‘Winx Club’ Retrospective: 20 Years of Friendship and Magic

“Open your eyes / Open your mind / We are the Winx.”

On Jan. 28, 2004, a special series about a magical group of friends premiered on Rai 2 in Italy and later on Nickelodeon internationally. Created and directed by Italian animator Iginio Straffi, the series followed Bloom, a 16-year-old girl from Earth, as she traveled to the Alfea College for Fairies to improve her newly-discovered magical powers and befriended five other fairies. While at first glance “Winx Club” can seem like an average animated series targeted at pre-teen girls, the show has much more to offer. A varied cast of characters, complex worldbuilding, gorgeous design, and touching explorations of friendships and relationships have made — and continue to make — “Winx Club” a favorite for generations.

The show’s core was its six main characters: Bloom (Letizia Ciampa), Stella (Perla Liberatori), Flora (Ilaria Latini), Musa (Gemma Donati), Tecna (Domitilla D'Amico), and Aisha (Laura Lenghi). Each fairy had special powers and abilities, and even their aesthetics and outfit choices were individualized. One great aspect of watching the series with your friends was discussing after which character was your favorite, or which character’s personality was closest to yours.

“Winx Club” had something for everyone, and it didn’t sacrifice character traits or development to achieve that. The fairies were multifaceted — Bloom was the newcomer with a lost identity and family to discover; Stella’s love for fashion and beauty didn’t mean she was a “dumb blonde;” Flora’s quietness and peacefulness were her biggest strengths; Musa was outspoken and dynamic, but not arrogant; Techna was logical and rational, but not boring; and Aisha was athletic and rebellious, but also feminine.

Notably, the cast of characters was racially diverse, especially for a show produced in the early 2000s. Flora was Latina, Musa was Asian, and Aisha was Black. Even though their racial or ethnic identities weren’t central in the series, the story found innovative ways to incorporate their backgrounds through the fashion, such as Musa wearing a modern interpretation of the cheongsam, an item of traditional Chinese clothing, as part of her everyday outfits.

One of the greatest achievements of “Winx Club” and a testament to the series’s enduring popularity is that the material, while targeted at a younger audience, wasn’t simplified or dumbed-down. Each of the main female characters had romantic relationships with their respective boyfriends that they learned to navigate in mature ways. As the seasons went on, the show delved into more serious topics, such as coping with the death of a parent or a partner, learning to differentiate between inner and outward beauty, and selflessly sacrificing oneself to protect loved ones. Coupled with complex villains, including a recurring group of three cunning witches, the Trix, “Winx Club” set high stakes for its heroines.

Beyond tackling mature themes, the show’s outer appearance was full of color, with new vibrant fairy transformations every season, stunning landscapes, and themed color palettes devoted to each of its main characters. Considering how films and tv shows today often seem to be suffering from washed-out or desaturated colors, “Winx Club” continues to be a breath of fresh air.

However, the show suffered from one considerable disadvantage: its inconsistency. Out of eight total seasons, the first three followed the original outline and, alongside the fourth, were created by Straffi’s Italian studio, Rainbow S.p.A. They contain the heart of the story, and are also the most popular among fans.

After seeing the initial success of the show, Nickelodeon Animation Studio’s former owner, Viacom, bought 30 percent of the original Italian studio in 2009 and co-produced the fifth, sixth, and seventh season, only serving as consultants on the eight. As the show constantly switched production gears, every season after the fourth experienced major changes. For example, the series was specifically altered to appeal to a younger audience, with the fairies returning to college in season five even though they had already graduated after season three. The show suffered budget cuts during its seventh season and the eight was completely retooled for a preschool audience.

While the many changes may be discouraging, “Winx Club” continues to have a strong following in online spaces. A special 20th anniversary limited-edition comic was released at the New York Comic Con last year. There are current podcasts analyzing the series; retellings and fanfictions; Youtube deep dives or outfit recreations with millions of views; and even a free website containing every episode, season, special, movie, or spin-off, in different languages and dubs, including the American 4Kids and Nickelodeon ones and the Canadian Cinélume version. The website even offers a watching guide for newcomers to the series. Furthermore, a 2019 study by major Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that “Winx Club” was the fourth-most-popular Italian series outside of the country.

The series also launched numerous doll lines that continue to be in demand today. Special edition dolls, such as a limited edition Silver Bloom created specifically for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, sell for up to almost $1,000 on eBay.

The show’s legacy is still developing. A live-action adaptation called “Fate: The Winx Saga” premiered for two seasons from 2021 to 2022. Currently, an upcoming animated reboot by Straffi, without Nickelodeon, is in the works. “Winx Club” and its characters still have significant impact and are proof of the magic of friendship and creativity. By delving into the series, you too can become “one of [their] bunch.”

—Staff writer Erlisa Demneri can be reached at erlisa.demneri@thecrimson.com.