Ranking the Winx Club Villains

INTRO:

Yep. We ranked the finales, it was fun, y’all loved it, so we’re gonna keep these types of Winx videos on a roll. Y’all know what you’re here for so let’s just get this started, shall we?

NUMBER 13, Acheron:

Acheron is perhaps the incarnation of wasted potential. A great design, a cool concept, and a solid buildup were all murdered by the fact that just about 15 minutes after he’s set free, he’s imprisoned in a deus ex machina bos following one of the lamest fights the show has ever given us. The ultimate victim of season 6’s lackluster, rushed finale is definitely the so-called “Big Bad” Acheron, to the point the real villains of the finale are the Trix.

Really, there isn’t much to talk about with Acheron, because there’s so little to him in the show. He’s just another basic villain who’ll crush anyone in his way, and that’s… so boring. Like, what can we even say about him we can’t also say about Darkar, or Valtor, or even Tritannus? Nothing. So let’s just forget about the series’ most forgettable villain now and move on.

NUMBER 12, Kalshara & Brafilius:

Oof these two. Does anyone like these guys? Season 7 is already a mess, but Kalshara and Brafilius are a huge reason as to why. Brafilius is the most annoying type of comic relief villain imaginable. Usually when a villain like him sucks at his job, he at least wins you over by being the underdog… I swear that wasn’t an intentional pun.

But Brafilius isn’t lovable in the slightest. He’s obnoxious, and despite being forcibly dragged into Kalshara’s plan, we aren’t given enough reason to understand his dedication to her. And this is made even worse by the fact he’s somehow the more threatening of the two, by which I mean he has more encounters with the Winx than his sister. Brafilius has the Stone of Memories, meaning only he can go after them when hey time travel.

Kalshara, meanwhile, has no real presence. She spends hardly any time directly confronting the Winx. And even when she does, she’s just some random shapeshifter that the Winx should be able to crush like a bug at this point given all the foes they’ve defeated thus far. You’re telling me these heroes of the Magical Universe can be defeated by a BIRD?! “I’m losing to a bird.” Aaaand that’s another box ticked on the “Be like Lindsay Ellis except less good” list.

It’s a shame, cuz their designs are great, and them being focused on corrupting fairy animals and making an army of them makes them rather unique. Imagine if all the fairy animals Kalshara captured were corrupted with wild magic, like the kangormane from episode 1, or Wild Magic Elsa from episode 13? I’d kill for that, and it’d certainly up Kalshara’s threat level.

But as it stands, these two buffoons should’ve gotten their asses kicked in episode 1, and that’s the real fuckin’ tea.

NUMBER 11, Selina:

That awkward moment the minion is a better antagonist than her master. Yeah, Selina’s actually a pretty interesting villain, as what she lacks in raw power, she makes up for in cunning. Like, it’s beyond refreshing to have a villain who doesn’t make the Trix their minions, but rather, pretends to be their protege only to use them towards their own goals.

Plus, having Selina be Bloom’s childhood best friend who wants vengeance is a great concept. However, the execution is… not what anyone wanted at all. Selina’s fall to darkness has nothing to do with Bloom. Selina met Eldora and then pledged herself to Acheron completely outside of Bloom’s awareness, so any kind of envy Selina could’ve felt towards Bloom’s magical abilities, thus leading to her becoming Acheron’s lackey, is… just nonexistent.

Selina’s bitterness towards Bloom feels unearned, which sucks, because it could’ve served as an interesting way to provide meta commentary on the criticism Bloom’s character has received as being a Mary Sue who makes everything about her, a critique which was honestly quite unmerited in the first three seasons, but has become incredibly relevant from season 4 onwards.

Like the previous villains, Selina as a villain is a great concept, but her execution is… eh. It’s not bad like Kalshara, Brafilius, and Acheron, but it’s also just barely passable. I mean, at least she’s not annoying like some other villains proved to be? But even then, the fact Selina hardly interacts with the Winx directly and leaves the job to her Legendarium monsters makes her incredibly dull and forgettable. Just like her master!

NUMBER 10, Obscurum:

Obscurum is like a… less awful Brafilius. Yes, he’s similar in the fact he’s a comic relief minion of Valtor, but Obscurum’s arrogance actually fits his character, and… actually is quite endearing. Like, when he tries to make his grand entrance to the Winx. Obscurum’s appearance in Episode 2. Me as a villain.

Though Obscurum’s nothing special, he at least reads as somewhat competent, threatening, and enjoyable, and I appreciate that. And I also dig his backstory of being a corrupted Prince Argan, the jealous brother of Queen Dorana. Ya know, when Dorana bothers to remember she had a brother? Wow, I think Obscurum might’ve had a point in throwing a celestial coup.

Oh, plus he’s totally got a crush on Valtor. Obscurum proposing a picnic to Valtor. Again, it’s scraps, and it’s from him when he’s a villain, but like… #GiveArganABoyfriend.

