The Seahawks are called the “Dark Side” because their current defense chose that nickname to create its own identity, lean into Seattle’s gloomy weather vibe, and project an intimidating, almost villain-like persona on the field.

Quick Scoop: What “Dark Side” Means

1. A new identity after the Legion of Boom

  • The old Seahawks defense was famously known as the “Legion of Boom,” led by stars like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas.
  • As this new defensive group rose in 2025–26, players wanted a fresh name so they weren’t always compared to that era.
  • Veteran linemen like Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and DeMarcus Lawrence talked about deserving their own label, and “Dark Side” is the one that stuck.

2. Born on the team bus

  • The nickname literally came together on one of the team buses early in the season, when defensive leaders were tossing around ideas.
  • They were hearing constant Legion of Boom comparisons and decided it was time to name this version of the defense themselves.
  • No single player is taking full credit; Williams has said it was a collaborative idea that the whole defense embraced.

3. Seattle’s weather and “the Big Dark”

  • The “Dark Side” theme ties into the Pacific Northwest’s long, gray, rainy winters, sometimes called the “Big Dark.”
  • Players have mentioned how it gets dark early in Seattle for much of the season and how that moody, cold, harsh environment matches the way they want to play.
  • One internal image the team likes is Lumen Field and the Space Needle under dark skies, which helped inspire the nickname.

4. Cutting the lights on offenses

  • DeMarcus Lawrence and others have described “Dark Side” as symbolic of what they want to do to opponents: cut the lights out on the other team’s offense.
  • The idea is that facing this defense should feel like everything suddenly goes black—no rhythm, no comfort, no easy plays.
  • In 2025, the defense backed that attitude up by allowing the fewest points in the league and ranking at or near the top in advanced metrics.

5. Embracing the villain role

  • Fans on Seahawks forums have leaned into the “Dark Side” branding, framing this team as more villain than hero: not chasing love, just rings.
  • The tone around the nickname is cold, calculated, and intimidating—more about being feared than being popular.
  • That fits a roster built from veterans, overlooked players, and young guys with something to prove, which fans see as a perfect “villain” mix.

TL;DR:
They’re called the “Dark Side” because this new Seahawks defense wanted a separate identity from the Legion of Boom, tied the name to Seattle’s gloomy atmosphere, and embraced a ruthless, villain-style image of shutting opponents down so completely it feels like the lights just went out.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.