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List of pop culture references in Warcraft/All

Redaktsioon seisuga 4. detsember 2017, kell 02:51 kasutajalt StarLightSuperNova (Message Wall | kaastöö) (→‎References: Format using AWB)
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Fail:Icon-search-48x48.png This article or section needs to be cleaned up to a higher standard of quality.
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  • Reason: This article contains lots of duplicate items, is too big, and is largely covered in other articles in the Easter Eggs category.

This page contains a list of pop culture references in Warcraft.


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Please double-check the big list of all pop culture references in Warcraft before adding a reference; while attempts are made to keep them in alphabetical order, they may not be. Most importantly, please note that this page is split into the classic game and its two expansions. Additionally, references to movies that are based on books might be listed under 'Literature' instead of 'Movies' and vice-versa, and the movie you are thinking of could just be referencing another work, too. Those might be mentioned in the case of very popular ones, but it will be listed under the original reference.

To be absolutely sure the entry you want to add isn't already there, please perform a full search on the page (Ctrl+F) for both the name of the book/movie/game etc., and the name/quote of the NPC/location.


Understand that this page contains [mostly] user-submitted, non-verified content. Hence it barely contains all references that exist, but only a mere fraction. If you've spotted a reference, feel free to add it down below with a compatible description. Add links if needed.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria[]

Mists of Pandaria This section concerns content exclusive to Mists of Pandaria.

Games[]

  • Street Fighter
    • There's an NPC by the name of Lun-Chi located in Kun-Lai Summit, near the Temple of the White Tiger. Under his name appears the title, <The Streetfighter>. This would appear to be a reference to the character Chun-Li, from the Street Fighter game series.
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
    • A quest called Unsafe Passage given by Koro Mistweaver in Krasarang Wilds results in a part of dialog from the game Skyrim, where the guards would repeatedly say "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee", which also became an internet meme later on. In the quest, while escorting Koro Mistweaver, you are attacked by a group of Riverblades, after which Koro would say: "Help me up, <name>. I... I took an arrow in the knee...".
  • Duke Nukem
    • An NPC located in The Jade Forest by the name of Dook Ookem is an obvious reference to the main character of the video game series, Duke Nukem. His quotes are also said to be based on the character.
  • Diablo3
    • The Numbers on Stack of Papers are a date and time stamp for when Diablo3 went online, May 15th, 2012 at 12:01AM PDT.

Movies[]

  • Up
    • There's a house on top of a mountain in The Jade Forest, which has a reasonable amount of balloons connected to it. Inside the house, is a pandaren named Kar (which would be a reference to the old man in the movie, named Carl). Outside the house is a single grummle by the name of Rusty Nail, carrying a backpack, accompanied by a fox named Dig - these would be referring to the young boy by the name of Russell, and the dog, named Dog.
  • Fightclub
    • The achievement Roll Club is itself a refference and if the needed quest for the achievment is not up the questgiver Kelari Featherfoot tells you the first two rules about the roll club
  • Short Circuit
    • The achievement Number Five Is Alive is a reference to Number 5, a designation given to 1 of 6 robots in the movie "Short Circuit". After being struck by lightning, "Number Five" becomes convinced that he is alive, and not just a machine. The achievement itself is the declaration made by the robot: "Number 5, not a machine. Number 5..... Is alive!"
  • Mulan
    • Lorewalker Cho's small crimson cloud serpent, Mishi, is a reference to Mushu, Mulan's red dragon guardian.

Music[]

  • Adele
    • There's an NPC named Adele located in Townlong Steppes, more specifically in an area named The Widening Deep. The NPC moves by rolling on the ground, and with the name of the location, this is an obvious reference to the singer Adele and her song "Rolling in the Deep".
  • LMFAO
    • The achievement Every Day I'm Pand-a-ren is an obvious reference to the song "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, in which the phrase "every day I'm shuffling" is presented with a similar syllabication.
    • The male pandaren /dance animation is based off of the choreography from LMFAO's music video, "Party Rock Anthem".
  • Caramelldansen
    • The female pandaren /dance animation is based off of the ever-so-popular Caramelldansen (The Caramell Dance).
  • The Protomen
    • The scenario Assault the Shipyard for the Isle of Thunder achievement has Stages named after Songs of the Band. Stage 5 = Keep Quiet | Stage 6 = Light up the Night | Stage 7 / Final Stage = Breaking out

People[]

  • The Yogscast
    • There's an area named Honeydew Village located in The Jade Forest. This could be referring to Simon (better known as Honeydew), a member of the YouTube Let's Play group, Yogscast. Yogscast is an internet sensation that has promoted World of Warcraft in many ways, and therefore it would only make sense for this to be a dedication to Simon and the entire Yogscast team.
  • Tiger Woods
    • An area named Tigers' Wood located in The Jade Forest is an obvious reference to the famous golfer.

Television[]

  • Party of Five
    • The achievement Party of Six is likely a reference to the TV show, Party of Five, which had it's run from 1994 to the year 2000.
  • Lost
    • There is a Isle in the Krasarang wilds on which a bunker is with 7 skeletons around and a Stack of Papers which is a reference to the Log printout from Lost (but the note on the papers is a reference to diablo3 as stated above)
  • Dexter's Laboratory
    • The achievement What Does This Button Do? is a likely reference to Dexter's sister Dee Dee who would often say, "oooooooooooo, what does this button do?" before pressing buttons at random on various machines in his lab.

Comics[]

  • Ranma ½
    • The Singing Pools, an area which is located in the pandaren starting area, The Wandering Isle, could be a vague reference to the Japanese manga series, Ranma ½, as if you fall into any of the pools, you're transformed into an animal.

Books[]

  • The Jungle Book
    • There's an NPC located in The Jade Forest, by the name of Kher Shan, which is a reference to a character by the name of Shere Khan from The Jungle Book stories.
  • The Hobbit
    • There's an NPC located in Valley of the Four Winds, by the name of Guard Captain Oakenshield, which is a reference to the character Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Alice in Wonderland
    • At Coordinate 43. 16 in Kun-Lai Summit there a tuskarr name Wally and a hozen name Tic Tak the carpenter, Obviously a reference to the walrus and the carpenter from the famed story.

Other[]

  • Lonesome George
    • There's an NPC by the name of Lon'li Guju in Kun-Lai Summit. This NPC is referring to the last Pinta Island tortoise, who became world-famous but passed away on June 24, 2012. If a player emotes something such as /wave or /love at the tortoise, he'd start to follow the player for a while.
  • Conan the Barbarian
    • Cornan <The Barley Barbarian>, an NPC in Valley of the Four Winds appears to be a reference of Conan the Barbarian, a fictional sword and sorcery hero that has been included in many different sorts of media (games, movies, comic books etc.)

References[]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm[]

Cataclysm This section concerns content exclusive to Cataclysm.

Games[]

  • Assassin's Creed
    • The 6th quest in the rogue-only legendary quest chain introduced in patch 4.3 is named "Assassinate Creed." This is an obvious reference to the game series, and the stealthy nature of most missions involved in those series.
  • Banjo-Kazooie
    • At the Kaja'mite Caverns in the Lost Isles starting area, the Pygmy Witchdoctor inside will on occasion say random phrases. One of them is "Eekum Bokum!" which is a catch phrase of Mumbo Jumbo from the Banjo-Kazooie series.
  • Bioshock
    • At Krom'gar fortress players encounter an NPC named Large Daddy which is a reference to Big Daddy from the Bioshock series.
  • Portal
    • When doing the quest N [81] A Bone to Pick, you are asked to kill King Gurboggle, and in an oyster next to his throne, you can see the Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube.
  • Halo/RedvsBlue
    • A Dragonmaw camp in the Twilight Highlands is named Bloodgulch and features a lazy orc named Griff.
  • Joust
    • The achievement Beware of the 'Unbeatable?' Pterodactyl and the quests leading up to it are all a reference to the arcade and NES game "Joust".
  • Dwarf Fortress
    • Referenced in the Southern Barren's mission Dwarf Fortress. A secondary reference is found the dwarven mob Combat Haggis Boatmurder, which is a reference to a famous Dwarf Fortress story based around the settlement of Boatmurdered.
    • In Menethil Harbor, the two dwarves, Hargin Mundar and Junder Brokk, are sitting on a sand bag in front of the inn having a back and forth discussion about a flood that they'd had in Ironforge, in which Jundir explains that Hargin trapped himself in a channel (which can be a common mistake for players not minding where there dwarves are placed during construction) and then dug out into the dining hall to escape, flooding the room with water and carp (a very dangerous and well known fish in the Dwarf Fortress universe).
  • Zero Wing
    • One of the new released Guild Perks in 4.0.1 is called For Great Justice, which is an obvious reference to the 'All your base are belong to us' opening from Zero Wing, which concludes with that sentence. That opening is well known as an Internet meme.
  • Altered Beast
    • The Winterspring quest Altered Beasts is a direct reference to the arcade side-scroller, "Altered Beast", released in 1988 by SEGA.
  • Starcraft II
    • The Mount Hyjal Quest "In the Rear, with the Gear" is a reference to the common soundbite made by Terran SCVs.
  • Diablo
    • Aggro sound of Admiral Ripsnarl, boss in Deadmines instance, "Ah, fresh meat!" is probably a reference to a boss in Diablo, The Butcher. When encountered, The Butcher says the same words, but with other, more demonic voice.

Movies[]

  • 300
    • The quest N [84] Madness is a reference to the scene when the negotiator is thrown into a bonfire. "This is DRAGONMAW!"
  • Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
    • On The Lost Isles, near Town-In-A-Box, you get a quest to use a submersible shark robot to fight an elite mob. One of the abilities of the robot has is called "Freakin' Laser Beams", referencing Dr. Evil's wish to have sharks with freakin' laser beams attached to their heads.
  • Hackers
    • In Uldum, the quest "Hacking the Wibson" is a reference to the end plot of Hackers. Whereby all of the "users" attempt to hack the "Gibson", A super-computer that can supposedly cause a mass of destruction.
  • Indiana Jones
    • The Alliance Archaeology trainer, Harrison Jones, is a direct reference to the explorer , "Indiana Jones", and the character who plays him, "Harrison Ford". *You will see many, many, many different references to the various Indiana Jones movies throughout all the zones where you come into contact with Harrison Jones.
  • Minority Report
    • The Val'kyr in Silverpine forest, Agatha, Daschala, and Arthura, are named after the three "Precogs" in the movie Minority Report, Agatha, Daschal, and Arthur.
  • Office Space
    • On the mercenary ship, and during quests in Vashj'ir, there are 2 NPC's named Mack and Samir. These 2 NPCs now placed together appears to be a reference to Peter's coworkers Mike Bolton and Samir Nagheenanajar
  • What About Bob?
    • On the mercenary boat during the starting questline that takes you from Stormwind to Vashj'ir there is an NPC named Budd on the boat. He starts singing "I'm on a boat... and I'm sailing!". This appears to be a reference to the scene in What About Bob? where the deeply anxious and neurotic Bob is tied to the mast of a boat, and shouts toward the shore, "Dr. Marvin! I'm on a boat... and I'm sailing!"
  • Spaceballs
    • During the quest Get Back to Town, you are given an enormous helmet that belongs to one of the Oomlot pygmies, named "Dark Tan Helmet". This appears to be a reference to Dark Helmet from Spaceballs.
  • Starship Troopers
    • During the quests in Bootlegger Outpost, you are given a quest to "Wrangle" a Swarmer bug. When you turn this quest in, it is placed before Zeke Bootscuff and then Narain Soothfancy comes over and "telepathically" sees what the bug is thinking. Then they both yell "It's scared!". This leads into the quest titled: "Just Trying to Kill Some Bugs".
  • Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
    • The Pygmy Witch Doctor in the Kaja'mite Cavern on The Lost Isles says "Taronto Bosch" at one point during his chanting. This appears to be a quote of C3PO in RotJ when he is telling the story to the Ewoks and is talking about the Hoth battle.
  • Predator
    • After the quest "To The Cliffs" on the Lost Isles, Kilag sends you to Scout Brax on a mounted companion. Once you accept the quest "Get To The Gyrochoppa!" Scout Brax yells "Get to the Gyrochopper! Do it now!" which is a reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie "Predator".
  • Zoolander
    • There are multiple references to Zoolander in the Goblin starting area of Kezan.
      • There are some "supermodels" that are having a gasoline fight.
      • There is a part where an NPC runs up and says to another NPC "So-in-so is so hot right now!"

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King[]

WotLK This section concerns content exclusive to Wrath of the Lich King.

