Fanon (fiction)

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This article is about a type of fan fiction. For other meanings of the term "fanon" please see Fanon (disambiguation).

Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers or among the fandom that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually been established as having happened on the show, book, movie or game itself. Fanon is a portmanteau word of fan and canon.

The term is sometimes used pejoratively by purists to refer to such explanations as faulty or illogical given the nature of a story, or "common lore" copied amongst fans, especially in webpage proliferation, that actually contradicts a simpler explanation that was even alluded to in canon. This is especially common for foreign works which are sometimes mistranslated or to when backstory and exposition elsewhere in a work has not been ported over (for example, manga that was associated with a commercial anime, but of which only one has been translated.)

Fanon is sometimes well known by creators and may even be accepted as true (or at least as reasonable an explanation as any) to something they have not explicitly explained. On the other hand, some creators of serial works introduce facts in subsequent installments of their work which invalidate specific fanon.

In a series with a substantial Expanded Universe (official, but not necessarily canon, additions to the series proper), such as Star Wars, Star Trek, or Doctor Who, elements of fanon will sometimes become established as part of the expanded canon; this is particularly common when fans become contributors to the Expanded Universe.

A variation of fanon is "personal canon", which is a set of "fanon"-like facts that are accepted as canon by an individual fan or a group of fans. Proponents of "fanon" or "personal canon" have been known to be offended when these terms are used, as "fanon" facts have often become better accepted than canon. This is widespread among Star Trek fans; for example, the prequel TV series Star Trek: Enterprise is rejected by many Trek fans on the basis that it violates "fanon" regarding the history of the Federation (rather than canon facts seen on earlier series). Similarly, some Trek fans have also seen fit to reject and "decanonize" individual episodes or films that don't fit with their vision of the Star Trek universe (or, alternately, the perceived vision of the late Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry). Some consider such a selective view elitism, or simply an egotistical way to label stories one simply didn't like very much. Most recently, many Star Trek fans have indicated that they choose not to accept the finale episode of Enterprise as canon, for reasons ranging from anger over the fate of a major ongoing character to the fact that it was written by the series' unpopular creators to the perception of the episode as being insulting to fans of Enterprise (a perception shared by at least some of the Enterprise cast members).

Fanon can also be true for one version of the story, but not in another. For instance, fanon for a Japanese anime and manga series may be true in a manga version of a series, but not an anime version of a series, or vice versa.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

A List of Fanon Facts

Andromeda

  • There is some speculation that Andromeda may be linked to Star Trek, another franchise developed by Gene Roddenberry.
    • Star Trek: Enterprise episode 404 introduces Dr. Arik Soong, the grandfather of Dr. Noonien Soong, who is the creator of the androids Data and Lore (of Star Trek: The Next Generation). It is possible that the ancestors of the Nietzscheans in Andromeda are the genetics augments who hijacked the Klingon ship in the same episode, as there was a brief mention of Nietzsche in the episode. Either that or both take place in a universe where Nietzsche existed, so that he might be continually overquoted by a generic group of racial extremists.
    • While some assume that the future technological mention of slipstream in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Timeless", presumably linked the Systems Commonwealth of the Andromeda universe to be a possible future in the Star Trek universe, the term 'slipstream' is used in completely different fashions.

In Star Trek Quantum Slipstream is a faster than light means of travel. In Andromeda slipstream is a form of sublight travel. A ship opens a slip point, enters another dimension and exits through a separate slip point. Within Star Trek five minutes in slipstream will take a ship several lightyears; within Andromeda, a ship that enters slipstream may take several minutes, or several hours, depending on the pilot, to travel the same distance.

Battlestar Galactica (1978 ABC TV series)

  • The Battlestar Pegasus definitely survived the battle against Baltar's basestars and is now assisting the Galactica by continuing its campaign against the Cylons. This diverts Cylon resources that could otherwise have been deployed to hunt the refugee fleet.
  • Starbuck later managed to escape the desert planet he was marooned on by salvaging the Cylon wreckage to create a working ship that allowed him to reach the Galactica. (Actually an episode of the spinoff Galactica 1980 called The Return of Starbuck. While the series as a whole is generally considered non-canon, this one episode has generally been afforded higher status, effectively making it fanon.)

Captain N: The Game Master

  • The cartoon series and the comic book series occur in the same universe. Despite conflicting visuals in the origin stories of the respective series (Earth being live-action in the cartoon series and "animated" in the comic book series, Kevin playing a different game when being pulled into Videoland, and the absence of Simon Belmont and Mega Man during Kevin's arrival in the comic book continuity being the most glaring contradictions), some fans enjoy blending the two series together. A common practice is to place the comic book stories between Season 1 and Season 2 of the cartoon series.
  • Mike Vincent does not exist on Earth. This is due to a glaring contradiction in the Season 1 episode, "The Most Dangerous Game Master", the only episode with any reference to Mike Vincent. Mike Vincent does not actually appear. Instead, an android duplicate is created by Dr. Wily and programmed with Captain N's memories. The contradiction is that Dr. Wily built the body of the android prior to having access to Captain N's memories of Mike. That; the facts that Captain N's memories of Mike are animated (which contradicts the live-action visuals of Earth in the opening theme sequences and two of the episodes), show them wearing their Videoland weapons (likely an animation mistake), and show Mike in shadows (at least initially); and Captain N's declaration of "He's not even real" convince some fans that, contrary to what he stated, Dr. Wily did not program the android with Captain N's memories but rather created false memories of Mike and implanted them in Kevin's mind. That would explain the fact that Dr. Wily was able to create the body of the android first. However, Mother Brain calling it an "android duplicate", the fact that Captain N can recall positive memories of Mike (which are also shown in animated form but which would make no sense for Dr. Wily to fabricate), and Captain N's declaration of "I became his friend again" points towards Kevin actually knowing a real Mike Vincent on Earth. Most Captain N fans believe that Mike Vincent really exists.
  • Mike Vincent was never a bully. Similar to the above fanon and using the same evidence, some fans believe that Kevin and Mike always remained friends, and Dr. Wily implanted only the negative memories of Mike into Kevin's mind. The key evidence for this theory is that, in Kevin's first memory of Mike, when they were shown wearing their Videoland weapons on Earth, Mike was shown only in shadows. However, the holographic projection of the Mike android was shown in shadows later in the episode, indicating that this was possibly merely a lighting technique. Additionally, Kevin's talk about good times "before" Mike "turned into a bully" and his final line of the episode, "I became his friend again", support the idea that Kevin and Mike were once friends but became enemies once Mike turned into a bully and started beating Kevin up.
  • There is no difference between the appearances of Videoland and Earth. Despite the live-action footage in the opening theme sequences and two episodes and an apparent reference to the different visual appearances in another episode, some fans point to the lack of surprise on the parts of Kevin or his friends upon arriving in Videoland as proof that both Videoland and Earth appear the same. There is not yet any satisfactory resolution to this debate.
  • Princess Lana's last name is Deschain. This resulted from a fan fiction continuation of the cartoon series and was mistakenly written into a novelization of the first episode. The mistake was corrected before the novelization was put online.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Code Lyoko

  • Despite Odd's parents being artists, Odd has military phrases in his vocabulary (usually "About face"). This has created the fan-enforced belief that Odd's father was, or still is, a combat general in the French armed forces.
  • Sissi's mother, due to her absence in "Contact", may have died. This is due to a line spoken by Sissi's father while she was in the hospital bed.
  • Taelia is often regarded as Aelita's twin from a long time ago. This is because of their similar voices and physical appearances, as well as anagramatical names.

Darkwing Duck

  • The cartoon and comic books take place in the same continuity.

DC Comics

  • It is common fanon that Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are or were lovers, due to their close relationship. This occasionally seems to be hinted in the comics, and was overtly seen in the (now non-canonical) crossover with The Mask. (see subtext)

Doctor Who

  • The Doctor Who universe has its own version of the Doctor Who television series, known as Professor X. (This is canon in some spin-off novels.)
  • The real reason that Davros survived the betrayal by the Daleks was that he prepared defenses in his life support chair after learning about the treacherous nature of his creations from the Doctor.
  • The reason that the Time Lords never showed disapproval of the Doctor failing to prevent the creation of the Daleks in Genesis of the Daleks was that that they were aware that the Doctor's intervention inadvertently allowed Davros to survive when his creations turned on him. When he was revived, his presence created profound schisms in the Daleks which crippled their threat to the universe. Thus they considered the Doctor's mission accomplished.
  • The Daleks have two timelines. One that existed prior to the Doctor's intervention in Genesis of the Daleks and the other, after it, in which Davros survives because of the Doctor's inadvertent intervention. Davros causes a schism in the Dalek Empire which will later cause the Empire to collapse and the Daleks to fail.
  • The Colin Baker era story, The Two Doctors, depicts the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Jamie on a mission for the Time Lords at a period after he was put on trial. The Doctor's origins and the Time Lords were not introduced until the final Troughton serial (The War Games) where he calls them for help. This resulted in his trial, forced regeneration, and exile to Earth, while Jamie and Zoe are returned to their respective eras with no memory of the Doctor past their first adventure. Fans have theorized that the Doctor's exile didn't occur immediately: the Doctor and Jamie were on secret missions for a period prior to exile with this period possibly erased from both of their memories before the beginning of the Doctor's exile period and eventual regeneration. This is supported by the fact that contrary to most regeneration episodes, the change-over from Troughton to the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) occurred off-screen between the end of The War Games and the beginning of the next story, Spearhead from Space. It also provides an in-story explanation for the change in appearance of the Second Doctor and Jamie due to the actors being twenty years older. Furthermore, in The Five Doctors, the second Doctor is not fooled by the false images of Jamie and Zoe because he knows that they have no memory of him past their first adventure. The Second Doctor's presence without a companion at the beginning of this story clearly indicates that he was travelling alone for at least part of this period, which he was never seen to do onscreen. Because season 6 was Troughton's final season, fans often call this theoretical period Season 6B. (This is canon in some spin-off novels.)
  • Ace has the last name McShane. (This is canon in some spin-off novels and the Big Finish Productions audio plays.)
  • Ace has the last name Gale. (This is canon in some later spin-off novels. The inconsistency is eventually explained to some extent.)
  • The unproduced second serial The Masters of Luxor may have a place in continuity.
  • Fan speculation has it that the story Inferno portrays a fascist parallel England ruled over by a parallel version of the Doctor, rather than a fascist parallel England ruled by an un-named and unknown Big Brother figure. (This is canon in some spin-off novels.)
  • The Jon Pertwee era of the series, featuring the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, takes place in the 1980s. (This is actually a case of fanon supporting facts that were initially established but later ignored by canon - see UNIT dating controversy.)
  • The Sixth Doctor had many adventures, both alone and with different companions, between the apparent death of Peri and when he met up with Mel. While the Sixth Doctor states in The Mysterious Planet that he is "only 900 years old", in the Seventh Doctor's first episode,Time and the Rani, the Seventh Doctor states that he is 953 years old. Therefore, it's assumed that those 50 years were spent as his Sixth incarnation. (This is canon in some spin-off novels and in the audios.)
  • The Master is the Doctor's brother or half-brother. Although never explicitly confirmed in the television series or any of the official spin-offs, this concept was reportedly in the minds of the Pertwee-era production team. The story planned to write out Roger Delgado's Master, which was left unproduced due to Delgado's tragic death, might have revealed or hinted at the Doctor and the Master being brothers. They were half-brothers in the first two scripts written for the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie under the aegis of producer Philip Segal (the scripts written by John Leekley and Robert DeLaurentiis), but the relationship was not mentioned in the final script (by Matthew Jacobs).
  • Prior to the start of the 2005 series, the Doctor was involved in a Time War that featured his people, the Time Lords, fighting against the Daleks. He was the only survivor of the conflict (aside from at least two time-displaced Daleks), and it is assumed by fans that his regeneration from the Eighth Doctor to the Ninth Doctor occurred at this time.

