Why Winx Season 3 Is So Beloved

INTRO:

I’ve been talking a lot of crap about the newer seasons of Winx Club, and though that is definitely fun, I also wanna highlight parts of the franchise I really love. And so today, we’re gonna talk about season 3 - the season most Winx fans consider to be the best. We’re gonna go over why I enjoy it so much, and why it works so well.

Now without further ado, let the chaos begin.

STRUCTURE:

When people talk about how well the first three seasons work together, it mostly has to do with the escalating stakes and maturing of the characters. But even in their primary functions, each season serves as a step further into the Magical Universe. Season 1 starts relatively simple, introducing you into this new world and getting to know the characters.

Season 1’s plot also stayed pretty simple. Bloom kept the main focus, trying to discover her origins and the nature of her powers, and in the end using that self-discovery to nuke the shit out Icy. Season 2 was more character-driven, with Darkar as a distant threat to give room to the Winx butting heads and having to get along. The other girls got a lot more fleshed out, especially thanks to Aisha’s introduction, and it felt like we got to know the whole cast so much better than the first time around.

Using the foundation seasons 1 and 2 built, season 3 took that shit and ran with it. It’s by far the most plot-driven of the three, throwing the girls into dangerous situations on a regular basis. It starts slow with the first episode, allowing them to enjoy the end of the year and hang out in Magix City like usual, only for that peace to be interrupted as the looming threat of Valtor in the distance sends literal shockwaves through the Magical Universe, reaching from Andros all the way to the shores of Magix. It’s an omen for what’s to come.

From the first episode, you can cleanly cut season 3 into several mini-arcs that flow into each other. First, there’s the Princess Ball Arc for the first four episodes, focused on Stella’s party on Solaria where she hopes her parents will get back together, only to have her hopes dashed as her stepfamily transforms her into a monster and turns her father - and her world - against her. What follows is the Winx doing what they do best: causing lots of collateral damage as they escape authority, escaping through underground caves filled with giant spiders and bloodsucking leeches, and then heading off to find a magical item to help their friend.

While all that’s happening, Aisha is busy on Andros helping her planet deal with the current crisis. Valtor is clearly the cause of all the problems both on Andros and Solaria, but the characters don’t quite know that yet. Episode 4 wraps up the Princess Ball Arc, then gives the girls some much-needed downtime as a new year starts at Alfea. We learn about the new transformation of the season and what it’ll require of the Winx, then finish off with hearing about the situation on Andros from Aisha, providing us with a nice segway into the Andros Arc.

Episode 5 sends the Winx to Aisha’s homeworld to confront Valtor directly, learning that he’s indeed their most dangerous foe yet, and confirming his alliance with the Trix.. Not to mention that they’re not nearly strong enough to handle Valtor. In their attempt to challenge him, Aisha winds up being blinded, both leaving us with an idea of Valtor’s strength and cruelty, and giving us yet another segway into episode 6. 6 wraps up the Andros Arc, with Aisha getting her Enchantix, while also giving us a glimpse of what’s been happening on Solaria since the Princess Ball fiasco.

Episode 7 is another cooldown and transition episode, having Aisha show off her new Enchantix powers to heal herself, then having the Winx be forced to clean up the library by Griselda as punishment for leaving Alfea, resulting in Stella unleashing a horrific abomination of literature they must vanquish. It feels distinctly like something that would happen in the first two seasons, which is the perfect way to remind you of the good old times in the midst of how tense this season has been so far. 7 also gives us a stronger idea of who Valtor is and what his connection is to Bloom, informing just how vicious their conflict is going to become.

Which leads us into the Dark Sky Arc. Valtor wants to get Bloom out of the way, and does so by targeting someone precious to her: Sky. By finding an organic way to bring Diaspro back into the story, the Winx are again thrust into jeopardy, having all of Eraklyon turned against them, along with a dear friend threatening them with arrows and dragon fire. They’re able to undo the spell in episode 9, but the situation prevents them from learning of their victory until episode 15… 17 in Bloom’s case, more on that later. But it demonstrates that Valtor is willing to attack the Winx where they’re vulnerable, and is cutthroat in wreaking havoc in their lives in addition to the chaos he’s unleashing on the worlds at large.

