Is the Demon Zozo Real? Who He Is & Where He Comes From

Urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez explains how to identify Zozo’s presence and protect yourself from him

Co-authored by Sydney Bermudez and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

Who is Zozo?

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What does he do?

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How the Myth Began

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Possible Encounters

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Avoiding Zozo

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Is he real?

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Video

Whether or not you believe in them, you’ve probably been warned not to play with Ouija boards at some point in your life. Many believe that using a Ouija board will summon Zozo, a demon who will haunt you long after you’re done playing. But where did the legend of Zozo come from? In this article, we’ll explain who Zozo is, what happens if you summon him, possible encounters people have had with him, and more, with insights from an urban legends expert, a paranormal activity expert, and a psychic medium.

Who is the demon Zozo?

According to urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez, Zozo is a demon associated with Ouija boards and paranormal folklore. He often pretends to be a kind spirit and makes his presence known by spelling out “Z-O-Z-O” on the board. According to legend, he is a fallen angel who was banished from heaven.

Section 1 of 6:

Who is Zozo?

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Zozo is a demon allegedly summoned through Ouija boards. Bermudez says, “Zozo is a figure commonly associated with Ouija board stories and paranormal folklore. Many people describe Zozo as a trickster-type spirit that pretends to be friendly at first, then becomes darker or more aggressive.”^{[1]
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Sydney Bermudez
Urban Legends Expert

Expert Interview} Zozo is supposedly a fallen angel who was banished from Heaven eons ago, and has turned into a cruel, sadistic demon who preys upon people’s fears and insecurities. He is most often summoned through Ouija boards, though he can also be summoned by other means of spiritual communication, such as seances.^{[2]
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- Some claim Zozo is another name for Pazuzu, the demon written about in The Exorcist.
- Bermudez continues, “Most of what we know comes from personal accounts rather than confirmed sources, but the name shows up frequently in Ouija-related encounters.”^{[3]
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- How do you know if you've contacted Zozo? Bermudez says people typically report specific patterns or signs that indicate they’ve made contact with Zozo, like “the planchette repeatedly spelling Z-O-Z-O, fast figure-eight movements, or sudden shifts in tone from the spirit. Some also describe feeling anxious, dizzy, or uncomfortable during the session.”^{[4]
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Meet the wikiHow Experts

Sydney Bermudez is an urban legends expert and horror content creator that explores paranormal cases, internet mysteries, and psychological horror. She shares content on TikTok and Instagram to over 400k followers.

Dylan McElliott is a YouTuber based in Florida who creates content focused on investigating paranormal activity. He has over 1.3 M subscribers on YouTube and 137K followers on TikTok.

Joanna Cabot is a psychic medium and energy healing practitioner based in Saint Barthélemy. She connects with clients through psychic abilities such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience or claircognizance.
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Zozo has black skin and wears red face paint. Zozo is also known as the Ouija Board Demon or the Red-Faced Demon. He is described as being a tall, muscular demon with black skin, coarse fur on his legs, dark cloven hooves, and a devilish tail. He has long, spidery claws and large, yellow-gold eyes with black pupils. He paints his face red, and a cracking sound occurs when he arrives.
- Most people who claim to have encountered Zozo have not actually seen him. This is just one common description of his possible appearance.

Section 2 of 6:

What happens if you summon Zozo?

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Zozo often pretends to be other spirits. “Demons can mask themselves as normal ghosts,” says YouTuber and paranormal activity expert Dylan McElliott.^{[5]
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Dylan McElliott
YouTuber and Paranormal Activity Expert

Expert Interview} Supposedly, Zozo mimics the voices of the dead whom the Ouija board users wish to talk to. He may even pretend to be 3 different spirits at once. He preys on people’s fears and tells lies in an attempt to turn friends against each other.^{[6]
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- Zozo often tells people that they will die soon and is known to be very misogynistic.
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Zozo may seem friendly at first, but this is a trick. Those who have encountered Zozo often say that he will act innocently to gain the pity or trust of the participants. Then, he attempts to make harmful deals with them and shows his true colors.
- Zozo also becomes angry if participants mock his name by calling him Bozo or making other jokes. If this happens, he may possess the participants and cause them to speak in a deep, demonic voice. Other participants may get lost, never to be found again.
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If you contact Zozo once, you’ll contact him again. According to legend, if you engage with Zozo once, he’ll never leave you alone. Every time you use a Ouija board in the future (even in different locations and with different boards), you will contact him again. Similarly, if a new group of people uses a board that others used to contact Zozo, they will also contact him, even if they haven’t before or weren’t attempting to.
- Zozo is described as being very possessive, and he will no longer allow you to contact other spirits once you have contacted him.
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Zozo may linger after you end the session. Many who have reportedly encountered Zozo claim that he continues to haunt them after they say “goodbye” on the Ouija board. They’ve reported seeing black, shadowy figures following them, things being moved around their home, and sounds coming from empty rooms. Some also report strange dreams or injuries they don’t remember receiving.^{[7]
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- If you suspect an unwanted entity is sticking around, get rid of it by burning sage, sprinkling holy water around your home, or contacting a religious leader.

Section 3 of 6:

Where did Zozo come from?