Digimon Adventure

  • The final episode of the second season features an epilogue set twenty-five years in the future, which controversially canonized two of the many romantic relationships frequently debated by fan shippers and gave careers to some characters that were viewed by some as out-of-character. Consequently, many fanfiction writers prefer to de-canonize the epilogue so that they may conceive their own relationships and futures for the characters. It is also believed by these fans that this epilogue was made long after the season finale was developed (but prior to its airing), which would indicate that the events depicited in it were not originally intended to happen.

Dragon Ball

  • Chi-Chi uses a frying pan as a weapon, often to reprimand Son Goku or her sons (Son Gohan and Son Goten).
  • Bulma is very bad at cooking.
  • Trunks will marry either Pan, Marron, or Goten.
  • Saiyans bite their mate's neck and create a psychic bond between them, that can transmit thoughts and feelings.
  • Krillin names his daughter Marron after his ex-girlfriend Maron. (This could be canon only in the anime.)
  • In the Great Saiyaman Saga, the co-directors of the "Saiyaman movie" are the sons of Commander Red and Assistant Black (since they resemble them).
  • "Vegeta" is a regal name. Supported by the fact that Vegeta's father was referred to as "King Vegeta" during the flashback to the Saiyan Homeworld's destruction in the Freeza Saga. Also, the Saiyan homeworld itself was known as Planet Vegeta.
  • Dende has a wicked sense of humor, favoring practical jokes. (He also loves martinis.)
  • Saiyans purr when they are happy or their tails are stroked.
  • Freeza and his relatives have a race name known as Changeling.
  • Many fanfiction authors opt to disregard the events that occurred in the subsequent series Dragonball GT.

DuckTales

  • The cartoon and comic books take place in the same continuity. The stories published in the monthly comic book take place after the cartoon's first season but before the second season, as evidenced by the fact that Bubba the Caveduck and Fenton Crackshell (alias Gizmoduck) are never seen nor mentioned in those comics. (They do, however, appear in stories featured in the DuckTales children's magazine and Disney Adventures.)

Final Fantasy VIII

  • The name of the anonymous library girl who is Zell's girlfriend is "Arya". (Source needed)

Forever Knight

  • A commonly accepted piece of fanon is Natalie Lambert's immortality, with numerous fanfics making references to the Highlander Universe. Used by many fans as a way to reconcile her apparent death at the end of the series. The concept was originally popularized by Kevin Matsumoto, and many fans have since used his characters, most notably the Immortal and Vampire couple of Teresa Ryan (Vampire) and the immortal Antonius Constantine, also known as Aaron Grey.

Gargoyles

  • The English gargoyles were close allies of King Arthur during his reign.
  • According to the series creator, Greg Weisman, the gargoyle Lexington is homosexual. He noted that he felt his superiors would never have allowed him to present that fact in the canon.

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Godzilla

  • Appearing only once in an issue of G-Fan Magazine, one fiction in their fan stories section attempts to solve the discrepancy in the dual origins offered for Space Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla by essentially stating that Godzilla's 'removal' from history in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah never happened but that it was simply a case of Godzilla undergoing yet more mutation by exposure to modern nuclear weaponry and waste, thus he was believed to no longer exist until the Godzillasauraus was supposedly bombarded with modern nuclear energy. Admittedly, this isn't a half bad theory and would certainly explain the continuity gap that is presented by the film since technically the first origin offered, that Biollante may have been involved, albeit indirectly, in Space Godzilla's creation could not happen because if Godzilla had indeed been prevented from being exposed to the original nuclear energy that transformed him. Although this story was never made canon, it does explain later continuity gaffes in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. These continuity hiccups include:
    • The fact that those people killed by Godzilla in previous appearances were still dead after his 'removal' from the original timeline. If Godzilla's removal from history actually took place, these people should in fact be living and well.
    • Weapons devised to battle Godzilla had still come into existence during the events of previous movies. Godzilla's removal from his place in history means there should not have been a Super X or Super X-II, and thus the Super X-III should in fact have been referred to simply as the Super X in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Cadmium bombs would never have existed.
    • The biggest continuity gaffe is that the Oxygen Destroyer itself and knowledge of it's existence still existed in the Heisei timeline. If indeed Godzilla had been removed from his original place in history, there could BE no public knowledge in Japan of the Oxygen Destroyer because the monster would never have come about. As a result, Dr. Serizawa would never have unleashed his weapon on Godzilla. Thus, Destoryah could never have come into existence. Thus, Destoroyah cannot exist.
    • As a result of the above, Biollante should not only not exist, Dr. Serizawa should still be very much alive.
    • The world still REMEMBERS that Godzilla existed. If time travel is supposed to have sweeping, and immediate changes in the timeline, then only those people who travelled back in time could still have ANY memories of Godzilla.

Halo

  • Events in the Halo series are ambiguously tied to the earlier Marathon series. Dates Halo takes place in match a strangely blank section in the Marathon timeline, for example. This example is notably unique, as the connections between the game series are official canon, but are left open-ended enough to be judged by the player, not by them.
  • The name of the Spec.Ops commander in Halo 2 has a name, Half-Jaw.

Harry Potter

  • Ginny Weasley's full first name being Virginia, later disproved when J. K. Rowling revealed it was actually Ginevra.
  • Lily Potter was in Slytherin, despite comments by Rowling to the contrary. This was later refuted in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
  • Before the character of Blaise Zabini was properly introduced in the sixth book, when only his name was known (and not gender; "Blaise" is usually a male name but can be considered unisex) he was often written as a beautiful young girl with red hair and green eyes like Lily Potter, generally accompanied by a variety of Mary Sueish tendencies. This is thought to be based on a description of Blaise in the popular "Draco Trilogy" fanfiction series written by Cassandra Claire, and generally ended when J. K. Rowling confirmed (before the release of book six) that Blaise is male. In other fanfiction versions, and probably the most popular, Blaise was of Italian descent, had black hair (usually curly), and blue or black eyes. This went for both the male and female versions.
  • Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were involved in a long term homosexual relationship. To date, no characters have been explicitly stated as homosexual in the books, and despite the extreme popularity of this pairing in the fandom, all evidence as to a relationship seems to be circumstantial: they hug when reunited after Black's escape from Azkaban, are together in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place when Harry comes to talk to them via the fire, and Lupin seems very close to tears at the scene of Sirius's death. By the end of the sixth book, however, Lupin had become romantically involved with Nymphadora Tonks, seemingly proving that he is at least bisexual. -- Some student characters are also often portrayed as homosexual or bisexual in fanfiction, especially Seamus Finnigan, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Millicent Bulstrode. -- Oh come on, ALL characters are often portrayed as gay/bi in SOME fan fiction. Is there anything more "canon-like" in evidence for Colin than for Harry and Ron having bum romps? I think not. -->
  • Neville Longbottom is forgetful because he witnessed his parents being tortured into insanity and his memory was then magically wiped. This is an increasingly popular theory among fans of the series, but there is no evidence to support it either in the books or from J. K. Rowling.
  • Draco Malfoy's first name is short for "Draconis". Again, this has not been confirmed either in the books or by J. K. Rowling, but is unlikely because he was addressed as "Malfoy, Draco" at the Sorting Ceremony, where full names are used (ie. "Weasley, Ronald" instead of "Ron").
  • Most pureblood families have an ancestral home called "(surname of the family) Manor" eg. Malfoy Manor, Lestrange Manor, Snape Manor (before it was revealed that Severus Snape is in fact not a pureblood.) During Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Daily Prophet refers to the Malfoys as living in "a mansion in Wiltshire" but there is no evidence to support the "manor" theory. Many fanfics still describe "Black Manor" even though it has been known since the fifth book that the Black family home is simply known as 12 Grimmauld Place.
  • Hermione Granger often goes by the nickname of "'Mione", while Draco Malfoy is called "Dray", "Dragon" or "Drake" by his friends. He has never been addressed in the books by any name other than Draco; Ron Weasley did once call Hermione "'Mione" while talking with his mouth full, but there are no other examples in the books so far.
  • Crookshanks, Hermione's cat, is a human in Animagus form. J. K. Rowling has refuted this suggestion in interviews, but has confirmed that Crookshanks is a cross between a cat and a magical cat-like creature called a Kneazle.
  • Harry Potter is physically abused by the Dursleys. While there are mentions of forcing him to do chores, bullying by Dudley and threats, there is no actual evidence of physical abuse. In Chamber of Secrets, however, Petunia does attempt to hit him over the head with a frying pan.
  • The idea of Veela or werewolves mating for life is so prevalent as a romantic plot device in fanfiction that a lot of fans seem to think it is canon, even though there is no mention of any such thing in the books. Many fans also seem to think that the Malfoys may have Veela blood; this is probably because, like Fleur Delacour (who is related to a Veela) they are notably pale and fair haired.

