Aisha/Roy Comment, Pt. 3: Aisha and Nex’s Love Story
Wow. This post took me two weeks? Sorry, guys. ? You’ll understand when you get to the last section.
Just to refresh your memory, an Aisha/Roy fan left a long comment (about a month ago) on Power of Charmix’s Roy video. This is Part III of my response to it. Do you see why I didn’t wanna write this on YouTube?
I focused on Aisha and Roy in the first two posts (Part I and II). Now let’s talk about the power couple my blog is all about: Aisha and Nex.
The Sixth Ranger of Winx Season 6
…[Power of Charmix] asked whether Roy ever interacted with anyone besides Aisha and [Nex], but Nex doesn’t talk to anyone but [her and Roy] in Season 6 either.
YouTube Comment
Actually, he did — and I’m not counting Thoren. Nex didn’t talk to a lot of other characters, but Rainbow at least started integrating him into the group.
In “Bloomix Power” (Winx season 6, episode 4), he rallied everyone to help save the Lynphea College students:
Hurry! The other Lynphea students still need our help!
Why does this moment matter? Because it hinted at his future role: the secondary leader of the Specialists.
Seriously. He is, just like Aisha is second-in-command of the Winx Club. She’s the most action-prone, so when Bloom runs home or gets captured (which happened a lot in season six), Aisha gives the orders and leads the girls into battle.
Nex is like that, too. He’s confident, so people listen to him. We saw that more in season seven, but this was our first taste of it.
Here’s another example: a bonding moment with the Specialists (sans Riven). It took place after the love triangle, but it showed that Rainbow was thinking beyond it. In “Acheron” (Winx season 6, episode 25), before Daphne and Thoren’s interrupted wedding, Brandon noticed the groom kept fidgeting with his tie and imitated him. Nex laughed along with his new friends:
I thought his bro moment with Helia meant they were best friends. Winx season seven seemed to confirm it; he spent more time with Helia than any other Specialist. Nope! Nex’s best friend is Timmy, and their friendship began in season six.
Nex and Timmy
During the windsurfing race in “Mystery of Calavera” (Winx season 6, episode 15), Nex interacted with Timmy as much as he did with Aisha — maybe more! The two guys taunted each other, Nex zoomed past him (somehow) and splashed him, Tecna and Timmy adjusted their sail and took the lead — it was a battle of brains vs. brawn on the ocean.
The techno-geniuses almost won…until their raft sank.
No, Nex didn’t destroy it. ? (Yeah, someone actually thought that.) What happened was Tecna and Timmy hit a spike in the water and got stuck on it. They pried themselves loose and tried to float away, but the raft had sustained too much damage. It broke apart, so they swam the rest of the way to Bajo Mundo Cave.
When they got there, Nex rubbed his victory in Timmy’s face:
NEX: Hey, Timmy! How’s the water?
TIMMY: Delightful! You should try it!
NEX: Okay!
And he cannonballed into the water and knocked Timmy’s glasses askew.
This scene was supposed to be funny, but I bet the Winx fans who don’t like Nex didn’t laugh. Fortunately for them, karma bit him in the butt next season. While surfing with Sky in “Back to Paradise Bay” (Winx season 7, episode 16), Nex wiped out, and everyone, including Aisha and a dolphin, laughed at him.
Then Timmy cruised up on the same type of raft and said if Nex had had one, he wouldn’t have fallen in the water. Touché.
So how did these two become best friends? Well, they never hated each other. I called it a rivalry in my first “Nex and the Specialists” post, but it wasn’t. They were just having fun. (Yes, Nex can have friendly competitions with someone.)
In Winx season seven, you could tell he and Timmy enjoy each other’s company. They griped about Critty’s bratty behavior together. They tried to calm Squonk down — well, Nex did, and Timmy watched in amusement — and…let’s not talk about that weird dance scene.
Anyway, if Rainbow keeps giving them moments like this, I don’t think it’s a stretch to call them best friends. Have we seen Timmy interact with any of the other Specialists this much? He’s always been that nerd everyone knows, but no one gets close to. Winx Wiki says Helia is his best friend, but I don’t remember any scenes between them. If you do, remind me in the comments.
So there you go. Nex has a best friend among the Specialists. It helps him feel like a part of the squad, instead of a guy that’s following Aisha around.
A Less Shallow Love Interest
The entire basis and bottomline for his character is being Aisha’s love interest and Roy’s competition. We don’t know where he came from, what he does or anything. We really only know that he’s a Paladin and Thoren’s friend.
YouTube Comment
Well, he’s not Roy’s competition anymore. ?♀️
Anyway, I admitted in the first post Nex is a shallow love interest, too. Most of the Winx’s boyfriends are. But he has more aspects of his character that don’t relate to Aisha or her world than Roy did. By “world”, I don’t just mean Andros. I mean her life in general.
Take his friendship with Thoren, for example. Did she know the future king of Domino before season six? No, but Nex did. He had a best friend before he met the Winx and the Specialists. Believe it or not, that’s a first for the guys in this show.