NUMBER 9, Politea:

If it weren’t for Mystery of the Abyss, Politea would probably fall below even Acheron. Season 5 did her no favors whatsoever. No real backstory beyond retconning Daphne being killed, I mean, turned into a spirit by the Ancestral Witches, and no motivation for Politea just… randomly betraying Daphne only to be cursed as well. What the hell even?

Thankfully, as much unashamedly recycled animation there may be in Mystery of the Abyss, it at least makes Politea a far more competent and interesting big bad than either the Trix or Tritannus. I kinda live for her stringing the Trix along in her scheme, and when she takes out Tritannus, it feels cathartic given how annoying he was throughout all of season 5, and how pointless he feels in this movie.

Still, any personal vendetta she could’ve held against Bloom or Daphne is rendered moot given it isn’t even addressed in the movie. So, really, Politea is another interesting concept for a villain that at leatt has decent execution… in the pointless movie, anyway.

NUMBER 8, Mandragora:

Mandragora’s probably the least recognizable villain of the franchise. Yes, there are far more forgettable villains, but for whatever reason, most fans tend to glaze over Mandragora. Part of that’s probably because she’s overshadowed by the Ancestral Witches in the first movie, but I personally believe the main reason is because both English dubs ruined her. Like, Dubbing Brothers… Mandragora’s Dubbing Bros voice. And then her Nick voice just isn’t helping her cause whatsoever. Mandragora’s Nick voice.

Both performances are so cheesy and melodramatic that they kill any threat Mandragora poses. Which is a shame, because honestly, she’s one of the more sinister and ruthless villains of the franchise. She poisons and corrupts Riven to do her bidding and even nearly kill Musa, she devastates Alfea in minutes with her army of horrific bug abominations, and she nearly chokes Bloom to death. Like, goddamn, Mandragora don’t fuck around.

So, for those reasons, I figured she deserved a spot above the previous villains. If not for her unfortunate casting and direction, perhaps more people could appreciate Mandragora as a villain without wanting to gouge out their eardrums.

NUMBER 7, Tritannus:

You’re probably wondering how Tritannus isn’t so low on the list, and that’s largely because… he’s actually not that terrible a villain. Solid motivations, unique dynamic with Icy, and interesting powers that make him a pretty believable threat. Specifically in the Italian dub, he’s a lott more intimidating.

Really, what killed him and made him annoying was his English voice. Adam Wylie’s a great voice actor, but the direction he was given to make Tritannus this whiny brat really kills any threat he might’ve otherwise posed. “Tritannus is so not?”

NUMBER 6, The Ancestral Witches:

Yep. At the very center of this list are the three bitches who started this whole mess. Belladonna, Lysslis, and Tharma. At least, those are their names according to the French dub, I believe. The Ancestral Witches are classic villains whose legacy is one to reckon with.

These three served the Shadow Phoenix, they inspired the Trix, they destroyed Domino; there’s almost no end to the list of terrible things they had a hand in. The presence these three possess probably makes them the most sinister villains of the franchise. Especially when they appear to Bloom at the end of season 3. Oddly, they’re far more intimidating when they’re just delivering a message. They won’t actually try to hurt you unless it can serve their purposes.

Really, the big drawback to these three is that they’re very lacking in characterization beyond being demonesses. Like, even though each of them corresponds to a particular member of the Trix, they never really prove it. Especially given they tended to swap which member of the Trix they interact most with in Magical Adventure.

NUMBER 5, The Black Circle:

For a long while, the Black Circle were my favorite villains, and the main reason for that was two-fold. First, Ogron’s a great villain. He tries to be charismatic like Valtor, but that facade is very easy to tear down, and when he’s upset, and his true colors appear, he can be incredibly frightening. Thank you, Terrence Scammel, for your terrifyingly fantastic performance.

And the other reason being the amount of damage these villains did to Earth. The fact that they’d captured all the Earth fairies, treated them terribly, and basically already won by the time the Winx even noticed what they were doing. Really, capturing Roxy would’ve only secured their already-earned victory, given how terrible they made Earth indirectly.

What really drags them down, though, are Ogron’s powers, and Ogron’s fellow hunters. I love the idea of Ogron being able to absorb specific powers and turn them against his enemies, but I would’ve loved to see him explicitly wielding the Dragon Flame, or the Winx’s other spells and powers, instead of generic energy blasts.

Duman is fine in personality and especially powers. But, uh… Gantlos and Anagan are kinda lame. Anagan especially. They’re really lacking in terms of individual personality. And the fact Anagan’s powers start and end at super speed… really makes him an underwhelming villain.

NUMBER 4, Lord Darkar:

Honestly, Darkar is probably the most underrated of the series’ villains, which fits considering season 2 is the most underrated season. Because he’s a more distant, omnipresent threat, it makes sense why he’s more comfortable hanging back in his citadel, allowing the Winx to have more character-driven stories of their own, without having to constantly worry where Darkar is about to strike.

