Line #173 Main/RetCanon


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5	[[quoteright:256:[[Franchise/{{Kirby}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fountain_of_dreams.png]]]]
6	[[caption-width-right:256:The Fountain of Dreams in ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' (1993), ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' (2001), and the [[VideoGameRemake remake]] ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' (2002)]]
7
8	If an adaptation of a series is popular, it will [[LostInImitation leave its stamp on subsequent adaptations]]. More strangely, a popular adaptation may leave its stamp on the series it was adapted ''from'', if that series is still ongoing. Ret-Canon is when elements from an adaptation of a work (or the adaptation as a whole) is later made canonical due to the source material acknowledging it or WordOfGod stating it as such.
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10	For the more general application of changes to the work, see {{Retcon}}.
11
12	The CanonImmigrant is often a walking example of Ret-Canon. See also: RecursiveAdaptation, AdaptationDisplacement, and CanonDiscontinuity.
13
14	Compare AscendedFanon, where it's Fanon that becomes canonical instead of adaptation-only material.
15	----
16	!! Example subpages:
17
18	[[index]]
19	* RetCanon/AnimeAndManga
20	* RetCanon/ComicBooks
21	** RetCanon/TheDCU
22	*** RetCanon/{{Batman}}
23	*** RetCanon/{{Superman}}
24	** RetCanon/MarvelUniverse
25	*** RetCanon/TheAvengers
26	*** RetCanon/SpiderMan
27	*** RetCanon/XMen
28	* RetCanon/{{Literature}}
29	* RetCanon/VideoGames
30	* ''RetCanon/MortalKombatTheMovie''
31	[[/index]]
32
33	!!Other examples:
34	[[foldercontrol]]
35
36	[[folder:Film]]
37	* ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'' [[RaceLift recast]] Ripcord (formerly a redheaded white guy) as black. Since then, Ripcord has been introduced in three new continuities--the [[ComicBook/GIJoeIDW IDW comicbooks]], ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeResolute'' and the ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeRenegades'' cartoon--and in all three of them he's a young black man.
38	* In order to manage the many characters in Arthurian legend, John Boorman's ''Film/{{Excalibur}}'' merged the characters of Morgause of Orkney and Morgana le Fay into one CompositeCharacter, keeping the latter's name and powers of sorcery, but giving her the former's role of mothering Mordred after an incestuous affair with Arthur. Though he may not have been the ''first'' to make this change, his film popularized the incestuous angle between Morgana and Arthur in many adaptations to come.
39	* ''Franchise/TheLionKing'':
40	** "The Morning Report" was written for the [[Theatre/TheLionKing theatrical adaptation]] but later animated and added into the Creator/{{IMAX}} re-release of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 the movie]] ([[TheOtherDarrin with different voices]]).
41	** "He Lives In You" from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'' is from a CD for the original film that was later added into the theatrical play. [[AdaptationDisplacement The film version is]] [[OlderThanTheyThink more well-known]]. The [[AdaptationalContextChange context]] was changed between the versions. The theater version is sung by Rafiki to Simba during the part where Simba [[spoiler:speaks to Mufasa]] while the film version happens during Kiara's (Simba's daughter) presentation and is sung by an outside source.
42	* A map in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' shows the Klingon homeworld, Kronos/Qo'noS, to be located in the "Omega Leonis sector block". The "sector block" descriptor is a cartography term created by the ''Star Trek Star Charts'' licensed reference book by Geoffrey Mandel, and the Omega Leonis sector block nomenclature was created for ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'''s overworld. (Sector blocks have since been removed from the game in favor of rendering the entire quadrant as a single map.)
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
46	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' and ''Franchise/SuperSentai'':
47	** ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' originally had Zordon existing in a limbo dimension, with the tube he spoke out of being only his form of communication. ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'' had Zordon being physically in the tube in a pocket dimension and capable of being killed by rupturing that tube. In ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' (about two years after the first movie) Zordon was magically brought to the physical tube in a pocket dimension, allowing him to return to his homeworld and exist in a state similar to the movie, and in fact became a major plot element of ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' where Zordon is captured.