Games[]

  • Alone in the Dark
    • The achievement Alone in the Darkness (10/25) is a reference to the Alone in the Dark computer game series, which is mostly based on Lovecraft's works, just like Yogg-Saron.
  • Bioshock
    • The NPC Clarissa in Krom'gar Fortress of the Stonetalon mountains gives the quests Dream of a Better Tomorrow and Mr. D's Wild Ride which both reference Bioshock.
      • Clarissa is a Little Girl, referencing the Little Sisters of Bioshock.
      • Clarissa Refers to a large broken robot as "Mr. D". This is a reference to the Little Sisters calling there Big Daddies "Mr. B".
    • In the description for the quest Dream of a Better Tomorrow Clarissa says "Would you kindly bring Mr. D's stuff back so he can teach those baddies in the Alliance a lesson?" This is a reference to the phrase "Would you kindly" forcing the player to do whatever was asked of them in Bioshock.
    • The quest Dream of a Better Tomorrow is named in reference to the strong theme of Objectivism in Bioshock. It could also reference Andrew Ryan's building of Rapture to fulfill his dream of a better tomorrow.
    • The quest Mr. D's Wild Ride allows you to pilot a Large Daddy. This is reference to the Big Daddy from Bioshock.
      • In the quest description Clarissa says "Now Mr. D just needs and Angel to help him navigate." This is a reference to the Little Sisters of Bioshock frequently referring to people as Angels.
      • While Piloting the Large Daddy you gain access to the 3 spells Incinerate, Freezing Beam and Magnetic Pull. This is a reference to the Plasmids used in Bioshock.
      • Clarissa will scream things like "Make 'em sorry for hurting you, Mr. D!" or "Break their bones!" while the player is Piloting Mr. D. This is a reference to the violent encouragements Little Sisters often scream while their Big Daddies do battle in Bioshock.
    • The item Mr. Bubble's Shockingly Delicious Ice Cream is a reference not only to the Big Daddies in Bioshock, but also to the electro-bolt plasmid.
  • Diablo series
    • The monster Kaganishu, found inside a cave system in northern Borean Tundra, has a name reminiscent of Rakanishu, a Fallen guarding the Cairn Stones in Diablo II. His followers say his name as they attack, much like all Fallen in Diablo II.
  • Final Fantasy VII
    • There is a flower merchant in Dalaran named Aerith Primrose. Aerith is a reference to Aerith Gainsborough, a major character of Final Fantasy VII, who wears a pink and red outfit similar in appearance to that of this NPC, and is also a flower seller.
  • The Legend of Zelda
    • The achievement Fail:Money achievement.png Friend or Fowl? requires you to kill 15 Turkeys in under 3 minutes. Once you kill 15 of them, masses of Angry Turkeys will spawn and chase you down attacking you. This is a reference to The Legend of Zelda series as this same event occurs in many of the games; as you attack Cuccos over and over, masses of Cuccos will swarm in and attempt to kill Link.
    • In Un'goro Crater, there was an NPC gnome named Linken, who must regain his memory and has you undergo various quests to find his lost equipment as well as defeat an elite fire elemental. This refers to the games ongoing pattern of gaining bonuses and defeating bosses. Unfortunately, the quest line was removed with Cataclysm Cataclysm.
  • Pokémon
    • The achievements I Choose You, Runemaster Molgeim (10/25), I Choose You, Steelbreaker (10/25) and I Choose You, Stormcaller Brundir (10/25), all for the same boss encounter, may be a reference to a phrase used in the Pokémon franchise, however in the Pokemon franchise the name usually comes before the "I choose you!" statement.
    • The Borean Tundra questgiver, Mootoo the Younger, is a reference to the Pokemon Mewtwo. This is further enforced by various psychic related quotes during the quest N [68] Escaping the Mist, as well as the npc's similarity in eye shape to the Pokemon's.
  • Portal
    • The Cooking Achievement Fail:Inv misc celebrationcake 01.png [The Cake Is Not A Lie] is a direct reference to the game Portal. The phrase translates to a reward which is fictitious and was popularized by the game Portal found on Half-Life's Orange Box release. In the game, you are part of a study group controlled by a computer that attempts to motivate you to complete a series of tests involving a new device created by Aperture Science.
    • The book Thinking with Portals - A Memorandum on Proper Portal Usage can sometimes be found in Dalaran and is a reference to the motto of the game, "Now you're thinking with portals!", used by GLaDOS after completing certain objectives.
  • Sewer Shark
    • A sewer shark named "Segacedi" is located under the poison vendor in the sewers of Dalaran. This is a reference to the game Sewer Shark, released on the Sega CD add on for the Sega Genesis, also known as the Mega CD in European and Asian markets.
  • Starcraft
    • During the boss fight in Pit of Saron, Scourgelord Tyrannus shouts "Power... overwhelming!". This is a quote from the Protoss Archon unit in Starcraft, as well as the game's cheat command for invincibility.
  • Zero Wing
    • The achievement Set Up Us the Bomb (10/25) is a quote from the badly translated (Engrish) intro of the Mega Drive version of the game, including such lines as "Somebody set up us the bomb".

Movies[]

  • 300
    • An early death knight quest called N [55] Tonight We Dine In Havenshire is a reference to the movie 300 when Leonidas says "Tonight, we dine in Hell."
    • The Scourge archers seen early on in the Death Knight quest chain are called Sky Darkeners, referring to this exchange from 300: "Our arrows will blot out the sun!" "Then we will fight in the shade."
    • Also, the quest N [55] The Light of Dawn is considered to be a reference to the Battle of Thermopylae, since there being 300 defenders of the Light and 10,000 attackers from the Scourge.
  • Airplane!
    • On occasion, the Scarlet Peasants in the death knight starting area will say "I picked the wrong week to quit drinking" which is a memorable quote from Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges). He also substitutes "drinking" for smoking, sniffing glue, and amphetamines.
  • Aliens
    • The achievement They're Coming Out of the Walls (10/25) is a line used by Pvt. Hudson in the movie Aliens.
    • Just after starting the encounter in Violet Hold, Lieutenant Sinclari says, "Prison guards, we are leaving!". This references the line by Cpl. Hicks, "Marines, we are leaving!"
  • American Pie
    • The quest This One Time, When I Was Drunk... refers to the constant anecdotes starting with "This one time, at band camp..." told by Alyson Hannigan's character Michelle in the 1999 teen comedy American Pie.
  • Apocalypse Now
    • The achievement I Love the Smell of Saronite in the Morning (10/25) is a play on the famous quote "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smell like...victory."
  • Army of Darkness
    • The Stormforged War Golems in the Storm Peaks drop an item that starts the quest N [80] Armor of Darkness, a play on the movie title.
    • The item [Mark "S" Boomstick] is a reference to Ash's Boomstick from the movie. The reagents [Walnut Stock] and [Hair Trigger] used in crafting it refer to the line, "It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger."
    • The achievement Fail:Money achievement.png Shop Smart, Shop Pet...Smart refers to the S-Mart slogan repeatedly used by Ash: "Shop smart, shop S-Mart!" (It is more likely that this is a reference to the old slogan for the Pet Store named PetSmart)
    • The achievement Fail:Money achievement.png Hail to the King, Baby refers to one of the final lines from Ash to Sheila before kissing her.
  • Bambi
    • In Grizzly Hills, there are four NPCs located near each other with interesting names. These NPCs in question are one adult female deer named Mother of Bambina, a younger female deer named Bambina, a skunk named Flora and a small rabbit named Thudder. These four are clearly a reference to Bambi.
    • A hunter will come out and shoot Mother of Bambina, exactly what happens in the Disney film Bambi.
    • Whenever "Mother of Bambina", "Flora", and "Thudder" are killed, "Bambina" turns into "Vengeful Bambina" which makes her hostile to anyone and gives her a buff called "Bambina's Vengeance", increasing all her damage dealt by 2000% and attack speed by 150%.
  • The Big Lebowski
    • A questgiver named Donny in Howling Fjord gives the quest N [70] Out of My Element?. This is a direct reference to the character named Donny (played by Steve Buscemi) in The Big Lebowski. Several times in one of the major scenes, Walter Sobchak (played by John Goodman) tells Donny "You're out of your element!"
    • There is an NPC named Walt at the Explorers' League Outpost who gives the quest A [71] Iron Rune Constructs and You: The Bluff in which he says: "Walt at the Explorers' League Outpost in the Howling Fjord wants you to use the Iron Rune Construct's Bluff ability on Lebronski after you've walked on his rug". This is a clear reference to The Big Lebowski. In the movie, Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Lebronski) is visited by 3 thugs. One of them relieves himself on "The Dude's" rug, and several references are made about the rug through-out the movie. Also, after you've completed all the quests Walt has to give, when you open his chat window he says "The Dude over yonder is pretty upset about his rug". Phone's Ringin' Dude!
  • A Christmas Story
    • The [Red Rider Air Rifle] is an item obtained during the Winter Veil 2009 event. It is a reference to the Red Rider BB gun that the main character, Ralphie, wants for Christmas. The rifle will sometimes "backfire" causing the player to become stunned for a short period of time. The debuff is called Right in the eye! which is an obvious reference to the movie.
  • Full Metal Jacket
    • During the Death Knight starting quests in Acherus, at the early stage of creating your first rune blade, a book can be read near the runeforges with the text "This is my runeblade, there are many like it but this one is mine." This is an obvious reference to the mantra the Marine recruits are ordered to recite in Full Metal Jacket: "This is my rifle, there are many like it but this one is mine". (Although this could be a movie reference, it could just as well be to The Rifleman's Creed of the U.S. Marine Corps.)
  • Galaxy Quest
    • Grubthor, a rare spawn in Silithus may be a reference to Alan Rickman's repeated line, "By Grabthor's Hammer, you shall be avenged!"
  • Glengarry Glen Ross
    • At the forge in Warsong Hold, the Grand Master Engineering trainer is named Chief Engineer Leveny, after Shelly Levene, one of the salesman in the real estate office, played in the movie by Jack Lemmon. The Goblin Siege Engineer's complaints about tools is similar to the complaints of the real estate salesman in the film complaining about their leads: "These tools are junk!" and "How do they expect us to craft with these things?" They also ask about a meeting they are being made to attend, which turns out to be with Blakelow, who abuses the engineers ("You call yourself a crafter, you son-of-a-gnome?") and challenges them to a crafting contest ("As you all know, first prize is a [Turbo-Charged Flying Machine]. Anyone want to see second prize? Second prize is some [fused wiring]. Third prize is YOU'RE FIRED!"), ending in an exortation to "Always be crafting!" similar to a speech in the film by Alec Baldwin.
  • Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark
    • In the Drakil'jin Ruins of Grizzly Hills, Harrison Jones reprises his role from Zul'Aman as a tribute to Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford. His dialogue in the quest N [75] Dun-da-Dun-tah! includes several movie references, and the quest name itself refers to four notes of the famous Indiana Jones theme.
    • The achievement Snakes. Why'd It Have To Be Snakes? has its name origin from an quote found in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
  • Jurassic Park
    • During the Horde version of H [74] The Battle For The Undercity, when you clear to the outer ring of the Undercity, Varimathras yells "Clever girl..." at Sylvanas. This is a direct quote from the film version of Jurassic Park. Just before Robert Muldoon is killed by velociraptors, those are his last words.
  • John Carpenter's Vampires
    • In the quest A [71] Absholutely... Thish Will Work!, which you get in Howling Fjord, you're asked to give a Vrykul prisoner a plague cure. Eventually, he explodes and one of the guards says "I didn't know they could do that." In the movie after one of the vampires explodes one of the characters says "You didn't tell me they could do that. I didn't know they could do that."
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    • Arthas, as the Lich King, bears a near perfect resemblance to the Witch-king of Angmar as depicted in The Return of the King.
    • In the quest H [80] It's All Fun and Games, you're asked to destroy the The Ocular, which floats above Shadow Vault's spires. The Ocular bears a strong resemblance to the eye of Sauron atop the tower of Barad-dûr from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King film.
    • The Lich King's helmet has spikes on the top like those on Sauron's. The Lich King and his undead minions want to kill all living things not under his power, just as Sauron wants his army to take down all living things not under his power.
    • Angrathar the Wrathgate appears to be based on the Black Gate of Mordor the only major way of getting into Mordor, and in World of Warcraft Angrathar is the only real entrance into Icecrown. They are also both of the same design, made of a black metal with spikes coming out, and feature a large battle outside them.
  • The Matrix
    • The flavor text of [Crude Eating Utensils], found in Rusted Prisoner's Footlocker, says "There is no spoon." This is also a cheat in Warcraft III that allows you to never run out of mana.
    • During the quest A [72]  Projections and Plans, if you stand in the enter of the floating platform on the Glittering Strand area of Dragonblight, you'll see the falling symbols in the same effect as the opening title sequence in the Matrix: Reloaded. Before or after this quest, your character stands on a shield that prevents you from standing on the platform.
  • A Mighty Wind
    • The zeppelin that transports you between Orgrimmar and Warsong Hold, The Mighty Wind, is a reference to the Christopher Guest film "A Mighty Wind".
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    • After defeating the Black Knight (whose name is taken from this film), you get the achievement It's Just a Flesh Wound, which is a reference to the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Black Knight gets his arm cut off and says the line "It's Just a Flesh Wound".
  • Pinocchio
    • In Dalaran, there is a placed called Wonderworks. The shopkeeper is named Jepetto Joybuzz, which sounds like the name of the man who made Pinocchio.
  • The Princess Bride
    • The NPC Father Inigo Montoy is involved in some quests in Light's Hope Chapel and is also hinted to be the real identity of Thel'zan the Duskbringer in A [73] An End And A Beginning. In the movie The Princess Bride, Inigo Montoya was the name of the Spanish swordsman who helped Wesley.
  • Pulp Fiction
    • The quest A [70] Zedd's Probably Dead is a reference to the movie Pulp Fiction. It is the name of one of the pieces of music from the movie, and also a character named Zed who gets killed, after which Bruce Willis's character exclaims 'Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.'"
  • Scarface
    • When you fight Gal'darah he will sometimes summon rhinos. While doing that he says "Say hello to my BIG friend!" which is a reference to Scarface's "Say Hello To my LITTLE friend!".
    • The quest H [71] Bury Those Cockroaches! in the Borean Tundra is a reference to Tony Montana's line: "I bury those cockroaches!".
    • While fighting Salranax the Flesh Render in the quest N [79] The Air Stands Still, the orc death knight Munch also uses the line "Say hello to my little friend!" before summoning his ghoul.
  • Star Wars
    • Scourgelord Tyrannus shares the Sith name of Count Dooku from the Star Wars franchise. Also, both serve a dark master (Lich King and Emperor Palpatine respectively)
    • The quest B [50] Echo Three is a reference to Star Wars: Episode V. The quest giver asks you to check on a sensor that was set up to inform Everlook of the yeti movements in the area. When you interact with the box, it teleports you into the depths of a cave. You will be hanging upside down in a chunk of ice. A "raid warning" will appear telling you to chop the ice to free yourself. When you do, you drop to the floor and there is a huge yeti named Icewhomp who you have to kill. "Echo three to Echo seven; Han ol' buddy, do ya read me?" -Luke Skywalker, Star Wars Episode V
  • Superman II
    • The item Zod's Repeating Longbow has "Kneel before him" in the flavor text. This is a reference to the movie's main villain, General Zod, who makes the President of the United States (and later tries to make Superman) bow before him with the phrase, "Kneel before Zod."
  • Sweeney Todd
    • Jelinek Sharpshear, the goblin proprietor of the Stormwind Barber Shop, was named "Sween Neetod" in the Wrath of the Lich King beta. The skeletons of his victims are still hidden beneath a floorboard on the second story of the shop, next to his trusty razor.
  • The Shadow
    • In the quest H [74] The Battle For The Undercity, King Wrynn says "I know what evil lurks in the heart of orcs", a take off from the comic book, movie, and radio program called The Shadow. His catch line, which still has its place in the American Lexicon, is "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men".
  • The Silence of the Lambs
    • The Ebon Blade Prisoners in Jotunheim (freed for the quest N [80] Ebon Blade Prisoners) occasionally make a remark along the lines of "It takes the key and opens the cage," similar to Buffalo Bill's "It places the lotion in the basket."
  • This Is Spinal Tap
    • In Howling Fjord, you receive a quest called A [71] It Goes to 11... which is a reference to the movie This Is Spinal Tap, in which the guitarist is asked why he doesn't just make 10 louder on his amp, he replies "But it goes to 11...".
    • Going along with this reference, the achievement in Pit of Saron named Fail:Money achievement.png Doesn't Go to Eleven refers to the same quote about the amp, this time joking that it doesn't go to eleven.
  • The Terminator
    • In Wintergarde Keep, during the quest A [72] Flight of the Wintergarde Defender, your character says "Come with me if you want to live". This is a running line from The Terminator series. Kyle Reese (played by Michael Biehn[1] tells this to Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton[2] in the first movie. In the second movie, a terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzennegger[3] repeats this line to Sarah Connor, while in the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles[4] the line is reprised by Summer Glau[5] in her role as Cameron Philips, a terminator modeled after captured freedom fighter Allison Young who was sent back (of course) to protect John Connor.
    • The description for the warrior talent Bladestorm is inspired by a quote from Kyle Reese when he tries to explain the threat posed by the Terminator.
    • In Utgarde Pinnacle at the very beginning of the instance within the room with all the gold, jewels and gems with skeleton mobs, to the left just as you walk in is the terminators endoskeleton arm. Miles Dyson used that arm to make the neural-net processor for Cyberdyne Systems Corporation who later developed Skynet, the military system that launches a nuclear strike and wages war on human life in the future.
  • They Live
    • When Macalroy in Valgarde offers the "Hell has Frozen Over" quest, he says "Report to Vice Admiral Keller just northwest of here and let him know that you're all out of bubble gum" which is a reference to the 1988 movie They Live[6] in which the character Nada, played by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper[7] announces "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I'm all out of bubblegum"[8]
  • Wing and a Prayer
    • The quest N [80] A Wing and a Prayer in the Oculus is likely a reference to the 1944 war movie of nearly the same name.

