Line #102 Main/Fanon


1	->''"Oh, no -- another fan with ideas..."''
2	-->-- '''Actor Sokka''', ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''.
3
4	Official {{canon}}icity is much smaller than the people who throw the term around like to think it is. Canonicity is limited to that which has actually been described in the source material, though if one must stretch the definition, it may also include anything the creators only [[WordOfGod mention in interviews]] or [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary material]]. But ultimately, canonicity boils down to what the creators specifically need to worry about conveying to the audience for the purposes of the ongoing plot. In short, canonicity is what the work clearly says about itself.
5
6	Fanon, also known by the term "headcanon"[[note]]though this term refers solely to ''personal'' views on the work, rather than wider-held fan theories and beliefs[[/note]], is the set of theories based on that source material which, no matter how much they seem to be the [[CommonKnowledge "obvious" or "only" interpretation]] of canonical fact, are not actually part of the canon. It can arise in a few ways, but mostly boils down to clarifying any vagueness in a story and/or trying to justify an idea held about an element of a work. A piece of fanon can come about to explain holes in the story that the creators of a work may have either deliberately left open in order to have [[CanonFodder fodder for later stories]], or never gave any thought to because it was considered an unimportant side detail. Or it can come into existence as a fact gained from a [[WordOfDante popular but non-canonical]] [[{{Fanfic}} source]] or a different adaptation of the work.
7
8	Because many fans mistake their own fanon for actual canonicity, they tend to get riled up when a new fact is introduced [[SchrodingersGun which does not literally contradict anything canonical]], but [[{{Jossed}} invalidates what were formerly the most obvious assumptions]]. Many examples of {{Retcon}} and ContinuityDrift that are imagined to be violations of canonicity really only ''explicitly'' contradict fanon. In this way, when someone says "That episode was terrible because it violates the canon!", there is a good chance that it only violates their personal canon.
9
10	Popular subjects of fanon include character backstories, full names of characters with NoNameGiven, what characters actually do for a living, and {{Shipping}} — a whole other world of its own.
11
12	Since many creators in the aftermarket [[ExpandedUniverse series universe]] are fans, fanon often shows up there, and if those creators in turn [[RunningTheAsylum start writing for the main continuity]], fanon may actually [[AscendedFanon become]] canonical. Alternatively, you just have MemeticMutation within the fandom.
13
14	Then there's instances in which a creator may give a ShrugOfGod or "[[ApprovalOfGod Good catch!]]" when fans come up with theories the creator actually thinks fits in (often saving the creator the time and energy to think of BackStory sometimes).
15
16	Remember up above, where we mentioned stretching the definition of canonicity? Well, if you don't stretch it, fanon can also refer to the body of information provided by [[WordOfGod otherwise-official sources]] outside of the main work's continuity. Television and movie scripts are a continuing source of fanon material — [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain James Kirk]], for example, has the middle initial ("T.")... but his actual middle name of "Tiberius" was originally revealed in an episode of the ''Trek'' [[WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries animated series]]; since that show's canonicity is debatable, it was considered "fanon" until featured and explained in the novelisation of the first ''Star Trek'' movie, which was written by creator Gene Roddenberry and therefore canonical. It was also stated explicitly in the sixth movie. Note that this usage blurs the line between fanon and ''[[WordOfDante deuterocanonicity]]'', though.
17
18	'''Warning''': Fanon and accusations of fanon are a classic FlameBait, with the accusation commonly leveled by fans who have a different [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation interpretation of the material]] -- even when their theory is just as vulnerable to SchrodingersGun.
19
20	Compare BroadStrokes, where the events of a story are referenced in passing without taking everything said and done as having "officially" happened. If the fanon was repeatedly hinted at by writers until it became fanon, but never actually confirmed in canonicity, it's WriterInducedFanon. Contrast FanDislikedExplanation, when canonicity is rejected. See FandomSpecificPlot and RecurringFanonCharacter, when a fan-created OriginalCharacter becomes sufficiently popular as to be widely used by other fan creators or even mistaken for canonicity. See also FanonWelding, where two unrelated works are speculated to be in the same continuity as each other. Not to be confused with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frantz_Fanon this]] Fanon or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_Fanon the Pope's robe.]] Fanon is frequently based on FanficFuel.
