Back in the day, it used to be simple. There was the {{canon}}, and everything else was {{fanon}}. But then along came the [[DerivativeWorks different media adaptations]], the [[WordOfGod addendum made by the authors]], the noncanon -- often contradicting previous things, or each other -- and the various {{Universe Bible}}s. Different fandoms have different ways of determining what's definitely officially part of the universe or not. Here's an index to help you.
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!!Tropes:
[[index]]
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'''Main topic:'''
* {{Canon}}

'''Related indexes:'''
* ContinuityTropes
* {{Crossover}}s
* FranchiseIndex
* TheVerse
** ExpandedUniverse
]
* AdvertisingOnlyContinuity: What happens in tie-in commercials isn't consistent with the canon of the work the commercials tie into.
* AllThereInTheManual: Canon information exclusively found in the supplementary material.
* ArmedWithCanon: Various writers argue over what's canon from different incarnations of a franchise.
* AscendedFanon: {{Fanon}} becomes part of the official canon.
* BroadStrokes: An earlier story has some of its details considered canon in later entries, while the rest is either ignored, changed, or discarded to fit a new narrative.
* CanonCharacterAllAlong: An apparent CanonForeigner is revealed to be an actual character from canon or, at least, a different interpretation of them.
* CanonDiscontinuity: Episode or installment of a series is officially confirmed as non-canon.
* CanonFodder: Pieces of canon that are not elaborated upon (yet), making them ripe for FanficFuel.
* CanonForeigner: A character that exists only in {{Spin Off}}s or an alternate continuity of a work, not being part of the canon.
* CanonIllustrations: Illustrations related to a written work end up defining a character's canon appearance.
* CanonImmigrant: A character originating from a fanfic or non-canon {{Spin Off}}s becomes part of the canon.
* CanonInvasion: A work's canon gets merged with another's, the latter usually being a property recently acquired by the holder of the former.
* CanonMarchesOn: Later canon works directly disprove earlier {{Spin Off}}s, rendering them non-canon.
* CanonWelding: Previously unrelated works are merged into a single, shared {{Continuity}}.
** PublicDomainCanonWelding: When at least one of the works is PublicDomain.
* {{Crossover}}: Characters from different works meet each other. Such a storyline may or may not be canonical for both works.
** IntercontinuityCrossover: Two vastly different series converge into a shared reality.
** IntraFranchiseCrossover: When different iterations of a single series end up crossing over into a shared reality.
* DoomedByCanon: We know what happens to a character in an earlier future story, meaning their fate in a later past one is sealed.
* ExpandedUniverse: Collection of officially licensed works and adaptations that serve more to explore and expand a setting, rarely getting in the way of the main storyline.
** RestrictedExpandedUniverse: Official additional works still need to follow certain rules and guidelines from higher-ups about what's acceptable to expand.
* {{Fanon}}: When FanWank is accepted by fans as part of {{Continuity}}.
* FanonWelding: The author never said his work shares a continuity or universe with another different work, but the fans believe so.
* GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld: Author has little to no input on what goes in their own work's continuity.
* {{Interquel}}: An installment of the series that takes place between two previously released installments or during the events of one previously released installment.
* {{Jossed}}: When canon events disprove fan theories.
* LooseCanon: A mostly standalone story or event that reasonably fits within the main continuity of a series, but is not outright considered canonical for whatever reason.
* ModularFranchise: A franchise that's all about elements from other franchises working together as a unit.
* OutdatedByCanon: Canon disproves {{Fanon}}.
* {{Prequel}}: An installment of the series that takes place before previously released installments.
* RecurringFanonCharacter: An OriginalCharacter becomes so popular in the fandom as to be widely used by other fan creators.
* RecursiveCanon: The work exists inside the work itself.
* RetCanon: An episode, event, ability, etc. meant to be non-canon becomes canon. The inverse of RetCon, essentially.
* SavedByCanon: We know this character is going to survive events taking place in the past, because they're alive in the present story. The opposite of DoomedByCanon, basically.
* SchrodingersCanon: A SpinOff meant to be canonical has discrepancies with what is shown in the actual canon, meaning there's no choice but to treat it as simultaneously canon and non-canon until more information is given.
* {{Sequel}}: An installment of the series that takes place after previously released installments.
* SeriesFranchise: Franchises that have several distinct series and adaptations under their umbrella.
* SharedUniverse: A single setting where different stories, from different authors, all take place.
* SpinOff: Reusing elements from a series to create a new, different take on it. May or may not fit within the original continuity.
* UniverseBible: A defined set of rules and procedures followed by the production team that detail how everything about a series must run.
* UniverseChronology: A timeline graph that records all events that take place in canon (and sometimes out of it).
* UniverseCompendium: Supplementary material that includes loads of background information about a series and its development process, for the purpose of being sold to fans.
* UniverseConcordance: An unofficial UniverseCompendium.
* UnreliableCanon: There's no definitive canon in those works since no one really bothers with maintaining continuity.
* WriterConflictsWithCanon: When WordOfGod directly disproves Canon, thus leading to a canonical paradox.
* WordOfGod: An authority figure of a work (author, producer, etc.) directly declares something about the work as canon.
** ApprovalOfGod: Fan works, adaptations or parodies are enjoyed by the creator of the source material, or those directly involved in it.
** DiagnosisOfGod: A work's creator diagnoses a character outside the work or deny they have a disorder.
** FlipFlopOfGod: The creator keeps changing their mind on what they have to say about the work that isn't actually shown in it, or multiple creators have different opinions on what isn't explained within the work.
** GodNeverSaidThat: People's ideas about canon are falsely attributed to the creators.
** ShrugOfGod: Not even the creator knows why things are the way they are in the work.
** WordOfDante: In the event that the creator hasn't said anything about the work, fanon is taken as the next best thing to canon.
** WordOfGay: The creator confirms a character to be gay or bisexual.
** WordOfSaintPaul: Details of canon not given in the work itself are revealed by someone close to the creator.
* WriterInducedFanon: {{Fanon}} has a strong chance of being canon and it's mostly accepted as such, even though the work has not confirmed it yet.
* ZeerustCanon: Outdated futuristic elements are kept in order to maintain continuity.
[[/index]]
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