Television[]

  • The 6 Million Dollar Man
    • In Howling Fjord at the Explorer's League quest hub, an NPC named Walt gives you two quests. One is called "We Can Rebuild It" and the other is called "We Have the Technology". In the old TV show The 6 Million Dollar Man, there's a character named Dr. Walter Ellis. Also, the memorable quote from the show was "We can rebuild you, we have the technology."
    • At the Scalding Pools, nearby Fizzcrank Airstrip, the Fizzcrank Mechanognomes can be seen saying: "The flesh is weak. We will make you better, stronger...faster.". This is another quote from the show's introduction.
  • Bewitched
    • One of the clerks in the shop Sisters Sorcerous in Dalaran is named Endora Moorehead. On the 1960s TV show Bewitched, the mother of Samantha Stevens was named Endora, and was played by Agnes Moorehead. Another sister, Hagatha Moorehead, probably refers to Samantha's (seldom-seen)aunt Hagatha. No word on where her other aunt, Enchantra, has got to.
  • Deadliest Catch
    • The fishing achievement, Deadliest Catch, is probably a reference to the popular Discovery Channel television program of the same name.
    • In Tol Barad Peninsula, there is a killable NPC named Captain P. Harris, an Undead Pirate style character surrounded by small crab, a direct mention to the recently passed Alaskan Crab Fishing Captain Phil Harris (fisherman)
  • Dirty Jobs
    • An NPC named "Dirty" Michael Crowe appears in Dustwallow Marsh and sells fish.
  • Doctor Who
    • In Borean Tundra, there is a Quest Item named The Ultrasonic Screwdriver (quest item). This is a reference to the Sonic Screwdriver.
    • The entirety of the Mechagnomes is a reference to the Cybermen. The way they're made by "Decursing" gnomes (similar to the way the Cybermen "Upgrade" people), the way Gearmaster Mechazod considers what he's doing to be a gift of immortality, to a few of the Mechagnomes quotes are all indications to this.
    • Chromie talks to you in the same manner as the Doctor, she'll tell you she met you many times before when you first meet Chromie in Andorhal, but when you skip the Intro in Culling of Stratholme once you've beaten it before, She'll make a statement similar to the Doctor's due to her constant time traveling of claiming she's never met you before, this directly reflects the relationship between the Doctor and River Song who live in reverse time lines.
    • In N [75] Mystery of the Infinite In the same fashion as "the Doctor" who likes to give out a quirky bit of advice to someone who'll be important in the future that makes no sense to anyone but the Doctor, Future You will say to you the following...

Future You whispers: Listen. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but there's going to be this party that you're invited to. Whatever you do, DO NOT DRINK THE PUNCH!

  • The Facts of Life
    • A guard in the Underbelly of Dalaran is called Natalie Tootiblare, a reference to three of the main characters in the series: Natalie Green, Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey, and Blair Warner.
  • Firefly
    • In Amber Ledge of Borean Tundra, Initiate Mehrtens sells an item which you can use to torture a previously captured mage. One of the lines he says is "Are you trying to meet the real me?", a reference to a line Mal says while being tortured in the episode War Stories, and this line, as the whole torture, is in turn a reference to the works of Xiang Yu.
    • In Amberpine Lodge of Grizzly Hills, Saffron Reynolds can be found on the upper floor; she is a reference to Saffron, a con artist who was briefly married to Mal Reynolds. She is a poison vendor, a hint to how she drugged up Mal with a poison on her lips. Next to her is Yolanda Haymer, another name later used by this woman.
  • Futurama
    • Professor Putricide's quotes come straight from Professor Hubert Farnsworth. "Good News, Everyone!"
  • Grizzly Adams
    • In the harbor town of Venture Bay located in Grizzly Hills, you can find a male human NPC named "Grizzly" D. Adams with a bear cub by his side. This is a obvious reference to the original movie The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams which later became a TV series.
  • Top Chef
    • The Alliance Cooking Grandmaster Trainer in Dalaran is named Katherine Lee, a reference to Katie Lee Joel, the host of Season One of Bravo TV's hit series Top Chef and a cookbook author. Some people mistakenly believe this is a reference to Kathie Lee Gifford, who actually has nothing to do with cooking.
    • The Horde Cooking trainer in Vengance Landing is named Thomas Kolichio. A clear reference to Top Chef Master Judge Tom Colicchio.
  • Lost
    • In Bittertide Lake is a small island with a hatch with the Lost numbers incremented by one: 5 9 16 17 24 43.
  • MacGyver
    • In Howling Fjord (60,61) is McGoyver who is building an airplane, clearly a reference to MacGyver.
  • Saturday Night Live
    • A book in Acherus: The Ebon Hold (the Lich King's floating necropolis and starting area for Death Knight characters) lists various Death Knight trainees and their fates. The player's character is named on the last significant page with a note saying "Need more cowbell", a reference to a Christopher Walken sketch that the development team must have really, really liked.
  • Seinfeld
    • In Badlands, in the town Fuselight-by-the-Sea there is an npc on a hill next to the questgiver to direct you to Fuselight, who is standing in front of a small crowd of engineers. His name is Cramer and his "weird" hairstyle bears a strking resemblance (as well as the anaglamation of his name) to the goofy character Kramer from Seinfeld.
  • Sesame Street
    • Some of the hungering dead near Wintergarde Keep in Dragonblight say "NOM! NOM! NOM!", a term used to describe eating, coined by the Cookie Monster.
  • The Simpsons
    • In the Death Knight starting area, the quest "N [55] Nowhere To Run And Nowhere To Hide" sends you to kill Mayor Quimby, an obvious reference to Joseph Fitzgerald O'Mally Fitzpatrick O'Donnell "Joe" Quimby, better known as "Diamond" Joe Quimby, the mayor of Springfield. The title of the quest is also a possible reference to the KISS song "Nowhere to Run," though it could also be a reference to the song "Slaughter your World," which is part of the LookingforGroup comic by Ryan Sohmer and Lar Desouza.
    • In the Borean Tundra while questing for D.E.T.A you ride one of the neutral mammoths in the area, once mounted the Mammoth's name appears as "Stampy" a reference to Bart Simpson's pet elephant of the same name.
    • The achievement Crazy Cat Lady (10/25) is most likely a nod to the series' infamous Crazy Cat Lady, which is in turn a reference to the stereotype of old women who own or shelter a lot of cats. There is also a woman in Elwynn Forest called Donni Anthania who has the title <Crazy Cat Lady> - another reference to this character and the stereotype.
    • [Unblinking Eye] might be a reference to one of the Stonecutters' initiation rituals in Homer the Great (which all, except the last one, consist of the blindfolded initiate being paddled on the ass by a line of people)
  • South Park
    • In Howling Fjord, the Valgarde defenders are armed with rifles. Before killing approaching NPCs they yell "It's coming right for us." A reference to an early South Park episode dealing with the Second Amendment. It was explained that with the new changes in government you could only fire your weapons in self defense, therefore, hunters could legally shoot anything by claiming self defense, but only after yelling "It's coming right for us."
    • While not quite making it into The Burning Crusade (as it was renamed [Gladiator's Slicer]), the [The Sword of a Thousand Truths] was introduced as a drop in the new Naxxramas, and renamed [Slayer of the Lifeless], complete with the flavor text, "Foretold by Salzman," both obvious nods to the "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode.
    • The PvP achievement Fail:Money achievement.png Make Love, Not Warcraft is a reference to the South Park episode of the same name, where the South Park gang play World of Warcraft. The achievement requires you to the same thing that Stan did to his dad before he died.
    • Xevozz in Violet Hold sometimes says "Profit!" when killing a player. This 'slay' line is the third of three in the game files. This is a reference to the Unterpants Gnomes and their business plan.
  • Star Trek
    • Sailor Picardo and Sailor Philips, deckhands of the Kraken (the boat that ferries Alliance players from Stormwind to Valiance Keep) are likely to be references to actors Robert Picardo and Ethan Philips, who played the characters of The Doctor and Neelix on Star Trek: Voyager.
    • In Borean Tundra, there are gnomes called Fizzcrank Mechagnome. While they are fighting you they say "We are Mechagnome...resistance is futile" and "You will be assimilated or eliminated." This is of course a play on the Borg.
    • Datalore Smallsphere, a Gnome trades good seller who resides at Harkor's camp in Grizzly Hills, is a reference to the 'twin brother' androids, Data and Lore, created by Dr. Soong.
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
    • The achievement I Could Say That This Cache Was Rare (10/25) is a reference to the series' theme song.
  • Unhappily Ever After
    • In the quest Mr. Floppy's Perilous Adventure, Mr. Floppy, Emily's pet rabbit, is in reference to the sitcom Unhappily Ever After which ran on the WB from 1995–1999.
  • Voltron
    • One of the phases of Mimiron is named "V-07-TR-0N", a reference to the anime robot Voltron. Additionally, the achievement title Fail:Money achievement.png And I'll Form the Head! gained when looting Mimiron's Head is a quote from the show.
    • It is also interesting that the Jewelcrafting mounts introduced in Mists of Pandaria come in 4 colors (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green), and then a fifth (Black) which can only be crafted with the original 4 mounts as mounts. This is clearly a direct reference to Voltron.
  • X-Files
    • In Dragonblight are two NPCs named Agent Skully (a female Forsaken in disguise) at New Hearthglen and Deathguard Molder (a male Forsaken) at Venomspite. These two are obvious reference to the two main characters of X-Files — Dana Scully and Fox Mulder.
    • Brann Bronzebeard in Storm Peaks sometimes says "The truth is out there".
  • Xena: Warrior Princes
    • Zena <Wodin's Warrior Kitten>, the pet of Wodin the Troll-Servant at the Amphitheater of Anguish in Zul'Drak is a reference to the series and its main character. Additionally, Woden (Odin) is a norse god, while Xena once was a favorite of Greek war god Ares.