Next up is what I like to call the Faragonda Arc… no, I couldn’t think of another name for it. Though season 3 has been far more tense and high-stakes than usual, this is the point of no return… fuck a 4Kids pun. Valtor, looking for a new base, targets Cloudtower, taking over the school, gaining control over all of the witches and turning them into his personal army, and imprisoning Griffin. A setting we’ve been familiar with since day 1 has now been turned into Valtor’s base, and he’s right in eyesight of the Winx’s home at Alfea. Which is exactly his attention when he launches a full-scale invasion immediately after.

Though the fairies are able to fend Valtor off, it isn’t without a cost. Faragonda goes missing after her clash with Valtor, making us fear that even the mentor the girls have always looked up to - who’s been able to handle world-ending threats before - can’t best Valtor. Episode 11 follows the Winx on a mission to find their headmistress, leading to them teaming up with their old friend Mirta to infiltrate Cloudtower and discover exactly what Valtor has done to their witch allies. It also provides another encounter with him, showing that even though half the Winx have gained Enchantix, they still aren’t quite ready to face him.

Episode 12 wraps up the Faragonda Arc with the Winx heading to Flora’s homeworld of Lynphea in search of a way to free her from her hibernation-magic prison. It’s a great excuse to have us see one of the girls’ homeworlds, and honestly one I wish was used to let us even briefly see Melody and Zenith. In any case, it’s a fun adventure to a new world, filled with interesting worldbuilding, dangerous winds, giant ladybugs, and a backwards-flowing waterfall. It’s a good time.

And then we have the most harrowing part of season 3: The Omega Arc. Episode 13 sends us back to Andros, revealing that Valtor has done far more damage to the world than we realized… which is saying something, considering he turned the sea lifeless and transformed nearly all of the world’s mermaids into his zombie minions. But the portal to the Omega Dimension he broke through has become unstable, threatening to destroy both the icy hell world and Andros if it collapses, and if you listen to the other dubs, potentially the rest of the Magical Universe. Not that Valtor seems to care. To him, Andros is worthless now, and he’s gotten to a point he believes he’ll be strong enough to single handedly subvert a galactic-scale calamity when it reaches his doorstep.

In an effort to save Andros - and the rest of the Magical Universe - Tecna sacrifices herself, sealing the portal, only to be swept up in its current. With no real way to reach the Omega Dimension, Tecna is presumed dead for several episodes, and the girls and specialists are heartbroken. Tecna’s usually considered to be the least popular of the girls, and the one the writers tend to neglect the most, so to see her get center-stage, and her absence profoundly affect the others, it’s a reminder that she does matter, and that the Winx Club is incomplete without her… everyone glare at Fate, please.

Episode 14 lets the girls lash out in anger for their fallen friend, attacking Valtor in a rage. They’re still not ready, especially in such a turbulent state, but they were still able to give him a challenge, and save Griffin in the process. From there, Bloom goes to Pyros in an effort to get stronger to compensate for her inability to earn Enchantix, while the others continue grieving for Tecna, with Timmy leading the effort to find and rescue her. Episode 15 is another slower episode, giving the characters time to breathe and process what’s happened.

Episode 16 sends the Winx into the Omega Dimension to find Tecna, only to find themselves in danger within the planet’s icy depths. Bloom, meanwhile, gets more in touch with her powers, and learns about the magical essence all things possess. It’s this discovery that allows her to connect more to her Dragon Flame, and also learn to sense Valtor’s presence later on. She also earns her Enchantix, ostensibly catching her up with the rest of the Winx, except with a catch we won’t discover for a couple more episodes.

17 wraps up the Omega Arc as a reunited Bloom and Sky race to Omega, finding Tecna in a scene which actually made me openly weep, fun fact! They rescue the rest of the Winx, fuck up some ice snakes and douchebag convicts, and head home for one of their favorite pastimes: pajama parties! These episodes were by far the most trying of their journeys yet, and they still managed to survive and find a way to celebrate their victory in the end. Take some notes, season 6, because this is how you earn a party.

