non-canon
Outside accepted lore
Non-canon describes material that exists outside the official storyline of a fictional universe.
Fan fiction, alternate timelines, or spinoffs may be considered non-canon if the creators or rights holders don't recognize them as part of the established narrative: The holiday special is non-canon.
What counts as canon often sparks debate among fans, especially when franchises change hands or contradictions emerge.
Works of doubtful authenticity
- deuterocanonicalOf secondary biblical authority
- pseudepigraphaFalsely attributed literary works
- gnosticRelating to mystical insight
- hereticalContrary to accepted doctrine
unorthodox · spurious · interpolated · rejected · disputed · suppressed · sectarian · esoteric
Amateur work using existing characters
- headcanonUnconfirmed fan-created backstory
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- crossoverGenre-blending work or transition
- retconRetroactive narrative revision
oneshot · drabble · fluff · angst · fandom · self-insert · slash · fix-it
Not officially permitted
- unlicensedWithout official permit
- unapprovedNot officially permitted
- unsanctionedNot officially permitted
- unrecognizedNot identified or acknowledged
bootleg · knockoff · counterfeit · pirated · fake · imitation · tie-in · merchandising
Differing form of something
- reinterpretationNew understanding of something
- reimaginingFresh interpretation of existing material
- retellingNarrating something anew
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
multiverse · revision · adaptation · departure · twist · subversion
apocrypha
Works of doubtful authenticity
- deuterocanonicalOf secondary biblical authority
- pseudepigraphaFalsely attributed literary works
- gnosticRelating to mystical insight
heretical · unorthodox · spurious · interpolated · rejected · disputed · suppressed · sectarian · esoteric · heterodox
fanfiction
Amateur work using existing characters
- headcanonUnconfirmed fan-created backstory
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- crossoverGenre-blending work or transition
retcon · oneshot · drabble · fluff · angst · fandom · self-insert · slash · fix-it · OC
unauthorized
Not officially permitted
- unlicensedWithout official permit
- unapprovedNot officially permitted
- unsanctionedNot officially permitted
unrecognized · bootleg · knockoff · counterfeit · pirated · fake · imitation · tie-in · merchandising · licensed
variant
Differing form of something
- reinterpretationNew understanding of something
- reimaginingFresh interpretation of existing material
- retellingNarrating something anew
divergence · multiverse · revision · adaptation · departure · twist · subversion
non-canoncanon
Accepted authoritative works
canonical · official · mainline · in-universe · continuity
non-canoncanonical
Accepted as standard
canon · scriptural · deuterocanonical · inspired · authoritative
non-canoncanonical
Accepted as standard
official · authorized · authoritative · licensed · sanctioned
canon, canonical, canonize, canonization, canonized, canonizing, canonicity, canonizes