canonbased

Canonbased is an adjective used to describe content, interpretations, or analyses that adhere to the official canon of a work. A work that is canonbased relies on the facts, events, and character traits established by the creators or the canonical source material, rather than on fan speculation or nonofficial adaptations.

It's commonly used in fan communities, fan fiction, and criticism to distinguish interpretations grounded in published canon from fanon, which refers to beliefs and ideas not supported by the canonical material. The term may also appear in discussions of official media, where a new film, book, or game is described as canonbased if its narrative aligns with the established continuity.

Canon can vary by franchise and medium. Some universes maintain a single, linear canon, while others acknowledge multiple canons, retcons, or expanded canons created by licensors, publishers, or showrunners. In such cases, what counts as canon (and thus canonbased) may change over time.

Because perceptions of canon change, the label canonbased can be context-dependent. Critics and participants often clarify whether they mean the primary text, supplementary materials, or creator statements as their basis. In legal or formal analysis, terms like canonically based, canon-compliant, or conforming to canon are used to express similar ideas more precisely.