Nex also added a new (or rather, modified) class to the Winx Club lore: the Paladins. A 2013 article from MovieTele.it about Winx season six said Paladins are “professional warriors” who “use magical weapons to fight different enemies” and “prove to be very competitive with the Specialists”. (Thanks, DeepL Translator.) Yes, they’re a lot like the Specialists, but fairies and witches aren’t that different, either, especially since they can become each other.
I think Rainbow made the new Paladin class specifically for Nex. Read here and here for my theories.
Something else that makes Nex less shallow is he doesn’t go along with Aisha on everything. He thinks for himself, which means his decisions and desires sometimes conflict with hers. Why is that a good thing? Because it shows he’s his own person.
A common problem with badly written couples is they never fight with each other. They always get along no matter what, even if they have different personalities. That’s not authentic. Real couples fight — in fact, it’s a sign of a healthy relationship — so fictional couples should, too.
Finally, because Aisha and Nex don’t have everything in common — like how he’s not from Andros, for example — he adds new elements to her story. I mentioned in my post about Aisha choosing her own guy that the story in Winx comic #131, “La Prova di Nex” (Nex’s Test) wouldn’t have worked if Nabu or Roy was her boyfriend. The conflict sprang from the fact that her parents didn’t know Nex, so he wanted to make a good first impression.
But being the showoff he is, he failed and…well, you know the rest. If not, read the comic. I think it explains his character better than Winx Club did.
No Dibs
Now, I don’t doubt that Nex loves Aisha. I’m sure he does. I’m not trying to be a hater, but I don’t like Nex very much. It’s not really about Aisha, though. Nex knew Roy was in love with Aisha and that she was beginning to like him back. Even though Nex barely knew her, he pursued her while knowing she had a mutual connection with another man. That is wrong on so many levels!
YouTube Comment
Just because you have a “mutual connection” with someone doesn’t mean you have V.I.P. access to them. You can’t call “dibs” on a person. Whether they’re yours is their decision.
It sounds like the comment is suggesting Aisha would have dated Roy eventually if Nex hadn’t courted her. As another Aisha/Roy fan on YouTube put it: “I thought those two would finally be a couple. But that ruined all that in season 6 because Aisha started to [be attracted] to Nex.”
Wait a minute. He “ruined” it by being a more appealing option to her? By forming a deeper connection with her? That’s like saying your old shoes got ruined by your new ones because they fit better.
Aisha gained a boyfriend who supports her, motivates her, loves her for her personality, handles her energy and mood swings well, and wants to spend as much time with her as he can. How is that “ruined”?
Unless, as the comment says, “It’s not really about Aisha.” Shouldn’t it be? This isn’t Roy’s story. It’s hers.
Aisha and Nex’s Love Story
However, with Nex, Aisha started off hating him (for good reason) and then he helped with the pixies, and suddenly now they’re love interests. Sure, you had a couple scenes in between like the gift exchange (which was more of a burn), and the rollerblading scene or whatever, but Aisha hadn’t really accepted him the way she had Roy. The pacing was way too fast, and it was absolutely idiotic how they practically discarded Roy as a character after that, and just kept him to make things interesting.
YouTube Comment
Sigh. If I had a nickel… ?
I don’t get it. This was Aisha’s first and only slow-burn relationship. How did it get reduced to “they saved the Pixies together and fell in love”?
Well, as you’re about to see, a lot more happened than that. That’s why it took me two weeks to write this post! Here’s Aisha and Nex’s love story in Winx season six.
Winx Season 6, Episode 3: “The Flying School”
Right off the bat, Nex broke the record for the earliest in a season that Aisha has met her love interest. She met Roy in episode six of Winx season five (“The Power of Harmonix”), and she met Nabu in episode 18 of Winx season three (“Valtor’s Box”).
So what was the record holder’s first action in the series? He strutted up to the Winx and said:
Hey, ladies! When it’s my turn, I’ll give these guys a run for their money!
Nice start, Nex… ?
Roy’s rival radar pinged (for no reason), and he challenged Nex to a match. You know this part. He fought too hard and ringed Roy out, the guru scolded him for it, then Aisha stomped up to him and gave him a piece of her mind:
Looks like you two need to cool off a bit. This course is a chance to learn from each other and perfect new skills, but the only skill you’ve perfected so far is how to get a big head.
“You two”? Hmmm…Sounds like she felt like Roy overdid it, too. (This ties into the last post.)
Anyway, Nex was impressed by this tough fairy. “Wow! She’s no joke!”
Wait…why? Well, to quote that blogger I often cite:
Nex knows he’s a jerk and subconsciously wants to improve himself. As a result, he feels attracted to her because he knows that being around her would make him a better person! Now, if only the writers would choose to go down that route.
Moonlit Maiden: “Winx Topix: Roy X Aisha X Nex II”
Don’t worry. They did. The Winx fandom disagrees, but I’ll talk about that next time.