21	----
22	!!Franchise-Specific Fanons:
23	[[index]]
24	* ''Fanon/AceAttorney''
25	* ''Fanon/{{Amphibia}}''
26	* ''Fanon/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
27	* ''Fanon/{{Bleach}}''
28	* ''Fanon/{{Cats}}''
29	* ''Fanon/CodeGeass''
30	* ''Fanon/DannyPhantom''
31	* ''Fanon/DeathNote''
32	* ''Fanon/{{Deltarune}}''
33	* ''Fanon/{{Digimon}}''
34	* ''Fanon/DragonBall''
35	* ''Fanon/DreamSMP''
36	* ''Fanon/DuckTales2017''
37	* ''Fanon/EdEddNEddy''
38	* ''Fanon/EmpiresSMP''
39	* ''Fanon/{{Encanto}}''
40	* ''Fanon/FinalFantasy''
41	* ''Fanon/FireEmblem''
42	** ''Fanon/FireEmblemFates''
43	** ''Fanon/FireEmblemThreeHouses''
44	* ''Fanon/FiveNightsAtFreddys''
45	* ''Fanon/FridayNightFunkin''
46	* ''Fanon/{{Frozen}}''
47	* ''Fanon/FullmetalAlchemist''
48	* ''Fanon/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi''
49	* ''Fanon/{{Godzilla}}''
50	* ''Fanon/HarryPotter''
51	* ''Fanon/HaruhiSuzumiya''
52	* ''Fanon/HazbinHotel''
53	* ''Fanon/HetaliaAxisPowers''
54	* ''Fanon/InfinityTrain''
55	* ''Fanon/InuYasha''
56	* ''Fanon/JamesBond''
57	* ''Fanon/JurassicPark''
58	* ''Fanon/KimPossible''
59	* ''Fanon/KingdomHearts''
60	* ''Fanon/{{Kirby}}''
61	* ''Fanon/{{Labyrinth}}''
62	* ''Fanon/LandOfOz''
63	* ''Fanon/LeagueOfLegends''
64	* ''Fanon/TheLegendOfZelda''
65	* ''Fanon/LifeSMP''
66	* ''Fanon/LinkedUniverse''
67	* ''Fanon/TheLionKing''
68	* ''Fanon/LittleWitchAcademia''
69	* ''Fanon/TheLoudHouse''
70	* ''Fanon/LoveLive''
71	* ''Fanon/LyricalNanoha''
72	* ''Fanon/MarvelCinematicUniverse''
73	* ''Fanon/MassEffect''
74	* ''Fanon/MegaMan''
75	* ''Fanon/Merlin2008''
76	* ''Fanon/MetalGear''
77	* ''Fanon/MiraculousLadybug''
78	* ''Fanon/MobPsycho100''
79	* ''Fanon/MyHeroAcademia''
80	* ''Fanon/MyLittlePony''
81	* ''Fanon/{{Naruto}}''
82	* ''Fanon/NeonGenesisEvangelion''
83	* ''Fanon/TheOwlHouse''
84	* ''{{Fanon/Persona}}''
85	* ''Fanon/{{Pokemon}}''
86	* ''Fanon/PrideAndPrejudice''
87	* ''Fanon/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''
88	* ''Fanon/RanmaOneHalf''
89	* ''Fanon/Reborn2004''
90	* ''Fanon/{{RWBY}}''
91	* ''Fanon/SailorMoon''
92	* ''Fanon/SherlockHolmes''
93	** ''Fanon/{{Sherlock}}'' -- the BBC TV series.
94	* ''Fanon/ASongOfIceAndFire''
95	* ''Fanon/SonicTheHedgehog''
96	* ''Fanon/SoulEater''
97	* ''Fanon/SouthPark''
98	* ''Fanon/{{Splatoon}}''
99	* ''Fanon/StardewValley''
100	* ''Fanon/StarTrek''
101	* ''Fanon/StarWars''
102	* ''Fanon/StevenUniverse''
103	* ''Fanon/StoryOfSeasons''
104	* ''Fanon/StreetFighter''
105	* ''Fanon/SuperMarioBros''
106	* ''Fanon/SuperSmashBros''
107	* ''Fanon/TeenTitans2003''
108	* ''Fanon/{{Tekken}}''
109	* ''Fanon/TolkiensLegendarium'', including ''The Lord of the Rings''
110	* ''Fanon/TotalDrama''
111	* ''Fanon/{{Transformers}}''
112	* ''Fanon/{{Undertale}}''
113	* ''Fanon/VoltronLegendaryDefender''
114	* ''Fanon/WarriorCats''
115	* ''Fanon/YuriOnIce''
116	[[/index]]
117
118	!!Example Subpages:
119	[[index]]
120	* Fanon/AnimeAndManga
121	* Fanon/ComicBooks
122	* [[Fanon/AnimatedFilms Films — Animation]]
123	* [[Fanon/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
124	* Fanon/{{Literature}}
125	* Fanon/LiveActionTV
126	* Fanon/VideoGames
127	* Fanon/WebComics
128	* Fanon/WesternAnimation
129	[[/index]]
130
131	!!Other Examples:
132
133	[[foldercontrol]]
134
135	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
136	* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':
137	** Some readers have speculated that Calvin's only real friend being Susie and his {{Book Dumb}}ness are due to either autism or a learning disability (if it's a learning disability, it's most often ADHD).