Music[]

  • Audioslave
    • Farmer Torp at Warsong Farms Outpost gives you a quest called "Bring 'Em Back Alive", which is also the title of a song on Audioslave's self-titled debut album. (It is at least as likely, though, to be a reference to the 1930 Frank Buck book, or the 1932 movie, or the 1982 Bruce Boxleitner TV series, all of which have the same title.)
  • Avenged Sevenfold
    • Avatar of Freya gives you a quest called "Returned Sevenfold". Also, one of the rewards from this quest is called "Signet of the Avenging Heart". Taking parts from the title and the reward, you end up with the name of the band. However, it's also very likely that it's a reference to the Book of Genesis, in which God states that Cain (after he is banished from Eden) will be avenged sevenfold if he is harmed.
  • Bob Dylan
    • Prior to The Cataclysm, Commander Ashlam Valorfist could give you the quest "All Along the Watchtowers," a direct reference to the Bob Dylan song, in which you were required to light the watchtowers in Andorhal aflame.
  • Depeche Mode
    • In the Death Knight class starting area, when Death Knight NPC's are spoken to they may utter the phrase "suffer well", which could be a reference to the Depeche Mode song "Suffer Well' from the album "Playing the Angel".
  • Emilie Autumn
    • There is a male undead Grand Master Enchanting Trainer called Emil Autumn (who can be found in Howling Fjord), a possible reference to the musician.
  • George Fisher
    • The NPC Gorge the Corpsegrinder in Borean Tundra is a reference to the singer George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of the Metal Band Cannibal Corpse.
  • Guns N' Roses
    • The achievement Lose Your Illusion (10/25) is a reference to the double album Use Your Illusion.
    • N [30] Welcome to the Jungle is a reference to the first track of the album Appetite for Destruction.
  • James Brown
    • Bronjahm <Godfather of Souls> is the first boss of the Forge of Souls dungeon. Besides 'Bronjahm' being a corruption of the name, James Brown was known as the 'Godfather of Soul'. In addition, the game music changes to a more upbeat melody when the boss is engaged, and his loot and an achievement for his heroic mode are references or direct quotes of song titles.
  • Megadeth
    • Bronjahm <Godfather of Souls>, the first boss in the Forge of Souls dungeon, casts a spell named Tornado of Souls referring to the song.
  • Muse
    • The achievement Supermassive (10/25) is a possible reference to the bands' hit "Supermassive Black Hole".
  • Nelly
    • The achievement Getting Cold in Here (10/25) is a reference to the song Hot in Herre, whose lyrics go "It's gettin' hot in here / So take off all your clothes"
  • Ozzy Osbourne and Korn
    • In Grizzly Hills, you receive the quest N [75] See You on the Other Side. This is a reference to both Ozzy Osbourne's song of the same name and/or Korn's 7th studio album.
  • Pink Floyd
    • The quest A [71] The Delicate Sound of Thunder given by an NPC named Walt in the Howling Fjord is a reference to Pink Floyd's album of the same name.
    • Mobu, the goblin engineer at Garrosh's Landing in Borean Tundra, occasionally says "I wanna go home... Take off this uniform and leave the Horde!", which is a line from the song Stop on The Wall (but Pink says "show", not "Horde").
    • On the border between Hillsbrad Foothills and Silverpine Forest there is a questgiver called High Executor Darthalia who gives the quest H [20] Welcome to the Machine. The first part of the description says "Come in here dear <boy/girl>, have a cigar. You're gonna go far and fly high as a ranking officer of the Forsaken.", which is a reference from two of the songs on the Wish You Were Here album. Welcome to the Machine and Have a Cigar.
  • Run DMC
    • In Borean Tundra, you receive a quest called N [72] The Nefarious Clam Master.... In the quest you must defeat Clam Master K, a reference to the late Jam-Master Jay of Run DMC.
  • Spice Girls
    • In any Cooking Daily Quests you will receive a "Small Spice Bag" for your trouble. In these bags you have a chance to get an item called "Baby Spice" which "Reduces the target's size by 50% turning them into a baby". This is a reference to Emma Bunton, one of the girls in Spice Girls, better known by the name Baby Spice.

Literature[]

  • Beowulf
    • Drottinn Hrothgar at Hrothgar's Landing, named after him, is a reference to the Danish King Hrothgar, a character in the epic poem Beowulf.
  • Bhagavad Gita
    • Deathbringer Saurfang's enraged quote, I have become...DEATH!, is a reference to this Hindu scripture. This particular quote was made well-known from its usage by J. Robert Oppenheimer upon observing the detonation of the first atomic bomb, where he said "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds".
  • The Chronicles of Amber
    • Watcher Corwin in Duskwood is probably a reference to prince Corwin of Amber, the main protagonist in the first half of the Chronicles
  • Cthulhu Mythos
    • The crazed dwarves in the Howling Fjord's Whispering Gulch speak of "that which must not be named". While it could be a reference to Harry Potter (see above), it might also refer to The King in Yellow from the Lovecraftian worlds together with the various tomes of "Things Men was Not Meant to Know" found therein.
    • The Faceless Ones (such as Herald Volazj) are quite similar to descriptions of Cthulhu, and are at least influenced by the mythos. Sometimes they also say "Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron!", which is a reference to Shub-Niggurat, another God from Lovecrafts Pantheon.
    • The achievement In His House He Waits Dreaming (10/25) is a reference to a ritualistic chant of the Ctulhu cult: "In his house at R'lyeh dead C'thulhu waits dreaming."
    • Pretty much all lore associated with the Old Gods is an obvious homage to Lovecraft.
    • In the quest N [70] Have They No Shame? in Coldarra players are asked to retrieve a book called [Berinand's Research] from The Nexus. A yellow note on the book reads "Notes on the Arcanomicron" which is most likely a reference to the fictional book Necronomicon in Lovecraft's works.
  • Dr Seuss
    • The quest H [71] Green Eggs and Whelps in New Agamand is a play on the Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham.
    • During the Feast of Winter Veil in-game holiday, you receive a daily quest, "You're a Mean One...", where you must go to Hillsbrad Foothills and kill "The Abominable Greench". This is a play on Dr. Seuss' "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".
  • Harry Potter
    • The crazed dwarves in the Howling Fjord's Whispering Gulch speak of "that which must not be named". This is a reference to the main antagonist of the Harry Potter novels, Voldemort, who was referred to as "He Who Must Not Be Named".
  • J. R. R. Tolkien
    • [Mrgl Blade] is a selectable reward upon completion of the Borean Tundra quest N [71] Escape from the Winterfin Caverns. This is a reference to the Morgul-Blade that the Witch-King of Angmar uses to stab Frodo at Weathertop in Tolkien's novel The Fellowship of the Ring.
  • Norse Myth
    • References to the Norse Mythologies are numerous throughout Northrend: The Vrykul are reminiscent of Norsemen (AKA: Vikings), their beliefs in fighting for the Lich King and being chosen is similar to dying in battle and going to Valhalla, where the Val'kyr serve the same role as the Valkyries, albeit in an evil fashion. The two Titan Pantheons, Aesir and Vanir, are references to the pantheons of Gods in Norse myth, the Æsir and the Vanir. The Titan watches of Azeroth, Loken, Thorim, Freya, Hodir and Mimiron, are base off of Loki, Thor, Freyja, Hod, and Mimir respectively, and their stories and backgrounds are all fairly similar.
  • Shakespeare
    • For the quest H [71] Parts for the Job, you have to purchase a [Fresh Pound of Flesh] from the travelling salesman Anton. In The Merchant of Venice, the merchant Antonio guarantees for a loan of his friend Bassanio from the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who hates Antonio and demands "a pound of flesh" cut from the merchant's body should he be unable to repay the loan in time. When Antonio's ships are lost at sea, he goes bankrupt, but the removal of the pound can be prevented. The Forsaken Anton, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have any problems giving away "fresh" flesh.
  • The Wizard of Oz
    • The quest N [80] I'm Smelting... Smelting! in Icecrown is a play on the famous last words of the Wicked Witch of the West when she is doused in water: "I'm melting... melting!".

Comics[]

  • Order of the Stick
    • In the new expansion, three characters have been introduced bearing names similar to those of the popular fantasy webcomic, Order of the Stick[9]. These characters include Big Roy, Cavalier Durkon, and Haley Copperton.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • In the sewers of Dalaran, beneath some pipes and near some glowing green ooze, there is a rat surrounded by four baby turtles, an obvious reference to Splinter, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
  • X-Men
    • In Dragonblight, during the quest Slay Loguhn, you are tasked with killing a Wolvar named Loguhn. This mob's name is a sound-alike to Logan, the civilian identity of Marvel X-Men's Wolverine character. The presence of blade-talon fist weapons (bone claws) on Loguhn's hands further enhances their similarity.
  • Hägar the Horrible
    • Elder Muahit wants you to kill Heigarr the Horrible in the quest The Tides Turn. This is a reference to the Dik Browne comic strip character Hägar the Horrible.

Sports[]

  • The Horde flight master in Light's Breach is named Danica Saint, a reference to American auto racer Danica Patrick via Saint Patrick. Danica Saint's appearance also resembles Danica Patrick.

Other[]

  • The Surge Needle in western Dragonblight looks very much like the Space Needle in Seattle, including the rotating top platform.
  • Element 115, a quest item in A [74] Riding the Red Rocket, has been given the temporary name Ununpentium, and is considered to be in the center of an "island of stability" in the midst of volatile elements. To date (29 Jan 2009) the most stable isotope, Uup-299, has not been synthesized.
  • Annie Bonn, an NPC at Scalawag Point, is named for the 18th century Irish pirate Anne Bonny.
  • Iron Eyes, a taunka NPC in Taunka'le, is named for Iron Eyes Cody. Cody is best remembered as the 'crying Indian' in the 1970s series of antipollution commercials sponsored by Keep America Beautiful. Iron Eyes gives the H [71] Cleaning Up the Pools, asking the player to help remove discarded machinery from the nearby geyser pools.
  • Algalon the Observer is likely named after the star Algol, also known as the "Demon Star" and traditionally considered an ill omen due to its unusual trait of inconsistent brightness.
  • The daily quests A [80 Daily] Breakfast Of Champions take their name from the breakfast cereal Wheaties.
  • The quest A [74] Riding the Red Rocket could be a reference to the Toronto, Ontario transit slogan "Ride the Rocket".

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade[]

TBC This section concerns content exclusive to The Burning Crusade.

Classic fairy tales[]

  • Little Red Riding Hood
    • One of the random Opera Event encounters in Karazhan is The Big Bad Wolf, where the boss is the wolf, who gives a Little Red Riding Hood debuff to players, transforming the player into a red-cloaked fast-running gnome. This event is a reference to the children's classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood.

