Fanon

Fanon is a term used to refer to "fan canon" (of which the term is a portmanteau). It applies to certain "facts" that may have been accepted as a truth by a large number of fans, and thus either replaces an established canonical fact in the minds of those fans, or fills a plot-hole. One example of this form of canon is the mystery of Palpatine's first name; many fans have adopted "Cos" as the Emperor's first name, from early drafts of Lucas' work. Fanon is occasionally adopted by Expanded Universe authors, and so becomes canonical.

Fanon can also take the form of personal beliefs held by individuals. In this case, an individual may create an expansive backstory, possibly a fan fiction, which they accept as "true." These have less standing than even the fanon mentioned above, and thus are not included on Wookieepedia.