48	** Speaking of homeworld, ''Power Rangers: The Movie'' had Lord Zedd acknowledge that Zordon's home planet is Eltar, something that was never mentioned in the show. Since then, Eltar was mentioned in a few post-MMPR seasons. Though this was in the UniverseBible, so it's more that the movie was just the first to say it out loud.
49	** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' introduced a special move using the wheels from the Rangers' suits, an attack which didn't exist in ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger.'' The move was later incorporated into the Franchise/SuperSentai canon in ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger''.
50	** When the [=TyrannoRanger=] from ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' showed up in the ''[[Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger Kyoryuger]]'' vs ''[[Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters Go-Busters]]'' movie, he was given a modernized TransformationSequence based off the one [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Adam Park]] used during his guest spot on ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive''. They even used the [[OffTheShelfFX Legacy Power Morpher toy]] that Bandai had released for the 20th anniversary of ''Power Rangers'' for the transformation scene!
51	* ''Series/RedDwarf'':
52	** As of Series IV, Lister's backstory with Kochanski was retconned to one closer to what appeared in the [[Literature/RedDwarf novel]] ''Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers'' and ''Series/RedDwarfUSA'' than had been detailed in the first two series. Originally he'd been hopelessly in love with her, but never had the nerve to ask her out ("In your entire life, your conversations with her totalled 123 words. You had a better relationship with your rubber plant"); in the books they dated for a while, then she got back with "Tim, or Tom, or it may have been Tony" from Catering. The breakup first gets mentioned on screen in the Season IV episode "DNA", and Tim is referenced in Season VII's "Ouroboros" and Season VIII's "Krytie TV".
53	*** Also, Kochanski's first name was originally "Christine" as indicated by her hologram box ("KOCHANSKI C.Z."). The books named her [[AlliterativeName "Kristine"]] which the series eventually went with.
54	** One episode of that series was adapted from a section of a novel, rather than the other way around: the episode "White Hole" is based on the "Garbage World" section of the novel "Better Than Life". This includes the return of Talkie Toaster, who in his Season I appearances would occasionally nag Lister to eat toast, but ''could'' talk about other things, and even dreamed of "something more, something greater, something unimaginably more splendid than heating bread". In the book he was given a monomaniacal obsession with toast that carried over into this episode and his much later appearance in "Mechocracy".
55	** Also in "Ouroboros", Kryten says he always ends up alone, like on the Nova 5 and Lister responds "You killed the crew! All right, it was an accident, but still..." This refers to Kryten's expanded backstory in ''Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers'', where the Nova 5 crashed because he decided to clean the navigation computer with soapy water.
56	** Series IV's "Justice" states that Lister and Rimmer worked a shift called "Z-Shift". While them being the two lowest-ranked members of the crew had already been established, Z-Shift specifically originated in the books.
57	* ''Series/{{Smallville}}''
58	** Season 7 gave us a one-off immortal villain, and clear {{Expy}} of ComicBook/VandalSavage, who went by the alias "Curtis Knox". When Vandal Savage became the BigBad of the first season of ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', one episode had him using the alias "Dr. Curtis Knox".
59	** Season 9 introduced an {{Expy}} of the ComicBook/GreenArrow foe Merlyn known as Vordigan the Dark Archer. When Merlyn was brought into ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', [[AdaptationNameChange Malcolm Merlyn became his real name]] (his real name in the comics is Arthur King), while his {{codename}} was changed to the Dark Archer.
60	* Kato in ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' is now always a [[Creator/BruceLee martial artist]].
61	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
62	** Various TV Dalek stories sometimes incorporated elements from the Dalek comic books and annuals, as well as the Amicus ''Dr. Who'' movies. The Emperor Dalek from "The Evil of the Daleks" is a CanonImmigrant from ''The Dalek Book'', from which the word "rels" in New Who also originates. "The Parting of the Ways" uses Dalek spaceships modelled after the comic book ones, and even shows a Dalek with a movie-style claw attachment in place of a plunger at one point (although it is a flamethrower).