Highlander

  • The events of the movie Highlander 2: The Quickening never happened (sometimes phrased in parody of the series' tagline as "There Should Have Been Only One"). Some fans extend this to also remove the events of Highlander: The Final Dimension, the Highlander TV series, and/or Highlander: Endgame. The apparent incompatibility between the events of the second Highlander film and the rest of the series could well be considered to retcon those events out of existence.
  • Connor considers Richie to be his nephew, and calls him Risteard (Gaelic for Richard). Popularized by the author Richiefic in the fic "I Never Liked Art in High School"

Histeria!

  • This show is set in the same world as Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs. This is evidenced by the fact that the Looney Tunes characters, who were frequent guest stars on Tiny Toons and Animaniacs, make occasional cameos on Histeria!

Homestar Runner

  • The Fhqwhgads Robot is named The Visor Robot, or is actually a later design of The Robot from the original storybook.

InuYasha

  • When youkai take a mate, they bite the mate and leave a mark that is sometimes only identifiable by scent and other times, is visible. Sometimes this is used as a bond to make a human mate live as long as the youkai, so they don't grow old and die. A blood exchange may also be involved as well. If the youkai is mating a human, the mating will (even if there is not a blood exchange) turn the human into a hanyou or a youkai.
  • If Miroku does anything lecherous, Sango will knock him unconscious with hiraikotsu, no matter how unreasonable her reaction is.
  • Sesshomaru is often called "Lord of the Western Lands" and is said to have a large castle somewhere in western Japan. However, Rumiko Takahashi herself has stated that Sesshomaru has no land at all, and just roams around the country side.
  • Kikyo is often portrayed as evil and wholly bent on vengeance. While this was true at the onset of the series, it has not been true since the second season in the anime and for at least six years in the manga.
  • The pairing of Jakotsu and Bankotsu is entirely fanon. While theses two are best friends, there is not much aside from Jakotsu's homosexuality to suggest they are lovers.
  • Inuyasha's father is often called "Inutaisho." This probably derives from the term "Inu no Taisho" (great dog leader). Some alternate names for "Inupapa" are Suigimi and Touga-oh, the last a name used by the production staff of Tenka Hadou no Ken (the third Inuyasha movie) while the movie was still in production.
  • Inuyasha lived with Sesshomaru for a time after his mother died, and was subject to abuse which caused his later hatred for his half-brother.

Invader Zim

  • Any sort of romantic pairing is fanon. Jhonen Vasquez himself has stated that romance was never intended for this show.
  • Dib's mother (often called Patricia). Dib and Gaz, according to Eric Truheart were failed experiments by Professor Membrane and therefore have no mother. It is also widly believed that Dib is the failed experiment and Gaz is a real person. Her mother is believed to be Devi D. from JTHM which also show that the comic and show take place in the same universe.

James Bond

  • There are only nine 00 agents (001-009). In fact, Ian Fleming mentions an 0010 in his novel, Moonraker and a later book by Raymond Benson mentions an 0012. On a related note, some fanon states that M is in fact the original 001, the first 00-agent; nothing in Fleming supports this.
  • The first person to hold the rank of M was Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older (and smarter) brother. In Conan Doyle's stories, Mycroft Holmes holds an important but unclear position in the British government, probably in intelligence department. In Alan Moore's comic-book The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but has been fanon for a longer time.

Knight Rider

  • KITT, the car on Knight Rider, is actually built around a Cylon brain that crash-landed on earth at the end of Galactica 1980; this is suggested by the coincidence of the sweeping-lights device on Cylon helmets and the front of the car. In spite of the Cylon hatred for humanity this is still possible since at least once in the series (return of Starbuck) a Cylon did manage to overcome his hatred and ally with a human (of course the brain could be wiped). (Supposedly, Glen A. Larson likes sweeping-light effect, and tends to incorporate it somewhere in all of his works.)

The Legend of Zelda

  • All of the Links are descendants of the Hero of Time. (It was never stated in a Zelda game or interview whether or not the Links are related except for Wind Waker, where the King of Red Lions states (after being asked whether or not this Link is the Hero of Time), "This one has no connection to the legendary one." This may be incongruous with the fact that the Hyrule Shield was a family heirloom. Though the Links may not be descendants of the Hero of Time, they may be reincarnations of him according to Ganondorf's quote from Wind Waker: "Surely, you are the Hero of Time reborn!"
    • This is obviously not widely accepted because it is widely belived that The Minish Cap took place before Ocarina of Time.
  • The Link who will appear in The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, is actually the adult Link from Wind Waker.
    • This has been denied by the creator of the Zelda series at [[E�]] 2005. He claims that the Link who will appear in Twilight Princess, is not that Link, but rather is from several decades AFTER Ocarina of Time. It should also be noted that Wind Waker was said to take place hundreds of years after the Gods flooded Hyrule meaning Twilight Princess takes place much earlier than the Wind Waker. However, no distinct answer has been given about whether or not the Links from each game are connected.
  • A few odd, though not widespread, theories regarding Zelda's timeline, are that the Kokiri have grown to adulthood by the time of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and that that game's Link is actually the brother of the Zelda of that time, but was separated from her for reasons unknown.
    • This is categorically incorrect, however - the original Super Nintendo port of ALttP was not very accurately translated, and was superceeded by Capcom's translation of the game used in the Game Boy Advance re-release.
  • Since at the time no distinct information has been given on how much time actually passed between Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past, which even to this day still have the greatest direct timeline connection, Link is believed to have either married Zelda in Ocarina of Time or else he married Malon.
  • In Ocarina of Time, the first Zelda game released for Nintendo 64, Link is sometimes said to be either the brother or cousin of Princess Zelda. This idea was hinted at in the original translation for A Link to the Past because of what seems to be a throwaway line early on in the game after the start of the adventure.
  • In Ocarina of Time, Malon is the true romantic interest of Link. In the game, it is implied that Sages cannot marry mortals. This means that Malon is the only female character in the game that Link can be involved with.
  • Also in Ocarina of Time, slash and yaoi writers often ignore the canon explanation for Sheik, saying that instead of being a form Zelda takes to hide from Ganondorf, he is instead a separate person running errands for her.
  • Again in Ocarina of Time, there is idea that Saria raised Link when he was an infant, acting as a mother figure.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

  • The full name of the evil organization THRUSH is the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity. In fact the meaning of THRUSH was never revealed in the TV series; however, one of the many original novels based upon the series suggested the above meaning, as well as referring to the organisation having been established in the wake of Professor Moriarty.
  • Illya Kuryakin was born and grew up in the then-Soviet Ukraine, and lost most of his family to the invading Germans during World War II. This particular item was never stated on the TV shows, but has become a staple of much MFU fan fiction.
  • James Bond appears in the TV-movie The Return of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (The 15 Years Later Affair) (referred to as "JB"), where he is played by George Lazenby. However, this appearance is generally not considered part of the James Bond canon, due to the nature of the show.

Marathon

  • The main character is the 10th Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg covertly brought aboard the colony ship Marathon.

Mario video games

  • Wario and Waluigi are brothers (or at least half-brothers).
  • The Mario Brothers were born in the Mushroom Kingdom, but transported to our world and raised in New York (TV shows, movies, and games, are all conflict on this matter). The ending of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island showed both Mario and Luigi held by parents in a Mushroom Kingdom style house, but early Donkey Kong games appeared to be set in our world and it was assumed that the brothers reached the Mushroom Kingdom through the sewers in the game Mario Bros. In Donkey Kong 94 on the Game Boy, Mario's arrival to the Mushroom Kingdom was shown in the ending.
  • Mario and Luigi's last name is Mario, providing a better explanation for their title of "The Mario Bros." They were first given this last name in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and later the controversial Super Mario Bros. movie. This fanon has inspired the idea that Wario's last name is "Wario."
  • Bowser's father is named Morton, and his second-youngest son ("Morton Koopa Jr.") has this name out of respect. However, some other fans think that Bowser's brother is named Morton and that Morton Jr. is his son. This is flawed, however, seeing as most of Bowser's kids were named after performing artists.
  • The green Yoshi seen in Yoshi's Island is the same Yoshi as is seen in games such as Super Mario World and the Party games. (Although there is no proof of this, the idea that Yoshi, most likely a reptile and thus capable of living for several hundred years, could be the same character across all these games isn't necessarily impossible). The rather unpopular N64 game Yoshi's Story however, could depict the birth and first adventure of the Yoshi that later assists adult Mario.
  • Peach's full name is "Princess Peach Toadstool" and Bowser's is "King Bowser Koopa." Judging by the introduction of Super Mario 64, Peach seems to be a nickname Toadstool goes by among her close friends. The theory on Bowser is supported by four episodes of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Mega Man video games

  • Most or all of the characters from the original series were killed at some point prior to the Mega Man X series in an event called the "Cataclysm." Usually this is assumed to involve Zero being activated and subsequently going on a crazed homicidal rampage (similar to that seen in Mega Man X4).
  • Bass and Roll are a couple.
  • Kalinka Cossack, like her father, is a capable roboticist and has created a robot of her own named Ran.
  • Megaman X was originally a classic series robot who was upgraded into Megaman X. Theories on the upgraded robot include Protoman, the original Megaman, and even Bass.
  • X and Alia are a couple.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, onwards

  • Billy's last name is technically unknown, but generally assumed to be "Cranston". His last name was never revealed in the show; it comes from unused Saban materials.
  • The Scorpion Rain hoax, later alluded to (though never outright mentioned) in the firmly in-canon episode Forever Red.
  • The remaining four members of A-Squad in Power Rangers SPD (except Charlie) are unofficially known as "Beevor" (Blue), "Cliff" (Green), "Ivan" (Yellow) and "Rachel" (Pink).
  • Elizibeth Delgado, the Yellow SPD Ranger, is the daughter to Wild Force Black Ranger, Danny Delgado. There is no cannon to support this.
    • Similarly, Sky Tate, the Blue SPD Ranger, is the son of Time Force Red Ranger Wesley Collins. Evidence of this is the fact that Sky's father is referred to as a 'legendary' Red Ranger, and a photo in his room shows a picture of his father wearing a slightly modified Time Force Ranger outfit (although the man in the uniform does not look like Wes).
  • Both the Phantom Ranger and the Blue Centurion contributed to the creation of Space Patrol Delta.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam

