diff --git a/alembic/versions/0023_drop_meta_rating_tag_kinds.py b/alembic/versions/0023_drop_meta_rating_tag_kinds.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d2b052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alembic/versions/0023_drop_meta_rating_tag_kinds.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+"""drop meta + rating tag kinds — operator-retired 2026-05-26
+
+Revision ID: 0023
+Revises: 0022
+Create Date: 2026-05-26
+
+Operator decided meta + rating aren't valid tag kinds for FC. Per-row
+behavior: DELETE existing rows (operator chose "clean break" over
+"convert to general"). All cascading FKs (image_tag, tag_alias,
+tag_allowlist, tag_reference_embedding, tag_suggestion_rejection,
+series_page) use ondelete="CASCADE" so a single DELETE on tag cleans
+the related rows in one go.
+
+After the data cleanup, recreate the tag_kind ENUM without 'meta' /
+'rating' (Postgres has no `ALTER TYPE ... DROP VALUE`; standard
+rename-create-cast-drop dance). The server default 'general' is
+dropped before the type swap and restored after.
+"""
+from typing import Sequence, Union
+
+from alembic import op
+
+revision: str = "0023"
+down_revision: Union[str, None] = "0022"
+branch_labels: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+depends_on: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    # 1. Delete tags of the retired kinds. CASCADE handles related tables.
+    op.execute("DELETE FROM tag WHERE kind IN ('meta', 'rating')")
+
+    # 2. Drop the server default — ALTER COLUMN TYPE can't carry it
+    #    across the type swap below.
+    op.execute("ALTER TABLE tag ALTER COLUMN kind DROP DEFAULT")
+
+    # 3. Recreate the tag_kind enum without meta/rating.
+    op.execute("ALTER TYPE tag_kind RENAME TO tag_kind_old")
+    op.execute(
+        "CREATE TYPE tag_kind AS ENUM ("
+        "'artist', 'character', 'fandom', 'general', "
+        "'series', 'archive', 'post'"
+        ")"
+    )
+    op.execute(
+        "ALTER TABLE tag "
+        "ALTER COLUMN kind TYPE tag_kind "
+        "USING kind::text::tag_kind"
+    )
+    op.execute("DROP TYPE tag_kind_old")
+
+    # 4. Restore the server default.
+    op.execute("ALTER TABLE tag ALTER COLUMN kind SET DEFAULT 'general'")
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    # Add the values back to the enum so old code can boot. The deleted
+    # tag rows are gone permanently — no safe restore.
+    op.execute("ALTER TABLE tag ALTER COLUMN kind DROP DEFAULT")
+    op.execute("ALTER TYPE tag_kind RENAME TO tag_kind_old")
+    op.execute(
+        "CREATE TYPE tag_kind AS ENUM ("
+        "'artist', 'character', 'fandom', 'general', "
+        "'series', 'archive', 'post', 'meta', 'rating'"
+        ")"
+    )
+    op.execute(
+        "ALTER TABLE tag "
+        "ALTER COLUMN kind TYPE tag_kind "
+        "USING kind::text::tag_kind"
+    )
+    op.execute("DROP TYPE tag_kind_old")
+    op.execute("ALTER TABLE tag ALTER COLUMN kind SET DEFAULT 'general'")
diff --git a/backend/app/models/tag.py b/backend/app/models/tag.py
index c99fc06..a74575b 100644
--- a/backend/app/models/tag.py
+++ b/backend/app/models/tag.py
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ class TagKind(StrEnum):
     series = "series"
     archive = "archive"
     post = "post"
-    meta = "meta"
-    rating = "rating"
+    # `meta` and `rating` retired by operator 2026-05-26 (alembic 0023).
+    # `artist` retired in FC-2d-vii-c — artists are first-class entities
+    # via Artist/Source rows now, not tags — but the enum value stays
+    # to keep historic tag rows queryable.
 
 
 image_tag = Table(
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores/tags.js b/frontend/src/stores/tags.js
index fbb871a..5bf47d1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores/tags.js
+++ b/frontend/src/stores/tags.js
@@ -2,24 +2,22 @@ import { defineStore } from 'pinia'
 import { ref } from 'vue'
 import { useApi } from '../composables/useApi.js'
 
+// `artist` retired in FC-2d-vii-c (provenance is its own axis), `meta` +
+// `rating` retired by operator 2026-05-26 (alembic 0023 drops them from
+// the enum). KIND_COLOR keeps `archive` + `post` so any legacy
+// system-managed tag still renders with a neutral color.
 const KIND_OPTIONS = [
   { value: 'general',   label: 'General',   icon: 'mdi-tag' },
-  { value: 'artist',    label: 'Artist',    icon: 'mdi-palette' },
   { value: 'character', label: 'Character', icon: 'mdi-account-circle' },
   { value: 'fandom',    label: 'Fandom',    icon: 'mdi-book-open-page-variant' },
-  { value: 'series',    label: 'Series',    icon: 'mdi-bookshelf' },
-  { value: 'meta',      label: 'Meta',      icon: 'mdi-cog-outline' },
-  { value: 'rating',    label: 'Rating',    icon: 'mdi-shield-check-outline' }
+  { value: 'series',    label: 'Series',    icon: 'mdi-bookshelf' }
 ]
 
 const KIND_COLOR = {
-  artist:    'accent',
   character: 'info',
   fandom:    'secondary',
   series:    'warning',
   general:   'on-surface',
-  meta:      'on-surface',
-  rating:    'on-surface',
   archive:   'on-surface',
   post:      'on-surface'
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/TagsView.vue b/frontend/src/views/TagsView.vue
index d973b20..b79b6f8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/TagsView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/TagsView.vue
@@ -99,10 +99,11 @@ import MergeConfirmDialog from '../components/discovery/MergeConfirmDialog.vue'
 import DestructiveConfirmModal from '../components/modal/DestructiveConfirmModal.vue'
 
 // Must stay a subset of the backend TagKind enum (character, fandom,
-// general, series, archive, post, meta, rating). 'fandom' is this
-// model's copyright/franchise concept (characters link via fandom_id).
-// 'artist' retired in FC-2d-vii-c — artists are the Artist row, not a tag.
-const KINDS = ['character', 'fandom', 'general', 'series', 'meta']
+// general, series, archive, post). 'fandom' is this model's
+// copyright/franchise concept (characters link via fandom_id).
+// 'artist' retired in FC-2d-vii-c — artists are the Artist row, not
+// a tag. 'meta' + 'rating' retired by operator 2026-05-26 (alembic 0023).
+const KINDS = ['character', 'fandom', 'general', 'series']
 const store = useTagDirectoryStore()
 const router = useRouter()