Where Did Ozzy’s “Prince Of Darkness” Nickname Originated

Ozzy Osbourne is known for a lot of things—his wild stage presence, his music, and even his TV appearances—but most fans know him best by his spooky nickname: The Prince of Darkness. So how did this title stick to Ozzy, and what does it really mean? Let’s break it down.

Where the Title “Prince of Darkness” Came From

Before Ozzy ever stepped on stage, “The Prince of Darkness” had a long, eerie history. The nickname is actually the English version of the Latin phrase princeps tenebrarum, which appeared in texts dating back as early as the 4th century. But it gained major recognition in 1667 when poet John Milton used it in his epic poem Paradise Lost, referring to none other than Satan.
In Book 10, Milton wrote:

“Whom thus the Prince of darkness answered glad.
Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both;
High proof ye now have given to be the race
Of Satan (for I glory in the name,
Antagonist of Heaven’s Almighty King,)
Amply have merited of me, of all
The infernal empire, that so near Heaven’s door”

So yeah, it’s pretty heavy stuff—and the name has been tied to evil and darkness for centuries.

How Ozzy Got the Nickname

The origin of Ozzy’s dark title goes all the way back to his early Black Sabbath days. In a 2016 interview with NME, he pointed to the band’s haunting 1970 song “Black Sabbath” as the beginning of it all. The track opens with eerie notes known as the “Devil’s Interval,” or Diabolus in musica, which had quite an effect on fans.

“They thought we were Satan’s fucking friends or something,” Ozzy recalled. “That’s when the whole Prince of Darkness shit started. When people get excited about Halloween coming around each year, all I think is, ‘Well, we used to have Halloween every fucking night.’”

Because Sabbath’s music felt dark and ominous, people naturally connected Ozzy to something a little more sinister—and the nickname took off from there.

What Ozzy Thinks About It

While the title might sound intense, Ozzy has a pretty relaxed attitude about it. In a 2013 chat with the Broward New Times, he admitted the whole thing started out as a joke.

“It’s a name. I didn’t wake up one morning and go, ‘You know what, I’m going to call myself…’ It started as a joke name really,” he explained. “I’m okay with it, you know? You know, it’s better than being called an asshole.”

So, while the title may sound dark and mysterious, to Ozzy, it’s just another wild part of his legendary rock ‘n’ roll story.