Winx Season 6, Episode 4: “Bloomix Power”
The infamous gym episode. Sigh. Let’s get into it — the whole thing.
The Specialists and Paladins came at Aisha’s gym to train for the mission to save Lynphea College. But to quote the narrator in the episode recap: “Everyone took training seriously, except for Nex and Roy, who concentrated on competing for Aisha’s affection.” Nex ran the obstacle course expertly, and the Fairy of Waves acknowledged the Paladin’s skills:
AISHA: Well done, Nex!
NEX: Thanks! [Sneering at Roy] It was nothing special.
But when she complimented Roy, too, Nex got jealous. He kicked the final hoop away while Roy was jumping, which…broke his concentration, I guess, and he wound up dangling from the final platform.
I watched this scene again, at normal speed and in slow motion, and it looked like Roy jumped too short. Nex kicked the hoop at the same time he landed. So maybe we got it wrong. It’s Roy’s own fault he almost fell.
But Nex still cheated — and he didn’t help him up — so Aisha rightfully yelled at him:
What was that little stunt? If this is your idea of helping, Nex, we don’t need it!
To a lot of Winx fans, this scene told them everything they needed to know about Nex. He’s a “bad person”; a “rude”, “insecure”, “hateful”, “self-absorbed jerk”; an “arrogant a-hole”; “like Riven, but worse”. How could anyone, especially Aisha, fall in love with a guy like him?
But she did. Why? He’s horrible!
Or maybe he’s not.
This is why we’re talking about the entire episode. The Winx fandom gave up on Nex, but Rainbow didn’t. They planned for him to redeem himself — not twenty episodes later, but right away.
Nex’s Redemption
The Winx, the Specialists, and Thoren were about to leave for Lynphea College when Aisha said, “Wait, is this everybody?”
Nex stepped forward. “No. I’m in.”
Let’s rewind a moment. When the guys showed up at the gym, Nex declared the reason they came:
The Trix’s magic is beyond extreme. We’re here to help!
That’s what Aisha meant when she said, “If this is your idea of helping…” I think that knocked some sense into him. You can dismiss his conviction as another attempt to impress her, but I think he meant it. After Bloom said to Flora, “Your sister Miele needs us,” the “camera” cut to him:
His resting jerk face makes him hard to read, but the timing of this shot made me think he felt ashamed of himself for forgetting the mission. Plus, he endangered an ally. Even though the Winx fandom doesn’t think so, Nex is “good”. I think he wanted to do what he came to do — save Lynphea College — and he wanted to wipe his disgraceful actions from his record.
He got the chance when Selina summoned basilisks from the Legendarium World. Aisha gasped as one of them turned a bunch of Lynphea College students into statues with its petrifying rays.
“That-That’s terrible!” she said.
The monster charged, but the water fairy’s legs wouldn’t move. Roy tried to save her, but he was turned to stone as soon as he landed.
Seeing his crush and the ally he wronged in danger, Nex rushed in to protect them. He stood in front of the basilisk and drew back his halberd, but the creature’s eyes were too fast for him. In seconds, he became a statue as well.
Do you remember this scene? Probably not, especially if you don’t like Nex. Regardless, this was his redemption moment. He risked his life to save Roy, and at that point, they didn’t have a way to break the petrification curse. This could have been the end of him.
So why did the fandom forget this scene? I talked about this in “‘NEXX!’ vs. Nex” Part II. Here’s the summary:
- This scene was shorter than the gym scene.
- It didn’t have as much emotional weight, so it didn’t feel like enough to balance out what he did.
- It happened at the end of an episode.
I also think some fans ignored it on purpose. They didn’t care if he ever redeemed himself — nothing would change their minds about him. It’s like this episode split the fandom:
- If you didn’t like him, or you shipped Aisha with Roy, you only noticed Nex’s flaws for the rest of the season. Thus, he became a one-dimensional jerk who never changed (or didn’t change believably) and had no redeeming qualities, yet still somehow won the love triangle.
- If you already liked Nex, you were indifferent to him, or you didn’t ship Aisha with Roy, this scene proved Nex is “good”. He shows remorse for negative actions, and he puts his life on the line for other people. Thus, you gave him another chance and maybe even rooted for him to become Aisha’s boyfriend.
Speaking of Aisha, we know which side she was on. I think she forgave him after this. Was she attracted to him yet? Probably not, but at least he regained her trust.
Winx Season 6, Episode 5: “The Golden Auditorium”
No Aisha/Nex scenes in this episode, but I wanted to highlight one of her lines. As Stella yanked her away from the oncoming basilisk, she stared back at her two potential boyfriends.
Don’t worry, guys! She shook her fist. I’ll be back!
Don’t worry, guys — plural? So, she did care about Nex — at least as an ally, if nothing else. Fortunately for her, Stella restored them both with her Bloomix powers. (Look at Nex’s cute reaction!)
Winx Season 6, Episode 7: “The Lost Library”
To find Eldora’s diary, Daphne and the Winx headed to Alexandria, Egypt. Nex tried to say bye to Aisha before she left, but he couldn’t get his words out:
NEX: Aisha! Well…I…
AISHA: Yes? ?