138	** A lot of fans think that Hobbes is an actual LivingToy instead of an ImaginaryFriend. Similarly, there are fans who think his imagination sequences are actually real.
139	* Many fans believe that ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' and Jim Davis's lesser-known second strip, ''ComicStrip/USAcres'', take place in the same universe. While this is true on the ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' side, it's never been confirmed or debunked in the strips.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Fan Works]]
143	* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': It's commonly accepted among the readers that Kaworu is a masochist, since he finds Rei to be beautiful when she's angry at him. The author has shot down this theory, but that doesn't stop him from putting in stuff like this:
144	-->'''Rei:''' I have slapped you, yelled at you, and I threaten to kill you in practically every conversation we have ever had, and this ''[[RagingStiffie turns you on]]''?
145	* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' includes the common HP fanon idea of magical cores early in the series, before quietly dropping it, with the author admitting that he'd forgotten they weren't canonical. However, it partly keeps the fanon idea of Fred and George constantly finishing each other's sentences - as time goes by, they shift into following on from each other's sentences, meaning that it sometimes seems like one person's dialogue spread over two people.
146	** It's generally accepted by fans of the 'verse that pretty much ''everything'' that ever happened in the story or backstory ([[spoiler:''Forever Red'']] arc aside) is either directly or indirectly the fault of [[MagnificentBastard Doctor Strange]].
147	* For no very clear reason, the ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' fandom has given the name of ''Jim'' to the hapless scout who interrupts the first kiss between Cullen and a romanced female Inquisitor. This gets a nod in ''[[Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird]]'', where Jim is the central figure in chapter 19 and is shown to have a propensity for stumbling into all sorts of humiliating situations throughout Skyhold.
148	* Fan-art for ''WebVideo/FriendshipIsWitchcraft'' often has Pinkie Pie dressed in stereotypical Romani clothing.
149	* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndThePortraitOfWhatLookedLikeALargePileOfAsh'':
150	** Ron's "Ron shirt" is believed to be a shirt with a picture of his face and/or his name on it.
151	** Many people believe that the reason Harry dipped Hermione in hot sauce was because [[ImAHumanitarian he wanted to eat her]]. This fits in well, considering that the narration said he was hungry and Ron was also made into a cannibal.
152	** There are two ways fans interpret the "We're the only people who matter! He's never gonna get rid of us!" line. It's either said like a boast: "We're the only people who ''matter''! He's ''never'' gonna get rid of ''us''!" or with a MockingSingSong inflection: "We're the on-ly people who ma-tter! He's ne-ver gonna get ''rid'' of us!"
153	* ''Fanfic/HauntedMansionAndTheHatboxGhost'': Used to work the vague backstory of the original Haunted Mansion ride into a convenient setting. What better way to achieve that than to decide that the canon of the stories would be the headcanons of the authors of the fanfics?
154	* In ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'' for some reason when Mob is genderswapped she really likes ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. This can be seen most prominently in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/19337503/chapters/46001422 Everyone Loves Mob]]'' where she relates everything back to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' in some way as well as in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20672948/chapters/49096982 Playing Games]]'' where, if prompted, Mob will talk for hours on the subject. Teru gets her going in order to bore Ritsu and Sho out of his apartment so he and Mob can have some alone time.
155	* ''Fanfic/MyImmortal'' has some ''detractor'' head canons:
156	** The most common explanation for Draco Malfoy allegedly coming back to life after killing himself, is that his "corpse" was actually a dummy put there by Voldemort.
157	** Many readers believe that when Ebony shouted, "Crookshanks!", it worked as a spell to teleport Crookshanks near and throw him at Voldemort.
158	** Some readers have speculated that the reason so many of the students are now vampires is because Ebony, who is a vampire, turned them into vampires.
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder:Music]]
162	* Music/{{Vocaloid}}: The only things [[WordOfGod officially canonical]] are the characters' names, appearances, and voices. Usually. (Some have a couple more minor things, like age and height, while others only have a name and a voice.) Personalities, backstories, relationships, and some characters are pure fanon.
