Named for the fierce Zulu warrior race of South Africa, the krewe traces its roots back to a small club called The Tramps.  They attended the Pythian Theatre in 1909 to see a theatricale by a troupe called The Smart Set.  One of the musical novelties was called "There Never Was And Never Will Be A King Like Me" which took as its setting the Zulu tribe.  Inspired by the performance, members of The Tramps, the ward's Benevolent Aid Society, and other groups from the neighborhood organized into the krewe of Zulu.  More raucous and joyfully-irreverent than its pregenitors, Zulu actively parodies the traditions of Carnival, and revels in its own jokes.  The most famous of the Zulu Kings was international music icon and native New Orleanian Louis Armstrong, who reigned in 1949.

This krewe shares a theme of legendary warriors with the krewes of  Gladiators, and Centurions.