Roy cut in and gave her some rollerblades. I still think her reaction to them was out of character, but whatever. Seeing that she didn’t wanna talk to him, Nex said, “Have a good trip, Aisha” and walked away.
Yes, Winx fandom. He took the hint and left her alone. With his rival.
This is when I started to like Nex.
Oh, did I mention I didn’t like him at first? That’s right. I didn’t. This scene changed my mind about him.
For starters, it confirmed he legitimately liked Aisha. She wasn’t a prize for him to win — he had a crush on her. And it brought out his adorkable side, as Power of Charmix loves to say. ?
Nex? Adorkable? Yes. That’s the other reason I liked him: I think he’s supposed to be the tough guy with a hidden sensitive side.
Watch the scene where he calmed Squonk down in “Winx Trapped!” (Winx season 7, episode 10). It practically gives it away: from how he melted when Squonk kissed him to Timmy’s shocked stare to Nex trying to save face. I think he’s sweeter than he wants people to think he is, but he can’t keep up the macho act when he’s with Aisha. Her strong attitude and his feelings for her throw him off — in a good way.
Now, some fans like to point out Aisha wanted to see Roy, but Nex interrupted and even pushed past him to get to her. Well…they’re right, but look what happened. He embarrassed himself again, she got annoyed with him again, and Roy still got to talk to her.
Rainbow didn’t reward Nex for inappropriate behavior. Whenever he did things the wrong way, he got yelled at, ignored, humiliated, or all of the above. Aisha and the others only reacted to him positively when he straightened up. Isn’t that what you’d expect?
One last thing: I think Aisha didn’t know Nex liked her — until now. When Roy said, “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” the face above was her reaction. If she loved Roy, you’d think she’d tell Nex off. Instead, she started paying more attention to him — like in the next episode, for example.
Winx Season 6, Episode 10: “The Secret Greenhouse”
Feeling good after a training session in Aisha’s gym, the Specialists and Paladins decided to “reward” themselves with the visit to the Winx. As the Windriders landed in the Alfea courtyard, the fairies walked to their respective sweethearts. Guess who Aisha headed for? Nex.
I made a GIF to prove it. He’s second-to-last on the right next to Sky, and Roy is the last on the left in the lime-green helmet. As you can see, she turned to the right, not the left:
If you remember the episode, you may notice there’s a mistake. Riven stayed behind to keep training, but he’s there in the purple helmet between Thoren and Brandon. Yet seconds later, Musa asked, “Where’s Riven?” which confirmed he wasn’t supposed to be there.
So if Rainbow goofed that up, maybe Aisha heading to Nex was also a mistake. Right?
Nope. Didn’t look like it.
Look at this screenshot of Bloom and Sky. Nex is beside them talking to someone:
Was it Aisha? Yep. When Selina showed up, the Fairy of Waves was standing in front of him:
Where’s Roy? As you can see, he’s not with them in this shot. (Here’s a wider view without Selina.) And in subsequent shots — including this one from behind the Winx and Specialists and another of Stella and Brandon — he still wasn’t there.
It was only at the end of the scene that Rainbow randomly plopped Roy next to Brandon:
Nice try, guys. Clearly, they wanted this to be an Aisha/Nex moment.
I guess she felt comfortable around him at this point. Maybe the revelation in the last episode changed her feelings about him. Also, if she wanted nothing to do with him, why did she greet him this time?
Winx Season 6, Episode 11: “Broken Dreams”
Ah, the rollerblading scene. The comment glosses over it, but this was the turning point in Aisha and Nex’s love story.
After Stella ruined her ballet lesson, her boys came to visit her.
“Great gym, Aisha!” said Nex.
“Glad you like it,” she said, without looking up at him.
Roy suggested that rollerblading with them might cheer her up, but Nex, being…himself, wanted to dial the excitement up. “Let’s see if you can pass me!”
Ugh. There he goes trying to best someone again, right? Maybe not. As I said in the second post, he understood her personality better than Roy did. Why? Well…Nex is a lot like her! They both love competition, so I think he thought this would make her happy.
And he was right. She immediately perked up. “Oh, a challenge, huh? You sure about this? Then let’s do this the right way!” She made a rink out of Morphix, gave the boys rollerblades with a flick of her finger, and changed into her skating outfit.
The race didn’t last long. While the boys tried to beat each other, she slipped past them and won by a landslide. Better luck next time, Nex — though he didn’t seem to mind that he lost.
I’m gonna skip her and Roy’s “flirting”. As I said in the second post, their chemistry felt forced to make up for their lack of development in Winx season five. Even when Keke Palmer delivered her lines, they didn’t sound as natural, almost as if Aisha herself was acting.
But Rainbow had to sell the love triangle, so Roy had to look like a contender. ?♀️
Nex snarled to himself, then he came up with a crazy idea. “Okay, time to dismount! Let’s do this!”
Dismount? As in jump off the rink? ?