Film and Television[]

  • The A-Team
    • When returning the makings of a trap to Alliance Admiral Odesyus <Alliance Naval Command>, he says "I love it when a plan comes together", a line spoken in almost every episode of 'The A-Team by Hannibal Smith.
  • Apocalypse Now
    • After respawning, Combat Captain Arathyn says "I love the smell of nether in the morning. It smells like...victory" — one of the more famous quotes from above movie, originally "napalm" instead of "nether", said by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore.
  • Aliens
    • Outside of the Skyguard Outpost in Blade's Edge Mountains, the Skyguard gear up for their flight on the Bash'ir Landing about every two hours. During their pep talk, the Skyguard Lieutenant asks "Anyone have any questions?" to which a Ranger replies "Look, man, I only need to know one thing, where they are." This is a direct quotation from the 1986 movie Aliens where the Marines are getting a briefing from their Lieutenant and Private First Class Jenette Vasquez chimes in cockily with the above quote.
    • When engaged, the rare spawn Voidhunter Yar in Nagrand says "In the void, no one can hear you scream!"
  • Austin Powers
    • Outside of the Circle of Blood, in Blade's Edge Mountains, there is a goblin named Meminnie, a reference to the character Mini-Me in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (and subsequent films).
    • When you kiss the frog Mojo, he quotes Austin Powers "lookalike" phrases to you.
  • Babylon 5
    • The Draenei prophet Velen is almost certainly a reference to the Minbari prophet Valen.
  • Battlestar Galactica
    • In the Blizzard website promoting the new Arena Tournament, the promotional pictures show a female blood elf named "Boomer" fighting against a draenei warrior named "Apollo" as well as a rogue canamedlled "Gaius", in reference to the Battlestar Galactica characters Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, Lee "Apollo" Adama, and Gaius Baltar.
  • Bio-Dome
    • Located in Netherstorm inside of the Eco-Dome stands Shauly Pore, which is a reference to actor and comedian Pauly Shore, who starred in the 1996 film Bio-Dome.
  • The Big Lebowski
    • In Hellfire Peninsula, the Horde Grand Master Engineering trainer is named "Zebig" and the Alliance one is named "Lebowski".
  • The Black Hole
    • At the Ruins of Enkaat, Bot-Specialist Alley <B.O.O.M.> stands with her bots Maxx A. Million Mk. I, II, and V. The names of her bots are a reference to the ominous Maximillian from Disney's The Black Hole. Additionally, her robot Maxx A. Million Mk. V offers a quest entitled N [68G] Mark V is Alive! which is a nod to the robot Number 5's exclamation, "Number Five is alive!" in the movie Short Circuit.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    • [The Seal of Danzalar], which drops in Serpentshrine Cavern, is a reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The phrase "From beneath you, it devours" comes from a reference in the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; it translates to the gateway to the Sunnydale Hellmouth. The item's name is a play on "The Seal of Danzalthar" which is the name of the seal that covers the Sunnydale Hellmouth.
  • Captain Planet and the Planeteers
    • The Blood Elf female laugh is meant to reference the catchphrase of Doctor Blight from the TV series Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Also, the image that displays next to the health bars of Blood Elf females in your party that are outside your visual range bears a distinct resemblance to the Doctor.
  • Cruel Intentions
    • "Cruel's Intentions", the quest to kill Arazzius the Cruel, is named for this film.
  • The Day The Earth Stood Still/Army of Darkness
    • Two Draenei NPCs are located upstairs of the Honor Hold Inn named Assistant Klatu and Anchorite Barata, a reference to the films The Day The Earth Stood Still and Army of Darkness, where the phrase "klaatu, barada, nikto" held importance.
  • Dirty Harry
    • "Dirty" Larry is found in the lower city of Shattrath near the Aldor bank. He is standing next to "Epic" Malone. Both bear the label <Ruffian>.
  • Dirty Jobs
    • "Dirty" Mike Crowe can be found in Theramore near the docks selling fish. This is a reference to Mike Rowe who is the star of the show.
  • The Exorcist
    • In the Inn of Honor Hold, there is a questline which ends with helping a draenei exorcise a human lying on a bed. During this exorcism, the human body floats through the room and the draenei asks you to make sure nothing interrupts the process. Flying demon mobs spawn in the room which you have to destroy. During this whole sequence, the demon possessing the human also insults you and tries to scare you off with odd noises. Occasionally the body will vomit green stuff.
  • Fight Club
    • At Wildhammer Stronghold, outside the inn, you will find two dwarfs: Barimoke Wildbeard and Bron Goldhammer. They have a routine that starts of with "Bron! 'Ey, Bron! Hit me!". This is a reference to the first fight between the narrator and Tyler Durden.
  • Finding Nemo
    • Shark Bait is an item pickpocketed off of various naga in Outland as well as the Isle of Quel'Danas. This is taken directly from the nickname given to Nemo by his fellow tankmates. The picture used for Shark Bait is also a Clownfish, just like Nemo. The quote "Just keep swimming..." was part of a catchy phrase said throughout the movie by Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres.
  • Firefly
    • In Zangarmarsh, the engineering Grandmaster K. Lee Smallfry <Grand Master Engineer> is a reference to the character Kaylee Frye, the engineer on the show. Her dialog includes the word "shiny", a common adjective for "good" used on the show.
    • The non-combat pet [Captured Firefly] has the flavor text "Still flying..." which is a line from the show.
    • During Brewfest, one of the beers you can purchase is Mudder's Milk, which is from the episode 'Jaynestown'.
    • The reagent vendors in Ogri'la and the Lower City are named Mingo and Fanty, after the twins who engage Mal to perform the robbery from Serenity's opening sequence. While these characters in turn are references to thugs from the 1955 The Big Combo, the NPCs more likely reference the former.
    • [Strange Engine Part] and [Broken Engine Part], which are fished randomly from pools of Steam Pump Flotsam in Zangarmarsh, bear the description: "It reads 'Capissen 38' on the bottom." This is a reference to Kaylee Frye's line in the film "Serenity:" "Don't ride in anything with a Capissen 38 engine, they fall right out of the sky." [Strange Engine Part] starts an Alliance quest that you turn in to K. Lee Smallfry.
    • In the Sun's Reach Harbor, the Innkeeper Caregiver Inaara <Innkeeper> is a reference to the Companion character Inara Serra, a character portrayed by the Brazilian-American actress Morena Baccarin. Her face and outfit looks also very similar to the series' character.
  • Futurama
    • In the Apothecarium area is a large, stitched together thing that periodically blorps a load of the green funk that fills the Canals, vaguely reminiscient of the Slurm Queen's behind in the episode "Fry & The Slurm Factory"
    • Outside The Exodar, a small black cat called "Nibblet" can be seen walking around. This is probably a reference to the monkey/cat-like pet alien "Nibbler" from the show.
  • Gale Storm
    • In the Blood Furnace instance of Hellfire Citadel, the first boss, The Maker drops Girdle of the Gale Storm. This is probably a reference to Gale Storm, an actress/singer from the 1940s and 1950s. She is best known for starring in the television comedy series My Little Margie, and she probably wore girdles like most women of that period.
  • Heavy Metal 1981
    • The Blood Elf NPC speech "Death to all who oppose us!" (when left-clicking on either male or female) may be a reference to a character in the final story who says the beforementioned after the main antagonist of the film turns him and his people into ruthless killing machines.
  • Gladiator
    • The sword [Gladiator's Greatsword] is indicated to be built to "Proximo's specification" in the item description. Proximo was the slave trader/former gladiator who bought Maximus and trained him as a gladiator.
  • I, Robot
    • The a quest in Outland named "You, Robot" is a reference to I, Robot, see entry in Literature section.
  • Indiana Jones
    • There is an NPC in the Zul'Aman instance named Harrison Jones, an obvious reference to starring actor Harrison Ford and his role as the title character. In his dialogue, he accuses the player of only wanting to acquire Zul'Aman's treasures for themselves, instead of taking them to a museum where they belong, in his opinion (which is one of Jones' main motives for his expeditions).
  • MacGyver
    • The Grandmaster engineering trainer in Zabra'jin in Zangarmarsh is named Mack Diver, a reference to Richard Dean Anderson's character MacGyver in the series of the same name.
  • M.A.S.H.
    • The Skyguard folk at Skyguard Outpost occasionally say "Player is an officer and a gentlewoman/man." This is the same thing Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" O'Houlihan says in the M.A.S.H. play — but note that "X is an officer and a gentleman" is a common military catchphrase in English. Hence the name of the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman
  • Masters of the Universe
    • In the draenei city of Shattrath, The Alliance Arathi Basin Battlemaster is named "Adam Eternum" in reference to the popular Masters of the Universe character "He-Man", whose real name is Adam. He also has a Zulian Battle-tiger as a pet, in reference to his tiger, Cringer. He also appears with a gnome behind him called "Oric Coe" in reference to Orko. When you talk to him, Adam Eternum says:
      • "I came to Outland hoping to discover powerful artifacts to assist the League of Arathor against the Defilers in Arathi Basin... but all I've found is this smashing magical loincloth, a ridiculous gnome sidekick, and an egomaniacal undead stalker who insists I've stolen his grey skull, or some such. In any case, would you care to join the League in their fight while I continue my search?"
    • Eternum's Horde battlemaster counterpart, Keldor the Lost, continues the reference to Masters of the Universe. "Keldor" was the identity of He-Man's arch-nemesis, prior to his transformation into the evil Skeletor. Being undead, Keldor the Lost's hood, glowing eyes, dark blue attire, and skull-tipped staff all bear a striking resemblance to Skeletor. If you speak to him, he will say:
      • "I have travelled far in my search of a way to ultimately defeat the League of Arathor in the Arathi Basin, but that Lion-clothed lummox, Adam Eternum hounds my every move! Still, if slayers like you would return to Azeroth, perhaps we could defeat the Alliance once and for all!"
  • Men in Black
    • The Netherstorm Agents in Area 52 are all dressed in tuxedos resembling the business suits from the Men in Black comics and film. They also carry the huge guns that Tommy Lee Jones equipped in the first film. The fact that they guard 'Area 52' is appropriate, as it is a take on 'Area 51'.
    • When you leave 'Area 52' you will be hit by a flash of light and you receive a buff called A-52 Neuralyzer whos tooltip say "The flash of light you did not see did not erase your memories". This is a reference to the "Neuralizer" device that the Men in Black used to erase and alter the memories of the people who saw an alien.
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus
    • The Dark Iron Guzzlers who attack during Brewfest sometimes shout, "No one expects the Dark Iron Dwarves!", a reference to the recurring Spanish Inquisition sketch.
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    • At the Ruins of Enkaat, Bot-Specialist Alley <B.O.O.M.> stands with her bots Maxx A. Million Mk. I, II, and V. The names of her bots are a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where King Arthur goes to 'cook' the Holy Hand Grenade and exclaims "One, two, FIVE!".
  • Napoleon Dynamite
    • The male Blood Elf's dance moves are taken directly from Napoleon's choreographed dance sequence at the end of the movie.
  • Once Were Warriors
    • In Nagrand there is a quest given by Saurfang the Younger called Once Were Warriors, could very well be directly related to the popular New Zealand Film by the same name. The emotions described within the quest text seem to confirm this more. Saurfang not returning to his home could be describing Jack in the film (the main male character of the film), Jack (like the quest giver) has abandoned the ways of his past and is not returning to them (that being the ways of the Maori).
  • Pee-wee's Playhouse
    • In Bloodmaul Ravine, players can find the ghostly disembodied head of T'chali the Witch Doctor which is possibly a reference to another similarly colored disembodied head, Jambi the Genie.
  • RoboCop
    • The lines recited by The Arcane Patrollers in the Ruins of Silvermoon are RoboCop's prime directives: "Protect the innocent", "Serve the Public Trust", and "Uphold the Law."
  • Saturday Night Live
    • There is a quest called N [69] Needs More Cowbell, which is obtainable from Kirin'Var Village near Sunfury Hold in southeastern Netherstorm, a reference to the famous Christopher Walkin sketch.
  • The Simpsons
    • There is a quest NPC in Eversong Woods named Groundskeeper Wyllithen, a reference to Groundskeeper Willie of Simpsons fame.
    • The skinning trainer in Shattrath City is called Seymour <Grand Master Skinner>, a reference to Seymour Skinner the principal of Springfield Elementary School.
    • The Mr. Pinchy item is a direct reference to the lobster that Homer raises and is forced to eat by himself when he accidentally cooks it.
    • Millhouse Manastorm, a gnome mage, appears and assists your party during the final boss fight in Arcatraz. This is a reference to Millhouse Van Houten, Bart Simpson's best friend.
  • The Sixth Sense
    • Near the entrance to the Auchenai Crypts in Auchindoun, a small draenei child named Ha’lei gives the quest N [67] I See Dead Draenei, a reference to Haley Joel Osment's character in The Sixth Sense saying "I see dead people".
  • Snakes On A Plane
    • In Nagrand at Nesingwary Safari, there is a gnome style plane crashed into the ground. Unmoving snake critters spawn atop it.
  • Stargate: SG-1
    • In SG-1, "Area 52" is another name for Stargate Command.
    • In the Champion's Hall, players can find Lieutenant Karter, Captain O'Neal, and Guard Hammon, each bearing likeness to their respective namesake. Lieutenant Jackspring is also a possible reference to Dr. Jackson, as he is looking at a bookshelf. In addition, Sergeant Major Clate is a probable reference to Teal'c, since their names are anagrams.
    • The Arcane Portals found throughout the game, most easily found in the Wizard's Sanctum, at the The Mage Quarter in Stormwind, uncannily resembles the Stargate itself. Its circular, large structure mimics it; the liquid-like consistency of the "opening" is exactly like the "event horizon" of an active Stargate and the Glyphs covering the ring resembles the carvings that indicates gate-addresses.
  • South Park
    • Episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft": Though [The Sword of a Thousand Truths] was fictional at the time of the South Park tribute episode, a sword with the same name but with different, less overpowered stats, was supposed to be made available in The Burning Crusade. The name Salzman in the item's description is also a reference to the character Salzman, an accountant in that episode. However, [The Sword of a Thousand Truths] did not make it through to The Burning Crusade's final release, the item was replaced by [Gladiator's Greatsword] sadly this item was crafted to Proximo's specification instead of Salzman. [The Sword of a Thousand Truths] was available as an arena reward during The Burning Crusade beta while the [Gladiator's Greatsword] exists as an arena reward in the live version of The Burning Crusade.
    • Episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft": Ethereal NPCs near Manaforge Ultris in the Netherstorm quotes this episode saying "How do you defeat that which has no life?", referring to the Ethereum Gladiator, who's always looking for a bigger and better challenge.
    • Episode "Gnomes": One of the draenei Male's jokes mimics the Underpants Gnomes' plan for profit.
  • Star Trek
    • There is a quest in the Netherstorm called You're Hired, where you search for Etherlithium Matrix Crystals, a play on the Dilithium Matrix Crystals used to redirect energy generated in warp engines.
    • In Exodar, there is a group of draenei that walk around checking out the holograms, named Audrid, Curzon, Emony, Tobin and Torias. They were all hosts of the Dax symbiont in Deep Space Nine.
    • After completing the Netherstorm quest That Little Extra Kick, the giver and receiver of this quest (B.O.O.M. Master Mixologist Boots) dies. A goblin paramedic rushes in to stimulate his heart. After a couple of shocks, the paramedic screams "Dammit Boots, I'm a doctor, not a priest!" which is a reference to Lenoard 'Bones' McCoy's line "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a <insert profession>" from the original Star Trek series.
    • In Toshley's Station, there is a gnome standing to the north named Smiles O'Byron. Miles O'Brien is also referred to as Smiley in the alternate universe episodes of 'Deep Space Nine'.
    • Warden Treelos (Cenarion Thicket, Terokkar Forest) is a Night Elf NPC who has gone insane, and sometimes says "There are FOUR lights!", which refers to the double The Next Generation episode "Chain of Command". Captain Jean-Luc Picard is captured by Cardassians, then tortured to break his will, in order to get him to admit he sees five lights where there are actually only four.
    • In Booty Bay and Tanaris we find two engineers manning the teleporters named Jhordy Lapforge and Scooty, nods to Geordi LaForge for Star Trek: The Next Generation and to Montgomery "Scotty" Scott for the original series.
    • The cave below Manaforge Ara in the Netherstorm is named Trelleum Mine, from the mineral known as trellium in Star Trek: Enterprise.
    • The zone of Netherstorm has similar colors and chaotic theme as the Delphic Expanse. Prior to patch 2.4 warlocks could not summon in the Netherstorm like certain starship functions do not work in the Expanse.
    • On the Isle of Quel'Danas, the draenei Dragonhawk Master is named Ohura, a tribute to Uhura, communications officer on the USS Enterprise.
    • In Area 52 in Netherstorm there is a goblin named Chief Engineer Trep, a reference to Star Trek: Enterprise's Chief Engineer Charles "Trip" Tucker III.
  • Star Wars
    • In the Badlands, Lotwil Veriatus's robot Servo says "I am well versed in over 4 languages". This is a reference to C-3PO who states "I am well-versed in over 6 million forms of communication" several times.
    • The racetrack in the Shimmering Flats features a vehicle that is strikingly similar to the podracers found in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
    • The race announcer is a two headed ogre is named Fobeed referencing the two headed podracer announcer in The Phantom Menace whose names were Fode and Beed.
    • In the hangar in the Military Ward of Ironforge sits a dwarf pilot by the name of Xiggs Fuselighter, wearing a white and orange flightsuit, black gloves, and boots strikingly similar to that of an X-Wing pilot. This is a reference to Luke Skywalker's friend Biggs Darklighter, whom you see in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
    • The tooltip of the buff icon for the Priest ability Spirit Of Redemption reads "You have become more powerful than anyone can possibly imagine." which is an almost verbatim reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi's line in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
    • Female dwarves and gnomes have a hairstyle similar to that of "Princess Leia".
    • In Un'Goro crater, near the exit to Silithus, there is a level 1 raptor named Obi, a reference to Obi-Wan (Obi 1).
    • The Argent Avenger, a one-handed sword resulting from a quest in Stratholme, vaguely resembles a blue lightsaber. Also, Teebu's Blazing Longsword is it's red counterpart.
    • In a quest to rescue the captured Princess Moira Bronzebeard, you find her wearing an outfit that bears a striking resemblance to Leia's slave outfit in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, as well as the same hairstyle.
    • In Blade's Edge Mountains there is a place called Toshley's Station. In Star Wars there was a place called Toshe Station in which Luke Skywalker went to in the beginning of one of the Movies to pick up some Power Converters. The quest "Picking Up Some Power Converters" will reward you with a Power Converter. The two descriptions on the item are both references to Episode IV: "Use: Destroys technological terror constructs." is from Darth Vader's quote "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed," and "The next best thing to going to the Academy" is because Luke's always talking about going to the Academy. The Power Converter shoots off a red rocket that many think looks like the missile Luke fires to destroy the Death Star.
    • Roll a Draenei and you'll eventually get a quest called "The Kessel Run" given to you by an NPC named Kessel. You don't have to do this quest in "less than twelve parsecs" like Han Solo was able to do with the Millennium Falcon, but you will have to complete this quest in less than 15 minutes.
    • Nearby Toshley's Station stands R3D0, a remote sentry that can speak in three different languages (Human, Gnomish, and Dwarven). This is an obvious reference to C3PO, who was able to speak six million languages. The name is also a mesh between R2D2 and C3P0, the two robots in the movie.
    • In the Scarlet Raven Tavern in Darkshire there is a barkeeper named "Barkeeper Han" which is a reference to Han solo in Star Wars.
    • In Nagrand a Clefthoof Elite Named Mob is Called Banthar. If you drop the r off the end you get Bantha, a creature very similar to a Wooly Mammoth in the Star Wars Series, Banthar also look similar to a Wooly Mammoth.
    • The Azuremyst Isles are filled with NPCs, quests, and items that reference to several science fiction stories, most notably Star Wars. For instance, the flight master of Blood Watch is named Laando (after Lando Calrissian). In addition to this, a quest on Bloodmyst Isle is named A [12] The Kessel Run.
    • Baron Sablemane will give you a quest named A [67] It's a Trap! — likely a reference to Admiral Ackbar's famous catch phrase.
    • Toshley's Station also has a quest named, Cutting Your Teeth. The rewards from this quest include Vibro Shanker, Vibro Dagger, and Vibro Sword. These weapons are a reference to the Star Wars, Vibrosword, Vibroaxe, Vibrodagger, which in turn are inspired by other sci-fi universes of that age.
    • The Halaa Blade Merchants in Halaa in Nagrand are Coreiel when Halaa is Horde controlled and Aldraan when Alliance controlled. These are references to Princess Leia's homeworld of Alderaan and Han Solo's homeworld of Corellia.
    • The NPC, Commander Duron may be named after Kyp Duron from the Star Wars novels.
  • Starship Troopers
    • At Toshley's Station in Blade's Edge Mountains, you can find a gnome named Razak Ironsides patrolling the station's ramparts, which is a likely reference to Lieutenant Jean Rasczak played by Michael Ironside. This reference is highlighted by the fact that he is defending the outposts against Ravagers, a kind of creature resembling the insect-aliens of the movie. There is also a guard named Dizzy Dina, in reference to Dizzy Flores, played by Dina Meyer.
    • Sometimes an event will start at Toshley's Station, where Ravagers attack the station. As the gnome guards rush to defend, you will hear Razak Ironsides yelling various quotes from Micheal Ironside in the Starship Troopers movie: "Come on you apes, you want to live forever?", "I have one rule: everybody fights, no one quits." and "You don't do your job, I will shoot you myself.". Also, at one point he calls in for reinforcements, a group of Gnomes on Mechanostriders who are led by a robot, the group is called "Roughriders", possibly after the self-proclaimed "Roughnecks", the name that the main characters from the movie gave themselves. More likely, it is a homage to former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt's calvary unit The Rough Riders, which fought in the Spanish-American War.
  • Transformers
    • One of the quests in Outland summons a scripted scene involving a gigantic Fel Reaver named Negatron, a nod to the Decepticon leader Megatron.
  • Tremors
    • In Hellfire Peninsula, there is a quest given by Foreman Biggums called A Job for an Intelligent Man that has you go out and kill sand worms in the area. This is a reference to the movie "Tremors", starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, in which sand worms out in the Nevada desert come up out of the ground and eat people. In this movie, Fred Ward asks Kevin Bacon "Is this a job for an intelligent man?", to which Kevin Bacon replies "Well, show me one and I'll ask him."
  • Total Recall
    • When walking by the refugees in Shattrath City's lower gate, one of them can be heard saying "Hey, Man? Got some money? I got five kids to feed!" just like Bennie the cab driver from Total Recall.
  • UHF
    • There is a quest in the Azuremyst Isles called "Red Snapper - Very Tasty!" which is a direct quote from the "Wheel Of Fish" scene in "UHF" starring "Weird Al" Yankovic.
  • Wayne's World
    • In Zangarmarsh, there is a Horde quest called "Nothin' Says Lovin' Like a Big Stinger", and the very first paragraph in the quest description reads, "She will be mine. Oh yes- She will be mine", a famous catchphrase Wayne uses when talking about Cassandra, the guitar, and other things.