163	* Music/PinkFloyd:
164	** Fans have generally accepted that [[MadArtist Pink]], the protagonist of ''Music/TheWall'', was born "Floyd Pinkerton", and that "Pink Floyd" is his stage name. In the original album, he's only referred to as "Pink" and "Mr. Floyd" in two separate moments, but the movie adaptation includes a brief scene where his deceased father's name is given on a memorial plaque as "J.H. Pinkerton", and one of Pink's friends can be heard calling him "Pinky" (a logical nickname for someone with the surname "Pinkerton") in another scene.
165	** Though somewhat less unanimous than the above theory, many fans also believe that ''The Final Cut'', Music/RogerWaters' final album with the band, is partially an epilogue/continuation of ''The Wall''. In particular, many have theorized that the titular song, "The Final Cut", is told from Pink's perspective as he contemplates suicide sometime after recovering from his mental breakdown, and that "When the Tigers Broke Free" is about the death of his father. The latter point is supported by the film version of ''The Wall'', which actually includes "When the Tigers Broke" in the soundtrack, but it's unknown if Waters actually wrote the song with Pink in mind.
166	* "Fuck You" by Archive is about someones utter disdain for another. Due to a line late in the song most believe it's referring to the singer himself, [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation warping]] it into a song about severe self-hatred.
167	* The female voice in "Sad Machine" by Music/PorterRobinson is often assumed to be Rin, the protagonist in "Anime/{{Shelter\|2016}}" because of both of them existing in a virtual space who end up connecting to the outside world over the course of the songs.
168	* Nobody seems to know where the theory that Music/{{REM}}'s "Shiny Happy People" is about Chinese communist propaganda comes from, but it certainly doesn't come from the band themselves. They have often [[CreatorBacklash openly regretted writing the song]] but they've never tried to justify it by ascribing any deeper meaning to it. It hasn't stopped ''other people'' from trying to do so.
169	* Dion [=DiMucci=]'s song "The Wanderer" is a SequelSong to "Runaround Sue".
170	* Rachel Rose Mitchell's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_iy71v46r4 "Hey Alice"]] is VillainSong from the perspective of someone patrionizing Alice of ''Alice In Wonderland''. Fans theorize that Alice is being sent to a BedlamHouse and the singer is either her sister or her therapist. Another interpretation is that it's about Alice choosing between sanity and madness (or [[{{Escapism}} fantasy]] and [[AntiEscapismAesop reality]]).
171	* ''Music/{{Songdrops}}'': The idea that the secret pet skunk from "The Teacher Song" and Striper from "Striper the Kitty" (who was mistaken for a cat) are one and the same skunk.
172	* Music/TheBeatles: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is sometimes thought to be about LSD, since it's relatively surreal and LSD are the first letters of "Lucy", "sky", and "diamonds". The band debunked this, since it was actually about a drawing Lennon's son drew.
173	* Music/{{Metallica}} is pretty much the only HeavyMetal band to have a notable set of fan works, mainly the 'What If', which is series of different songs [[RearrangeTheSong redone in style of different albums]], with the most famous creator is [=StateOfMercury=]:
174	** The most well-known example is [[https://youtu.be/ckbzMKJVUWQ "Enter Sandman" rewritten in style of]] ''[[Music/AndJusticeForAll1988 ...And Justice for All]]'', as well as [[https://youtu.be/VNE-x56doyU "Battery" in style of]] ''[[Music/{{Metallica\|Album}} The Black Album]]'' or "[[https://youtu.be/38mgdLqrZMk Holier Than Thou]]" redone in style of ''Music/MasterOfPuppets''
175	*** And those fanworks would end up having their very ''own fanworks by their right'', as was the case of the [[https://youtu.be/JpKV7U94KPU mashup of]] [[https://youtu.be/tQ5CeftiBJs Nothing Else Matters]] and [[https://youtu.be/BRN3vLJ6M88 One]], both done in style of ''Master Of Puppets'', with "Nothing Else Matters" gained its own ThrashMetal section not found in the original. [[note]]The mashup, although done more amateurish compared to Mercury's works, also included few original elements not present in either songs, like Sanitarium's deep piano notes in "Nothing Else Matters" part and fade-in bass intro from "Damage Inc." right before One's machine gun riffs start and "The Thing That Should Not Be"'s guitar screeching after One's harmony. A user named "Mario Alexanderski" claimed he made the mashup just for fun and sent it to Mercury to see what did he think of it, but was surprised [[PromotedFanboy to have his work posted on the latter's channel]], much to [=StateOfMercury's=] confusion.[[/note]]
176	[[/folder]]
177
178	[[folder:Podcasts]]
179	* ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'':
180	** Partly as a result of the series suddenly going very viral after a long slow burn, there is a fanon interpretation of {{C\|haracterNarrator}}ecil's appearance that many people mistake for being canonical--including living tattoos, tentacles, purple eyes, blond hair, tall, slim, some manner of "hipster" clothes which have purple and a tie in them, a ThirdEye (which may or may not be a tattoo) and glasses. Canonically, everything we know about Cecil's physical appearance comes from Kevin's [[SuspectIsHatless non-description]] of his picture during The Sandstorm. Only the tie part is accurate.