Yeah, this was weird. I won’t deny it. But Aisha was into it. Extreme sports seem like her thing.
He took her hand, they skated to the edge, and…jumped! Because physics be darned, he glided gracefully to a stop. Aisha, however, lost her balance and fell — right into his arms. She laid her hand on his chest.
AISHA: Perfect timing!
NEX: And perfect landing!
Winx Season 6, Episode 15: “Mystery of Calavera”
Aisha and Nex spent a lot of time together in the Calavera arc. Plus, Rainbow started pairing them in shots of the Winx couples. Check out this post for examples.
Anyway, the Winx, Daphne, and the guys needed to reach the sunken cave called Bajo Mundo. Tecna and Timmy suggested rafting there, but Aisha had a better idea: Morphix windsurfers. Everyone loved it (except the geek couple), so they suited up and drifted into the waves.
Until now, Aisha hadn’t said a word to Roy. In fact, he barely stood around her and Nex in this episode. Here are a couple of example shots:
But he was still there, so Rainbow had to milk the love triangle again. So after another brief Aisha/Roy scene, Nex floated up to her and proposed…a team-up against their friends:
NEX: C’mon, let’s be the first ones there!
AISHA: Alright! Let’s do it!
NEX: Yeah!
And…they just had fun together. They mostly competed with Tecna and Timmy, but at one point when Aisha plowed ahead of Nex, he made this off-model face. Darn that intern!
My favorite moment was near the end of the race. Nex pulled an aerial and landed with a big splash next to her, and they both laughed. Then Aisha did the same trick — she got more height than he did — and splashed him on the landing, too. They looked at each other and smiled.
“Please Be Careful”
Once in Bajo Mundo Cave, the Winx had to enter the Legendarium World to find the Fantasy Emerald. Eldora appeared and warned them not to stay in there too long. “You could get stuck in its fictional world…oh…forever!”
Yikes. Too bad their boyfriends couldn’t go as backup. Three of them — Sky, Brandon, and Nex — said goodbye to the Winx most dear to them.
That’s right. Nex — not Roy, not both of them, just Nex — saw Aisha off in this scene. It showed that he cared about her, not as a playmate but as a person.
But one of my favorite things about their relationship is how much he believes in her. He worries about her like any good boyfriend should, but I’ve noticed he tries not to show it. Why? I think he doesn’t want her to doubt herself, so he focuses on boosting her confidence instead.
So all he said to her was, “Please be careful.” But I’m sure his heart wanted to say more.
Winx Season 6, Episode 16: “Zombie Invasion”
The Winx returned from the Legendarium World and hung out with the boys some more. We only got one Aisha/Nex scene in the first half of the episode, but it included Roy because again, gotta milk the love triangle. Speaking of milk, she wanted a coconut “smoothie”. The barista couldn’t reach the coconuts, so Roy and Nex climbed a tree (made taller by Flora) to get one for her. But they failed and fell on their butts. Aisha thanked them for the effort.
The second half of the episode had a more meaningful moment. Freed by Selina, the zombie crew of the Occulta ship invaded Calavera Island. Nex defeated one zombie with his Halberd of the Wind, but another leapt out at him from behind. Aisha saw it.
“Nex, watch out!” she yelled, and she formed a Water Bolt to hurl at the undead pirate.
This told us Aisha felt attached to Nex by now. She didn’t want anything to happen to him, and she wanted to protect him. I bet his concern for her in the last episode strengthened that feeling.
So they both showed they cared about each other’s wellbeing. They had a mutual connection. And this is only about halfway into the season.
Anyway, Aisha didn’t save Nex this time. Roy did. But he got ambushed, too, right afterward, so the Paladin repaid his debt.
Yep, Nex saved Roy twice in season six. (Well, technically, he failed the first time, but at least he tried.) I’ll come back to this scene in the last post because of something the comment says about Nex and Riven: one reason they’re alike is because they both had rivals. It’s true, but Aisha said something at the end of this scene that puts Nex and Roy’s rivalry in a different context.
The gang relaxed on the beach again after the battle. Aisha, Nex, and Roy had a swimming race with all-you-can-drink coconut smoothies on the line. We didn’t see who won, but…c’mon, we know it was her. ?
Winx Season 6, Episode 18: “The Magic Totem”
Remember in the second post when I counted Aisha standing next to Roy on the Odysea Explorer as part of their “love” story? You can lump this next scene into the same category.
As the werewolves surrounded the group, Aisha and Nex had a brief exchange:
NEX: Guys, we’ve gotta break the curse!
AISHA: How? By waiting for the sun to rise?
Yep, that’s it. I mean…they talked to each other. It’s not relationship development, but it’s an interaction. That’s something, right? ?♀️
Winx Season 6, Episode 23: “The Anthem”
No Aisha/Nex scenes in this episode, but we got a related scene with him and Roy. The two boys cheered for her at Musa’s concert, but when Nex got too enthusiastic, Roy glared at him.