The exact origins of the Zozo legend are hard to pinpoint, but some believe he was first mentioned in the early 1900s. In an unspecified article about the demon, a character named Brook Kenilworth has her soul taken by her husband named Zozo. Additionally, the book Dictionnaire Infernal may have included one of the first mentions of Zozo.^{[8]
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A man named Darren Evans wrote about his experience with Zozo in 2009. While it’s possible Zozo has older origins, the urban legend seems to be fairly modern. In 2009, Darren Evans posted his story in an online forum for true ghost stories. He explained that his Ouija board went wild and frantically spelled out “Z-O-Z-O-Z-O-Z-O.” Evans ran to the bathroom, where his girlfriend had been giving their daughter a bath. His girlfriend had vanished, and the tub was overflowing.^{[9]
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- Once Evans posted his story, hundreds of others began commenting, claiming to have similar experiences.
- The story was so popular that a horror film, I Am Zozo, was released in 2012.^{[10]
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- Evans also made an appearance on Ghost Adventures, where he participated in a Ouija board session with a group of paranormal investigators. This further popularized the legend of Zozo.
- It’s important to remember that Ghost Adventures and other shows like it are made for entertainment. The events in an episode may be sensationalized.

Section 4 of 6:

Possible Encounters with Zozo

Many believe Zozo is responsible for hauntings associated with Ouija boards. After using Ouija boards, many people report being haunted or possessed by an unknown entity. While most of these reports refer to the supposed demon by other names or no name at all, those who believe in Zozo suspect he is responsible. Here are some possible encounters people have had with him:
- 1951: Some believe Zozo possessed Roland Doe, a boy who used a Ouija board. He was eventually exorcised after a violent process by priests.^{[11]
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- 1972: A mother named Doris Blither used a Ouija board in Los Angeles and became haunted by a dark entity, which tried to harm her and her family.^{[12]
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- 1977-1979: In Enfield, England, a family was plagued by a malevolent force known as the Enfield Poltergeist. This could have been Zozo under a different name.^{[13]
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- 2012: In Tombstone, Nevada, a group of soldiers played with a Ouija board and encountered a spirit who claimed to have died in Tombstone. One of the soldiers then got possessed and almost killed the others in a car crash before the demon left.
- 2019: YouTuber Kyle Godfrey (Stromedy) attempted to contact Zozo at 3 am on a Ouija board. He asked the spirit for a phone number associated with Zozo, and when he dialed the number, the lights went out and poltergeist activity occurred. When he ended the call, the lights came back on.

Section 5 of 6:

How to Avoid Summoning Zozo

To avoid contacting Zozo, Bermudez suggests basic Ouija safety like “ setting boundaries before starting, avoiding sessions alone, ending the conversation properly, and stopping immediately if the energy changes or the board becomes repetitive or aggressive. Intent and awareness are usually emphasized as the main ways to avoid attracting anything negative.”^{[14]
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Sydney Bermudez
Urban Legends Expert

Expert Interview}
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Always say “goodbye” if you use a Ouija board. Many people believe Ouija boards are portals through which spirits, demons, and other entities can enter the world of the living. When you’re done using a Ouija board, always move the planchette to “goodbye” to seal the portal and send any spirits back to the spirit world. If you fail to say goodbye, you risk leaving the portal open and allowing the spirits access to your world.^{[15]
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- Zozo often makes himself known by moving the planchette rapidly or spelling out his name. You may feel a sudden sense of dread or unease, and the room you’re in may get darker.
- If you notice signs of Zozo’s presence, stay calm and end the session.
- Some say that Zozo may linger even if you say goodbye, so be cautious if you choose to use a Ouija board.
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Do not speak his name. Many people believe names have power, especially in relation to demons. Avoid speaking about him or to him, especially while using a Ouija board or another form of spiritual communication. If you say his name, it might summon him.
- Try to be specific about what spirit you wish to contact. Psychic medium Joanna Cabot explains, “If you’re just saying, ‘Whoever’s here, come in,’ you’re basically opening a door for anything—without protection or intention.”^{[16]
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According to legend, Zozo is only summoned when someone uses a Ouija board or another form of spiritual communication, like a seance. If you’re worried about summoning Zozo, the easiest way to avoid doing so is to avoid using a Ouija board. If someone suggests it, say no and remove yourself from the situation.

Section 6 of 6:

Is Zozo real?

There is no evidence that Zozo is real. While some people claim Zozo is a fallen angel, he was never mentioned in the Bible or other religious texts and seems to be a modern invention based on urban legends. When a Ouija board spells out the word “Zozo,” the people playing are likely moving the planchette subconsciously.^{[17]
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Research source} It may seem scary, but you probably have nothing to worry about.
- Ouija boards were not originally associated with demons and were generally considered harmless. It wasn’t until the release of the novel and movie The Exorcist that Ouija boards became linked to demonic possession.
- That being said, many cultures and religions do believe in demons. There is no scientific evidence that demons exist, but if you believe in them, you don’t have to worry about Zozo as long as you avoid Ouija boards.
- Do you believe Ouija boards actually allow you to talk to spirits? Discuss your beliefs in our “Are Ouija boards real? What are your experiences?” forum!