Games[]

  • Doom
    • The sounds made by the variations of Stags is almost directly taken from the sound palette of the imps found in the game Doom.
  • Duke Nukem 3D
    • The sound the Felboars and Helboars of outland shriek when they aggro is strongly reminiscent of the LARD pig-cops you encounter in several areas of this game. But then again, they are all based on pig squeals.
  • Final Fantasy
    • There is a random drop in Outland that is called [The Gunblade], probably a reference to Final Fantasy VIII, where main character Squall Leonhart uses a "Gunblade" as his signature weapon. The WoW weapon, however, does not look anything like the Gunblade used in FFVIII.
  • Jorune
    • Lake Jorune in Terokkar is a reference to the Skyrealms of Jorune pen-and-paper roleplaying game from the '80s and early '90s.
  • Kingdom Hearts
    • In Netherstorm, there is a rare spawn called Chief Engineer Lorthander, who wields a Keyblade, a reference to the weapons in the Kingdom Hearts series.
  • Killer Instinct
    • The quest N [69] Summoner Kanthin's Prize, part of the N [68] The Archmage's Staff quest line in Netherstorm has you retrieve an item that summons Archmage Vargoth's familiar Glacius.
    • There is an Elite level 62 Rare spawn sand worm in Hellfire Peninsula named Fulgorge. Both this and the previous quest reference the characters Glacius, an alien made of ice, and Fulgore, a cyborg, from the Rare fighting series Killer Instinct.
  • Metal Gear Solid
    • There is a quest called "To Legion Hold" in Shadowmoon Valley, where you have to spy on enemies while you are disguised as a wooden crate, in reference to the Metal Gear Solid series, where the main character Solid Snake often uses a cardboard box to move around undetected.
  • Oddworld:
    • The Ravager bears an extremely striking resemblance to the Scrabs in the various Oddworld games.
  • Sinistar
    • The Essence of Anger part of the Reliquary of Souls boss encounter in the Black Temple will shout "Beware - I live.", a quote Sinistar shouts when he is fully formed and start actively seeking the player out, in the 1982 arcade game classic Sinistar.
  • Street Fighter
    • The male Blood Elf Rogue's Eviscerate animation is identical to Ken and Ryu's Shoryuken animation.
    • A Tauren NPC in Camp Mojache in Feralas is named "Hadoken Swiftstrider".
    • "Hadoken Swiftstrider" the Tauren NPC in Camp Mojache, Feralas gives you a quest called "Alpha Strike" which is a name combination of "Street Fighter Alpha" series and "Street Fighter 3rd Strike".
  • Zero Wing
    • In Shadow Moon Valley, there is a quest called Setting Up The Bomb which is a reference to the mistranslated quote "Somebody set up us the bomb!"
  • Yogurting
    • The female Blood Elf's dance moves are taken from the animated "Always" promotional video for the Korean video game Yogurting. The video became a minor internet phenomena, spawning another popular video of a dancer using the moves with Britney Spears' "Toxic" playing in the background.