  • The demise of the Zeon officer Colonel M'Quve is depicted in the TV series but, like many other scenes, was cut out for the movie compilations. Many fans have specualted that the battle resulting in Makube's death never happened in the movies. Thus he survived the entire war and took Dozle's (Dozuru) widow and infant daughter Mineva, the last surviving members of the Zabi family into hiding (Mineva would play a small part later in Zeta Gundam), though there are no lines in the movie that clearly state this as the sequel series Zeta Gundam still had yet to be conceived. Hiroyuki Kitakubo's work, Char's Deleted Affair: A Portrait of A Young Comet, in Gundam Ace, an official magazine publiciation, attempts to rectify the matter by having M'Quve killed during the Zeon withdrawal to Axis.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

  • In the Japanese version of the show, many of the character names were spelled with Roman characters in ways that made little grammatical sense in any Western language (including names like "Mwu La Fllaga" which would be difficult to pronounce). Despite the fact that official English spellings have been released, some fans continue to cling to the Japanese spellings, claiming the English translation to be of "poor" quality (despite no similar objections coming up to the Bandai English translations of other Gundam series).
  • The first episode of Gundam SEED Destiny begins with an extended flashback sequence, strongly implying that the parents and sister of main protagonist Shinn Asuka were killed by errant shot fired by Kira Yamato, the protagonist of Gundam SEED. It was widely assumed that Shinn blamed Freedom's pilot (not knowing his identity) for their deaths. However, there was never any direct indication Shinn was aware of who fired the shot, or even of the presence of Kira's Freedom Gundam. In fact, he was facing away from his family when they were killed, giving him no opportunity to see where the shot came from. Shinn looks to the sky and screams moments later, but at this point the Freedom Gundam is flying thousands of feet above, probably too high for human eyes to make out any identifying details. When Shinn later encountered Kira's mobile suit in combat, he expressed no anger toward it (or even a sign of recongizing the machine at all), confirming that he was indeed unaware that it might have caused the deaths of his family. Despite this, some fans still insist that Shinn blames Kira, and a few have even claimed it was a continuity error that he was not enraged upon seeing the mobile suit.
  • The ring which Athrun Zala gave to Cagalli Yula Athha on his departure for PLANT was an engagement ring. While it seems to have significance on that level (and Cagalli's wearing or not wearing the ring is significant), there is nothing definitive spoken between the two to suggest that it is.

Mortal Kombat

  • Baraka and Mileena are or were lovers. This fanon seems to have been canonized in Mortal Kombat: Deception.
  • Reptile and Khameleon are or were lovers.
  • Smoke and Jade were briefly aligned with each other (perhaps because they both appear in the Living Forest in Mortal Kombat II).
  • Chameleon is a member of the Saurian race.
  • Sheeva is related to Goro by more than just both being Shokan - she is seen either as a sister, a wife/lover, or sometimes even both at once.
  • Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage are lovers. Popularized by the movie, but never actually mentioned in any of the games.
  • Kano murdered Sonya Blade's partner. Another explanation introduced by the movies. In the games, no specific reason is given as to why Sonya hates Kano so much.

Naruto

  • Umino Iruka's family name was originally fanon. Masashi Kishimoto (the author of Naruto) decided to canonize the name, and it was included in the Naruto Databooks.
  • Momochi Zabuza is widely considered to have a romantic relationship with his apprentice, Haku. However, this has never been confirmed by Masashi Kishimoto, and is strictly fan-based.
  • The Fourth Hokage and Naruto are said to be related because of a strong resemblance, both physical and in personality. Naruto is also once called "The Fourth Hokage`s legacy", but the meaning of this is ambigous.
  • Aburame Shibi's (aka Shino's father) name was originally thought to be Gen (because it was mentioned in an artbook). However, this is now known to be fanon and his official name is Shibi according to the new Data books.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

  • Based on a scene in End of Evangelion where Maya Ibuki perceives the being collecting her soul as Ritsuko Akagi, implying that she is a lesbian, (the context is that Kozo Fuyutsuki and Makoto Hyuuga had previously had their souls collected by images of, respectively, Yui Ikari and Misato Katsuragi, and can credibly be believed to have loved the women in question), many fans have gone one step further and speculated that Ritsuko Akagi is bisexual and in a relationship with Maya, though there is nothing in the series to hint at this.
  • Rei is infertile - in one episode she states she is 'a woman who does not bleed.' Numerous fanfics have taken this as fact. It is possible for example that her ability to reproduce has been locked down (through medication, surgery, implant etc) as a precaution by those who cloned her.
  • Rei Ayanami is asexual since the closest thing she ever comes to showing any signs of a sex drive is her platonic love of Shinji.
  • Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa's friendship is sexual in nature.
  • Touji Suzuhara's younger sister, who is injured by Unit 01 and in hospital from then on, is named Mari.
  • Asuka (or indeed about any other character) is the love of Shinji's life. His characterisation as an introverted, depressed fourteen year-old is often not fully taken into account.
  • Asuka's transfer to Tokyo-3, a 'brilliant pilot' bringing Eva-02 into action, was a deliberate ploy by Gendou Ikari to distract the attention of spies and official watchdogs from his real plans involving Shinji and Rei and their prototype-model Evas.
  • Misato Katsuragi was the one who shot Ryouji Kaji.
  • Keel Lorenz is immortal/the wandering Jew or Longinus.
  • EVA Unit 00 contains the personality of Akagi Naoko.
  • In End of Evangelion, the inaudible words spoken by Gendo Ikari to Ritsuko Akagi were "watashi ai anata" (Literally "I love you" when translated, however it actually does not make any sense in Japanese although the translation makes sense in English.).
  • Touji Suzuhara lost one of his arms when Unit 03's entry plug was crushed. The image shown does however indicate the loss of a leg.
  • Misato Katsuragi is believed by many fans to have ADHD, even though it is never confirmed. However, it is equally possible that her "ADHD symptoms" actually are caricaturized stereotypical traits of the modern career woman.
  • One would expect humourous theories and fanfiction based on the real lives of the (English) cast: Spike Spencer (Shinji) is married to Kendra Benham (Maya Ibuki) (there are numerous fanfics with this pairing); Tiffany Grant (Asuka) is married to producer Matt Greenfield who voiced Lt Makota Hyuuga as "Brian Granveldt" and Amanda Winn Lee (Rei) is married to Jason Lee (Lt Aoba).
  • The members of SEELE's Instrumentality Committee other than Keel Lorenz are called Nigel Laforey, Vladimir Kaganovich, Theodore Cassin and Pierre Bretagne.

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing

  • Most of the major male characters are portrayed as gay in fanon. Popular pairings include Heero Yuy with Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton with Quatre Raberba Winner, and Treize Khushrenada with either Chang Wufei or Zechs Merquise. Some fans cite as evidence an interview with director Masashi Ikeda in which he says that he never considered the relationship between series leads Heero and Relena Peacecraft to be romantic. However, this ignores Ikeda's statement in the same interview that he doesn't believe he can write standard romances, and considered the political relationships between the characters to be more relevant and important for the series' plot.
  • Wu Fei Chang is a misogynist. While Wu Fei shows a dislike for the idea of women entering combat, this is really due to a tragedy in his past; the death of his beloved, the original pilot of Shenlong.

One Piece

  • Zoro is known to not like sweets of any kind. Though sometimes (depending on the purpose of the fanfic and/or Zoro's dislike of sweets in relation to the plot) his distaste for them ranges from only liking one/a few sweets to outright hating them.
    • In relation to the Zoro/Sanji pairing, he may make an exception and eat sweets in order to please Sanji (and to not get his face kicked in).
  • No one on board the Going Merry can cook. At all. (With, of course, the exception of Sanji.)

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

[[Pok�mon]]

  • Ash Ketchum's father is either Team Rocket leader [[Giovanni (Pok�mon)|Giovanni]] or Professor Oak. The idea of Ash's mother having a past romantic relationship with Giovanni was used in [[Pok�mon Live!]], but no indication was given of him being Ash's father. The latter choice is also absurd, because this would make Gary Oak Ash's nephew. However, a relationship between them is hinted at in the anime, as the two are on a first-name basis.
  • [[Misty (Pok�mon)|Misty]]'s Togepi, who regards her as a mother because she was the first thing it saw upon hatching (see filial imprinting), considers Ash its father.
  • Ash's Butterfree died after he released it to mate with a female Butterfree in the episode "Bye Bye Butterfree". It is widely claimed that this was stated in the original Japanese episode and censored from the English dub, but that is not the case.
  • [[Misty (Pok�mon)|Misty]]'s last name is Waterflower.

The Prisoner

  • Number 6 is John Drake, the hero of Patrick McGoohan's previous series Danger Man aka Secret Agent. McGoohan has publicly denied it, although series co-creator and script editor George Markstein always maintained it was true. The established canon contains some minor hints that Drake and Number Six might be the same person, in particular "Potter", a character who appears in the Danger Man episode "Koroshi" and in the Prisoner episode "The Girl Who Was Death" (which was based on an unused Danger Man script). Potter only appears in Prisoner, however, in a story within a story whose relation to actual events in Six's life is rendered very questionable by the end of the episode. Certain officially licensed novels based on The Prisoner state definitely that Number Six is John Drake (but they also state facts that most Prisoner fans would be hesitant to see as canon, such as the entire Village being an experiment by extraterrestrials.)
  • In "The Chimes of Big Ben" Nadia "strangely has no number". This claim is even repeated on the back of some video boxes, but it is based on a misreading of the episode; Nadia is clearly and openly assigned the number 8, and even though she later angrily declares "I'm no Number Eight, or Number anything else!" it's a statement with no more actual force than Six's declaration "I am not a number, I am a free man!"