Not exactly sure what to call the next batch of episodes since, unlike the arcs that came before, it isn’t really… an arc. It’s more a set of episodes to let the girls relax a bit now that they’re back together, a filler episode that… we don’t talk about, and a chance to wrap up Stella’s subplot before we enter the final act. For lack of a better name, I’ll just call it the Agador Arc, for the Agador Box Valtor steals, which will also be important in said final act. This arc also introduces us to Nabu-- I mean, Ophir, Aisha’s love interest who, unbeknownst to her, her parents tried engaging her to.

Then in episode 21 we begin the Water Stars Arc. It’s here we enter the final stages of season 3, with the Winx finding a way to stop Valtor that literally requires them to travel to the ends of the world, and prove they’re selfless enough to deserve such power. Still not sure why Flora and Aisha weren’t put in the Crystal Labyrinth, and I do wish Bloom had a sacrificial choice presented to her, but it was still strong enough to warrant them gaining the Water Stars.

That, and the Stars also present a threat to Bloom, since they oppose the Dragon Flame which Bloom and Valtor both draw power from. It’s also here Valtor becomes his most desperate, on the run and becoming vicious and deceptive to finish off the Winx and Company of Light. And in the last two episodes - what I’m gonna call the Spell of the Elements Arc - it hits a breaking point. Valtor snaps as the Trix mock him, revealing his true demonic form and going on a rampage in a last-ditch effort to annihilate everyone on Magix in one fell swoop.

It’s not the same buildup we saw in the first two seasons, and of the three, I still feel season 3’s finale is my least favorite. However, it does very much fit the kind of villain Valtor is, especially in the final episode where the threat becomes personal as Valtor takes the specialists hostage. Valtor’s end admittedly feels underwhelming, but I think it’s one of those cases where the journey is more important than the destination.

In any case, season 3 is incredibly well structured and paced, notching up the stakes with each arc and allowing for a more tense, more dramatic story to test all the skills the Winx have gained up until this point.

CHARACTER DRAMA:

Though season 3 is largely plot-driven, the characters still get to shine, even the ones who aren’t Bloom. That being said, Bloom’s desire to know about her origins does come to the forefront here, with Valtor possibly being the only person who knows the fate of her birth parents. It adds a compelling dynamic to their conflict, where Bloom is torn between vanquishing Valtor and saving the universe, and potentially finding Oritel and Mariam.

On top of that, her inferiority complex really stands out this season. She’s always been a late bloomer, being without her Magic Winx form until a bit into her first year at Alfea, and arguably being the least versed in terms of magic outside of combat. This season takes it to another level, with the fact that she has noc clear path of becoming a true fairy like her friends. Enchantix requires you to save someone from your homeworld, which for Bloom seems virtually impossible given the people of Domino all disappeared when it was attacked. This leaves her unable to achieve her Enchantix, and by extension, unable to be the full-fledged fairy she’d always dreamt of.

And add to that what happens to Sky in the middle of the season. At this point, she and Sky are closer than ever. That scene where Mike and Vanessa comfort Bloom, and Vanessa reminds Bloom how Sky would’ve had to truly love Bloom to save her from Darkar’s control, it really drives home that back then, Bloom and Sky were actually a genuinely adorable couple of hotheads who would do anything for each other. So seeing that torn apart by Valtor, in order to rob Bloom of one of her pillars of support, it really makes this season feel higher stakes.

Stella gets a lot of material to work with too. I do wish Luna was addressed in some way, as to why she’s absent while her daughter’s life is in turmoil, but for what we do have, it’s incredibly demanding of Stella, taking away her connection to her father - whom she adores - her beauty, and her title. With Cassandra and Chimera in charge, Stella loses her status as princess and heiress to the Solarian throne, which has been integral to her character since the very first episode.

And for the monster transformation, it fleshes out Stella as a person who cares about her beauty because it’s what she believes makes her so beloved. Having that taken away from her makes her realize that all of her friends, and Brandon, love her for who she is. For the crazy, high-energy, theatrical drama queen she is.

