Entertainment
Riven In 'Fate: The Winx Saga'

'Fate: The Winx Saga' Fans Are Crushing Hard On The Show's Resident Bad Boy

by Rachel Varina
Netflix

There's just something so appealing about guys who are all wrong for you, and the resident bad boy in Fate: The Winx Saga is no exception. Netflix's new fantasy series dropped on Jan. 22, 2021, but already viewers want to know: Who plays Riven in Fate: The Winx Saga? Freddie Thorp is about to take up permanent resident in your dreams.

While Throp might be a new name on your radar, the Winx story has been around for quite a while. The show is a reimagining of an Italian animated series called Winx Club, which aired from 2004 to 2009. It was then revived by Nickelodeon in 2011, where it ran for eight years. It's easy to see fans are already under the Winx spell, but what makes it so special?

Basically, it follows Bloom (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's Abigail Cowen), a fire fairy who recently discovered her powers after a tragic accident. In an effort to learn how to control her powers, she heads to the renowned Alfea Academy in the Otherworld, where she meets her future besties as well as the not-so-sweet Riven. And while he might not be boyfriend material like his pal Sky is, Riven definitely has the whole ~hot and dangerous~ thing going for him.

If Riven gives you major Damon Salvatore vibes, there's a good reason. Winx's creator is Brian Young, who also produced The Vampire Diaries, which probably explains the darker, sexier version of the popular Winx story. And just like Damon, Riven has all the trappings of a TV crush — as does Thorp, who plays him.

The 26-year-old was born in the United Kingdom and is fairly new to the showbiz scene. Still, he's made quite the splash in the few years he's been working. Prior to Winx, Thorp most recently played Chris in the Netflix crime series, Safe. In his downtime, it looks like he enjoys fishing, hanging out with his fam, and posting sweet shoutouts to his mom. His Instagram also has a lot of BTS shots of Winx as well as modeling pics (yup, he's a model represented by Independent Talent).

Thanks to his two recent Netflix roles, it looks like Throp's star power is on the rise, no fairy dust needed.

Fate: The Winx Saga is streaming now on Netflix.