181	--->It is a man. He is wearing a tie. He is not tall or short, not thin or fat. He has eyes like mine and a nose like mine, and hair like mine, but I do not think he is me. Maybe it is the smile. Is that a smile? I can’t say.
182	** Kevin himself is often depicted as Cecil, but dark-skinned and dark-haired, possibly with glowing tattoos, and inverted colors on his otherwise-identical clothes.
183	* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'': Many fans headcanoned Taako as Hispanic due to his name being a pun on 'taco' and his professed life goal being to invent tacos one day, even though his player Justin jokingly said "White" when asked about Taako's race in the first episode.
184	* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'' has numerous examples, most notably what the characters, who rarely get much in the way of physical description, are meant to look like. The most popular interpretation of Jonathan Sims' character, who is only described as having gaunt features and prematurely graying black hair ([[IAmNotSpock a deliberate contrast to the actual Sims, a stout man with brown hair]]), is AmbiguouslyBrown, with long hair often tied in a ponytail and glasses. This is apparently based on Sims' character in a stream he once did of ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}''. Funnily enough, the dark skintone may be a misinterpretation of the fact that the only time we see the character's face up close, he is completely drenched in blood.
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
188	* Literature/TheBible:
189	** A particularly famous example: the Bible doesn't actually mention what fruit came from the Tree of Knowledge. The idea that it's [[TemptingApple an apple]] is based on a Latin pun, where the word for "apple" sounds like "evil."
190	* Myth/ClassicalMythology:
191	** You often hear that Hestia gave up her spot as one of the "Twelve Main Olympians" for Dionysus. Actually, it's just that some ancient lists use her and some use him; the idea of her graciously surrendering the position just [[AllLovingHero seems in-character]].
192	** Aphrodite and Hephaestus are married, even after he caught her cheating with Ares. The story of that affair comes from a flashback in ''Literature/TheOdyssey,'' and ends with him demanding his bride price back--which is probably meant to indicate that they're divorcing. This would explain why ''Literature/TheIliad,'' in a scene set after that event, depicts Hephaestus [[SecondLove now married to Aglaia]], while Aphrodite seems to be single.
193	* Myth/NorseMythology:
194	** Balder and Hoder are twins. All we know is that they're both sons of Odin and Frigga. They hit a lot of TwinTropes, though: the few stories that feature them put them together, their [[GodOfLight contrasting]] [[GodOfDarkness roles]] work for a PolarOppositeTwins dynamic, and it [[AngstySurvivingTwin adds more tragedy]] to the whole situation.
195	** Likewise, Magni and Modi are often referred to as twins, or at least as both being sons of Thor and Jarnsaxa. Modi's mother is actually unknown.
196	[[/folder]]
197
198	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
199	* The [[http://mimir.net/mapinfinity/ordial.html Ordial Plane]] is a concept that turns up very frequently in ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' fan work, based on the assumption that the Astral and Ethereal Planes should have a third counterpart in accordance to the RuleOfThree and which would complete the circle between the Inner, Outer, and Material Planes.
200	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' deliberately leaves a lot up in the air concerning some of its mysteries, but a great deal of fanon proclaims definitive answers to these questions. One common example is the nature of the Bretonnian goddess: many fans declare that she is merely a deception by the Wood Elves to be holy writ, but this is only one of several possibilities vaguely hinted at by the actual canon.
201	* The above applies to Warhammer's sister game ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' as well. There are fans who insist that the Eldar created the Tau Ethereals, based on some vague hints in the Xenology book, which had a decidedly UnreliableNarrator (and the narrator himself dismissed the idea out of hand).
202	** [[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/4027777/images/1237573586142.jpg Apparently]], the [[AmazonBrigade Sisters of Battle]] are beautiful, {{pyromaniac}}al, trigger-happy {{Tsundere}}s. All of them. Or (after [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Sisters_of_Battle#Sisters_Snuff certain updates]]) they are The [[{{Woobie}} Pointlessly Martyred]] Squad. Which [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds isn't mutually exclusive]]. Except [[CombatSadomasochist sadomasochistic]] and [[NaughtyNuns scantily clad]] Repentia, but that's less of fanon and more an interpretation of [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Sisters_Repentia the original imagery]].