But beyond that, I absolutely love Darkar’s presence, a lot of which has to do with the lore around him. He’s the Shadow Phoenix, making him a dark counterpart to Bloom whose appearance alone has been weakening Bloom’s OP Dragon Flame over time, even making her question herself and her strength at times. Even his 4Kids’ lore of being a researcher who was corrupted by the Shadow Fire power, something so strong it developed its own consciousness, is quite fire.

And his design? Can we just talk about how freaky he is in a kids’ show meant primarily for girls? Like, he’s a skeleton in a suit of armor that’s the color of old, dried blood. He’s got razor-sharp claws that could tear the flesh from your body in seconds. And his phoenix form looks like a corrupted version of the firebird most of us are familiar with. His silhouette alone is utterly terrifying, going well with his underground fortress that… honestly, it looks like this universe’s version of hell.

NUMBER 3, The Fairies of Vengeance:

Perhaps the Fairies of Vengeance don’t belong on this list considering they aren’t really villains, but that’s precisely what makes them fantastic antagonists. Unlike anyone else on this list, the terrestrial fairies believe their cause to be a righteous one. They were hunted and imprisoned for centuries before the Winx freed them, and once liberated, all they wanted was payback on the Black Circle for capturing them, and the humans for devastating their planet and no longer believing in them.

Their motivation is by far and away the best among the antagonists, and each member provides a unique challenge to the Winx. I mean, who doesn’t like each of the Major Fairies like Diana or Aurora? My only real complaints with them is that for Diana, I wish she had a one-on-one rivalry with Flora rather than Bloom (Because everything must be Bloom-centric now), and Aurora… really just never did much.

But I adore Morgana and especially Nebula as antagonistic forces. It’s interesting to see Nebula turn on her own queen and even commit a coup after the Day of Justice. To her, she’s lost many more friends and fellow fairies to the Black Circle when she was correctly suspicious of them. It makes her desperation to seize control and kill the fairy hunters all the more… not justified, but understandable. And that’s the thing with the Fairies of Vengeance: you can’t justify their actions; but you can completely empathize with them. And that is the key to how the Winx are able to win them over.

NUMBER 2, The Trix:

Now this may surprise some of you, given my track record of complaining about the Trix. But really, that’s pretty much just about their role in the show from season 5 to… season 8, technically. Season 8 fared a bit better in characterizing them, especially Icy with her new backstory, but for the most part, they became incredibly pathetic, doing the same thing over and over.

But back in the first three seasons, the Trix were far better. They were at their peak back in season 1, when they were their own masters, pursuing the Dragon Flame and awakening the Army of Darkness. I talked about this at length in my video ranking the season finales, but suffice to say the Trix being drunk on power makes for great content.

But even in season 2, with them as Darkar’s minions, they still managed to pose a threat with their Gloomix power-ups, crushing the Winx easily in every battle. They became far less intimidating, and even had a diminished presence, in season 3, but they still managed to prove compelling as they bickered over Valtor’s attention.

Really, the Trix are the most recognizable, iconic villains of the series. The only reason Rainbow keeps relying on them is because of the weight they carry in terms of legacy. And while those efforts have proven to fail again, and again… and again, I still have to respect the Trix’s roots. There’s a reason why these three witches are the first villains on every Winx fan’s mind.

NUMBER 1, Valtor:

To no one’s surprise, Valtor reigns supreme. Not season 8 Valtor, oh god no. Season 8 Valtor is a shadow of his former self. Season 3 Valtor is charming and sophisticated, all to cover up the power-hungry monster he truly is. He may not hold the same presence as Darkar, but he more than makes up for it in his ruthlessness and directness in achieving his goals.

Unlike Darkar, Valtor has no qualms in getting his own hands dirty. He goes to worlds himself to steal their powers, even challenging their rulers, including Aisha. He leaves the Magical Universe devastated as he grows more and more powerful, even spreading his influence by recruiting the help of Cassandra and Chimera to bewitch King Radius, and helping Diaspro in corrupting Prince Sky.

This also ties into him making his attacks personal to the Winx. Not even just Bloom, with whom he shares a connection through the Dragon Flame. He challenges Aisha directly and blinds her after ruining her home world; he destroys Stella’s connection with her father and basically has her title as princess torn away; he indirectly nearly killed Tecna by letting the Omega Portal go out of control. No villain before or after him has truly raised the stakes in this way for the Winx.

CONCLUSION & OUTRO:

So, yeah, there ya go. Hope y’all enjoyed this. If you did, and you wanna see more content like this from me, then be sure to subscribe and ring that bell for notifications because YouTube hates creators. Also please consider, if you’re willing and able, pledging your support over on Patreon for myself and the channel. Perks include early access to videos and video scripts, along with access to the private Union of War Discord serve for just $1 a month.

I’m the Unicorn of War, and… Acheron who? Kalshara? Does she even go here?