Um…why? How was he hurting Aisha? Wouldn’t this make her happy? Maybe that was the problem.
Oh, well. This was their last scene in the love triangle, anyway.
Winx Season 6, Episode 24: “Legendary Duel”
We’re finally to the “save the Pixies” episode. But before that mission, Aisha and Nex had two more meaningful moments.
Aisha and Nex vs. Siobhan
The fight against the Alfea Champions gave us Aisha and Nex’s first “Power Couple Team-Up”. They took on Siobhan, the Water Champion. Nex diverted her attention, while Aisha snuck up behind her and blasted her with a Water Bolt.
They didn’t defeat her, but they still felt proud of themselves for their teamwork. Cue their first goo-goo eyes moment.
Nex’s Courage
Nex’s character description spoiled the next scene:
Only when Nex is in mortal danger and needs help will Aisha discover she truly loves him.
DeepL Translator
The comment claims Aisha “hadn’t really accepted [Nex] the way she had Roy”. Maybe this line explains why it seemed that way. Aisha seemed to throw herself at Roy, and the writers exaggerated their chemistry and romance. But chemistry and romance aren’t the same as love. They fizzle out as quickly as they form because they’re based on flattery and fantasies, not on a genuine connection.
Love develops slowly. It’s calm, grounded, and lasting. A person in love sees their partner for who they really are: a mess like them, but still worth loving.
That’s why Aisha and Nex’s love feels more real to me, especially since it snuck up on them. They didn’t plan on becoming a couple — it happened while they were enjoying each other’s company and getting to know each other, the good and the bad. And it wasn’t until they thought they might lose each other that they realized their feelings had become romantic.
Yes, I said “they”. Nex also fell in love with Aisha gradually. I’ll get to that in a moment.
Back to the scene. With Daphne’s help, Aisha realized that the Pixies’ bond could repel the Alfea Champions. The Pixies had been stuck in the Legendarium World since the second episode, so she had to go to Pixie Village to free them. She started towards it, but she didn’t notice the platinum blonde witch dropping in to intercept her.
“Aisha, watch out!” yelled Nex.
“Stop!” said Icy. “No one can leave the battlefield!”
Nex came up to back the fairy up. “Really? I was just thinking it was time for you to leave, Icy!”
Nice comeback, but she wasn’t as amused as I was. She hurled an Ice Bolt at him.
“Nex! No!” yelled Aisha.
But he didn’t flinch. He knocked the spell back at her, sending her flying out of their way. Aisha, Nex, and the Winx’s bonded Pixies then headed to Gloomy Wood Forest.
Before she entered the Legendarium World, the fairy turned to her future boyfriend:
AISHA: Nex, you were so brave out there!
NEX: What? Did you expect anything less? …Good luck in there!
I bet I know what you’re thinking, Aisha/Roy fans: how was this scene any different from their couple confirmation fake-out in “Saving Paradise Bay” (Winx season 5, episode 24)? Roy was in danger, she worried about him, but it turned he was okay and she seemed to fall in love with him. Yeah, that’s a loose comparison, but the point is it was another “I’m so glad I didn’t lose you” moment.
So why do I think this scene from “Legendary Duel” felt more genuine? Because Rainbow built up to it. Look how long it took me to get to it!
Aisha and Nex’s love story developed throughout season six with only a few brief episode gaps. We could clearly see the phases of their relationship: his bad first impression, his redemption and her forgiving him, her becoming attracted to him, the two of them spending more and more time together, and finally, this moment, which solidified their feelings for each other.
Also, Aisha had a freakout like this in “Zombie Invasion”, so we already knew she cared this much about Nex. So when this scene happened, it didn’t feel random. It felt like the culmination of all their moments together.
Aisha and Nex Confess Their Feelings
Alright, now we’re at the Pixie Village scene. Aisha returned from the Legendarium World with the trapped Pixies — I loved Nex’s relieved smile when he saw her — and they celebrated their freedom. Cara gave the fairy and the Paladin cupcakes, and they turned to each other.
“You know, Nex,” said Aisha, “when Icy hurled that magic against you…well, I….”
He smiled and took her hand. “Aisha, I felt the same way when you went into the Legendarium World. I was afraid that you…”
Based on what we know about the Legendarium World, he was probably about to say, “I was afraid you’d never come back.” This is what I meant when I said Nex also realized he loved Aisha when he thought he might lose her.
AISHA: And now you’re happy?
NEX: Happier than you can even imagine.
There you go. In case there was any doubt they were officially a couple, “La Prova di Nex” confirmed it on the first page. Her mother Queen Niobe told her, “It’s a special occasion! We’re happy to meet your new boyfriend!” And of course, Aisha and Nex are still dating as of the end of Winx season eight.
Now, I know their love story isn’t the best written, and Nex wouldn’t even make the top billion love interests in fiction. But I feel like this was the first time Rainbow put effort into an Aisha love story, instead of shoving her into a relationship before she was ready. They considered her strengths, her flaws, her interests, and her story, and they designed a boyfriend who balances her out and matches her without being a copy of her.