203	** Fanon tends to paint the [[SpaceMarine Rainbow Warriors]] as being Mayan/Aztec/Inca-themed... [[FridgeBrilliance which makes quite a lot of sense]] because there was an [[ShownTheirWork Native American myth of a being called The Rainbow Warrior who will defend all life]]. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Rainbow_Warriors Or not.]]
204	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Many players assume Abyssal Exalted are undead. They're actually living people "tainted by the essence of the Underworld", much like {{Dhampyr}}s in many other settings. However, in Third Edition, they're considered undead Exalted for the purposes of the rare few Charms which specifically affect such (the category being created because Third Edition has another Exalted type who straddle the boundaries of life and death, the Liminal Exalted, and the option for other varieties of undead Exalted to exist, for example via the Exigence).
205	* [[http://farcastblog.com Farcast]] is fanon for many ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' fans.
206	[[/folder]]
207
208	[[folder:Theater]]
209	* ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' is a breeding ground for these, due partly to centuries of theatrical interpretation and partly to EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory induced by high school English classes. Thus, for instance, many people take it for granted that Hamlet is genuinely mad instead of faking it.
210	* The ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors'' fandom often gives Audrey's full name as Audrey Fulquard. This surname is from ''Film/TheLittleShopOfHorrors'', the B-movie on which the musical is--very loosely--based.
211	[[/folder]]
212
213	[[folder:Theme Parks]]
214	* Disney's ''Ride/TheHauntedMansion'' doesn't have any real official backstory so far, although there are just enough clues to make the audience wonder. The Internet has a gigantic amount of theories about the backstory of the Mansion. More recent additions to the Mansion seem to create a "canonical" backstory have raised great protestation from the fans who imagined a backstory as they rode through the attraction.
215	[[/folder]]
216
217	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
218	* ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'': "The Moonlit World" isn't what the MagicalSociety is called in official works. It originated as the name of the website that formerly hosted the Nasuverse fan forum ''Beast's Lair''. When the site was rebooted after an untimely crash, the website portion of the forum was lost. The term "Moonlit World", however, was such a unique way to describe TheMasquerade and its many wonders and dangers that fans kept it around for their fanworks and forum discussions.
219	* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' is a case where Fanon is actually ''encouraged'' by the author. Ryūkishi wants the readers to have their own ideas and reach their own conclusions about [[WildMassGuessing the plot]] and [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation the characters]]. Very few answers about the mysteries are revealed explicitly; but most readers end up acknowledging a certain conclusion (namely that [[spoiler:Beatrice, Kanon and Shannon are one and the same]]) even if the story never outright states it. [[AdaptationExpansion The manga]] tends to be a bit more explicit on some aspects though.
220	[[/folder]]
221
222	[[folder:Web Animation]]
223	* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' has a lot of these. According to an inordinate number of fans...
224	** Character appearances have been pretty well cemented by Luke [=McKay's=] fan art, leading most people to believe Caboose is a [[DumbBlonde blonde]], Grif and Simmons have brown hair, Tex has [[FieryRedhead red hair]], Church has black hair and stubble, etc. While Church's appearance has sort of been confirmed ([[spoiler:the Director indeed looks like an older, even grumpier Luke [=McKay=] Church]]), some of the others are definitely not correct (Tucker is implied to be black while Grif and Sister are implied to be Hawaiian, unlike Luke [=McKay=]'s white depictions of all three, and Wash and Tex are blondes... [[spoiler:or at least the original Allison was]]).
225	*** On note of character appearance, many fans believe that Simmons' cyborg implants are more blatant than actually implied and Donut [[spoiler:post-Chrovos resurrection has one of his eyes replaced with a crystal]].
226	** Grif and Simmons are believed to be in a romantic relationship. While Tucker does make a remark about them being in love, and the idea is sometimes alluded to by the two's interactions, their relationship in the show is mostly just portrayed as ordinary HeterosexualLifePartners.
227	** Many fans had the belief that Sarge was previously an ODST, as it's mentioned that Sarge jumped out of ships "during the war". However, this wouldn't be confirmed as canonical until Season 15, where Sarge outright mentions him previously being in the ODST.
228	** Crunchbite was reincarnated as Junior. There's some evidence for this in the series, but it's far from explicitly said.
229	** There's a large group of fans who believe that at least some of the Freelancers served in the Human-Covenant War, with some specifically stating that Wash fought at the Battle of Reach. While Project Freelancer's origins ''are'' confirmed as being related to the Great War (specifically, Project Freelancer was created as a "magic-bullet" program during the midst of the war so as to save humanity by both experimenting on human-A.I. interactions and the various possible threats that soldiers would encounter on the galactic battlefield), no Freelancers are recorded as actually getting involved in the Great War. However, [[AllThereInTheManual later supplementary material]] would state that Agent Washington did fight in the Great War, though only '''before''' he joined Project Freelancer.
