User blog:Hypsoline/Let’s talk about fanon wikis

We need to talk about… fanon wikis! We have decided to start a series of blogs about the lesser-known and misunderstood wikis of Fandom, and I chose fanon wikis to kick it off! Fanon can be ill-perceived by certain individuals or entities for reasons such as: violation of canon, quality concerns, misrepresentation of characters, shipping wars, copyright and legal concerns… But it's essential to remember that fanon is also very diverse and rich. Fanon is a reflection of fans' passion, creativity, and love for the source material, and for many, it enhances their enjoyment of the original works. Let’s dive into the topic now! And don’t hesitate to share your love for fanon wikis in the comments!

What is fanon?
"Fanon" refers to the ideas, stories, and interpretations created by fans of a particular work of fiction or popular culture. Fanon exists alongside the official canon (the original content created by the creators) but is not considered part of the official storyline. Fans are not the original creators of the content, but they use their imagination and creativity to expand upon the existing world or characters. Fanon can include fanfiction, fan art, fan theories, and other fan-generated content that builds upon or modifies the original source material. It's a way for fans to express their love for a show, movie, book, or any other form of media by adding their own twists and ideas to the story.

How and when did fanon start?
The term "fanon" as we understand it today emerged in the context of fan communities and popular culture in the mid to late 20th century. The roots of modern fanon can be traced back to science fiction fandoms in the early 20th century, particularly with the rise of science fiction fanzines in the 1930s. These fanzines allowed fans to share their fan fiction, artwork, and discussions about their favorite science fiction stories and characters. In the 1960s, Star Trek played a significant role in popularizing fanon. As the original Star Trek series gained a devoted fanbase, fans started creating their own stories and artwork featuring the show's characters and universe.

With the advent of the internet in the 1990s, fanon exploded in popularity. Online forums, fan fiction archives, and fan art websites allowed fans from all over the world to share and contribute to fanon in various fandoms, from TV shows and movies to books and video games. Today, fans continue to find new and innovative ways to engage with their favorite works and expand the universes they love through fanon culture.

Popular fanon types
It’s hard to pinpoint all fanon genres definitively, as fanon can vary greatly across different fandoms and evolve over time. However, some popular fanon examples include:

Shipping Canon
This involves fans pairing characters romantically, especially if it doesn't happen in the official canon. For genres that are hesitant to include LGBTQIA+ relationships, this is where fanon shines! Check out the popular Shipping Wiki for all your shipping needs!

Alternate Universes (AUs)
Fans often create alternate versions of the original story where characters exist in different settings, time periods, or roles. AUs can also exist in canon as franchises may have alternative timelines or continuities to keep progressing their stories. These can also take the form of alternate realities, and often pose the question of "what if"? What if Sunny from Wings of Fire was a powerful Animus dragon, what if Light from Death Note was benevolent, or what happens to the future of the Clans if BloodClan ruled the forest?

Crossovers
Fans sometimes merge characters and worlds from different fandoms into one story. For instance, characters from different TV shows or video games could interact with each other. Ever wanted to see a crossover between Elder Scrolls and Harry Potter or a crossover character from Genshin Impact and Elden Ring? Or perhaps Warriors and His Dark Materials? Fanons got you covered!

Canon Compliant
This type of fanon seeks to change or rewrite certain aspects in the original story or franchise that fans may have disliked or found unsatisfying while still remaining true to canon elements. The overall plot progression and character stories may stay the same, but certain elements may be changed. At times, canon materials may provide a basis for future fanon installments, such as a canon compliant of Redtail's legacy from Warriors, a fourth season of H20: Just Add Water, or your own interpretation of Phase 4 and onward of the MCU.

Fusion Fanon
This involves blending elements from different sources to create something entirely new. For example, combining characters from one anime with the visual style of another. Or using the groundworks of a franchise as the building blocks to create your own unique idea and story. Check out #JusticeForLove: End of the World, a fanon movie inspired by asteroid disaster movies, or what the God of War franchise might look like in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Original Characters (OCs)
Another popular aspect of fanon wikis is original characters (OCs). Franchises with rich worldbuilding and unique character developments provide excellent opportunities for fans to create their own original character. These characters may be canon characters with minimal background that fans can expand upon in their own universes, or they can be inspired by canon content but are strictly the fan's creation. These characters may be featured in their own fanfictions and storylines, artworks, and can even be a representation of the fan's online identity. Fandom hosts numerous wikis dedicated to documenting fans' OCs and fanfictions!

