History Main / CanonDefilement

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be something like "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 grimdark future where there is only war]]" or "[[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Cartman]] is now an AllLovingHero living in a SugarBowl universe."[[/note]]

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be something like "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 grimdark future where there is only war]]" or "[[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Cartman]] is now a NiceGuy living in a SugarBowl universe."[[/note]]

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be something like "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 grimdark future where there is only war]]".[[/note]]

** Changing their personality in ways that majorly conflict with their established mannerisms (again, for either PossessionSue or DieForOurShip). This especially includes {{Chickification}} or {{Wimpification}}.

->''"I deleted [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV Gouken]] the moment I noticed that he had a Raging Demon. GOUKEN IS AGAINST THE TEACHINGS AND USE OF THE RAGING DEMON YOU DOUBLE CASUALS."''

->''"I deleted [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV Gouken]] the moment I noticed that he had a [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Raging Demon]]. GOUKEN IS [[MartialPacifist AGAINST THE TEACHINGS AND USE OF THE RAGING DEMON]] YOU DOUBLE [[{{Scrub}} CASUALS]]."''

->''"I deleted Gouken the moment I noticed that he had a [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Raging Demon]]. GOUKEN IS [[MartialPacifist AGAINST THE TEACHINGS AND USE OF THE RAGING DEMON]] YOU DOUBLE [[{{Scrub}} CASUALS]]."''

->''"Breaking into Tolkien's tomb and pissing on his bones would be less insulting than this game!"''
-->-- '''Joueur du Grenier''' (on the ''Lord of the Rings'' SNES game), ''WebVideo/JoueurDuGrenier''

->''"This isn't just [[InNameOnly ignoring]] [[ComicBook/IronMan the comics]], this is dropping their pants and wiping their butt with them!"''
-->--'''WebVideo/HonestTrailers''' on ''Film/IronMan3''

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 grimdark future where there is only war]]".[[/note]]

->''"Breaking into Tolkien's tomb and pissing on his bones would be less insulting than this game!"''
-->-- '''Joueur du Grenier''' (on the ''Lord of the Rings'' SNES game), ''WebVideo/JoueurDuGrenier''

* VerySpecialEpisode or {{Glurge}} fanfic set in [[CluelessAesop a canon that can't support the weight of the difficult subjects being dealt with, due to internal logic, tone, or both]]. This tends to be extra FlameBait, because bad handling of these sorts of issues can be personally hurtful to lots of fans. However, ''allegorical'' stories which use DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything, [[GRatedDrug G-Rated Drugs]] and other such subtext to discuss these issues are often very well received. (Or, at least, they are well-received compared to when someone just straight-up gives [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] an eating disorder, or forces [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] to choose between a necessary abortion and her pro-life Christianity.) Doing this for RefugeInAudacity comedy purposes also tends to get a pass.

** Although it should be pointed out that in canons where time travel, alternate universes, and the like are canonical, there is little to no controversy over {{Alternate Universe Fic}}s. This is especially true in relation to fandoms that skew old, such as ''Franchise/StarTrek'' (or at least ''Trek'' [[Film/StarTrek before 2009]]), where there are few HighSchoolAU stories because most writers are in their thirties or older.

* VerySpecialEpisode fanfic set in [[CluelessAesop a canon that can't support the weight of the difficult subjects being dealt with, due to internal logic, tone, or both]]. This tends to be extra FlameBait, because handling these sorts of issues badly can be personally hurtful to lots of fans. However, ''allegorical'' stories which use DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything, [[GRatedDrug G-Rated Drugs]] and other such subtext to discuss these issues are often very well received. (Or, at least, they are well-recieved compared to when someone just straight-up gives [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] an eating disorder, or forces [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] to choose between a necessary abortion and her pro-life Christianity.)
* Some people view SelfFanservice as Canon Defilement. This largely [[DistractedByTheSexy depends on the person.]]

{{Fanfiction}} communities, like any other fandom, have their own set of standards. While technically, all fanfiction is free to just do whatever it wants (hell, all fiction in general is, too), there are a number of topics and tropes [[FandomBerserkButton that cause revulsion and anger amongst these communities]]. The revulsion can range from forgivable (most beginning writers are given a free pass for this so long as they aren't particularly mean-spirited) to [[FandomHeresy sending whole communities up in arms]] (which will sometimes result in being banned as a particularly light sentence).