230	** It is common for fans to give names to the Freelancers whose real names are unknown. Most commonly, York is given the name James, Maine is given the name Theodore, and Carolina is given the name Carol.
231	** Epsilon is metastable/rampant. Metastability in the Halo universe is, to borrow a phrase from the forums, a big deal, involving some very obvious and extreme stages. Epsilon hasn't really exhibited any of these (except maybe anger) and it's likely he's not even capable of it (being a fragment, not a full AI), yet it's such a common fan theory that it's often stated as fact, even on Website/ThisVeryWiki.
232	** Carolina's nickname (often given to her by York) is Lina. She's never called anything but Carolina in the show, though, even by York. On another note, she's almost always shown in fan works using the gravity hammer, despite using it only twice in the series--pistols or melee are much more part of her fighting style, yet fans have latched onto the gravity hammer instead.
233	** Wash and CT had a romantic relationship, despite only interacting ''twice'' in the show. In fairness, both times implied they were closer than most Freelancers, but he doesn't even react when [[spoiler:she turns traitor... or when the Freelancers attack Charon Industries to capture or kill her]].
234	** After the ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' {{crossover}} episode, pretty much the entire fandom has accepted that [[spoiler:Sarge is Boomstick's father]]. As of ''DEATH BATTLE!'''s 150th episode, "[[Wrestling/RandySavage Macho Man]] VS Kool-Aid Man", [[spoiler:this is confirmed as canonical]].
235	** After the Freelancer Prequel Duology in [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueSeason14 Season 14]] ("The Triplets" and "The Mission"), most fans think that Freelancer Agent Ohio's group and Charon Agent Sherry's group were the main inspiration for the Red and Blue Teams (or at least gave the Director the initial idea for them). Also, many fans think that the icy wasteland of a planet they're stranded on is Sidewinder ([[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail since it's the only other ice planet encountered in the series]]).
236	** After ''Singularity'' revealed that Carolina went into hiding after being "killed" by the Meta in the form of [[spoiler:joining the UNSC under the false name [=McCallister=]]] fans have taken this to mean that [[spoiler:[=McCallister=] is Allison Church's maiden name]], though the show doesn't provide any real evidence for it.
237	* [[MoeAnthropomorphism Humanoid]] fan-art for ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' usually follow the same basic designs. For example, Flippy is almost always presented as an young man with short green hair wearing an army cap, a black t-shirt, dog tags, and an army jacket. Flaky has long, slightly wavy MessyHair with dandruff in it and wears a red or white sweater. The fact Flaky is supposed to be {{a\|mbiguousGender}}ndrogynous rarely comes up in fanworks as she looks very feminine.
238	** Many fanworks explain the show's NegativeContinuity as the town the Tree Friends live in being cursed, in that everyone is unable to leave and is cursed to repeately die and come back to life, and permanent injuries were caused and permanently dead characters killed before they moved to the town.
239	* ''WebAnimation/CampCamp'': Canadian!David and Colombian!Gwen are extremely popular, with Latina or Hispanic Gwen being near universal. Max is usually of Indian descent (ultimately became canonical in the Heritage Festival/Hanukkah special), with Native American or biracial also being popular (in the case of the latter, he's typically half-Hindi/half-Caucasian but the Hindi part can be swapped for Native American or other POC options and half-Hindi/half-other-POC-option is not unheard of).
240	** David was a foster child at some point and had a rough go of it. Alternately he had a good family but an awful and/or absent father.
241	** Max's parents are physically abusive, hence why he never takes off his hoody. Alternately, there's nothing to hide but he has a sensory quirk that means he doesn't like to be without long sleeves.
242	** David's surname is usually Greene/Green, Greenwood, Wood/Woods, Pine/Pines, Forest or Forester. Gwen is almost always "Santos" though "Lopez" can be an option.
243	** Max will become a counselor at Camp Campbell as a teen/adult. Neil and Nikki commonly join him but this isn't universal.
244	** David's job outside of the camp is frequently in education, such as a classroom teacher or a professional tutor.
245	** Neil is commonly seen as autistic. David is also popularly thought to be on the spectrum as well.
246	*** After "Attack of the Nurfs" showcased Max printing out a sensory deprivation tank, many fans began theorizing that he's on the spectrum too.
247	** Nikki's mom and Neil's dad eventually hook up for real.
