'Fate: The Winx Saga' and the Meaning Behind its Mysterious Villains [SPOILERS]

If you've been keeping up with the latest Netflix originals, then you've probably seen Fate: The Winx Saga. Based on the well-beloved Italian animated series by Iginio Straffi, Fate: The Winx Saga follows Bloom, a fire fairy from Earth, whose origins might be more than meets the eye.

The main antagonists are called Burned Ones, and while some might see them as White Walkers lite, people are still dying to what are the Burned Ones?

While this new threat to the Alfea School for Fairies (and, according to the show, now Specialists too!) is not something fans of the original cartoon would have encountered, they're still equally terrifying in their own ways. Burned Ones are zombie-like figures that appear to be able to infect others by cutting them, in addition to possessing superhuman speed and strength.

The story opens with Headmistress Farah Dowling saying that a Burned One has not been spotted for 16 years, having all been vanquished by a mysterious figure named Rosalind and a magical barrier put in place to keep them out. Unfortunately after Episode 1, Farah is very mistaken, and characters frequently come to clash with Burned Ones throughout the first season.

Burned Ones are a new creation to Winx lore, having been created specifically for Fate: The Winx Saga. In the animated version, The Winx Club faced off against a trio of witches (known as The Trix), dark wizards, fairy hunters, and more. Only The Trix makes a watery appearance in the form of rising villain Beatrix, an air fairy with the ability to control lightning. 

[MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 FINALE]

It's revealed that the mysterious Rosalind who was responsible for wiping out all the Burned Ones in the first place did so with lieutenants Farah and Silva, with help from Sky's dad and Terra's dad, who works at the school. However, a line was crossed when Rosalind demanded the group destroy the town of Aster Dale, where Burned Ones were hiding amongst innocent civilians.

A revolt came to pass, but not before Rosalind spirited two children out of Aster Dale (Bloom and Beatrix, respectively). Rosalind counted on Bloom discovering her powers and sent the Burned Ones to test her abilities, as the ancient magic she possesses should reverse the curse on the Burned Ones in the first place.

Still with me? It sounds like despite all of these revelations, there is still a greater evil on the horizon in the form of Blood Witches, humans who tried to steal fairy magic in Aster Dale. They had already kidnapped Bloom, which is why she was found there in the first place. 

Oh, the drama! While still a far cry from the original, Season 2 could hold much more in terms of Bloom using her fabulous powers to break the curse.

Fate: The Winx Saga is streaming on Netflix.