Why Nex Wears Red: What The Specialists’ Colors Symbolize *UPDATE*

I know. I’m cheating. This post isn’t just about Nex (and it’s not about him and Aisha, either). He’ll be the focus, but I wanted to talk about the other guys, too.

As you know, the Winx’s boyfriends get new uniforms in season eight. Nex is dressed like the Specialists now. Did he become one of them? We’ll find out soon.

Anyway, unlike with the last two uniforms, each guy gets his own signature color (not just a colored gem). What do they each represent? Here’s my theory.

• Sky is blue. Because the sky is blue. Get it? ?
• Brandon is green. The name “Brandon” comes from an Old English name that means “hill covered in broom” (a type of shrub). Think about the “hill” part. What colors come to mind? Green for the grass and brown for the dirt and trees, right? Brandon has a green uniform and brown hair. Bingo! I think Rainbow picked that name for him because of Stella. If he’s a hill, she’s the sun rising and setting over him.
• Helia is orange. Yeah, I think it looks weird on him, too, but it fits his character. The name “Helia” is derived from Helios, the Greek personification of the sun. Stella wears a lot of orange, so why not Helia, too?
• Timmy is yellow. I have no idea what Timmy’s symbolism is, so I’m just guessing right now. “Timmy” sounds like “timid”, and we know that Timmy is the shyest and the biggest scaredy-cat among the guys (although he’s gotten braver over the years). Yellow is the color of cowardice, as in the word “yellow-bellied” (not having courage).
• Riven is purple. I don’t even have a guess for him, soooo…skip.

Why Nex’s Color is Red

Back to the man of the hour. I thought Rainbow picked red for Nex because it contrasts with Aisha’s blue and green color scheme. It fits their yin-yang theme perfectly.

But that may have been a happy accident. The real reason may have been all about him.

I came across a journal article from 1979 called “Red and White: A Roman Color Symbol”. That’s right: red and white. Turns out both colors may be part of his symbolism.

Here’s most of the first paragraph of the article.

Red and white as a combination of colors are frequent in Latin literature….Here I shall point out a number of instances in which these two colors both jointly and individually indicate present or imminent death.

There you go. These two colors symbolized death, the meaning of Nex’s name. Some examples of how they were used:

• “Homer’s description of the wounding of Menelaus compares ivory and red stain with bones and blood” (p. 1).
• “…several passages indicate that the colors red and white were an intimate part of the Roman funeral ceremony” (p. 2).
• “A common method of including the two colors in poetry is through the use of appropriate flowers, especially poppies and lilies” (p. 2).
• “While red and white flowers presage death, either color alone, usually red but occasionally white, may also bear this same function” (p. 3).

You get the idea.

That explains why Nex’s red clothes always have white accents or pairings:

It might also prove that Rainbow made the Paladin uniform just for him. The only reason Thoren wore it, too, was so Nex didn’t look completely out of place. (Not that it’ll matter anymore starting next season.)

I’m glad Rainbow chose red and white for him instead of black, the traditional death color. People already think he’s evil. ? Dressing him in black would have made it worse.

Anyway, I know Nex’s symbolism creeps some people out. But that’s one reason I love it. It is creepy, but Rainbow dared to make a hero based on it anyway. Nex is unconventional, especially for a kid-friendly show like Winx Club.

Still, I prefer the accidentally-perfect symbolism with Aisha: fiery colors (red and orange) and watery colors (blue and green). What if it wasn’t an accident? Maybe Rainbow picked red because they knew it worked for the symbolism on multiple levels.

Who knows? Either way, we can tell they did their homework when they made Nex.