canoncompliant

Canoncompliant is an adjective used to describe media content, commentary, or fan-created works that conform to the established canon of a fictional universe. The term derives from canon—the body of officially accepted material—and compliant, indicating agreement with those official facts, events, and rules. In practice, canoncompliant material aligns with the characteristics and storylines that creators and official sources have established.

The scope of canoncompliance includes works deemed officially part of the canon, such as novels, films, television series, video games, and official companion guides, as well as statements from creators. It can also apply to fan wikis and fan fiction when those works adhere to canonical facts rather than introducing contradictions. Fans may label content as canoncompliant to signal reliability, though the definition of canon can vary by franchise and may change with retcons or new releases.

Canoncompliant is often contrasted with non-canon, non-canon-compliant, or soft canon and headcanon concepts. Soft canon refers to material treated as canon within a fan community without official status, while headcanon denotes personal interpretations. Some franchises distinguish between primary canon and expanded or ancillary canon, such as official supplementary material, which may influence what is considered canoncompliant.

Determining canon compliance typically requires consulting official sources, edition notes, and creator statements. Labeling content as canoncompliant helps clarify its status within discourse, archives, and critical work, supporting consistent interpretation across fans, scholars, and editors.