Some popular fanon wikis
Some of our biggest and most popular fanon wikis include:  Avatar_Fanon_Wiki_Logo.png|Avatar Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:avatar Fanon_Wiki_Logo.png|Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:fanon Genshin_Impact_Fanon_Logo.png|Genshin Impact Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:genshin-impact-fanon HP_Fanon_Wiki_Logo.png|Harry Potter Fanon Wiki|link=harrypotterfanon Heroes_Fanon_Wiki_Logo.png|Hero Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:herofanon Records_of_Ragnarok_Fanon_Logo.png|Record of Ragnarok Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:record-of-ragnarok-fanon Shipping_Wiki_Logo.png|Shipping Wiki|link=w:c:shipping Villains_Fanon_Wiki_Logo.png|Villains Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:villainsfanon Warriors_Ocs_Logo.png|Warriors OCs Wiki|link=w:c:warriors-ocs WOF_Fanon_Wiki_Logo.png|Wings of Fire Fanon Wiki|link=w:c:wingsoffirefanon

Fanon according to fanon users
We interviewed a few users to know more about their passion for fanon. This is what fanon is in their own words.

What fanon wikis do you use?
"I've only ever really used the Avatar Wiki (which is a merger of both canon and fanon content). I've definitely looked at other fanon wikis, but only published and contributed to that one."

- Bomochu

"The Villains/Heroes Fanon Wikis. Most fanon wikis only allow users to make pages about OCs or fanfics that the user created. I'm not a creator, so i appreciate VFW/HFW since it allows me to make pages about characters from fanon works I didn't create (such as Super Danganronpa Another)"

- Bonus Person

"I’m mostly active on the Genshin Fanon Wiki, but I'm planning to work on Honkai Star Rail Fanon as well."

- FireCrescent

"Of course the Warriors OC's Wiki is my most-used wiki as I'm one of its lead mods, but I also actively use the Warriors Fanfiction Wiki! :D"

- Seyrii

What's unique about fanon wikis?
"The page formatting and aesthetics is definitely something that comes to mind. Although the coding can be overwhelming for newer users, the results are pretty neat, from having infobox colours, adding original artwork to supplement the fanon page, or creating original templates like chapter boxes to organise fanon pages. Also, the categorisation system makes it easier to collate a user's work."

- Bomochu

"Probably how unpredictable they are. You never know what you're gonna stumble across in a fanon wiki. Sometimes you'll find crossovers you never thought of but work surprisingly well."

- Bonus Person

"Fanon wikis are unique and beneficial because they give everyone a place to share their creativity!"

- FireCrescent

"I believe fanon wikis are unique in a way that you can discover all different sides of a fandom in one place, and see how different people interpret and flesh out their favorite parts of the canon content with their own ideas!"

- Seyrii

What's the benefit of having fanon fandom communities?
"Fanfiction can bring together fans in a different way. When organising canon content – which is still a fun and vital part of fandoms – you're mostly interacting via message walls, or through a Discord server if the fandom has one. But with fanon wikis it opens up a whole host of other interactions, like commenting on other users' stories, offering to beta-read or edit, getting feedback etc. which add a lot more connection to the fandom community."

- Bomochu

"It helps people find a community where they're comfortable sharing their works, or for people like me, share fanon works they like!"

- Bonus Person

"Sometimes it just takes a compliment and it'll give the author motivation towards what they're passionate about."

- FireCrescent

"I think that fanon wikis are really good for encouraging fans of media to explore and embrace their creative side, especially with fan-fiction, art and fan-characters!"

- Seyrii

What’s your favorite fan fiction or fan art?
"It's very tough to pick only a handful of fanons and fanart works on the wiki but I'll try. Silent Hero in Emerald by Minnichi is one of the first fanons I ever read, and has some stellar artwork to accompany it."

- Bomochu

"It's a pretty dark one. [hosted on Fanfiction.net; check out some of the characters on the Villains Fanon Wiki]"

- Bonus Person

"Here's a favorite character art of mine."

- FireCrescent

"Aah I can't say for sure my favourite, but I've been absolutely loving a fan-comic recently called Silverpelt's Terror based on the Warriors book series! Beautiful art, and very fun story that puts a super interesting spin on the canon universe with fan-characters ^^"

- Seyrii

As we have seen, fanon communities allow for unique, creative, and passionate fans to come together and share their love about their franchises. What are some of your favorite fanon communities and original characters? We'd loved to hear about them in the comments!