63	** "The Power of the Doctor", without giving details, suggests that Ace stopped travelling with the Seventh Doctor after a serious moral disagreement between them that she later regretted, reflecting her initial break with him in the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novel series continuity.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Music]]
67	* After [=UB40=] hit the top of the charts with a reworked reggae version of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine", Diamond began performing ''their'' version of the song in concert.
68	** [=UB40=]'s version was based on Tony Tribe's 1971 reggae reworking of the song, but evidently that hadn't been popular enough to justify Diamond changing his arrangement.
69	* Music/JohnnyCash's version of Music/NineInchNails' ''Hurt''. Trent Reznor himself even said:
70	-->It feels like I've just lost a girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore.
71	* Music/BobDylan in concert tends to perform Music/JimiHendrix's cover of his song "All Along the Watchtower".
72	* Music/BillyJoel likes Music/GarthBrooks' version of ''Shameless'' so much that he lets Garth come out and sing it when he gives a concert.
73	* Noel Gallagher of Music/{{Oasis}} went through a phase of doing Music/RyanAdams' cover of "Wonderwall", most notably on his solo and acoustic tours.
74	* Music/SuicidalTendencies brought in significant funk influences from their side project, Infectious Grooves.
75	* Robert Smith, singer and guitarist for Music/{{The Cure\|Band}}, enjoyed Music/DinosaurJr's cover of "Just Like Heaven" so much that it has drastically influenced the way that The Cure play the song in concerts.
76	* Humorous example: After Music/WeirdAlYankovic parodied {{Music/Madonna}}'s "Like a Virgin" music video with his own "Like a Surgeon", Madonna appeared in a second video dressed as a surgeon.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
80	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
81	** The game didn't even ''have'' two-handed Thunder Hammers before ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' gave one to its Force Commander. It was not available for a power armoured character until the 5th edition Space Marine codex, which came out after Dawn of War.
82	** The Tau Railrifle was first introduced in the ''VideoGame/FireWarrior'' game, and was given rules as a ''Magazine/WhiteDwarf'' supplement before being added to the next codex.
83	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': The PlayerParty in the 2018 ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'' video game, adapted from the ''Kingmaker Adventure Path'' tabletop campaign by Creator/OwlcatGames, included two characters from the tabletop game ([[Characters/PathfinderIconics Amiri]] and [[Characters/PathfinderAdventurePathKingmaker Jubilost Narthropple]]) and eleven original characters. In 2022, Creator/{{Paizo}} released an add-on for the Second Edition remake of the ''Kingmaker Adventure Path'', the ''Kingmaker Companion Guide'', which adapted Owlcat's implementation of all thirteen characters back into tabletop format, along with personal sidequests for seven of them. The ''Kingmaker Bestiary'' re-stats them for First Edition.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Theatre]]
87	* Revivals of a musical with a successful movie version will often try to find places to add [[MovieBonusSong songs written for the movie]] back into the show. E.g. ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}'', ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'', ''Film/{{Grease}}''.
88	** Additionally, some stagings of ''Theatre/{{Grease}}'' will use T-Birds, rather than Burger Palace Boys, as the name of the boys' gang.
89	* Revivals of ''Theatre/AnythingGoes'' invariably include "It's De-Lovely," "Friendship" and other Music/ColePorter songs originally written for other shows.
90	* The licensed version of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' as a stage musical still has ruby slippers, while the originals were silver.
91	* ''Creator/RichardOBrien'' revised the script for ''Theatre/TheRockyHorrorShow'' in 1990 and incorporated a few changes made for [[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow the film]]. Notably, "Time Warp" was moved before "Sweet Transvestite", and "Charles Atlas Song" was replaced by "I Can Make You a Man".
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Theme Parks]]
95	* After the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' movies became popular, references to the characters were added to the original [[Ride/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Disney World ride]], along with several animatronic appearances of Captain Jack Sparrow. The latter are particularly jarring, as all of the original characters are cartoony caricatures of human beings, but Jack is a perfect likeness of Creator/JohnnyDepp's character (although Depp himself may be sufficiently cartoony to justify this). More jarring is the sound. Jack Sparrow and redone sound clips mentioning him sound very clear, while any audio still from the original version of the attraction is far scratchier.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Toys]]
99	* Franchise/{{Transformers}}:
100	** The idea that Jetfire wears a helmet/battle mask resembling his G1 toy design was first introduced by Dreamwave's ''ComicBook/TransformersGenerationOne'' comic book, and has since been used for subsequent G1-style Jetfire action figures.