248	* WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss:
249	** Because of Stolas' obsession with Blitzo, and the fact that imps are the lowest class among demons, some people have theorized that Stolas married a woman merely for status or as a political move, and hid his interest in imps from the general public. The second episode lends credence to the idea, as it heavily implies his marriage is [[MarriageOfConvenience one of convenience]], showing that Stolas was dissatisfied with the marriage since Octavia was little and viewing her as the only good thing that came out of it.
250	** Many fans of the show believe that, if and when they interact with each other, Loona and Octavia will become FireForgedFriends, or at least something similar to that.
251	* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': Fanworks featuring the unused characters Homeschool Winner and Champeen almost always make them related to Homestar, often either his siblings or cousins.
252	[[/folder]]
253
254	[[folder:Web Comics]]
255	* ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'' gave birth to an entire community founded around roleplaying as {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, found at ''Website/AwfulHospitalRoleplayForum''.
256	[[/folder]]
257
258	[[folder:Web Original]]
259	* In ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', a popular fanmade Neopian Times piece ("Poor Dr_Death") managed to define everything pertaining to the owners of the pound/adoption center. Most notably, the anonymous Uni was given a name, and nobody has found cause to dispute Dr_Death's characterization as a lovable DeadpanSnarker. (At least, not until his official appearance suddenly became ''much'' LighterAndSofter with the rest of the website, but that's another issue.)
260	* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': Fanart loves to depict SCP-2317 (the kilometer-tall fat dude chained underground behind a dimensional portal) as having a single cyclopean eye, even though no such trait is present in his description.
261	[[/folder]]
262
263	[[folder:Web Videos]]
264	* It's become Fanon in the shipping community that WebVideo/{{Ask That Guy\|WithTheGlasses}} is WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's twin brother and that he lives in his house. And that they're [[{{Twincest}} very close.]]
265	** And that The Other Guy is the older, slightly saner brother that the Critic goes to when he needs to lick his wounds.
266	** Again with them, any fic that takes place when they were younger calls them Doug and Guy. For common sense purposes really, it'd be silly for their parents to call them "Critic" and "Ask That Guy".
267	** It's become AscendedFanon that they're brothers, as Ask That Guy recently referred to Rob as his brother.
268	** Spurred by Ask That Guy's love of his pipe and Doug's penchant for blowjob jokes, Critic being ''really'' good at oral has become almost a meme in fics.
269	** Also that Dr. Insano's son is named "SOI" (Son Of Insano). And he goes to school.
270	** After ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'' was finished, it's usually accepted that the Critic was exiled to a hotel room and the others had fun on his tab. What tends to happen [[DisproportionateRetribution next]] is, unfortunately, wishful thinking.
271	** Given that an episode was based around ''married'' WebVideo/{{D\|emoReel}}onnie having a LoveTriangle with two men, it's commonly assumed that he wrecked his miserable marriage by having an affair.
272	* ''WebVideo/DontHugMeImScared'':
273	** The sketchbook has an AmbiguousGender but almost the entire fandom considers them female. She is often given the FanNickname "Paige", and people usually refer to her as a "notepad" rather than a sketchbook. Her [[MoeAnthropomorphism humanized]] form is a woman with long multi-colored hair wearing a white dress with red trimmings (and optional designs). Her face is white and her arms are black and inky.
274	** Tony has a human design of a man with blue skin with a red stripe on his face, black hair (often with yellow tips), and yellow facial hair. Tony wears formal attire and a bow-tie.
275	** Tony and Paige are both portrayed as CuteButPsycho and AxCrazy. Whether they get along differs from fan to fan but nevertheless they're usually presented as having a violent relationship.
276	** Shrignold doesn't have a concrete fanon design. His human versions often wears a yellow turtleneck, or yellow scarf, though.
277	** Colin almost always [[SmartPeopleWearGlasses wears glasses]] in his human designs.
278	* It's never outright stated in [[WebVideo/MatthewSantoro Matt Santoro's]] videos, but it's a common fan theory that [[TheDitz Hugo]], Matt's clone, also has the last name Santoro.
279	* ''WebVideo/TwistedTranslations'': Fans generally interpret the line "Discrimination law is probably the queen" from the cover of "Let it Go" from ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'' as Elsa complaining that she is being prevented from becoming queen due to a law which discriminates against people with powers. Supporting this is the cover of "For the First Time in Forever", in which Anna, as opposed to Elsa, is preparing for her "term of office" despite being the younger sister.
280	* ''WebVideo/TwitchPlaysPokemon'' is a general source of this, mostly because of the gimmick of [[HiveMind multiple people being able to control the main character at once]]. Most stories and personalities of the main character tend to be crafted from whatever incident occurs under their influence, and most everybody will have a different interpretation of those two items.
281	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Fanon