Aisha’s world being in jeopardy likewise shows how important Andros is to her. As much as she hated the stuffy traditions and restrictions the royal life came with - something still present with her open dismay at the engagement her parents arrange for her - she’d do anything for the wellbeing of her world’s people, including the people of the mermaid kingdom far below. Even when Valtor blinds her - essentially trapping her in her fear of the dark and being alone - she still refuses to give up the fight to protect Andros.

Seeing Aisha give her father hope as he’s in complete despair, especially as the Omega Portal is about to collapse, is incredibly heartwarming. As strained as her relationship with her parents presumably is, it’s clear there’s still a lot of love between them all.

As for her relationship with Nabu… yeah it doesn’t start out on the best foot with Nabu stalking her. He ran away from home to try and find the girl he’d been engaged to, according to him in the hopes to see how terrible she was, but as they get to know each other, they actually find they get along very well. Given Nabu’s late introduction, they don’t get much time, but that conversation they have about the band they both enjoy is precious.

And perhaps most surprisingly, Tecna really gets to shine this season. She’s an unexpected choice to close the Omega Portal and wind up missing, but that’s probably why it works so well. Up to this point, Tecna’s never gotten to be that important to the plot like Bloom, Stella, or Aisha, which makes this incredibly refreshing. It reinforces that all of the Winx matter, and they’re all irreplaceable.

It also confirms she and Timmy are indeed the OTP, or at least one of the true OTPs. Timmy truly believes he can find Tecna, and it’s his undying belief that helps bring her home. Not to mention that both Tecna and Timmy have to learn how to better express their feelings, so Timmy’s emotions serving as the key to locating Tecna feels so sweet.

Unfortunately, Flora and Musa don’t get as much to work with. Beyond their moments of getting Enchantix, they don’t have any subplots of their own. Granted, they only had 26 episodes to work with, and this season was already so tightly structured that perhaps there wasn’t enough room, but it still makes me sad for them. Especially because Musa and Riven this season are… oof. The miscommunication? The glorification of Riven fighting over Musa? No thank you.

VALTOR:

Valtor has long been considered the best villain of the franchise, and honestly… I agree. I used to say the Black Circle were my favorites - mostly for Ogron and Duman - but I think part of that is my pattern of rooting for the underdog. I’m always looking for something I feel is going underappreciated, which leads to me taking the fan favorite for granted. It’s a similar reason as to why even though season 3 is so praised in the fandom, it hasn’t really been my favorite… UNTIL NOW. But rewatching season 3, it made me realize Valtor is more than some generic big bad. He’s actually a lot like Nerissa from W.I.T.C.H. as a master manipulator and aspiring tyrant.

Most of the villains in this franchise unfortunately tend to fall under the category of “generic boring baddy who wants power because reasons.” I should clarify that there’s more to that than it might seem, since Valtor is a power-hungry maniac. What I mean is that most of the villains who fall under that umbrella are… boring. Darkar, Ogron, Acheron, Kalshara, Selina, and Season 8 Valtor, all of them have wishy-washy motivations with the personality of gravel. They’re not truly interesting characters outside of their function of providing conflict.

Valtor, by comparison, works great as a foil for Bloom, due to their connection through the Dragon Flame and his connection to her birth parents. Their rivalry actually proves incredibly compelling as the season goes on, with Valtor seeing her as a potential threats and an avenue to get revenge for his imprisonment in the Omega Dimension, and his vindictiveness in general shows the cruelty of his character. Turning Sky against Bloom, blinding Aisha, turning Faragonda into a tree, all these things show Valtor as someone who will go to extreme ends to make a point, or just to be spiteful.

There’s also his expert manipulation skills when it comes to building alliances. Using Cassandra’s desire to control Radius and secure the Solarian throne so he can steal the power of the world’s second sun, using Diaspro’s jealousy against Bloom, how often do you see the other villains taking advantage of these established conflicts?

Not to mention we actually see the fallout from Valtor’s attacks on the Magical Universe. It’s more than just a little havoc we move on from. Andros spends the entire season reeling from Valtor’s escape and subsequent attacks, having its seas ruined, its mermaid population turned into Valtor’s personal monsters, and nearly being destroyed by the Omega Portal. Solaria is rained on for the first time in its history after Valtor steals the light of its Second Sun, showing that no world is safe from Valtor’s wrath.