Literature[]

  • L. Frank Baum
    • One of the Opera Events in Karazhan is the Wizard of Oz, referring to the famous children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Both the fight and the book have shared characters and costumes including the Wicked Witch, a dog named Toto, a girl named Dorothy, the Tinman, the Lion, Scarecrow, and even tornadoes.
  • Frank Herbert
    • The burrower mobs throughout several zones in Outland seem to be directly based on the sandworms of Dune.
    • One quest in the Bone Wastes involves using an item called a "Fumper" to summon an enormous burrower called "Hai'Shulud," whose title is "The Bone Emperor", a pun on the name of the sandworms of Dune named "Shai-Hulud". The quest rewards are daggers with names based on Dune characters and weapons made from the sandworms' teeth.
    • See also references to Herbert's Dune universe found in Silithus.
  • Robin Hobb
    • The name of the tauren at the Nesingwary Safari in Nagrand, Shado 'Fitz' Farstrider, appears to be a reference to the character FitzChivalry "Fitz" Farseer, and possibly also to his mentor Chade, from Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. In addition to the similar names, Shado wears a wolfshead helm, and FitzChivalry was bonded with a wolf. (As possibly more of a stretch, FitzChivalry was a Wit or "beast magic" user, and seen by some as half-man/half-beast, a possibly fit description for a tauren.)
  • H.P. Lovecraft
    • The Black Morass, an instance in the Caverns of Time set in what is to become the Blasted Lands, may refer to Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu", in which Inspector Legrasse, investigating reports of strange rituals in New Orleans swamplands, is described to have "plowed on through the black morass". The design of the zone itself closely adheres to Lovecraft's description of the New Orleans marshes.
  • Shakespeare
    • In the raid instance Karazhan, one of the boss encounters in the Opera Event consists of Romulo and Julianne, playing off of Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Julianne can also drop [Romulo's Poison Vial]. Romulo and Julianne also use famous quotes from Shakespeare's original play while engaging in combat.
    • One of the quests in Bloodmaul Ravine is called "A Curse Upon Both of Your Clans!" — a reference to Mercutio's oft repeated curse "a plague on both your houses!"
  • Delmore Schwartz
    • During the Prince Malchezaar encounter in Karazhan he can be heard saying "Time is the fire in which you'll burn..." which is a reference to the poem "Calmly We Walk Through This April's Day" by Delmore Schwartz (the same poem is also quoted in the "Star Trek: Generations" movie).
  • J. R. R. Tolkien
    • A sword named "[Stung]" is a quest reward from killing spiders in the Ghostlands, taking its name from Bilbo's sword "Sting" in The Hobbit.
    • In Honor Hold there is an NPC named "Marshal Isildor", a possible reference to Isildur in Lord of the Rings, the man who cut the ring from Sauron's finger.
    • One of the lines spoken by the Draenei leader, Velen, is "Not all who wander are lost." This is a line from the poem about Aragorn in the book.
    • The history of the elven race, including the sundering of the High Elves from the Night Elves and most of Azeroth's prehistory is a close parallel to the Simarillion.
    • Two worgs in Zeth'Gor are named Ripp and Feng, possibly referring to Farmer Maggot's dogs Grip and Fang.
  • Kurt Vonnegut
    • In Hellfire Peninsula, there is a demon boss named Doom Lord Kazzak, who shares a name with the hound of space, Kazak, from Vonnegut's book The Sirens of Titan.

Music[]

  • Britney Spears
    • The female Blood Elf dance is pieced together from different parts of the choreography to American pop legend Britney Spears' song "Toxic."
  • All That Remains
    • A [10] All That Remains in Azuremyst Isle could be a reference to the metal band of that name. Also, the level to obtain this quest is 6 - "Six" being one of the songs on the album The Fall of Ideals as well as featured in Guitar Hero II.
  • Dead Kennedys
    • In the Allerian Stronghold, there is a NPC named Lady Dena Kennedy.
  • John Denver
    • In the same discussion between the Engineering Crewmember and Experimental Pilot at Area 52 mentioned above, the Experimental Pilot also says a line from John Denver's song "Leaving on a Jet Plane". "All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go."
  • Depeche Mode
    • A quest in the Azuremyst Isles is called "Precious and Fragile Things Need Special Handling", taken word-for-word from the first line of Precious.
    • The Blasted Lands quest "Everything Counts in Large Amounts" is a line from the song Everything Counts.
    • The title of the Netherwing daily quest "The Deadliest Trap Ever Laid" is a line from the song "Home".
  • The Eagles
    • In the Violet Tower in Netherstorm, Archmage Vargoth will quote several lines from Hotel California when you talk to him multiple times.
  • Eminem
    • There is a vendor outside of the Mana-Tombs named "Slim" -- he is a <Shady Dealer>. This is a reference to one of Eminem's stage names, Slim Shady, and also to his hit song "The Real Slim Shady". Said vendor's dialog includes "No my name isn't really Slim." Thus, he isn't "The Real Slim Shady".
  • In Flames
    • One of the quests on Bloodmyst Isle is called "Artifacts Of The Blacksilt", which may be a reference to the In Flames song "Artifacts Of The Black Rain".
    • There's an Emblem of Heroism reward, a trinket called "Mirror of Truth", which may be a reference to the In Flames song "The Mirror's Truth".
  • Elton John
    • At Area 52 in Netherstorm, in a discussion between Engineering Crewmember and Experimental Pilot the last one says "Oh no no no I'm a rocket man" from the Elton John's song "Rocket Man". This entire conversation is comprised of paraphrased lyrics from the song—at one point, Engineering Crewmember asks Experimental Pilot why he doesn't bring his family to Area 52, to which the reply is "This isn't the kind of place to raise your kids. It's cold, and there'd be no one to raise them." This is also a reference to William Shatner's spoken word cover of the song, considering the setting of Area 52.
  • Kelis
    • The Blood Elf female has an emote where she says "My mana tap brings all the boys to the yard." Referring to a phrase in the song "Milkshake" by Kelis.
  • Daler Mehndi
    • The male Draenei's dance moves are taken from the video for the song "Tunak Tunak Tun" by Daler Mehndi[10] which was a moderate internet phenomenon.
  • Ozzy Osbourne
    • An NPC named Osborne the Night Man is a possible reference to the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. The NPC trains rogues in Stormwind city.
  • Carl Perkins & Elvis Presley
    • A pair of shoes named [Blue Suede Shoes] drop from Kaz'rogal in the Hyjal Summit event in Caverns of Time. Carl Perkins wrote a song with that name, famously covered by Elvis Presley, and the yellow flavor text on the shoes in the game "Keep Off" is a reference to the lyrics.
  • Pink Floyd
    • The Innkeeper in Thrallmar is named Floyd Pinkus <Innkeeper>.
    • Otonambusi, the General Goods vendor in Azure Watch says, "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your fish?" ("Another Brick in the Wall Part 2")
    • Triage Quest: When performing the Triage quest for Artisan First Aid (Theramore - Alliance / Hammerfall - Horde), soldiers who you fail to heal that are about to die say "Goodbye cruel world...I'm leavin' you today...goodbye, goodbye, goodbye..." These are the opening lines of the song 'Goodbye, Cruel World' from Pink Floyd's album The Wall.
    • The NPC lying down in Nessingway's Camp in Nagrand is called Harold Lane, which could be a reference to Pink Floyd's Song Arnold Lane.
    • Trash mobs inside Auchindoun's Mana Tombs will sometimes say "If you can hear this whisper you're dying." This could be a reference to the similar message that appears in The Great Gig in the Sky off Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
  • The Pussycat Dolls
    • One of the /silly jokes for the male Blood Elf is: "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" This is a line from the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" song.
  • Tenacious D
    • A drop from Ramparts off the last boss, the plate belt Tenacious Defender has the flavor text, "It has the power... to move you" — itself a reference to their song "Wonderboy".
    • In the German version, this item was translated as "Die Toten Hosenträger" (The Dead Suspenders) referring to Die Toten Hosen, with the flavor text "Steh auf, wenn du am Boden bist." referring to one of their songs.

Other[]

  • Area 51
    • In the Outland, there is a neutral city in the Netherstorm called Area 52. (see Men In Black in the Film and Television section)
  • Girls Gone Wild:
    • There is a quest in Hellfire called N [61] Voidwalkers Gone Wild
  • Granny Smith
    • There is a fruit vendor in the lower city of Shattrath named Granny Smith, a reference to the apple of the same name.
  • Greek mythology
    • At Azure Watch, there's a Hunter trainer named Acteon, who sends players on various quests to hunt down bucks and stags in the area. In Greek myth, Actaeon was a hunter who was turned into a stag as punishment by the god Artemis for seeing her bathe nude. After being turned into a stag, he was torn to pieces by his own hounds.
    • Also, on the road to Azure Watch form the draenei starting area, there is a fishing trainer named Diktynna, who gives a quest to gather fish with a net. This is a play on Dictynna, a goddess of fishing and nets.
    • Odesyus' Landing on Azuremyst Isle, and Admiral Odesyus are references to Homer's 'The Iliad'. The Blacksmith in the camp is named Calypso. In "The Iliad" Odysseus washes up on Calypso's island, where she forces him to be her lover for seven years before he escapes.
  • Gzhun'tt
    • In Zangarmarsh at Sporegar (19,50) is Gzhun'tt - possibly a reference to the post German and Yiddish word for health.
  • Marcus Aurelius
    • In Shadowmoon Valley, there is quest called the Journal of Val'zareq: Portends of War, which leads you to the captured Marcus Aurelion <High General of the Sha'tar>. He is being held prison at Crimson Watch. This is a reference to Marcus Aurelius, an Emperor of Rome.
  • Paranoia
    • In Silvermoon, the Arcane Guardians sometimes say "Happiness is mandatory, Citizen!". This is a direct quote from the Role-Playing game Paranoia.
  • Paris Hilton
    • One of the bar patrons in Lower Shattrath City is a blood elf female named Haris Pilton <Socialite> made to resemble the infamous heiress. Her dog Tinkerbell is also wandering around the inn.
  • The Pep Boys
    • In the quest How to Serve Goblins, Foreman Razelcraz asks you to rescue Manni, Moh and Jakk from the Fel Orc camps. This is a reference to the Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice "Moe" Strauss, and Graham "Jack" Jackson who are the founders of The Pep Boys auto parts supply chain. The :Manny, Moe, and Jack" characters were modeled after the founders.
  • Realm Switcher:
    • In the quest "The Totem of Kar'dash (Horde)", while rescuing the Mag'har Captive, he screams "FROST SHOCK!!!" This may be a reference to the famous "Switcher" video.[11]
  • Red Bull
    • One of the quest rewards for A [64] Secrets of the Daggerfen, given by Timothy Daniels in Orebor Harborage, is Crimson Steer Energy Drink, a reference to the energy drink Red Bull.
  • Watcher Leesa'oh:
    • In Zangarmarsh at the Cenarion Watchpost (23,65) is Watcher Leesa'oh - possibly a reference to actress

Leesa Oh [citation needed]

  • Warden Moi'bff Jill:
    • In Nagrand, the Kurenai NPC who accepts obsidian warbeads for kurenai reputation has a name that is a reference to a popularized Cingular commercial in which a girl says to her mother, "Idk, my bff Jill?".

World of Warcraft[]

Fail:WoW Icon 16x16.gif This section concerns content exclusive to World of Warcraft.

Classic Fairy Tales[]

Games[]