YouTuber Winxdreaming made a beautiful video that captures their relationship so far, including Winx season seven and eight. Click here to watch it.
Life and Death Fall in Love
This has nothing to do with the YouTube comment. I just wanted to talk about it because as most of you know, it’s one of the biggest reasons I love Aisha and Nex. It’s sad that most Winx fans don’t know the couple’s symbolism and how perfectly it fits into her story.
Aisha’s name means “life” or “alive” in Arabic. Rainbow chose “alive” in a post on WinxClub.com during season four. It’s a fitting name for a water fairy, since all living creatures need water.
In Winx season three, she met her arranged fiancé Nabu, a wizard. Nabu is the name of the Babylonian god of wisdom, and wizards are often mentors who impart their wisdom to the protagonists, then either leave on a journey or die.
After teaching Aisha to trust her parents more (and teaching them not to force things on their children), he sacrificed himself to save the Earth Fairies. Thus, she learned another lesson: how to cope with death. She struggled with guilt, anger, and despair until she was finally able to let go and accept her loss.
Then in Winx season six, she met an arrogant Paladin named Nex. The word “nex” means “death” in Latin. No, he’s not a murderous psychopath. Rainbow gave him this name to contrast with hers. Together, they are “Life and Death”.
I mentioned this in his “Nex vs. Riven” post, but Nex’s major flaw, arrogance, reminds me of John Donne’s famous sonnet “Death, Be Not Proud”. In it, the speaker tells Death, personified, to get over himself because he’s not as awesome as he thinks he is. Was this on purpose? I don’t know, but if it was, it might help explain Nex’s character.
Regardless, it works with the couple’s symbolism. Aisha, “Life”, is his equal, and she knows how to humble him. After all, she learned how to handle death. She’s not afraid of him.
Without that fear, nothing can stop her. She can live her life to the fullest. Nex, “Death”, is always nearby, but he’s not her enemy. He’s her companion, her natural consort. They are one.
I could go on, but I already sound like a broken record. This blog is full of posts about Aisha and Nex’s symbolism — even their character designs fit into it — so if you’re new here, feel free to browse.
TL;DR
- Nex interacted with other characters besides Aisha and Roy in Winx season six, most notably Timmy, who became his best friend.
- Nex is a shallow love interest like Roy, but he has enough of his own personality and added enough to the show to be his character.
- Just because you have a “mutual connection” with someone doesn’t mean you have V.I.P. access to them. You can’t call “dibs” on a person. Whether they’re yours is their decision.
- Aisha and Nex had a real slow-burn relationship. Over 21 episodes, they met, became attracted to each other, discovered their mutual interests, spent time together, and formed a strong bond. Even in their couple confirmation episode, they didn’t realize they’d fallen in love until they thought they might lose each other.
- One reason I love Aisha and Nex is their symbolism. Their names together mean “Life and Death”, which is fitting for a girl who just lost her fiancé and made peace with death.
That’s it for this post. Originally, I had a section about Nex’s personality, character growth, etc., but I moved it to the last post. After all, the comment brings up Riven and claims Nex had a “similar storyline”. Did he really? Spoiler alert: no.
After my next post, I think you’ll wonder why anyone in the Winx fandom compared Nex to Riven.
frankly the Riven and Nex comparison doesn’t really work
I know, but it won’t go away. ? I’m gonna come at it from a different angle in the last post.
To tell the truth always felt that Winx Club overeacted the big Noooo! moments when the characters got knocked down, save Flora, like she got crashed into a building in season 1, got trapped on her own plants on season 4, got almost burned by brainwashed sky’s dragon on season 3 … and overall there are more reactions by almost minor things in couple dinamics, well I get one gets scared if someone one holds dear is to be hitten but after being that overused it just feels forced (specially that scene of IcyxTrittanus of season 5…. common, she has goten worst comming from Bloom and no one seemed to care)
Apart from the big nooo moments that are so forced, it was expected Nex to win, almost evident by all the scenes where they compete as it was always Aisha first, then Nex and lastly Roy… never got the competition undertone, and even if he haven’t won, he’s still friends with Thoren so we would still see Nex hanging around somewhere sometimes while Roy just disolved in thin air.
Oh.. and Riven is Riven and no specialist will ever get that level of character devepolment as he changed 360⁰ in 8 seasons from a minor villian to a not know why someone liked him jerk to a good soldier .. ehem.. specialist so it’s ofensive the comparation, not even Sky being a main got that level of atention [No one will ever get me into liking Riven or Sky yet’ll defend Rivens arc as an undertone argument of Winx story] so I’m eager to read the next post.
Now, happy holidays!! stay safe out there
Yeah, Winx Club does overdo it, doesn’t it? I felt like the first “Big No” moment in Aisha and Nex’s story was forced, but the other one wasn’t as bad. Nex hitting the ice beam back at Icy was a good payoff because it’s something we hadn’t seen another character do before (as far as I remember).