He attacks world after world without mercy, leaving them in tatters and stealing their spells and precious artifacts, and putting them to use against the Winx. The spells he uses against Flora and Musa, for example, are spells from worlds he ransacked to counter their specific powers, and that also goes for the Oppositus spell to freeze and nearly kill Bloom. No villain has felt as feared as Valtor since season 3, and it ramps up the stakes as he’s on the loose, an active threat that no one can anticipate.

And his ferociousness and desperation towards the end of the season further shows his character. Accruing power is Valtor’s one and only goal, and nothing else matters to him. When that power is threatened, he becomes defensive, revealing the monster he truly is. Valtor is the standard for villainy in this franchise for a reason, and it’s because no villain has felt truly as personal or threatening to the Winx since. It’s probably why Rainbow shoved him into season 8… which only wound up tarnishing his reputation almost as badly as the Trix’s, and also showing that Rainbow doesn’t know why Winx worked in the first few seasons, but what else did we expect?

WORLDBUILDING:

The Magical Universe is a genius setting for the franchise. It’s incredibly unique compared to other fantasy stories, with an entire dimension outside of Earth that’s seemingly infinite, and technologically advanced. It allows for a virtually endless number of unique worlds whenever you wanna introduce them. And season 3 is the first time you get to see it in all its glory.

Since season 1’s goal is to get you used to this world and ease you in, it’s mostly contained to the planet Magix: its futuristic capital city, along with the three schools, Alfea, Cloudtower, and Redfountain. It’s incredibly easy to grasp the environment the characters are set it, and also establishes these places as a sort of home base for when we expand later. Season 2 fleshes them out a bit, with Redfountain getting a new design, Cloudtower being revealed as a living castle, along with new places on Magix, such as the Underrealm, the Kingdom of Downland, Pixie Village, and the magic-free Wildlands. It primes you for the adventure that’s about to begin.

With Valtor as a power-hungry tyrant attacking each world, it serves as an excuse for all the world hopping in season 3. Andros is a world of oceans, with a few islands dotted about the world’s surface, home to both land dwellers and a queendom of mermaids. Still bitter season 5 turned it into a patriarchal kingdom, but what else do you expect from the trash fire of the later seasons? Solaria is a beautiful kingdom of the sun before Valtor ruins it, and we get to see just how much its people adore Stella… and also how gossipy it is with all those cheeky news stations and tabloids.

Lynphea, the world of nature, is probably my favorite of the bunch despite how brief its appearance is. The forest floor is left alone to nature, with the residents choosing to build cities and villages up in the trees. Technology is forbidden in select places, travel can prove difficult due to the powerful winds coming down from the towering mountains, which can be circumnavigated through riding the giant leaves or giant ladybugs. There’s even a sense of history even, with the once-lush realm of Lulia becoming a wasteland following the Great Realm Fire. And the Water Stairway? Iconic. The story of the Black Willow losing its sister serves to humanize Lynphea and give it this sense of character and history; it exists even when the Winx aren’t present. Not to mention, the story of the sister trees parallels Flora and Miele nearly losing each other? I will cry, I warn you.

The Omega Dimension is presumably its own universe, separated from the Magical Universe and far enough away to consider travel there dangerous in its own right. While many criminals are sent to Lightrock Monastery for rehabilitation, Omega is presumably for criminals considered irredeemable and far too dangerous to allow within the Magical Universe. It sets as an eerie, terrifying place to match the escalating darkness and elevating stakes.

And the roaming gangs of convicts following Valtor’s escape, and the lore behind the significance of the realm’s Ice Snakes, again makes this feel like a world which has always existed, and will always exist, even when it’s not connected to the Winx’s stories. Bloom’s respect of the Ice Snake following their connection, and her desire to take a piece of the Omega Dimension with her, sweeping some of its ice into her fairy dust bottle, really makes me wish they elaborated more on this idea of each realm’s magical essence. There’s a level of spirituality here, an idea of all things being inherently connected within the cosmos, that I’m utterly obsessed with.