* VerySpecialEpisode fanfic set in [[CluelessAesop a canon that can't support the weight of the difficult subjects being dealt with, due to internal logic, tone, or both]]. This tends to be extra FlameBait, because handling these sorts of issues badly can be personally hurtful to lots of fans. However, ''allegorical'' stories which use DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything, {{G-Rated Drug}}s and other such subtext to discuss these issues are often very well received. (Or, at least, they are well-recieved compared to when someone just straight-up gives [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] an eating disorder, or forces [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] to choose between a necessary abortion and her pro-life Christianity.)

* VerySpecialEpisode fanfic set in [[CluelessAesop a canon that can't support the weight of the difficult subjects being dealt with, due to internal logic, tone, or both]]. This tends to be extra FlameBait, because handling these sorts of issues badly can be personally hurtful to lots of fans. (It should be noted that allegorical stories which use subtext to discuss these issues don't create the same howls of outrage as, say, when someone just straight-up gives [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] an eating disorder, or forces [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] to choose between a necessary abortion and her pro-life Christianity.)

''[[ExampleSectionectomy No Examples Please!]]''

* Fanfics built around "WhatIf" scenarios (eg, assuming that the characters decided to TakeAThirdOption) are, once again, sometimes viewed as Canon Defilement.

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40K grimdark future where there is only war]]".[[/note]]

This generally comes about because the author either didn't know better or perhaps [[TheyJustDidntCare just didn't care]]. Often, though, it's an attempt to make it BetterThanCanon. Sometimes it's played for humor, but with something like this [[PoesLaw it can be hard to tell]]...

Also worthy of note is that many cases of traditional canon defilement actually are canon, but in those cases, it's always when a PromotedFanboy gets to [[RunningTheAsylum Run The Asylum]] and just abuses editorial fiat. It takes quite a lot more for them to really get this term thrown at them, but it generally tends to sting a lot more, since their influence will (usually) affect future stories as well. Please note that it isn't Canon Defilement if the original creative crew is responsible; it's just good old SeasonalRot[=/=]CreatorBreakdown.

* Canon CharacterDerailment in general (often referred to as OutOfCharacter or OOC).

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40K grimdark future where there is only war]]".[[/note]]

{{Fanfiction}} communities, like any other fandom, have their own set of standards. While technically, all fanfiction is free to just do whatever it wants (hell, all fiction in general is, too), there are a number of topics and tropes that cause revulsion amongst these communities. The revulsion can range from forgivable (most beginning writers are given a free pass for this so long as they aren't particularly mean-spirited) to [[FandomBerserkButton sending whole communities up in arms]] (which will sometimes result in being banned as a particularly light sentence).

** Changing their personality in ways that majorly conflict with their established mannerisms (again, for either PossessionSue or DieForOurShip).

** (Regularly) Disregarding their capabilities or giving completely new and unlikely ones in order to facilitate the plot.

* Major {{Genre Shift}}s. [[note]]This can be done well, however, but you can't take yourself or the fic too seriously. Also, if you're going to create an ultra-DarkFic out of a light, fluffy show (or vice-versa), it has to be ''very'' well-written; it can't just be "The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]] are now in the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40K grimdark future where there is only war]]"; interestingly enough, there is a very well-written fanfic that does exactly that: ''Fanfic/TheGodEmpressOfPonykind''.[[/note]]

It is important to note that Canon Defilement ''does'' have a subjective side to it. Sometimes, one person's Canon Defilement is another person's fanfiction idea - and criticisms about it being Canon Defilement sometimes get responded to with a big ignore.

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<<|SubjectiveTropes|>>

{{Fanfiction}} communities, like any other fandom, have their own set of standards. While technically, all fanfiction is free to just do whatever it wants (hell, all fiction in general is, too), there are a number of topics and tropes that cause revulsion amongst these communities. The revulsion can range from forgivable (most beginning writers are given a free pass for this so long as they aren't particularly mean-spirited) to [[GannonBanned sending whole communities up in arms]] (which will sometimes result in being banned as a particularly light sentence).