The differences between Minecraft Creepypasta Herobrine's canon & community lore

Herobrine has been the pinnacle of Minecraft Creepypasta infamy since his first sighting back in 2010.

This sighting came in the form of an image detailing the encounter, which was posted on 4chan's /v/ board. The legend began to spiral from there; spawning streams, hoaxes, easter eggs, mods, texture packs, and more.

One of the more well-known hoaxes was Brocraft Streamer, "Copeland's," livestream. This hoax was inspired by the original 4chan encounter, and happened well before the legend of Herobrine became the infamous tale it is today.

Did players know that there's a difference between the canonical and community-made lore for Herobrine? The "canon" lore comes solely from what was depicted in the original sighting, and Copeland's livestream. Anything that has happened after those two events is regarded to be community-made lore.

So, what are these differences between the canon and community lore? Readers might be surprised to find out that something they've known about Herobrine for years hasn't been canonical after all.

What, or who, "Herobrine," is

Canonically — Herobrine is said to be Markus "Notch" Persson's dead brother. While in reality, Notch doesn't have a brother. When it comes to Herobrine's canonical lore, their familial relationship is a fact that came from the story of his first sighting, which is regarded to be canonical.

Herobrine was, canonically, somehow embedded into the game as a ghost, or virus. He shows a lot of characteristics that make him similar to a virus, such as altering game worlds, as well as deleting and sending messages.

Another theory that's backed up with canonical information is that Herobrine is a figment of numerous players' imagination. That would explain the shared experiences between players, but denial of the canon from Notch himself.

Communally — the most popular theories around Herobrine are that he's some form of demon, or bad omen. That could be plausible from a canonical perspective, but these theories are often written from a perspective that writes "Minecraft" as reality. Herobrine hasn't, canonically, appeared outside of technology.

Appearence

Canonically — Herobrine is an altered version of the friendly, "Steve," skin. He has his predecessor's blue shirt, hairline, and purple pants, but Herobrine's eyes are completely white. Herobrine's hollow, empty, white eyes are similar to that of endermen, spiders, and cave spiders. His eyes appear brighter than his surroundings without emitting light.

Communally — Herobrine is often depicted holding items such as pickaxes. While he's known to manipulate the overworld, he isn't ever canonically seen holding items in his hand. Theorists have also depicted Herobrine as both a villager clad in a black smock and a dead miner.

Movement

Canonically — Herobrine is said to have the ability to run. Neither of his canonical sources ever show him enact movement, but it's implied through the first sighting and his change in location later on in the Copeland livestream that he can move. His method of transportation is relatively unknown, or perhaps, similar to ghosts, he doesn't have one at all.

Communally — Herobrine is widely believed to teleport like an angered enderman. Community theories seem to reject the ideology of Herobrine's canonically vague method of transportation. Oftentimes they theorize that he can teleport, or even depict his head crooked or creepily twitching.

Interaction within the Minecraft Overworld

Canonically — Herobrine is fully capable of building and destroying blocks in the overworld. The first sighting talks about him creating two by two tunnels decorated with redstone torches, shearing the leaves off of trees, and creating pyramids in the midst of the ocean. Herobrine doesn't canonically interact with other mobs. He focuses solely on the player in both of his canon sightings.

Communally — Herobrine is often depicted "possessing" neutral mobs. When he inhabits them, their eyes pale to imitate his hollow, white orbs. Herobrine is theorized to be akin to a player in creative mode, as he creates these traps and structures without the viable resources to do so.

Intent

Canonically — Herobrine's intent is relatively unknown. He's been portrayed in the canonical sightings to be an unnerving stalker that disappears when approached or confronted. It's safe to say that his intent is to stalk and unsettle the player by altering their world and watching them from afar.

Communally — Herobrine is depicted to be much more malicious and vengeful. His traps, specifically the two block tunnels, are meant to ensnare unwilling players. He often teleports behind the player while they're meandering through the shallow tunnels, killing them or sealing them inside. He's also depicted to be akin to a griefer or troll. He'll break player-made creations, and steal items from their chests.

Edited by Nikhil Vinod