[[Ranma �]]

  • The Joketsuzoku (Chinese Amazons only in the English translation) are male haters, only use them for breeding stock, and other anti-male associations. Note that while Shampoo and Cologne do hate Mousse (the only major male Joketsuzoku seen), they have a personal vendetta, and thus it doesn't work as evidence either way. Shampoo, in fact, is constantly hanging on Ranma Saotome affectionately, though he does not appreciate it.
  • Soun Tendo's late wife was named Kimiko.
  • Shampoo routinely puts drugs/love potions in Ranma's food.
  • Akane Tendo has same-sex tendencies, and lusts for Onna-Ranma.
  • Happosai is the grandfather of either Ranma or the Tendos, or both (Japanese fans seem to particularly enjoy this one).
  • Akane Tendo is a violent maniac, and will assault Ranma with no provocation whatsoever. This developed as the result of Akane's attacks on Ranma due to his 'perverted' behavior or her jealousy, especially frequent in the earlier part of the series. Note that, in the beginning, Kasumi tells Ranma, "She's really a very sweet girl. She's just a violent maniac." (Vol. 1, Part 2) The phrase 'violent maniac' was replaced with 'high spirited' in the Viz anime dub of the series.
  • Akane Tendo almost always attacks Ranma with a giant mallet (sometimes Mallet-sama). Although Akane has been known to use a mallet, so have many other characters, and Akane does not use the mallet disproportionately often. Kasumi at one point (Vol. 10, Part 1) hands Akane a mallet to use "if Ranma gets out of hand".
  • Nabiki's financial gains are the Tendo's primary source of income.
  • Nabiki and Tatewaki Kuno are romantically attracted to each other.
  • Ukyo and Ryoga are romantically attracted to each other. It should be noted that Ryoga and Ukyo were pulled apart by the ghosts in the Curs�d Cave (of Broken Loves); however, since they were not a real couple then, it may not count.
  • The term Nerima Wrecking Crew (and its acronym NWC).
  • Akane Tendo always cooks badly, to the extent that her food melts plates, cutlery and containers, and even creating a new lifeform. Although Akane has yet to create a new form of life, it is canon in the series that she is a very bad cook.

Rainbow Brite

  • The Color Kids' belts have powers weaker than but similar to Rainbow's.
  • The Sphere of Light has a third form called Lady Brite.
  • Stormy was at one point evil.

ReBoot

  • Phong is a personal assistant to the true command.com of Mainframe, who is an unseen character through the rest of the series.
  • In "Number 7", Matrix's dream/nightmare was created by Phong through some psychic connection, similar to with Dot in "Identity Crisis, Part 2". The dream Phong is the REAL Phong. This is unlikely thought because Phong never mentioned this when Matrix returned home and Dot's visions started with a message explaining this she was experiencing a temporary distortion of reality. This was not the case for Matrix.

Resident Evil

  • Nemesis was assumed by many fans to be a mutated Albert Wesker until the release of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, wherein a more or less human-looking Wesker appeared.
  • The Nemesis Parasite, which causes the host to mutate into Nemesis, is a genetically modified version of Las Plagas.
  • The two unidentified men featured in a photograph with the other S.T.A.R.S. members in Resident Evil 2 are Edward Dewey and Kevin Dooley, despite the fact that they do not resemble the actual characters that appeared in Resident Evil 0.

Robotech

  • The Jack Mckinney Robotech novelizations, especially The End of The Circle are widely panned by Robotech fans and many choose to ignore some of the events depicted in them. Series creator Carl Macek has stated that The End of The Circle bears little resemblance to what were to be his plans for Robotech III: The Odyssey, except that his notes did involve a causal loop via time travel which explains why Admiral Hunter and the Robotech Expeditionary Force failed to return to Earth in the final Robotech TV Episode: Symphony of Light. Something involving Hunter and the REF was to happen in the past that that would give rise to the events in the first Robotech Episode. Thus, fans mostly assume that Scott Bernard's search for Rick Hunter and the SDF3 (which was presumably supposed to be the premise of The Odyssey) is either a one way trip for Scott (if he finds them) or a total failure.

Red Eye

  • Jackson Rippner survives his final confrontation with Lisa Reisert. This is often attached to the statement, "We'll talk again." which he says right before she shoots him. According to much fan response, because Jackson never lies, he must hold true to that promise.
  • Jackson Rippner can sing. Although the origin of this is unclear, it is showing up in very many fan fictions.

Rurouni Kenshin

  • Tokio, the wife of Saito Hajime, is often portrayed in fandom as a domineering woman who controls her husband; however, she makes no appearance in the series aside from being mentioned by Saitou as a woman who will take good care of Eiji. Kenshin and Misao speculate that she must be like a Buddah, but Saito does not say anything else about her for the remainder of the series, nor does Nobuhiro Watsuki offer any details in his "Secret Lives" features.
  • A fandom theory is that the Kenshin cast are in fact the ancestors of the main cast in Ranma 1/2.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

  • The "Beatrice" mentioned various times by Lemony Snicket is the Baudelaire orphans' mother. This is often further extended to also say that Count Olaf is actually Mr. Baudelaire, though book 12 (The Penultimate Peril) gave Mr. Baudelaire's name as Bertrand.
  • Mr. Poe is working with Count Olaf. Again, this has not been confirmed by Lemony Snicket as true.
  • Due to the sets of siblings following an alphabetical pattern with the first letter of their names (D-E-F, G-H-I, J-K-L), Count Olaf has 2 siblings whose names start with M and N, making them the M-N-O siblings. There may also be an A-B-C set.

The Simpsons

  • The 48 short-length Simpsons cartoons aired as "bumper" material on The Tracey Ullman Show, where the Simpson family, some other characters, and a few catchphrases originated, are not part of the show's canon. This is widely assumed by Simpsons fans for several reasons: Continuity established in the shorts was routinely ignored on the half-hour show, even from the very first season (for example, Maggie speaks intelligibly a few times in the shorts); Lisa's characterization is completely changed (on the full-length program she is normally intelligent, mature, and reserved, while in the "Ullman shorts" she is as much a rambunctious troublemaker as Bart); and while many episodes of the half-hour show make direct reference to the plots of previous episodes going back to the first season, there are no clear allusions to the stories of the early shorts. In the entire lengthy run of the half-hour program, the only direct references to the Ullman shorts occur in episodes which fall outside regular continuity (including a Halloween episode and a retrospective about the show).
  • Governor Mary Bailey and Bea Simmons are related.
  • Milhouse Van Houten and the Shelbyville Milhouse are cousins (supported by the fact that Milhouse's mother claims to be from Shelbyville).

Smallville

  • Lex's mother, Lillian, had red hair. The episode "Memoria," from Season Three, showed a brown haired Lillian, yet the fanon persists. However, the episodes "Lexmas" and "Void" from Season Five reveal a red-haired Lillian. This may have had something to do with the lighting/colouring of the episode "Memoria," which is done in darker shades and black/white tones, for the same actress (Alisen Down) portrays Lillian in all three episodes.
  • Nell Potter and Lionel Luthor used to be lovers.
  • Chloe Sullivan is Lois Lane. Fans point to the fact that you can spell "Lois Lane" by using some of the letters in "Chloe Sullivan". This fanon persisted even after Lois Lane was introduced as a different character on the series - as Chloe's cousin. Fans point to Chloe using "Lois Lane" as a penname on an article and Lois admitting to not being interested in journalism. The appearance of Lois on the series has caused this fanon to be modified somewhat: Lois will eventually die, and Chloe will move to Metropolis, and became the "real Lois". It has been pointed out by fans that Chloe is a "bleached blonde," and that her real hair colour is actually darker, and closer to the hair colour of the canon/comic Lois.
  • Enrique is the name of one of Lex's manservants, popularized by Television Without Pity forums.

Space Battleship Yamato movies (Star Blazers)

  • The 1983 movie Final Yamato is set in the Year 2203. According to publications about the 1980-81 TV series Yamato III (aka Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars), Yamato III is set in the Year 2205. Many fans believe that because Yamato III did not measure up to the standards set by the previous two TV series (it was cut from a planned 52 episodes to a 25 episode series and it shows in the choppy animation and pacing), producers intended to remove the Bolar Wars from the continuity by setting Final Yamato two years earlier. In the opening narraration for Final Yamato, however, references are made to the Bolar Federation and to Garuman, thus establishing their importance in events between Be Forever Yamato and Final Yamato. As a result, many fans have also taken it upon themselves to switch the dates for the Bolar Wars and Final Yamato.

Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar

  • The first Gamilons (Gamilus) seen during the battles in the Solar System (including Major Bane and Colonel Ganz) had the skin color of ordinary Earth humans, in this case Caucasian skintone. Also, in the first appearances of leader Desslok, he had a more mauve skin tone. Like the Klingon issue on Star Trek, this has never been explained but a widespread postulation (found on some fan web sites) jokingly suggests that the Gamilons were originally filmed under bad lighting and that Desslok had that film crew shot.