Though that idea of oneness and spirituality largely comes from Pyros, the island of dragons. It’s incredibly dangerous, to the point where the moment Bloom landed, she was attacked by an onslaught of wild dragons and unable to catch a breath. Seeing her learn to tap into her inner dragon through her friendship with Buddy, and her training with the elder Maia, it again makes me wish we got a deeper exploration of connecting with oneself through these stories.

Then we have some of the worlds we only see for brief spells (hehe). There’s Espero, a cloudless world I assume is based on Japanese culture that’s all about harmony and peace, and seems to be a lovely spot for tourists. Ohm, sometimes called Planet Chill, is similar, a world where the people find inner peace through meditation, and even Valtor walks away learning how to find that inner peace for himself… after leaving it to burn to the ground, of course, like the shitbag he is.

And of course, Oppositus: the world where opposites and polarities balance each other out perfectly… a world which honestly seems could teach the residents of Earth quite a bit. Funnily enough, while watching the 4Kids dub for another video I have planned about all the changes I actually appreciate from that version, I noticed something: Musa mentions hitting Stella with an Oppositus spell to make her nice, since in that episode she’d been spelled to act rude. The thing is, Oppositus wasn’t introduced until season 3. So… did 4Kids invent Oppositus? Did the writers actually take a one-off joke from the 4Kids dub and transform it into an entire world? Because if so… holy shit, thank you both season 3 writers and 4Kids dub. Y’all did the Lord’s work.

But seriously, Musa got robbed. I wish we got to see even a glimpse of Melody, perhaps with Valtor taking its spells and leaving it in disarray, or in complete silence, just like Musa’s nightmare from the first season. Now that’d hit. Or Zenith? Like, Tecna’s presumed dead and her parents don’t even care. Sure, they must suck (especially in my rewrites), but you’d think there’d be a stronger reaction or even mention. Not to mention Valtor could probably take advantage of Zenith’s magic to learn to hack into all the technomagic used throughout the worlds.

There’s also the case of the Trix. At this point, we still don’t know much about their pasts, and I think season 3 could’ve been a great chance to explore that. At least mention the worlds they’re all from perhaps? Ah well. But all in all, season 3’s worldbuilding is great, and sets the bsar high for exploration of the Magical Universe going forward… which every season from here fails at delivering on, but again, what do you expect?

ENCHANTIX:

I’ve said it so many times, but Enchantix is beloved and the fan favorite transformation for a reason. In terms of design, powers, worldbuilding, music, and transformation, it’s by far and away the transformation which not only succeeds in each category, but excels in all of them. It’s the representation of the Winx growing up, becoming better people, stronger guardians, and true, full-fledged fairies.

We’re not gonna talk about the whole “final fairy form” thing because… well, it’s just not. It’s more that Enchantix is when a fairy becomes a true Guardian Fairy, able to protect her world and the Magical Universe the best she can, and by extension, able to access alternate sources of power. In an ideal world, other forms like Believix, Sirenix, Mythix, and so on would simply be alternatives to Enchantix - not stronger, but necessary for specific missions.

The idea of additional forms was introduced in season 2, with the Winx gaining Charmix. It felt kinda last-minute, but to me, it still makes sense given it came with them conquering fears and flaws they’d been struggling with that whole season. But Charmix was merely a booster, visualized by accessories added to Magic Winx. Enchantix, by stark contrast, is an entirely new form. If you want a breakdown of the fashion choices going on, I highly recommend Lisa Fevral’s video on the whole Winx franchise, which in general I recommend because holy shit this deep dive is so satisfying to watch.

But Enchantix requires you to prove that you’re truly worthy to become a Guardian Fairy. You must save someone from your homeworld, and you must make a great sacrifice while doing so. Not only does it lend itself to a dramatic moment of each girl earning her Enchantix, but it also means that no fairy worth her salt is going to gain Enchantix without proving that she’s going to take her duties seriously. It seems a bit much to expect it as a must to complete your education at Alfea, but it’s definitely a good prerequisite to becoming a Guardian Fairy.

And for the Winx specifically, the season spreads out them earning their Enchantix to give each one time to show off her new powers. Aisha is the first, sacrificing her chance at regaining her sight to save the life of the Mermaid Queen Ligea. It’s also through her Enchantix that we learn about the fairy dust’s ability to break through dark spells.

