What does Headcanon mean?
A fan's personal interpretation of a fictional universe
Detailed Explanation
'Headcanon' refers to a fan's personal, non-official beliefs, interpretations, or theories about a fictional work that are not explicitly stated in the source material. It's the set of ideas a fan holds as true 'in their head' to fill in gaps in the story, explain character motivations, or expand on the world. It is distinct from 'canon,' which is the official source material.
Usage Examples
“My headcanon is that those two characters were secretly writing letters to each other the whole time.”
“It's not canon, but my headcanon is that he's a vegetarian.”
“The show left his past ambiguous, which leaves a lot of room for headcanon.”
Origin & History
The term emerged from online fan fiction communities in the 2000s, particularly on platforms like LiveJournal and FanFiction.Net. It provided a necessary vocabulary to distinguish between the official story and the rich world of fan-created interpretations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between headcanon and fanon?
'Headcanon' is personal to an individual fan. 'Fanon' refers to ideas that are not official canon but have become so widely accepted within a fan community that they are treated as if they were official.