Television series

Fate: The Winx Saga

Name: Fate: The Winx Saga
Genre: Drama, Action, Fantasy
Released: 2021
Cast: Abigail F. Cowen, Danny Griffin, Hannah van der Westhuysen, Precious Mustapha, Eliot Salt

Fantasy

A live-action reworking of the animated Winx Club, following five teenage fairies at a magical boarding school. Darker and grittier than its source, it trades whimsy for genuine stakes—shapeshifting politics, parental betrayal, real consequences. For anyone who wants magic schools with actual danger and character fallibility rather than reassurance.

TVMaze rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like teen fantasy that takes its magic seriously and its characters' messy rivalries even more, the kind of school story where the fairy-tale trappings give way to real bruises.

Skip it if the glow of the Winx cartoon is swapped for a grittier, moodier tone, so if you want bright, breezy sparkle, this will feel heavy and sometimes unpleasant.

What it asks of you: Roughly fifty-minute episodes, two seasons of them, and it rewards close attention to shifting alliances and quieter character scenes more than background viewing.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Owl House2020

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But The early episodes feel slight, and the animation style won't read as cinematic. Also, it's animated when you might be craving live action.

Euphoria2019

Intense, visually gorgeous teen drama where nothing is safe and everything has weight. It shares Winx's willingness to let characters be selfish, cruel, or complicit. The production design alone is worth the time.

But It's punishingly dark in places—graphic content around drugs, self-harm, and abuse. Not escapism; more like emotional open-heart surgery.

Heartstopper2022

Queer teen romance that somehow makes you believe in goodness again. Like Winx, it centres on a group of friends discovering themselves, but with genuine lightness alongside the drama. Visually warm and utterly earnest.

But The earnestness might feel saccharine if you're already cynical. Some may find it too gentle compared to Winx's bite.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Fate: The Winx Saga

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Warrior Nun2020

Both build ensemble fantasy around young women navigating systems larger than themselves, where mentorship involves betrayal and the cost of power is paid in trust.

A Catholic nun discovers she has superhuman healing powers and is drafted into a secret convent warrior order. Sounds absurd; it absolutely commits. High production, real stakes, and a protagonist who is sexually autonomous and morally messy in ways live-action fantasy rarely allows.

But It was cancelled after two seasons, so you'll end on a cliffhanger. Also, Catholic imagery and theology are woven through it, which may alienate viewers looking for secular fantasy.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power2018

An animated series that deconstructs magical-girl tropes with intelligence. Political intrigue, betrayal, and characters wrestling with whether they're the hero or the villain. Genuinely complex under the bright surface.

But Very much a kids' show aesthetically, which can feel jarring if you want live-action grittiness. Also requires patience for slower early episodes.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power poster

Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments2016

A supernatural boarding-school-adjacent show with similar ensemble chemistry. It leans into romance and found family while keeping magical stakes real. Campy in a way that's oddly charming.

But Production quality is uneven and it tries to do too much. Some storylines wobble, and the pacing can feel herky-jerky.

Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments poster

The Magicians2015

A magic academy show that's genuinely unsettling. Characters are flawed, the magic has costs, and the tone swings from fun to horrifying. Earned darkness—it never punches down.

But The first season moves slowly and can feel directionless. Some viewers found the tone shifts jarring or the sexual content gratuitous.

Avatar: The Last Airbender2005

Animated, but trust it: this show does what Winx tries to do. A group of teenagers learning to master elemental powers while fighting a war they didn't start. Intricate, funny, and genuinely moving.

But It's cartoonish, which puts some off. Also, the original is complete—if you want live-action, the Netflix adaptation exists but is broadly disliked.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer1997

The template for teen supernatural drama. A group of young people in over their heads, learning magic and fighting monsters while the script treats high school as a genuine horror. Witty and lethal.

But The production design is very '90s. Some episodes drag, and the show's gender politics feel period-locked in ways that matter.

Arcane: League of Legends2021

Animation, not live-action, but the storytelling is a masterclass. Two groups of young people torn apart by circumstance and choice. Visually stunning, emotionally devastating, and never condescends to its audience.

But Based on a video game, which put some viewers off before they started. Also, the animation style is painterly and stylised rather than realistic.

Tuca & Bertie2019

Both examine how female friendships are tested by magic and circumstance, but Tuca & Bertie goes abstract where Winx stays concrete—same psychological question, opposite formal approach.

Adult animated surrealism about female friendship and autonomy. Uses magical realism, body horror, and weirdness to explore what women want and how they hurt each other. Totally itself—nothing else looks or sounds like it.

But Avant-garde storytelling means scenes that make no sense and tonal whiplash. If you need narrative clarity or linear plot, this will frustrate you deeply.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend2015

Both centre on young women discovering that magical power (literal in Winx, psychological in this) doesn't solve the problem of being damaged or being complicit in your own damage.

A musical comedy-drama about a woman who moves across the country for a boy and discovers she's unstable, selfish, and brilliant. Sharp writing, genuine songs, and it takes the interior lives of its characters seriously in ways that make them both funny and tragic.

But It's a musical and a comedy masquerading as a drama, which confuses some viewers. Also, the protagonist is genuinely difficult to like, which is intentional but not relaxing.