Star Trek

  • Ensign Pavel Chekov served on the USS Enterprise in the period depicted in the first season of Star Trek before being promoted to the bridge crew in the second season and encountered Khan Noonien Singh during that time. (How else could Khan, who claims never to forget a face, remember him in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan?) This is also stated in the novelization of the movie, with the mention that the young Chekov had known and been attracted to the female officer who had accompanied Khan to the new colony planet.
  • The reason why Mr. Spock was so emotional during his time with Captain Christopher Pike was that he was briefly dabbling with emotion in his youth.
  • Many elements of the Star Trek Roleplaying Game published by FASA between 1982 and 1989 (especially before 1988) are fanon. This stems from them being considered canonical at the time, then having their canonical status revoked by Paramount Pictures, leading many fans, and novelists to still hold to those elements.
    • The Klingon homeworld is also known as Klinzhai. Also, the Klingon language is also known as "Klingonaase". This was repeated in the non-canon novel "The Final Reflection".
    • The ridged-forehead Klingons that debuted in Star Trek: The Motion Picture are "Imperial Klingons," thus denoting a difference between them and the more human-looking Klingons of TOS. The more human-looking Klingons were "Klingon Fusions," specially genetically engineered human/klingon hybrids meant to function near human controlled space. While this exact explanation is non-canon, a similar one involving genetic tampering did become canon in Star Trek: Enterprise.
    • First names for many characters, some of which would later become canonical (Hikaru Sulu), while others would be largely discounted (Samara Uhura).
  • A related piece of fanon is that the human-looking Klingons were discommoded as a race (origin: the DC Comics graphic novel, Debt of Honor). Various episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine have contradicted all of this.
  • Fleet Captain is a rank between Captain and Commodore. (The existence of the rank is canon in the case of Garth (Whom Gods Destroy, but not its exact place in the command structure))
  • The events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture were followed by a new five-year mission. (The movie was based upon a script for a never-produced second Trek series, and the new five-year mission is referenced in the Star Trek Expanded Universe, but has yet to be acknowledged in canon.) The semi-canonical Star Trek Chronology produced by the production staff does mention this, however.
  • Uhura's first name is Nyota. (Although some novels have chosen Nyota and some reference guides give this as her first name, no first name for the character has ever been mentioned on screen, and Gene Roddenberry said that Uhura had only one name, which meant "Freedom" in Swahili.) In the early 1980s, a fan-produced book series, The Best of Trek suggested that Uhura's first name is Penda but this was not widely adopted by the fan community. On the other hand, Sulu's first name, Hikaru, which was considered fanon for years, became part of official canon when it was mentioned in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The fact the writers didn't take the opportunity in that film to officially give Uhura a first name, too, is seen as confirmation she doesn't have one. (In the movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, it seems that Kirk may murmur "Nyota" when speaking to Uhura at one point.)
  • Mr. Spock was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. This has been suggested by non-canon novels and comic books, but has never been established in any television series or movies. Some could even call Commander T'Pol the first Vulcan in Starfleet, although the organisation she joined, the Earth Starfleet, should not be confused with Spock's Federation Starfleet.
  • Dr. McCoy is divorced, and has a grown daughter named Joanna. A script introducing Joanna was nearly produced, and several non-canon novels refer to her. The novel "Shadows on the Sun" expanded on this concept and gave the name of Dr. McCoy's wife as Jocelyn Treadway, however the novel is not considered canon.
  • The new Enterprise NCC-1701-A given to Kirk at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was formerly the U.S.S. Yorktown. This has been suggested by non-canon sources but was never stated on screen. It is alternatively claimed that the ship was the U.S.S. Ti-Ho (in "Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise").
  • Lt. Saavik is half-Vulcan and half-Romulan and stays behind on Vulcan at the start of Star Trek IV because she is pregnant with Spock's child as a result of helping him through the pon farr mating drive in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Both these major plot points were included in the early scripts of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek IV, respectively, but were dropped from the final versions and thus are not considered canonical. A scene in which Spock and Kirk discuss Saavik's mixed heritage was actually filmed for Star Trek II but was cut from the film.
  • Willard Decker of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is the son of Commodore Matthew Decker of the TOS episode "The Doomsday Machine." Although widely accepted by fans, this relationship has never been established in on-screen canon. This plot line was used in the second New Voyages film (In Harms Way); when the crew travel back in time and learn Matt Decker's fate, he has asked for his uniform to be returned to his son (clearly labeled "Will"). This is of course not part of continuity.
  • The mechanics of the Vulcan nerve pinch have been the subject of much fanon speculation over the years. See the article for a couple of examples.
  • Trelane, a powerful being encountered in the TOS episode "The Squire of Gothos" is a member of the Q Continuum. This speculation has been widespread since The Q was introduced in 1987, however it has never been confirmed in canon. An officially licenced novel, Q-Squared by Peter David suggests Trelane is a Q, however novels are not considered canon.
  • Kirk's exact rank in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and later films is the subject of much speculation. Officially, on screen, he is never referred to as anything other than Admiral, but fanon speculation has suggested that his full rank at the time of TMP was Rear Admiral (or another form of Admiral).
  • Some fans prefer to ignore the existence of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, directed by William Shatner, which is widely regarded as the weakest of the original Star Trek films. Gene Roddenberry commented that he considered some elements of the film to be "apocryphal at best," but the film was never officially ejected from canon. It should be noted however that several writers for The Next Generation have stated that there is an unwritten rule that no events from this movie are to be referred to in further writings.
  • The complete name of Yeoman J.M. Colt in TOS pilot The Cage and the episode The Menagerie (using original footages from The Cage) is Julie Margareth Colt. A few short stories use that name (there is also one short storie using the name Jeanne-Marie Colt) but it is nowhere to be seen in the canon.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

  • The 22 episodes of this animated series are not considered part of the Star Trek canon by Paramount Pictures (reportedly due to a request by Trek creator Gene Roddenberry). As a result, TAS provides a rare occasion in which officially licenced story developments shown on screen, which normally would fit the definition of canon, are instead rendered fanon. This is very controversial among Trek fans, as TAS established several major elements of the Trek universe, including details about Spock's childhood, and the introduction of the Enterprise's first captain, Robert April, which are not considered official and therefore may be contradicted by future movies or TV series. References to TAS occasionally sneak into scripts for recent Trek series, most recently the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "The Catwalk" and "The Forge" which included direct references to concepts from the TAS episode "Yesteryear". TAS references are widespread in the Expanded Universe of novels and comic books. The animated series also provided the answer to the question of what the T. stood for. It turned out to be Tiberius. The evil Kirk from the mirror universe was given the name in a trilogy of novels written by William Shatner which places Kirk, and Tiberius, in the world of Star Trek: The Next Generation, after having resurrected Kirk in a novel which was to be the official sequel to Generations.

Star Trek: Enterprise

  • Fanon clashes with canon on many aspects of this prequel series, with many fans alleging the series violates continuity with the rest of the Star Trek universe, even though many of these facts are based upon fanon, and not accepted canon (see the show's main entry for a list of alleged violations). An example is the treatment of Vulcans on this series, which goes against the culture developed for the race by fans over the years which has never been actually confirmed in canon.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

  • The insignia for Fleet Admiral is five gold pips within a gold collar rectangle.

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Wars

  • Jar Jar Binks was killed on Alderaan when it was destroyed by the Death Star. Lucas has said, however, that Jar Jar was not on Alderaan when it was destroyed, but instead went back to Coruscant, following his final film appearance in Revenge of the Sith. Lucas goes on to explain that Binks went on to serve in the Imperial Senate, and eventually settled down with a family and presumably died of old age. Lucas' word is considered official canon on this issue. He can be heard at the end of the 2004 edition of Return of the Jedi DVD, in the added Naboo celebration scene.
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Anakin Skywalker Qui-Gon Jinn's lightsaber when he began his Jedi training. Anakin used it for several years until he constructed the one he used in Attack of the Clones. A related theory is that Obi-Wan had Qui-Gon's lightsaber when he was in exile on Tatooine. This is where Luke got the green crystal for his lightsaber. (The novelization of Return of the Jedi, states that Luke built his lightsaber in Obi-Wan's hut, using materials he found there. However, the Shadows of the Empire novel states that the crystal was artificially created.)

Street Fighter series

  • Charlie's last name is Nash. This is taken from the fact that Nash is his name in the Japanese versions of the games.
  • The scar on Cammy's left cheek was from a wound inflicted by Vega.
  • Ryu and Chun-Li have the last names of Hoshi and Zhang, respectively. Likewise, Guile's first name is William (Middle initial "F"). These names were only given in the movie.
  • Ibuki is the daughter of Geki.

Suikoden video game series

  • In the actual games, the protagonists for each game (with the exception of Suikoden III) are not given any official name, but rather their names are determined by the player. However, in the Japanese novelizations of Suikoden, Suikoden II, Suikoden IV, and Suikoden V published by Dengeki Bunko, each of the protagonist were given a name by the author: Tir, Riou, Lazlo and Faroush respectively. While these names are not considered as part of the games' canon, they're used by fans of the series to disambiguate each of the main character.

The Shield

  • The subject of how Detective Vic Mackey discovered the fact that rookie patrol officer Julian Lowe was gay has been the subject of much fan debate due to the fact that the writers, due to time restraints, avoided showing how Vic knew about this information which he used to blackmail Officer Lowe to recant statements he made regarding catching Detective Mackey and the Strike Team in the act of stealing drugs from a crime scene. Some fans have offered the notion that the information regarding Vic's discovery of Lowe's sexuality was provided by Julian's partner, Danny Sofer, who later in season one reveals that she suspected Lowe was gay for quite some time.

The Supermarionation TV series of Gerry Anderson

  • All of the futuristic puppet series produced by Gerry Anderson in the 1960s (Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons) take place in the same universe and timeline. This originates from publicity material generated to promote the series, but was never established in on-screen canon by any of the shows. However, the common concepts of a World Government, a World Navy, and certain technologies permeate the latter three series, and the Zero-X spacecraft debuts in the Thunderbirds feature film and then becomes the vehicle by which Spectrum's Captain Black goes to Mars at the beginning of Captain Scarlet.

This was canon in the comics based on the series, (both 60's and 90's) in which certain strips from each series crossed over.

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends

  • The movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad is not part of the continuity of the television series, and may have been either a dream of Thomas or a piece of Sodor mythology. This is supported by the large number of differences between the universe presented in the television series and that of the movie. Interestingly, no reference to the events of the movie have been made in the television series, even when characters from the movie appeared in Calling All Engines!, a direct-to-DVD special.
  • The series Tugs takes place in the same universe as Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, based upon the similarity of visual style between the two shows, the large number of creative staff involved in both shows and the fact that several models from Tugs appeared in Thomas and Friends.
  • The large crane seen in some shots at the harbour is known as Big Mickey, named after the character represented by that model in Tugs.

Tintin

  • Tintin is always known under his sole name, which implies that "Tintin" is a nickname. Apparently, after several spin-off comics from Belgium, it seems that Tintin's real name is "Augustin van Kuifje". Still, it is doubtful since it was not made by Herg� and the "real name" is composed by Tintin's name in Flemish ("Kuifje") and a typical French first name ending by "tin" (resolving in the syllable-repetition nickname "Tintin").

Tokyo Mew Mew

  • Many elements of Kokoro have engrained themselves into fanon.
    • Ryou wears a collar not only to hide his marking, but also because he is secretly ticklish.
    • Ryou marries Ichigo.
    • Ryou is merged with iriomote cat DNA.
    • The Saica mage system is used along with the existence of mew mews.
    • Characters like Ryou that are incompatible with their infused DNA are called gijinka.
  • Also, fan-made characters such as Sakura Akasaka have been actually mistaken for canon characters.

