diff --git a/frontend/src/components/modal/FandomPicker.vue b/frontend/src/components/modal/FandomPicker.vue
index 31189ab..e9ed4a8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/modal/FandomPicker.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/modal/FandomPicker.vue
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
       </div>
     </v-card-text>
     <v-card-actions>
+      <!-- Not every character belongs to a fandom (original characters,
+           unsorted, etc.). "No fandom" creates the character unassigned;
+           a fandom can still be set later from the chip's kebab menu. -->
+      <v-btn variant="text" @click="onNoFandom">No fandom</v-btn>
       <v-spacer />
       <v-btn @click="$emit('cancel')">Cancel</v-btn>
       <v-btn :disabled="!selectedId" color="primary" rounded="pill" @click="onConfirm">Use this fandom</v-btn>
@@ -45,4 +49,9 @@ function onConfirm() {
   const f = store.fandomCache.find(x => x.id === selectedId.value)
   if (f) emit('confirm', f)
 }
+// Create the character with no fandom. Emits null so the caller knows this
+// was a deliberate "unassigned", not a cancel.
+function onNoFandom() {
+  emit('confirm', null)
+}
 </script>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/modal/TagAutocomplete.vue b/frontend/src/components/modal/TagAutocomplete.vue
index 9767af2..5131688 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/modal/TagAutocomplete.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/modal/TagAutocomplete.vue
@@ -147,10 +147,14 @@ function onCreate () {
   reset()
 }
 
+// fandom is null when the user picked "No fandom" — characters don't all
+// belong to a fandom. The backend already accepts fandom_id: null for the
+// character kind (tag.kind check + nullable fandom_id), and a fandom can be
+// assigned later from the chip kebab's "Set fandom…".
 function onFandomChosen (fandom) {
   fandomDialog.value = false
   emit('pick-new', {
-    name: pendingNewName, kind: 'character', fandom_id: fandom.id,
+    name: pendingNewName, kind: 'character', fandom_id: fandom ? fandom.id : null,
   })
   pendingNewName = null
   reset()