101	** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' has a group called the [[PraetorianGuard Cybertron Elite Guard]] serving as the commanding military and security force for the Autobots. Then, the [=BotCon=] 2009 theme was about a similar group (with the same winged Autobot insignias) set in [[ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor G1 continuity]] called the ''Cybertronian'' Elite Guard. The Elite Guard are also in ''Prime,'' with Smokescreen having once been a member.
102	** In another Transformers example, the ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' toyline originally portrayed the events as taking place on present day Earth and Optimus Primal and Megatron being merely new forms of [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Optimus Prime and the original Megatron]]. When the animated series premiered with the events taking place on prehistoric Earth via time travel and Primal and Beast Megatron being made {{legacy character}}s, the toyline was changed to match up with the cartoon.
103	** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' shows heavy influence from the ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'', including the general appearance of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron, as well as Bumblebee's muteness (although he now speaks in generic beeps and tones instead of talking using clips from his radio). Many fans have described the aesthetics of the robots as a mix of Movie-style and ''Animated''-style.
104	** The ''War for Cybertron'' game was effectively a G1 prequel, stated to be in the same universe as the ''Prime'' series [[WordOfSaintPaul by the toy company]] despite the existence of Dark Energon being the only thing the two stories had in common. However, the sequel, ''Fall of Cybertron,'' is upping the similarities to Prime with Cliffjumper's head design changing from a G1-inspired design to a clearly Prime-inspired on as well as [[spoiler:Bumblebee having his voice box destroyed by Megatron, muting him in the same way as in the Films and Prime]]. ''Prime'' has also had a few nods to the games. Both versions have left their marks on each other to the point that they've sorta converged.
105	** ''Prime'' also follows in the footsteps of ''Exodus'' lately, incorporating bits from across franchise history. [[Anime/TransformersCybertron Four key macguffins that go into an "Omega Lock"]]?
106	** ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' introduced the concept of a robot soul called a Spark, all subsequent material have included this as a major component of the Transformer culture. This was even retroactively applied to all G1 characters, with the original Optimus Prime and Megatron having particularly powerful sparks able to upgrade the forms of Optimus Primal and Beast Wars Megatron.
107	*** An earlier concept of this was hinted at in Generation One, when two episodes referred to a "laser core." Once, the 'cons wanted to make sure Prime's was extinguished rather than assuming he was dead due to the damage he'd taken earlier; another time, Megs ordered Devastator to extinguish the Autobots' laser cores forever. This was very spark-esque (something in your chest that, if "extinguished," means you're [[KilledOffForReal dead-dead]] and not [[DisneyDeath cartoon dead]], and checking for this is the only way to be sure) and ''may'' have been in the back of the ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' writers' minds. However, there's no clear indication that they were aware of it when they conceived of the 'Spark' concept, and it ''was'' mentioned on those two occasions only. Since then, most canons mentioning laser cores combined them with the spark concept, stating the laser core was what the spark was housed in.
108	** ''Beast Wars'' also introduced Protoforms, though what they are changes from one adaptation to another, ranging from the equivalent young, infant, or even prenatal Cybertronians, to simply a Cybertronians' basic form. (The movie toy packaging stands alone in using "Protoform" to mean "Cybertronian who hasn't scanned an Earth mode yet," which would make the ''entire'' casts of ''The War Within'' or ''War for Cybertron'' protoforms.) Not every series included them, but a lot did.
109	** IDW Publishing's Transformers series begins life as an updated retelling of G1, but bits of other versions begin to sneak in. These days, ''not'' using things like the units of time (cycle, megacycle, etc.) and what we know of Transformer biology (sparks, etc.) that ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' originated is unheard of. Also, by now, we've met Lockdown (Animated-original) and Grindcore (Movie comics original), quite a few characters from the Japan-only G1 sequels, and Omega Supreme uses his name as a BadassBoast (Animated Omega was the first to do that.)
