The invention discloses a preparation method of columnar crystal aluminum oxide/zirconium oxide composite ceramic powder, relates to the field of aluminum oxide/zirconium oxide composite ceramics, and aims to solve the problems that columnar crystals induced by columnar crystal ceramics prepared by a conventional method are low in content, non-uniform in distribution and large in grain size, so that the strength and toughness of the ceramics are insufficient. The method comprises the steps: 1, drying aluminum powder and a diluent; 2, mixing the aluminum powder and the diluent, and carrying out ball milling and sieving to obtain a mixed material; and 3, filling the mixed material into a high-pressure reactor, filling O2 or O2 mixed gas, arranging a nozzle at the lower end, igniting the mixed material, carrying out high-temperature combustion synthesis reaction, forming a high-temperature melt after the reaction is finished, keeping the temperature, opening the nozzle, spraying out the melt, and carrying out liquid-phase cooling to obtain the columnar crystal aluminum oxide/zirconium oxide composite ceramic powder. The prepared ceramic powder has the nano columnar crystal seed, the content of the columnar crystal seed is high, and the ceramic powder has high strength and toughness after being sintered. The method is applied to the field of columnar crystal ceramics.