Tolkien

  • The First Age began with the first sunrise over Middle-earth and the events of The Lord of the Rings took place in the Third Age of the Sun. Actually, Tolkien never described his ages as being linked to the Sun and specifically wrote that the "First Age of the [[Children of Il�vatar]]" began with the Awakening of the Elves, long before the first sunrise. Despite this, many fans believe the 'Ages of the Sun' version is correct because it has been repeated so often.
  • Fingon and Maedhros were lovers. This concept, which frequently appears in slash fan fiction, derives from their close friendship in the book, but would likely have been rejected by Tolkien, a devout Roman Catholic. The less detailed nature of the Silmarillion narrative in comparison to The Lord of the Rings gives fan fiction writers more leeway for developing a Fingon-Maedhros romance and its possible historical significance than exists with respect to a Frodo-Sam or Aragorn-Legolas relationship.
  • The friendship of Frodo and Sam had homoerotic overtones. This concept, which has generated a great deal of slash fan fiction, derives from a modern interpretation of a book written in a different era, and would also probably have been rejected by Tolkien. (In an amusing nod to this idea, when TBS aired the film trilogy, some of their ads implied a homosexual relationship between Frodo and Sam, with the song "Secret Lovers" being played during the commercial.)
  • The friendship of Aragorn and Legolas had homoerotic overtones. As with Frodo and Sam, this idea has produced a large amount of slash and would likely have been rejected by Tolkien. However, this case is slightly different in that the idea largely derives from the films rather than the books, since the films emphasize the Aragorn-Legolas friendship more than the books do.
  • The Arkenstone was a Silmaril, probably the one thrown into a fiery pit by Maedhros, and found its way (geologically?) to the north, to be rediscovered by the Khazad of Erebor.
  • Late in the life of Elros his brother Elrond visited him in [[N�menor]] and was shocked to see how old he had grown, having chosen the mortality of Men. An obscure note published in The Lost Road and Other Writings implies that Tolkien considered the possibility that Elrond and Elros originally sailed to N�menor together and that Elrond later returned to Middle-earth. However, there is no reference in Tolkien's writings to Elrond visiting Elros in his old age.
  • Elladan and Elrohir, the twin sons of Elrond, are jokesters and tricksters. This is a common characterization of them in fan fiction and may have been inspired by the depiction of the Weasley twins in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.
  • [[Celebr�an]], the mother of Arwen, wife of Elrond and daughter of Galadriel, was raped by the Orcs who captured her. According to this theory, Tolkien intended to convey the fact of the rape obliquely when he wrote that Celebr�an received a "poisoned wound". This idea may or may not be contradicted by Tolkien's statement (in the notes to "Laws and Customs Among the Eldar" in Morgoth's Ring) that Elves passed directly to Mandos if they were raped, since that statement seems to refer specifically to rape committed by an Elf.
  • Aragorn may have become the biological father of Boromir and/or Faramir during his time in Gondor as "Thorongil". According to Appendices A and B of The Lord of the Rings, "Thorongil" departed from Gondor in T.A. 2980; Boromir was born in 2978 and Faramir in 2983. Thus Aragorn was apparently in Gondor at the time of Boromir's birth (but not Faramir's). However, there is no evidence whatsoever in Tolkien's writings for an affair between Aragorn and Finduilas (the wife of Denethor). Such an occurrence would contradict Tolkien's Catholic viewpoint and the fact that Aragorn was raised among the Elves, for whom adultery was unthinkable.
  • Faramir was known as "the Raven of Gondor" due to his status as the guardian of Ithilien. This concept apparently derives from Tolkien describing Faramir's hair color as "raven". The designers of The Two Towers film used ravens as a visual motif for Faramir. However, the title "the Raven of Gondor" is never used in Tolkien's writings or in the films.
  • Arwen was the last Elf born in Middle-earth. This concept derives from publicity for the films, but is never stated in the films or the books.
  • Legolas is 2931 years old during the War of the Ring, and thus was born in T.A. 87. This information also comes from film publicity and is never stated in the films or books. It may derive from the fact that Aragorn was born in the year T.A. 2931. The date of T.A. 87 for Legolas' birth agrees with another common fan theory, namely that Legolas was born during the period of peace at the beginning of the Third Age. This is neither confirmed nor denied by Tolkien, who never reveals Legolas' birthdate.
  • Legolas is blond. This is a visual tradition dating back to the works of the Brothers Hildebrandt in the 1970s and followed in both the animated and live action LotR films. However, Tolkien never specifies Legolas' hair color (although The Hobbit mentions that Thranduil, Legolas' father, was blond). Legolas' hair color is one of the most enduring controversies in Tolkien fandom.
  • Thranduil, Legolas' father, was an abusive parent. This characterization appears frequently in fan fiction and is proposed as an explanation for Legolas being sent to Rivendell and for his referring to Thranduil as "my Elvenlord" rather than "my father". However, The Hobbit depicts Thranduil in reasonably positive terms, especially given his status as the Dwarves' antagonist for part of the story.
  • The names of all nine [[Nazg�l]] are known: Er-Murazor (the Witch-King of Angmar), [[Kham�l]], Dwar of Waw, Ji Indur Dawndeath, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel the Quiet (female � see below), Ren the Unclean and Uvatha the Horseman. In fact Tolkien recorded the name of only one Nazg�l: Kham�l, the Black Rider who barely missed catching the Hobbits at Bucklebury Ferry. Even the personal name of the Witch-King of Angmar was not given by Tolkien, although some fans refer to him as "Angmar". The names for the eight Nazg�l other than Kham�l which some fans think were coined by Tolkien were actually invented for the Middle-earth Role Playing game (MERP) published by Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE).
  • One of the nine Nazg�l was female. This concept also comes from MERP. Tolkien's texts seemingly contradict this idea with their consistent references to the Nazg�l as "Men" and "kings", although it could be argued that "Men" includes women and "kings" includes queens. Unsurprisingly, the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring contradicts this idea by showing all nine Nazg�l as men when they received their Rings of Power.
  • There is an Elven-archer in Mirkwood named Silind�, described as a tall, blond Sinda. However, Silind� is Quenya and should not be used to name an Elf in Mirkwood. Nor is it likely that a Sinda would be blond. Silind� is one of the more prominent characters in a large group of Elves in the films whose names are in use on the Internet despite not being established by Tolkien. Some of these Elves (including Silind�) were named in Decipher, Inc.'s The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game; others were simply assigned names by Internet fandom. The Elf named Silind� by Decipher appears at the Council of Elrond in the film of The Fellowship of the Ring, and is played by Sam Kelly.
  • The name of Legolas' mother is known. In fact a name was coined for her for MERP, but never by Tolkien.
  • The War of the Ring included a "War in the North", which involved fighting in Eriador and around Rivendell. This has been stated as fact by the writers of the films in a DVD commentary and has formed the basis for parts of the 2006 computer game The Battle for Middle-earth II. However, although Tolkien mentions violent incidents around Bree during the War (not to mention the Scouring of the Shire), no extensive military campaign in Eriador is mentioned in the Tale of Years in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings. Since the Tale of Years does mention the Battle of Dale and the fighting around [[Lothl�rien]], it is clear that it would also have mentioned the "War in the North" if it had been part of Tolkien's conception. Moreover, the section of Appendix A on the Dwarves includes comments by Gandalf to the effect that extensive, destructive fighting in Eriador was averted by the death of Smaug and the Battles of Five Armies and of Dale.
  • In addition to their son Eldarion, Aragorn and Arwen had as many as four or eight daughters. Tolkien's only reference to their children other than Eldarion is a mention of Arwen's "daughters", which could refer to as few as two. Moreover, Elves tended to have few childbirths (the six births of [[F�anor]] and Nerdanel's seven children were unparallelled), and Arwen was a half-Elf.
  • The whole continent of Middle-earth resembles Europe with respective continents for Asia and Africa, while Valinor is in the place of the United States and has a crescent shape. This derives from The Atlas of Middle-earth, which tried to composite a map of Arda based on a drawing by Tolkien (made in the late 1930s or early 40s and published in The Shaping of Middle-earth) and the later well-known maps of Beleriand and the coasts of Middle-earth. Although this old map generally fits the descriptions of the canonical Silmarillion, it is a matter of debate whether earlier concepts of Tolkien's can be used to fill the gaps of later works such as LotR.
  • Elves and Hobbits have pointy ears. This is nowhere stated in Tolkien's books (though he possibly implied that Hobbit ears were pointed in a letter he wrote later about illustrations, and that Elven ears were pointed in the "Etymologies" published in The Lost Road). See Elves, Tolkien FAQ.
  • Hobbits have huge feet. Tolkien wrote: "their feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads". The idea that they have very large feet, as depicted in the movies, probably derives from illustrations by the Brothers Hildebrandt.
  • Due to the nature of the work, much pseudo-scientific speculation is encouraged in order to explain motivations, facts, reactions and generally fill some gaps. This differs from proper fanon since such study does not invent new elements from scratch, but rather attempts to reveal how canon is. See also Tolkienology.

Tom Swift

  • The Tom Swift, Sr. of the fourth series of Tom Swift books is the Tom Swift, Jr. of the second series. This interpretation encounters difficulty as certain character names (Harlan Ames, Mary Swift and Sandra Swift) are reused in the same places as in the previous book. This interpretation presumes that Tom Jr. married a woman with the same name as his mother, and named his daughter after his sister; an unlikely but not impossible confluence of events.

