Winx Season 8: Acting on Impulse

After she saved Nex from being crushed in “The Light of Gorgol” (Winx season 8, episode 8), Aisha said, “I just acted on impulse. That’s what I do best.”

That line surprised me. Yes, Aisha is impulsive, even in the earlier seasons, but I always thought Nex was the impulsive partner in this relationship.

That’s not what we saw in the Sirenix arc, though. As Aisha hurled staves willy-nilly and dove into a futile rescue attempt, he stayed calm and tried to stop her from making reckless decisions.

Wasn’t that out of character for him? I thought so at first, but then I tried to remember past missions where he acted more like Aisha: rushing in blindly. What I realized was…he doesn’t. Not often.

Instead, Nex usually watches what’s happening around him and comes up with a plan. For example, in “Legendary Duel” (Winx season 6, episode 24), he saw Icy coming before Aisha did and warned the fairy. Also, after he and Aisha failed to defeat Siobhan, the Water Champion, he was the one who asked Daphne for advice: “We can’t stop it! Any thoughts on what we should do?”

In comic #131, “La Prova di Nex” (Nex’s Test), his first words after Aisha freed him from the Melusina’s chains were, “Way to go, Aisha! Now let’s find a way to stop that monster!”

Not “Let’s go stop that monster!” but “Let’s find a way…” They stood there and hatched a plan first. Nex had already figured out the Melusina’s weakness: she hated water. That gave Aisha the idea to…drown her with a giant wave. (It’s dark when you think about it.)

Who’s the Impulsive Partner?

Notice all these examples were from Winx season six, Nex’s debut season. Rainbow didn’t change his character in season eight — he’s been like this all along. I can think of a moment from season seven, too, but I think three is enough.

Does this mean he’s not impulsive? No. That’s not what I mean. We’ve seen him make rash decisions, too.

So who’s the impulsive partner: Aisha or Nex? Neither. I think they just have different triggers for their impulsiveness:

• Nex’s trigger is pride. When someone steps on his ego or he feels like he has to prove something, he doesn’t think before he acts.
• Aisha’s trigger is fear and stress. When she feels frustrated or overwhelmed, she loses control of herself.

What’s interesting — and another thing I love about this couple — is they help each other learn to control their impulses. Aisha’s no-nonsense personality keeps Nex’s pride in check. She’s as assertive as he is, so she has no problem standing up to him. I think that’s why he was attracted to her in the first place; subconsciously, he knows he needs someone to take him down a few pegs sometimes.

On the flip side, Nex doesn’t get stressed or overwhelmed easily. When Aisha reaches her limit, he’s able to help her calm down and see the big picture. Maybe she was attracted to his optimism and upbeat personality. He’s not the type to quit or fall into despair, and as rough as her life has been, it’s good to have someone like that by her side.

I like that the Sirenix arc highlighted ways Aisha and Nex are different, but still showed how well they work together. There’s always something new to discover about this couple. ❤️