Riven needed an extreme transformation. Nex didn’t. The fandom thinks otherwise, but after rewatching both of their debut seasons, I can confidently say now that this comparison is overblown. In the post, I’m comparing them episode by episode, and they literally do the opposite things each time. It’s kinda funny.
Honestly I still don’t know how Nex and Riven are the same! I commented on an instagram post of a person who asked “Nabu, Nex or Roy?” I answered Nex. So another unknown person literally replied to my comment saying you are a shame to the fandom. Like I’m a shame cause I have a different opinion than you?
Sigh. Why am I not surprised? ? Things never change in this fandom.
Feel free to point them over to my blog, if you’d like. ?
Sorry for break-in, but I just wanted to say that I feel sorry for you. But this aside, if a BAD EXAMPLE (Riven) gets its defenders and fans, then why can’t Nex? People justify characters’ shitty behaviours from shows yet Nex didn’t even do anything immoral so him having fans actually MAKES SENSE! (SUPRISE, suprise!)
I know that people may not understand that Aisha plot was about learning to mourn and move on with life, and I know the nostalgia, but come on!!!
Your experience remided me of how people got hated on JUST BECAUSE OF LIKING Nickelodeon Era seasons! Isn’t that sick? I know that Nickelodeon Era wasn’t an improvement but really? And let’s face it, if those seasons didn’t exist, the same people who hated them just for not being like 1-4 would TIRE Rainbow SRL with petitions, fanmade transformations and stuff! Not to mention the funny thing that a “oldschool winx true fan” (YEP, he titled himself like this) got infuriated JUST I misspelled Magic Winx as Charmix. I mean, what’s the deal if those brooches and bags were useless at some times? And I wasn’t even the ONLY one who titled MW as Charmix (which was ditched in Season 3 anyway)
To conclude, it’s not just the show that’s getting downgraded. Some of the fans also gotten downgraded as well too.
When will this fandom learn that much like the entire final episode of Teen Titans 03 was made that “Things Change” Glen Murikami made that episode for that reason. Winx needs an episode like that. It says “look, we get you like our adaptation of this thing, but things change, so deal with it without harming others because of your opinions.”
As for that Charmix thing? I personally think the only real point was to make Charmix season 1 look less bland. Too bad it didn’t become a permanent part of the Charmix look. Also it fits the ing puns that Bloom or Stella come up with each season.
The worst part about saying an Aisha/Nex fan is a “shame to the fandom” is that it’s saying the fandom’s opinion — which, of course, is that Aisha and Nabu are the best couple — is the “right” answer to this poll. What’s the point of having Nex as an option if no one is supposed to choose him? Also, these polls are pointless. There have been a million of them already over the years, and we know what the results always are: Nabu 1st, Roy 2nd, Nex 3rd. So unless someone is trying to gauge if public opinion has changed — and let’s face it, it never will — these polls are mostly so that the person who created it can validate their own opinion.
As for the “Magic Winx” thing…ugh. ? It’s not even true, for crying out loud! The first form is not, has never been, and will never be called “Magic Winx”! It had no name until Rainbow decided to call it Charmix. Before then, they referred to it as “Fairy”. Just “Fairy”.
I don’t know why the fandom defends the second season Charmix so much. It wasn’t even a form — it was just power-up to the first form.
I said this in another comment, but I think Charmix is the perfect name for the first form. Charmix fairies become Enchantix fairies, and “charm” and “enchant” are synonyms.
Unfortunately this ship is not the only thing that warrants unwelcome actions in the fandom, and apologies if one of the next statements offends you on some level.
If you so much as disagree with anything that isn’t universally bad you are wrong.
This is the latest one. Try to explain that the Magic Universe isn’t another Earth (and therefore they have different social dynamics than we Terrans do, “insert but their rotoscope proves they are what they’re supposedly coded as even though they aren’t from Earth” argument here) and Bloom gets a run for her plotlines in how much dragon fury is used. The most common response i get is “but it’s the fairytale version of X earth continent & country”, no it’s not. Just because there are influences of an Earth place, it doesn’t automatically make that realm an idealized version of a particular Earth place. If every place in the magic universe was just like Earth….we could sum it up with this phrase “Bloom would want Stella to take her home now.” That’s something that the fans need to consider. If Bloom wants to go home, then so do we…and that’s no fun…because certain events might have played out differently without Bloom there, even if Aisha is as awesome as she is and no one who wants to be zapped messes with Flora, Bloom (and Sky on the Specialists side) still needed to start the story because without Bloom and Sky, the viewers have no jumping point.
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Damn, I’m supposed to be researching for a new Winx oc (surprise, a Paladin who I decided to insert into Nex and Thoren’s friend group for an rp) just to read your articles and spiral down the Nex x Aisha rabbit hole again for most of the weekend lol Like I’ve grown an even deeper appreciation for the ship, especially after rewatching some episodes. Nice job! I really enjoyed reading them c:
Thanks! Aisha and Nex are my favorite couple, and I love writing about them. I’m glad you got something out of it. 🙂