The Transformers

  • An undocumented Autobot exists, named "Bumblejumper." This is due to a Microman toy released as a part of the Transformers Toyline that combined features of Bumblebee and Cliffjumper and was released in the packaging of either. (The Dreamwave comics eventually introduced "Bumper," a character based on the "Bumblejumper" toy, into their canon.)
  • The Decepticon jets - Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet - are collectively known as the Seekers. The latter three are also known as "Coneheads".
  • Optimus Prime's facemask is supposedly removable in various fanfictions and he has a mouth. Interestingly enough, though the Marvel comics series based on the line initially denied this near the end of the original 80 issue run with a depiction of Powermaster Optimus Prime without the facemask and nothing but a speaker from which he voice would emanate, their second series, Transformers: Generation 2 seems to uphold this as Prime has mechanized 'teeth' shown to be under the faceplate after Megatron nearly beats him to death, shattering half of the facemask, and steals the physical embodiment of the Creation Matrix. The Transformers television series has debunked this, however, in the episode Dark Awakening, as no teeth were visible in the hole in the facemask. However, as these are different continuities altogether and have no real ties outside of Beast Wars, which is itself a separate continuity, this could be either true or false depending upon one's personal point of view. In addition, throughout the animated series, including Transformers the Movie and all Japanese episodes of the Transformers which features Prime, the facemask actually moved as though there was indeed a set of movable jaws beneath, much as Spider-man's mask was shown to move in the various animated shows produced by Marvel. Marvel also had a hand in the animated Transformers series, so this simply muddles the waters even further.
  • The Transformers comic by Marvel Comics may or may not be part of the mainstream Marvel Universe. Although officially demoted to not being part of the larger Marvel Universe some time into its run (due to the belief that the large-scale effects of the Transformer war, such as the destruction of San Francisco, could not comfortably fit into place), the series was originally intended to be part of the Marvel Universe early in its life. Spider-Man makes a guest appears in the third issue, which even contains a footnote reference to his own comic (dating the story as occurring before he lost his symbiote costume). Shortly thereafter, Circuit Breaker, a character created by Bob Budiansky specifically for use in the Tranformers title, debuted in the mainstream Marvel Universe Secret Wars II mini-series (to cement Marvel's ownership of her), then went on to menace the Transformers in their own comic. In a similar manner, Death's Head, a mechanoid from the UK Transformers comic, later wound up interacting with the mainstream Marvel Universe - although he had an explanation, after he was sent through time and space by The Doctor (not generally considered a resident of the Marvel or Transformers universes). The only series which Marvel produced that did directly crossover with the Transformers was G.I. Joe, and the crossover again took place for the launching of Generation 2. Due to the nature of Marvel's multiverse, the Transformers and possibly the GI Joe comics take place on Earth-120185, as revealed in the 2006 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2.
  • Marissa Fairbourne of the EDC is the daughter of Flint, the leader of GI Joe. They share the same last name, and in one episode, an image of her father appears that looks like an aged Flint and is voiced by the same actor - who never had any other voice roles in the series. Her mother may or may not be Lady Jaye; Marissa is apparently too old to be Jaye's daughter unless she was born 'before' the start of the GI Joe Series. (Note that this is the original, Generation One Marissa, not the one appearing in Transformers Kiss.)
  • Fans have often tried to unite the divergent continuities of the Transformers, most notably between the G1 comics, often to no avail. Many fan fiction pieces spin out of the discontinued G2 comic.

V for Vendetta

  • It is common fanon that V survived his final battle with Creevey, and that he came to while on the train. He then leapt out on to a platform and thus often miraculously reappears. Usually the prelude to many V/Evey shipper fics.

The West Wing

X-Men: Evolution

  • Professor X is actually just as evil as Magneto, on the basis that he's, apparently, too idealistic NOT to be evil. (This notion has been carried out in the actual X-Men comics, most notably the "Danger" arc of Astonishing X-Men and his mindwipe of Magneto that led to Onslaught.)
  • Jean Grey, despite several displays of kindess and concern for her teammates, is a selfish, conniving, untrustworthy snob. Such fanon perception stems from the idea that she is "too perfect," and she is often the victim of some very unfair characterization in fanfiction.
  • Kurt Wagner is a devout Catholic. This is something that's been established in the comic book, but was never even hinted at in the cartoon series.
  • Pietro Maximoff is homosexual. Of course, such things would never be outrightly stated on a children's cartoon, but speculation is based on the character's somewhat stereotypical mannerisms, poses, and interactions with other characters.
  • Todd Tolensky ("Toad") is Jewish. None of the characters' religions are ever voiced, but some are established through heavy implication. Kitty Pryde, for instance, is seen lighting a Menorah in episode 22, 'On Angel's Wings,' while the rest of the X-Men are assumed to be celebrating Christmas. This is the only time the subject of religion is breached, and Todd is nowhere to be found. The assumption mostly comes from his last name, which simply sounds Jewish, according to fans.

Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and Yu-Gi-Oh! 2nd series anime (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters)

  • Yugi Muto (Yugi Mutou in the English-language manga and Japanese versions) is an orphan (although it has been specifically stated that his father is abroad while his mother is seen in the series in the original Japanese anime and in interviews with the series' creator, Kazuki Takahashi. In addition to that, Yugi's mother is seen in Volume 5 of the manga and in an episode of the Japanese version of the TV series).
  • Seto Kaiba was a victim of physical child abuse. This assumption came about when a panel in early chapters of the manga depicted a younger Seto wearing a dog collar, being forced to study under piles of books with a riding crop held at his neck by his father (who is sneering, while Seto is frantically huddled over his work). The young Seto had beads of sweat. The intrepretation would cause some fans to imply that Seto was being physically abused. Note that while it is canon that Seto was verbally and emotionally abused as a child by Gozaburo, it is never stated that the abuse was physical.
  • Ryo Bakura is said to be British because of his dub accent. In the original versions he is clearly Japanese.
  • Yami Bakura physically abuses his host Bakura. Although he does not assault Bakura in the series, he has physically injured his host twice. In the Monster World arc in the manga, Yami Bakura attaches the Millennium Ring to Bakura's body by sticking the Ring's spikes into Bakura's body. In the Battle City arc, the dark Bakura indirectly injures his host by stabbing himself in the arm. Ironically, Yami Bakura protects Bakura from physical harm in the Battle City finals in fear of dying with his host.
  • Serenity Wheeler (Shizuka Kawai in the Japanese versions) is said to have sung a lullaby to Seto Kaiba in the anime, who falls in love with her. In fact, the only time that these characters have any interaction in the manga or anime, is when Serenity request that Kaiba seek medical attention for the injured bakura aboard battle ship.
  • Marik Ishtar's dark side, Yami Marik, is not an alternate personality of Marik, but is an evil spirit like Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura. Similarilly, he resided in the Millennium Rod until the Tombkeeper's Initiation involving the Rod transferred him into Marik.
  • Yami Marik, Yami Bakura, and Yami Yugi all have the power to exist as material beings outside of their Millennium Items, or otherwise gain the power to do so, often as a result of magic from Shadi, and possibly Ishizu.
  • Katsuya Jonouchi was physically abused by his father. It is stated in Volumes 2 and 5 of the manga that Jonouchi's father is an alcoholic with heavy debt. Hiroto Honda states that Jonouchi does not invite his friends over to his apartment. There is no evidence to suggest that he physically abuses his son. Jonouchi (in Volume 5 of the manga), is eager to help his father pay off his debts so they can "become a real family again"
  • Since Bakura, Yugi, and Kaiba have Ancient Egyptian counterparts, all other major characters like Anzu, Jonouchi, etc, do as well. In the video game Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories, Anzu and Jonouchi have Egyptian counterparts. Anzu's is "Teana" (Anzu in the Japanese version) and Jonouchi's is "Jono." The counterparts do not appear in the original manga nor do they appear in any of the anime series.
  • Thief King Bakura's real name is Akeifa. There is no evidence to support this in either the manga or Anime, and he is never referred to anything other than Bakura.
  • Yami Yugi is widely considered to have a romantic relationship with his host, Yugi Mutou. This has never been confirmed by Kazuki Takahashi, and is strictly fan-based. Similarly fanbased are the romantic relationship popularized between Jonouchi/Shizuka and Seto Kaiba. There is only vague hints of any kind of Romance in this series, and creator Kazuki Takahashi has commented in an interview that the addition of the element of romance in the series would likely breach the sh?nen genre of the series.
  • Katsuya Jonouchi's name is fanon to be shortened to 'Jou', notwithstanding that this is his family name and it is extremely impolite in Japan to shorten a last name by only saying part of it. His last name is never shortened in any official version of the story in any regular context.
  • There are other Millennium Items that were "hidden" or existed before or after the creation of the original 7. This fact is used in many fanfics to introduce a new villain. This idea was used in Yu-Gi-Oh GX, with the Shadow Riders and their use of Shadow Items (although what the Shadow Items are is not explained) The Shadow Items in GX include a mask, a circular pendant, an eyepatch, and an ancient tome.
  • The Rare Hunters were disbanded and later resurrected after Battle City, most times under new leadership. Common new leaders of the Rare Hunters are Bandit Keith or a new charecter. Keith as the leader of the Hunters is not entirely fanon, as the video game Reshef of Destruction portrays Keith in that very role.

Yu Yu Hakusho

  • Hiei is said to love sweets of all kinds, especially ice cream, which he supposedly refers to as sweet snow. In fact, in the anime/manga, the only thing Hiei is ever seen having eaten/drank is coffee.
  • Hiei cries black tear gems.

Zoids

  • St�rmer and Elena survived the meteor strike in ZAC 2056; Elena became the president of the Helic Republic under an assumed name (There is some evidence in the canon to support this).
  • The Organoid Systems of the Liger Zero and Berserk Fury in the New Century Zero anime are literal Organoids permanantly bonded to the core, and are Zeke and Shadow respectively from Chaotic Century and Guardian Force. By extension, the Liger Zero and the Berserk Fury are the evolved forms of the Blade Liger and the Geno Breaker. There is no tangeble canonical evidence to support either claim.
  • Bit Cloud is descended from Van Freiheit and Fiona from Chaotic Century and Guardian Force. Similarly, Vega Obscura is descended from Raven. Similarly, Sarah, who bears more then just a passing resemblance to Reise from Guardian Force is his mother.
  • It is believed by many that the Liger Zero was originally planned to have a fourth CAS called the "Liger Zero Blaze", based on a mysterious CAS seen briefly in the Japanese NC/0 opening. It is rumoured that the Liger Zero was supposed to defeat the Berserk Fury with this CAS, but that they instead chose to use the base armour. However, there is no tangible proof to back this up, and the "Blaze" CAS is more likely a prototype version of the Panzer. This theory is supported by early concept art for the Panzer which closely resembles the supposed "Blaze CAS".
  • Bit Cloud has an older brother called Isaac.
  • Chris Tasker and Kirkland have a relationship.
  • Fuzors is set in the future of New Century Zero (It is actually set in its own continuity).
  • RD is the son or descendant of Bit Cloud. Alternatively, some suggest he may be related to Ray Gregg from the Battle Story.
  • In Fuzors, the Energy Liger is actually the Alpha Zoid, and is piloted by RD?s Father (This assumption was often mistaken for fact, even after it was proven otherwise in the series, mainly due to the latter half of Fuzors' distribution after it got cancelled halfway through).
  • Blake's Gairyuki is rebuilt from the wreckage of his [[Berserk F�hrer]].
  • Genesis is in the far future of one of the previous series (This is yet to be confirmed; Genesis may be its own continuity like Fuzors).

See also


References

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