110	*** To make a long story short, once any Transformers property introduces a character or concept, it becomes fair game for both new series and new versions of older series. In TheMultiverse, one Demolishor or Barricade or Omega Lock existing means that every universe ''probably'' has one that you just haven't met... yet.
111	** The use of the term "Titans" to describe massive, city-sized Transformers like Metroplex, Scorponok and Fortress Maxmimus originated in the [[Comicbook/TheTransformersIDW IDW comics]]. It's since been officially adopted as the classification for such characters from Creator/{{Hasbro}}, featuring most prominently in 2016 ''Titans Return'' toy line.
112	** The movies introduce the idea of Megatron and Optimus Prime being brothers-in-arms before the former fell into villainy, and the Megatron of ''Transformers Prime'' was a dissatisfied gladiator who sought to put an end to the Cybertronian caste system until Megatron's anger and jealousy consumed him and he fell out with Optimus. These aspects of his backstory would become a common occurance across ''Transformers'' material from the 2010s onward, such as ''WesternAnimation/TransformersCyberverse'' and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersWarForCybertronTrilogy''.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Western Animation]]
116	* In the NES ''VideoGame/DuckTales'' video game, Scrooge [=McDuck=] [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace can breathe on the moon]] with no explanation. In the 2013 remake, it is handwaved that Gyro Gearloose invented Oxy-chew taffy to allow users to breathe on the moon without a space suit. In the [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017 2017 reboot]], Oxy-chew appears, explaining how Della Duck stayed for so many years on the moon.
117	** The Moon Stage Theme from the NES video game was used in the 2017 cartoon, [[WithLyrics with added lyrics]] and sang by Della Duck.
118	* The chapter books and comics based on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' were initially considered LooseCanon. With Hasbro's official position that if something happened in the official comics, the official chapter books, or even in ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls Equestria Girls]]'', it's canonical unless outright contradicted by the series itself. Despite the fact that no episodes prior to Season 5 (save for [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E18MaudPie at least one episode]]) make outright references to either. Several episodes in Season 5, however, either explicitly reference or allude to events in the books, largely due to the books' main writer joining the show's writing stable.
119	** The Series 9 finale name-drops King Vorak, Tirek's father from the comics, making him canonical to the show.
120	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'': Season 8 came out after ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGONinjagoMovie'', and implements several touches from the film: the ninja's faces and hairstyles now resemble those of their movie counterparts, their uniforms are [[DivergentCharacterEvolution more personalized and distinct]] (such as Cole's lack of sleeves and [[spoiler:Nya's armored skirt]]), and the [[{{Wingdinglish}} Asian-style ciphers]] are prominently on display. The Destiny's Bounty (the team's flying CoolBoat HomeBase) is also redesigned to match its movie counterpart.
121	* ''WesternAnimation/PJMasks'': The show is adapted from a series of French children's books, but drastically changed the tone from fantastic stories to a more traditional heroes vs. villains superhero show. It also added several new elements, like the heroes having their own vehicles, new villains like Night Ninja and Luna Girl and the fact one of the hero is a girl. While the overall tone of the books has remained the same, these changes were nonetheless incorporated into the books after the show became a success.
122	* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'': When [[Film/InspectorGadget1999 the first live-action film]] had a talking Gadgetmobile with a hip and fun attitude, it was well-liked that they kept his traits into the cartoon after 1999.
123	* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'': The third season featured a flashback to Cybertron's pre-history, revealing that an unidentified Autobot leader helped to defeat the Decepticons in their first war before he was killed by Megatron, leaving the Matrix of Leadership in Alpha Trion's hands before he passed it on to Optimus Prime. Around the same time, the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel Marvel Comic]] identified Optimus' predecessor as "Sentinel Prime," but only in its pages. By the 2010s, Sentinel had gone on to greater prominence in Transformers media, notably as both an [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated an authoritative jerk]], and [[spoiler: [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon a villain]]]], so Hasbro deemed the previously unidentified Autobot leader from the cartoon as its version of Sentinel.
124	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RetCanon