Canon

This article is about the overall story of the game. For other uses, see Cannon (disambiguation).

Canon is a term applied to most franchises with one or more possible storylines, and refers to which of them is the official one to follow. In RuneScape, canon may be used to describe the correct or official way the world of Gielinor functions, or how things or people in the game run and act. 

Jagex tries at every possible opportunity to keep to the established canon, but there is still dispute about certain subjects, especially on sketchy and highly-speculated subjects, such as the history of gods like Zaros and the Menaphite Pantheon.

Sources of lore information

Novels such as Betrayal at Falador are almost entirely canon.

Canonical sources

The list below outlines what is considered canonical and explains the different categories of canonical sources.

• Information from the RuneScape game: Content from the game itself is generally considered canon. Some elements are included purely for gameplay or humour and should not always be interpreted literally. On rare occasions, different in-game sources may contradict one another. In such cases, logic and common sense should guide whether a detail is canonical, retconned, or an in-universe misconception.
  • These rare contradictions are often in-universe misinterpretations rather than full retcons. For example, vampyres are commonly believed to be undead by ordinary characters, and there are multiple competing explanations for how Prayer functions.
  • Gower Quest is said to be "100% canon, except for the bits that aren't."
• Other Medias: Other medias, such as the the RuneScape novels, RuneScape: Untold Tales of the God Wars and RuneScape: Dragonwilds are also considered canonical. However, in cases of contradiction with in-game lore, the game's version takes precedence.
  • Mistakes do occur, particularly in visual adaptations. For example, the Origins of Gielinor motion comic contains non-canonical visuals, such as K'ril Tsutsaroth fighting for Zaros or Zamorak stabbing Zaros with an Armadyl battlestaff instead of the Staff of Armadyl, although the narrative itself is considered canon.
• Scale theory: Scale theory is a confirmed concept used by developers and players to explain that the game's depiction of cities and landscapes is not a 1:1 representation of the world.
  • There are a few example of canonical locations that do not appear in-game, or has once but in an instance area. One being the manor from the Rat Catchers quest, another is Lumford, which was introduced in the Murder on the Border quest.

Debatable canonical sources

The list below contains sources that are often treated as canonical, but whose status is debatable due to contradictions, outdated information, or inconsistent alignment with established canon.

• Information on the official RuneScape website: Information from the site can be considered canon, like Lores and Histories, the former Knowledge Base and sometimes news articles, but not always. If an in-game update arrives where it contradicts any of the history or article from the site, they become non-canon.
• Other Medias: As stated above, other media that are set within the RuneScape universe can also be considered canon. However, some works such as the FunOrb game Armies of Gielinor and the RuneScape novels written by T. S. Church contain contradictions with established in-game lore and in-game history. Although the game acknowledges certain events and characters from these sources, they are not regarded as completely canonical.
  • The novels (from T.S. Church, Erin M. Evans and Robbie MacNiven) also contradict the existence of horses. In-game, horses are considered mythical creatures, and mounts that appear to be ridden like horses are actually hornless unicorns, which are considered as extinct/endangered species.
• Out of Game Information: Information revealed during organised sessions with Jagex moderators, such as Above the Lore Q&As, livestreams, or ask-me-anything events, can be considered canon only if it does not contradict existing in-game content. Out-of-game information should generally be treated as providing missing context or details for already released lore. However, such information is subject to change and may be retconned over time.
  • Some good example of this is RuneFest reveals, where lore information is provided, but eventually in-game will retcon what was revealed.

Non-canonical sources

The list below includes sources that are no longer considered canon or are only partially canonical.

• Postbags and God Letters: The Postbags from the Hedge and God Letters are largely non-canonical, as they were created mainly for entertainment before RuneScape had a fully established storyline. Some details within them, such as the existence of the Underwater City, remain canon, provided they are not contradicted elsewhere or clearly intended as humour.
  • The portrayals of the gods' personalities in these sources do not fully align with their current characterisations and are therefore only partially canonical.
  • Certain information, such as Guthix arriving in Gielinor as a butterfly, are considered canon only within the context of in-world myths and legends, as referenced in The World Wakes by Orlando Smith.
• Head-canon: Head-canon, sometimes referred to as fanfiction, is a term used by both Jagex and players when proposing ideas to fill gaps in the lore. Occasionally, Jagex moderators may share information as head-canon, presenting their interpretations of missing details that the Lore Council has not yet officially addressed.

See also

• Scale theory