Definition of Canon (fiction)

This article is not about literary canons of influential works of fiction, but about the concept of a canon which defines the world of a particular fictional series or franchise.

Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc., that are considered to be genuine or officially sanctioned, and those events, characters, settings, etc., that are considered to have existence within the fictional universe. In order for a setting to appear cohesive, especially in fictions that contain multiple parts, both creators and audiences sometimes find it useful to define what has and has not "actually happened" in that universe.