they killed Nabu off. Second. Sure they can be good together, but it’s not something I would be toxic over. And season 8 they bought Riven back I’m cool with that. If they made up some elaborate regain life sequence and brought Nabu back I would have loved to see how that would have played out. But they didn’t. So Aisha and Nex is a pairing that I can accept but wouldn’t fully get behind it. But before you think so, I do not pair Aisha with Roy. He’s super toxic. But did you hear about that new Netflix version of Winx?
I’m confused then. What do you mean by “she should stay single” if that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be with anyone?
Personally, I think Nabu was never meant to be a permanent love interest. I wrote a post about this, but I think they threw him into the show at last minute — i.e., season three when it looked they were gonna end the series — because Aisha needed someone to kiss. From a narrative standpoint, he was too much like Aisha story-wise, as well as too perfect.
Also, bringing characters back from the dead can ruin your story. Once you do it, the audience knows there’s a way back any time the characters are in grave danger. That automatically kills some of the tension.
It’s one of the reasons I hate superhero movies. If these characters are constantly coming back from the dead, are they really risking their lives when they fight? Not really. So are they even really heroes? True heroes put themselves in harm’s way knowing they only have one life to lose.
As for the live-action Winx, yes, I’ve heard of it. I’m not interested in it.
I meant she should have stayed single in season three because I did feel like they just added Nabu to kill him off later. They also kind of rushed their moments and then they add a whole irrelevant love triangle in my opinion since there really was no real competition between Roy and Nex. But if they were to change Nabu a little bit and wait for him to appear later and put Roy in season 3 or 4 for someone for Aisha to kiss then date a while for her to see how toxic he is and her dumping him and then introducing Nabu and Nex that would have captured my attention more on Aisha’s love life. But that didn’t happen. And about the whole heroes coming back to life so they aren’t really sacrificing anything; it’s why I watch anime. If the hero or side hero dies. They stay dead. They just come back as a ghost that only their loved one’s can see or something. And I am not interested in the Netflix version. Looks like a crappy version of Legacies and Riverdale.
I will agree about that the way Aisha’s love life has been written has been a mess, but in a strange way, it works with her character. I know I keep saying this, but…I wrote a post about how her friendships and relationships and how she acted in them mirror stages of life: childhood (Anne), adolescence (Nabu), young adulthood (Roy/love triangle), and adulthood (Nex).
Part of why this works is the meaning of her name: “life” or “alive”. And since Nex’s name means “death”, it makes sense symbolically for him to come at the end. Yes, it sounds creepy, but it’s meant in the sense of life and death both being parts of the cycle of existence, so he’s her natural consort. It’s not that he’s gonna end her or something.
I watch anime, too, and to me, anime writers are vastly superior. Maybe that’s why anime and manga have become so much more popular recently.
You make sense. But as I said. I’ll get behind the pair. Because it makes the most sense since Roy is toxic and Nabu is, well….. dead. Anime was always popular. People just kept it a secret back then cause they would get teased for it. Even if the people who teased them about it secretly watched it more than their victims.
I’m curious. Why do you think Roy is toxic, and what did you mean that there was no real competition between him and Nex?
I’m not that good at explaining things but he’s manipulative. I guess that’s a way of putting it. He’s kind of controlling over Aisha and the other Winx. I don’t know. I haven’t seen Winx Club in forever. There was no competition because Roy wasn’t really a ‘nice guy’. He just rubbed me the wrong way. So that’s why. If they gave Nabu more effort and kept Roy but didn’t kill him off but made him like the manipulative boyfriend in season 3 or 4 I would have payed more attention
I think what rubbed people the wrong way about Roy was he didn’t realize who he was talking to. I mean who on Magix speaks to the Winx that way? Why did he need to see that three princesses have wings to know that they could handle themselves? Isn’t it a known factoid about the Winx that Bloom, Aisha and Tecna don’t necessarily need magic to defend themselves? Surely the Winx Trading Cards (presuming those were a thing universe after season 4) mention “Aisha survived shadowhaunt, Tecna’s a brainiac and Bloom beat ghouls with a stick” and not necessarily in that order.
Yeah, being protective is all well and good, but Roy came off as overprotective to me. It didn’t seem like he believed Aisha could take care of herself.
Also, it seemed like he felt entitled to a relationship with her just because he was nice to her. The stuff he did like giving her the rollerblades or complimenting her — yeah, it was nice, but he wasn’t doing it out of the goodness of his heart. It was a strategy.
Plus, it’s generic. Gifts and flattery are the standard courtship fare, but Aisha’s a different kind of girl. That’s one reason why her reaction to the rollerblades felt out of character to me. She’d never acted that way when receiving a gift before, so it felt like Rainbow was just trying to milk the love triangle.
By the way, I get annoyed with Riven for generic courtship stuff, too. Every time Musa broke up with him, he’d try to win her back with gifts or sweet words or fireworks. Cute…but totally missing the point. I wished instead they would have sat down and talked about their behavior towards each other. They didn’t do that in season four. They kinda did it in season eight, but they still didn’t address the real problems.
But I digress.
To me, Roy didn’t treat Aisha like an individual and appeal to what makes her unique. He just treated her like any other girl. But Nex paid more attention to her personality.
I totally agree. He didn’t pay attention to the personality and definitely didn’t think the Winx or Aisha could handle themselves which I’m pretty sure she’s more athletic than Roy anyway. He was too busy trying to ‘protect and show off’ while Nex was kind of showing off and having fun with Aisha. Couldn’t find the right words so I used show off.
you are actually insulting Roy and really don’t like that
I didn’t insult him. I pointed out problems with him as a character, as well as with his relationship with Aisha. What’s wrong with doing that?