What Is 'Canon VS Fanon'? The New Meme Mocking Fandom Culture Explained

It seems there's no escaping fandom culture. It's a central part of the online experience, and whether or not someone is involved in fandoms, they're bound to experience the bizarre, disturbing and sometimes wholesome things people come up with in celebrating their favorite fandoms. Many are a little too eager to share these thoughts with the rest of the internet.

But what does "canon vs. fanon" even mean, and where did the meme originate? Here's everything to know about the meme calling out our favorite (and least favorite) fandom tropes.

Where Did The 'Canon vs. Fanon' Meme Originate?

First off, "canon vs. fanon" refers to the reality of a book, movie, TV show, etc. versus the reality fans impose on it. This can include things like shipping characters with nothing in common, coming up with their own backstories for characters, and much more, but ultimately, it's not real in the actual canon. Often, "fanon" takes are widely held by numerous people in the fandom anyway.

On March 10th, 2024, a user on X / Twitter posted a question asking followers to share their favorite "canon vs fanon depiction." Unbeknownst to them, they'd just opened Pandora's box, and the "canon vs fanon" trend quickly began to spread.

People replied with countless variations of fanon tropes, but one meme by user @FectoPrisma became the earliest known example to gain notoriety online. The meme parodies how various non-playable characters are often fetishized by some overly eager fans. Take a look:

How Is 'Canon vs. Fanon' Used In Memes?

Many generalizations about fandom culture are being called out by these memes. And there are a lot of generalizations out there. For those looking to jump on the trend, there are a lot of ways to do so.

Lots of fandom members try to impose their own fantasies onto the characters in their favorite source material. This meme provides users with an opportunity to express their annoyance with fandom culture or to express the tropes they actually enjoy seeing in discussions of their favorite media as well.

For the full history of canon vs. fanon, be sure to check out "Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.