Some stories are official. They take place in one world. These stories follow the rules. They help us know what is real. We can enjoy them together. Do you like stories? 
Some stories are official. They take place in one world. These stories follow the rules. 
When we love a story, we often want more. We might read new books about the same characters. We might watch new movies in that same world. Some of these stories are official. We call this official group of stories "canon."
But who decides what is official? It can be tricky. Sometimes, a company owns the rights to a story. They can decide which parts are canon. In Star Wars, the main films are at the top. Other books or games might be different. After Disney bought Star Wars, they called older books "Legends." This meant they were not part of the main timeline.
Sometimes, a writer dies before they can finish. Then, their estate or a publisher might pick new writers. They might let someone write a new Oz book. This keeps the world alive. Other stories, like fan fiction, are not canon. They are made by fans. Fans might even share ideas called "fanon." These are ideas that many fans believe are true, even if they are not official.
Imagine you have a favorite story world. You might want to see more of its characters. You might want to read new books about them. We use a special word for these official stories. That word is "canon."
How does a story become part of the canon? It is not always easy to decide. Sometimes, the people who own the copyright make the rules. They can choose to change or erase parts of the story. This is often called a "retcon." For example, Star Trek has its own rules. The official website says canon includes the episodes and movies. Other things like comic books or video games are usually not canon. However, things from those games can sometimes move into the main show later.
History shows us that rules for canon can change over time. In the Star Wars series, there were different levels of stories. George Lucas used a system to track these levels. The main movies and some TV shows were at the top. Other books were in a group called the "Expanded Universe."
Sometimes, the original writer is not there to decide. This happens when a writer passes away. Their "estate," or the people who manage their work, might pick new authors. For instance, Ruth Plumly Thompson wrote *The Royal Book of Oz* in 1921. This was after L. Frank Baum died in 1919. The publisher, Reilly & Lee, decided it was part of the Oz series. Other estates, like the one for Agatha Christie, also allow new stories about famous characters.
Canon is different from "fanon." Fanon comes from combining the words "fan" and "canon." It describes ideas that fans believe are true. These ideas come from fan fiction, which is never official. Some stories are also just special one-time events. *The Simpsons* has Halloween episodes called *Treehouse of Horror*. These stories happen outside the normal timeline of the show. Understanding canon helps us enjoy the many ways stories can grow.
In the world of storytelling, creators often build massive universes filled with many characters and events. We use a specific term to describe the official history of these worlds: canon. Canon refers to the body of works that take place in a particular fictional world. These works are widely considered to be official or authoritative. Usually, the canon consists of stories created by the original author or developer. This distinction is vital because it separates the core story from derivative works. Derivative works include things like fan fiction, which are stories written by fans rather than the official creators.
Determining what belongs in the canon can be a complicated process. There is no single consensus on who has the authority to decide. Often, the copyright holders act as the ultimate decision-makers. They may use their power to erase or change existing information. This process of changing established facts is known as a retcon. This authority is especially important during reboots or re-imaginings of a franchise. A reboot is when a story is told again with a new approach. These decisions significantly influence how a viewer experiences the entire series.
Different franchises use different methods to manage their official timelines. For example, the Star Trek franchise has specific rules for its canon. The official Star Trek website defines canon as the events occurring within the live-action television episodes and movies. Other media, such as tie-in novels, comic books, and video games, are explicitly excluded. However, the rules are not always set in stone. Elements from those excluded sources are sometimes introduced into the television series later. This shows that the boundaries of a fictional world can shift over time.
Star Wars provides a complex example of how canon can be organized into tiers. During the era of George Lucas, the franchise used a hierarchy to track continuity. This was managed by a creative executive named Leland Chee. At the top of this hierarchy were the live-action theatrical films and the 2008 Clone Wars series. These works always took priority if they contradicted other stories. Below them was the Expanded Universe, or EU, which was divided into several descending levels. After Disney acquired the franchise, they made a major change on April 25, 2014. They designated the old Expanded Universe material as the non-canonical "Legends" continuity. Now, a separate canonical timeline exists under the Lucasfilm Story Group.
Sometimes, the original creator is no longer available to manage the story. This often happens when an author passes away and leaves an estate behind. An estate is a group of people who manage a deceased person's legal and creative affairs. In the Oz series, Ruth Plumly Thompson wrote *The Royal Book of Oz* in 1921. This was written after the original creator, L. Frank Baum, died in 1919. The publisher, Reilly & Lee, designated this as a canonical work. Other estates have also authorized new stories. The Conan Doyle estate authorized *Young Sherlock Holmes*. The Agatha Christie estate authorized *The Monogram Murders* in 2014. These decisions allow a character's world to continue growing long after the author is gone.
Not all stories in a series are meant to be part of the main timeline. Some shows use special episodes that exist outside the normal continuity. *The Simpsons* does this with its *Treehouse of Horror* Halloween specials. These stories are non-canonical, meaning they do not affect the regular plot. Similarly, some anime series include "filler episodes." These are extra stories that are not part of the original manga source material. Even large companies like Disney have specific rules for their brands. For instance, Walt Disney Animation Studios productions are the main canon for the Disney brand. Other related media from different studios are often ignored within that main brand.
Finally, we can look at how fans interact with these official stories. While fan fiction is never considered canonical, fans often create their own shared ideas. They use a term called "fanon" to describe this. Fanon is a portmanteau, which is a word made by joining two other words, of "fan" and "canon." It refers to ideas that are widely accepted within a fan community. Sometimes a plotline is reinvented so many times that it feels real to the fans. Other times, it represents a fan's personal interpretation of the universe. Understanding the difference between canon and fanon helps us see how stories live on through both creators and their audiences.
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.