Stella earns her Enchantix two episodes later, saving her father from a dragon after he’s abandoned by Cassandra and Chimera, and she uses it in the following episode to free Sky from Valtor’s spell. Musa gets hers in episode 10 by refusing to leave Princess Galatea behind as the Alfea library burns around them; a dark fire her fairy dust is able to extinguish. Flora gets her Enchantix in episode 12 by saving Miele from the poison river near the Black Willow, drowning in the process, only for her Enchantix to revive her and help her heal.

Tecna’s an interesting case, given she got hers by willing to enter the Omega Portal to save Andros. The thing is, Andros isn’t her homeworld, which leads to a lot of confusion. And admittedly, they didn’t provide any reason for it to happen, which leads to viewers having to fill in the gaps for the writers, which is generally uncool. Viewers shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to fix flaws in their stories. That being said, I tend to assume that the threat was so grave it indirectly threatened the people of all the worlds, including Zenith, and that’s why she got her Enchantix. Perhaps it could’ve even given Bloom hope of getting her Enchantix in a similar circumstance, but alas, that’s just headcanon.

Bloom’s Enchantix is likewise interesting, as she essentially forces herself to get Enchantix through her fury towards Valtor, which I tie to her desire to protect her loved ones from Valtor, especially given she’d already lost Sky, Tecna, and her birth parents to him. Still, there are consequences to her workaround. Forcing herself into this form results in her Enchantix being incomplete. Her powers are unstable, meaning at times, she’s unable to transform (again, something the 4Kids dub established during the Omega mission, thank you 4Kids), and she’s liable to transform back into civilian form if she overexerts herself.

On top of that, she’s unable to miniaturize, meaning she’s unable to go on certain missions with the other Winx. The first and most obvious example is her inability to enter the Golden Kingdom, but there’s also her being left behind while the other Winx break the invisibility curtain around Cloudtower from the inside, or when Bloom’s inability to miniaturize made it more difficult for them all to escape Lake Roccaluce as it was crumbling around them.

The designs are gorgeous. All the Enchantix designs have large wings, fairy dust pendants, opera gloves, and barefoot sandals, leaving a lot of room for individualization of each outfit. Again, Lisa Fevral goes more in depth on breaking down the reasons these outfits and color palettes work so well, so go check out her video. Both Enchantix songs are great, but the one from the series is infinitely superior, especially in Italian. Love that full version with the added version, mostly that line, “come note di una sinfonia,” which means “like the notes of a symphony.” Bitch, Lucia said we are a symphony.

The transformation sequences are likewise unique, but far slower than later transformations. Enchantix takes its time, letting you bask the glory you’re witnessing as the girls don their new outfits and wings. The spells though are kinda lacking, but I chock that up mostly to the fact Enchantix didn’t have nearly as much time to show off as Magic Winx. Most Enchantix spells are amplified Magic Winx spells, and I would’ve liked to see more than that. I cover the spells more in detail in my video on the best spells the girls have, but imma just list some here.

Pretty much every Flora spell. Luxuriant Ivy, Return to Nature, her beanstalk tower spell, and the cherry blossom spell. Stella’s Ocean of Light, her Rain Clouds, and that time she used an anti-sunshine spell to create what I liken to mini black holes. Aisha’s Morphix Surfboard along with the river of Morphix she surfs on. Tecna’s Technomagical Union, which deserved more. And Bloom’s Dragon Energy to summon the spirit of the Great Dragon. And unfortunately as usual, Musa got robbed. Seriously guys, just give her more diapason-type spells. Let her summon some instruments. Or hell, use the fact that music terminology relies on Italian words to your advantage, and turn them into spells for her. Jesus.

CONCLUSION & OUTRO:

Winx Club season 3 is the fan favorite for a reason. It’s well structured and well paced, with a riveting story that requires the most of the Winx’s energy up to that point. It’s sad then, in a way, that the rest of the seasons just couldn’t match up to it, but at least we’ll always be able to watch the first three seasons, and witness their conclusion with the season of Valtor, and the season of Enchantix.

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I’m the Unicorn of War, and the Trix’s taste in men is a shit show.