  • Diablo series
    • The weapon [Wirt's Third Leg] is a reference to the character of Wirt the peg-legged boy from Diablo, and his wooden leg which you could actually pick up and wield as a weapon after Wirt's death in Diablo II.
    • The [Cow King's Hide] is a piece of chest armor dropped from various higher level creatures across the game world, and it refers to the 'Cow King' from Diablo II, located on the Cow Level.
    • The enemy Razorclaw the Butcher and the item [Butcher's Cleaver] are references to the overlord unique monster "The Butcher" in Diablo and the item he dropped.
    • The item [Shadowfang] is a reference to the sword of the same name in Diablo II. There is also the [Staff of Jordan] which is a reference to a popular item in Diablo II called "Stone of Jordan".
    • The weapon set Dal'Rend's Arms (consisting of [Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge] and [Dal'Rend's Tribal Guardian]) is a reference to the Diablo II set Bul-Kathos' Children (consisting of Bul-Kathos' Sacred Charge and Bul'Kathos' Tribal Guardian).
    • The item [Naglering] is a possible reference to the "Nagelring" from Diablo II.
    • One of the tips displayed as the player logs in to the game is, "'There is no cow level," a reference to a popular rumor about there being a secret cow level in Diablo (after which they really DID put a secret cow level into Diablo II). The phrase "thereisnocowlevel" is also the instant victory cheat code in the Blizzard RTS StarCraft.
    • WoW players who purchase the Collector's Edition receive a gift coupon in-game which can be redeemed for their choice of three pets, including a mini-Diablo pet (the final boss of Diablo).
    • The Rogue poison ingredient [Maiden's Anguish] is probably a reference to Andariel, the poison-spewing boss of the first act of Diablo II; her "nickname" is the Maiden of Anguish.
    • When you talk to a Dwarf NPC in World of Warcraft, they might say "What can I do for ya?" This is the same line used by Griswold the Blacksmith in Diablo, who even had an accent similar to a dwarven one.
    • The Elwynn Forest area Stone Cairn Lake is an obvious reference to the five Cairn Stones in Diablo II, with which you open the portal to old Tristram.
  • Donkey Kong
    • In Un'Goro Crater, the gorillas sometimes drop an item named [Empty Barrel], a reference to Donkey Kong throwing barrels at Mario in the Nintendo arcade game and the continued importance of barrels in the Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong 64 series.
  • Dungeons & Dragons
    • In the Horde town of Tarren Mill, located in Hillsbrad Foothills, there is an orc NPC named Krusk. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons will recognize the name as one of D&D 3rd edition's iconic characters, Krusk the half-orc barbarian.
  • Fable
    • In the Undercity, there is a NPC named Theresa that wanders around aimlessly. She is blindfolded and is a mind slave to one of the Undead characters in the game. This could be a vague reference to a blind seer of the same name in Fable (itself a reference to Tiresias in Greek mythology).
  • Fallout
    • In Western Plaguelands, Farmer Dalson, a ghoul, is part of the Locked Away quest chain. From Mrs. Dalson's Diary we learn that his first name is Harold. Harold the Ghoul is a recurring character in the Fallout series.
  • The Legend of Zelda
    • In Un'Goro Crater there is a character named Linken (a reference to the Legend of Zelda character Link) who has a bit of amnesia. You will encounter Linken by finding a wrecked raft which begins the quest It's a Secret to Everybody, named for a quote received in a dungeon in the original Legend of Zelda. This quest chain is chock full of Zelda references.
      • Throughout the quest line you will receive several items, including a [Faded Photograph] showing Linken with a female gnome who resembles Princess Zelda standing in Stormwind (or Hyrule Castle), a [compass] and [map] which are common items in all Zelda games, a [Lion-headed Key] (a skeleton key found in the original Legend of Zelda game), and [Linken's Training Sword].
      • The last of Linken's quests is called It's Dangerous to Go Alone, named after the line spoken by the old man in the beginning of the first Zelda game when he gives Link a sword. Completing the quest will reward you with [Linken's Boomerang] and [Linken's Sword of Mastery], references to Link's trusty boomerang and the Master Sword.
      • There is an NPC named Miblon Snarltooth, a reference to the Moblin enemies from the original Zelda game. You must buy a piece of ham for Miblon, which opens a gate to an [Evoroot]. In The Legend of Zelda, you must give a piece of ham to a Moblin to access another part of a dungeon.
      • You have to bring Linken's Training Sword to Donova Snowden in Everlook, where she'll then tell you about how the spring near her has special properties that make items better when you throw them into the spring. This is a reference to A Link to the Past where if you threw your sword, boomerang, or arrows into the fairy spring, they would be upgraded.
    • Near Linken there is also a Kodo named Dadanga, similar to the monster Dodongo from the Zelda series, and if you talk to its owner she will tell you that it "hates smoke", a reference to a hint given in the original Legend of Zelda that "DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE."
  • The Lost Vikings
    • In Uldaman there are three dwarves, Olaf, Eric "The Swift", and Baelog, who are the three Lost Vikings from Blizzard's sidescrolling game. Alliance players can get two quests involving them, and Horde players are required to kill them to fully complete the instance. Their combat abilities from the original game have been translated faithfully to the Warcraft universe. When killed, Baelog drops the sword [Nordic Longshank], and [Baelog's Shortbow]; Olaf drops a shield, [Olaf's All Purpose Shield], which allows the user to float for 10 seconds; and Eric "The Swift" drops [Worn Running Boots], and a [Horned Viking Helmet] with the ability to charge the enemy, stunning it for 30 seconds and stunning you for a shorter period of time—these abilities are references to the characters' unique abilities in The Lost Vikings. There are also two items that Alliance players must retrieve in conjunction with the quest The Hidden Chamber: [The Shaft of Tsol] and the [Gni'kiv Medallion]. These two items contain the words "Lost Viking" backwards.
  • Mortal Kombat
    • The same dwarves who quote Evil Dead and AC/DC while doing target practice outside of Kharanos also shout "Mortar Combat!" in precisely the same manner "Mortal Kombat!" is shouted in the soundtrack to the movie based on the videogame. (These dwarves' lines were used by the Dwarven Mortar Team unit in Warcraft III as well.)
  • Neverwinter Nights
    • In Ironforge, there is a gnome named Fenthwick, possibly referring to the elf Fenthick in Neverwinter Nights. Name is similar, race is different, sex is same.
  • Street Fighter
    • The male troll offensive spell cast animation is identical to that of a Hadouken. (although more likely the Kamehameha from Dragonball Z which the Hadoken is based off of.)
    • A Tauren NPC in Camp Mojache in Feralas is named "Hadoken Swiftstrider". He gives you a quest called "Alpha Strike", which comes from the names of the Street Fighter Alpha series and Street Fighter 3rd Strike.
    • Low level imps called Grells will sometimes perform Ken and Ryu's Dragon Punch motion when attacking.
    • Female Human Paladins perform a Shoryuken animation when casting Hammer of Justice.
  • StarCraft
    • Across the gameworld are disabled shredders with a picture of Infested Kerrigan on the screen.
    • The Silithid hives and the surrounded infested areas are strongly reminiscent of the Zerg hives and Creep.
    • WoW players who purchase the Collector's Edition receive a gift coupon in-game which can be redeemed for a Zergling pet.
    • During the Dark Portal Opens event, an NPC who is fighting the demon invaders is named Lord Marshal Raynor, a reference to the Terran character Jim Raynor who is a marshal.
    • One of the NPCs found at the Sha'tari Skyguard base outside Skettis is named Sky Commander Adaris, a possible reference to Judicator Aldaris.
    • The Vindicator in the Ammen Vale crash site is named Vindicator Aldar, possibly another reference to Judicator Aldaris.
  • Super Mario
    • In Un'Goro Crater, two characters named Muigin and Larion can be found. Their names come from swapping the first letters of "Mario" and "Luigi" and adding an N. Larion, who is clad in red and blue, is based on Mario while Muigin, in green and blue, is based on his brother Luigi. Also, Muigin (Alliance) and Larion (Horde) begin quests where the player must hunt Bloodpetals, which look suspiciously like the Piranha Plants from the various Super Mario Bros. games. Upon quest completion, Muigin references previous injuries when attempting to jump on the Bloodpetals, stating, "Plants shouldn't be so strong!" Several times, Larion insists that "It's Muigin's fault we're lost!" and "He told me to take the tunnel!" This is a reference to the Super Mario Bros. movie, where Luigi tells Mario to take the tunnel which strands them in the desert.
    • A food item can be discovered in various sections of the game called the Red Speckled Mushroom. The image of the mushroom is supiciously similar to the Super Mushroom from the Super Mario games.
  • Ultima
    • At the Darkmoon Faire, a periodic world event, there is a fortune teller who will ask you morality questions that are almost directly pulled from the morality questions asked at the beginnings of Ultimas 4, 5, and 6.
  • Ultima Online
    • The quest Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff has the player delivering a book called Studies in Spirit Speaking. When read, the book contains a series of Os (OOOoOoo), just as the dialogue of player ghosts appeared in Ultima Online. The Os in the book also represent ASCII text in binary that reads "Ultima Online Napa Valley Knights of Chaos", referring to a player guild on an Ultima Online server. The title of the book is a reference to the game's necromancer-related skill required to understand ghosts.

Film and television[]

  • Alias
    • One of the female Human's /silly emotes says, "I can't wait till this quest is done and I can look for another Garibaldi artifact," a reference to the Rambaldi artifacts pursued by Sydney Bristow. It has been suggested that this is also a reference to Michael Garibaldi, a character from the TV series Babylon 5 portrayed by actor Jerry Doyle.
    • In Stormwind, the thieves guild hall is named SI:7, assumed to be a play on both SD-6, which is the organization Sidney Bristow works for in the show, as well as MI6, which is best known as the British intelligence agency James Bond works for.
  • Aliens
    • In the human barracks west of the town of Goldshire there are two NPCs named Quartermaster Hicks and Quartermaster Hudson, who are named after Corporal Hicks and Private Hudson from Aliens.
  • American Idol
    • One of the male Orc's /silly emotes is "Man, dawg, you know, it's like I'm feeling you, but I'm not feeling you, you know?", a reference to the phrases used by judge Randy Jackson.
  • An American Werewolf in London
    • In the Mage Quarter of Stormwind, the Warlock trainers can be found in the basement of a pub called The Slaughtered Lamb. This is a reference to the pub that two lost American hitchhikers stumbled upon before their unfortunate encounter with the local werewolf in this film.
  • Apocalypse Now
    • In Stranglethorn Vale, there is a boss named Colonel Kurzen, who went insane and raised an army from a small, hidden compound. This is a reference to Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando. The two Colonels' backstories are very similar. It is, by extension, a reference to Kurtz from Heart of Darkness, the novel on whose story Apocalypse Now was based.
  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force
    • An NPC named Oglethorpe Obnoticus can be found in Booty Bay. He's a reference to Oglethorpe, one of the unbelievably stupid Plutonian aliens, and their source of knowledge, the Orbnaticus, a giant mirrored disco ball that Oglethorpe insists is actually a supercomputer. The NPC is an Engineering trainer who gives the quests The Pledge of Secrecy and Show Your Work.
  • Army of Darkness
    • Around Coldridge Valley there are some dwarves doing target practice. If one waits there long enough eventually a dwarf will say, "This...is my BOOMSTICK!", a reference to Army of Darkness. (This is the same dialogue used for the Dwarven Rifleman in Warcraft III.)
    • The gunshop outside the Auction House in Orgrimmar is named Boomstick Imports.
    • There are also several Gun items in the game with the word "Boomstick" in them.
  • Austin Powers
    • Part of the quest chain to open Ahn'Qiraj involves a gnome named Doctor Weavil, a reference to Dr. Evil, who sends a gorilla named Number Two to attack the player working on the quest when his ransom demand fails.
    • Inside Naxxramas, there is a cat near the entrance named Mr. Bigglesworth which was the name of Dr. Evil's cat. Killing this cat will enrage Kel'Thuzad.
    • One of the female Human's /silly emotes says, "Sometimes, I have trouble controlling the volume OF MY VOICE!", which is a direct quote after Austin's reanimation from cryostasis.
    • Both male and female gnomes' dancing resembles Mini-Me's dance in the second movie, The Spy Who Shagged Me.
  • Bewitched
    • A troll in Sen'jin Village is named Bom'bay <Witch Doctor in Training>. In the show from the 1960s, when a witch or warlock needed help, they would call Doctor Bombay by chanting, "Calling Dr. Bombay, calling Dr. Bombay. Please come right away."
  • Big Trouble in Little China
    • The [Six Demon Bag] is a trinket; its tooltip text says it "Blasts enemies with the power of wind, fire, that kind of thing!", quoting Egg Shen's description of the contents of his Six-Demon Bag in the film.
    • There is a hidden area under one of the lakes in Deadwind Pass where you can view floating corpses chained to the lake floor, a reference to the "hell of the upside-down sinners".
  • The Bone Collector
    • There is a quest in Desolace called Bone Collector where you have to collect [Kodo Bones] from the Kodo Graveyard. The quest has little to do with the movie besides the name reference.
  • Caddyshack
    • There is an NPC in Darnassus, Jenal <Ditch Digger>, behind one of the large trees that houses the Druid trainers, surrounded by piles of dirt. When Jenal asked Arch Druid Fandral Staghelm what his purpose in life would be, he was told that "the world needs ditch diggers too." This line was spoken by the judge in the movie when the main character Danny expressed his doubt at having enough money for college.
  • Carlito's Way
    • In Westfall, there is a Defias NPC called Benny Blaanco, a similar name as the John Leguizamo character Benny Blanco in the film.
  • Caveman
    • When targeted, one of the random messages an NPC orc will say is "zug zug," a word used in this film intended to mean "sex." (This dialogue was used in previous Warcraft games as well.)
    • One of the female Orc "flirting" lines is "You had me at zug zug," which is also a reference to one of the final lines of Jerry Maguire.
  • Chasing Amy/Congo
    • A quest in Un'Goro Crater is named Chasing A-Me 01 (a reference to the movie's name), and tasks the player with finding and rescuing a mechanized female gorilla from a pack of wild apes, reminiscent of Congo.
  • Cheers
    • In the Mage Quarter in Stormwind, one of wandering NPC Erich Lohan's phrases is "Head on over to the Blue Recluse. Where everybody knows your name!" "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" is the Cheers theme song.
  • Commando
    • During the second boss encounter in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, Lt. General Andorov makes the same threat to Rajaxx that Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Matrix made to Sully: "Remember when I said I'd kill you last? I lied."
  • Conan the Barbarian
    • In the Badlands there is a crypt with the corpse of the warrior king sitting on a throne and propping up a sword, referencing a story in which Conan steals an undead king's sword.
    • Saru Steelfury, the Artisan Blacksmith in Orgrimmar, says (if you are qualified for Expert Blacksmithing and not Artisan) "No one, no one in the world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts ... this you can trust, Steel," which is a quote from the movie.
  • Daria
    • There is a female goblin NPC in Gadgetzan named Quinn, whose name and clothing are a reference to Quinn Morgendorffer, Daria's younger sister.
  • Doctor Who
    • In Elwynn Forest, there is a NPC named "Auntie" Bernice Stonefield. This may be a reference to Bernice Summerfield, a companion of the Doctor.
    • In the Mage Quarter in Stormwind, one of wandering NPC Suzanne's phrases is "If we reverse the Essence flows perhaps we can alter the polarity." This is similar to "Reverse the polarity", which was a phrase often used by the Third Doctor.
  • Dracula
    • The Guild Master of the Undercity is named Christopher Drakul, possibly also a reference to Christopher Lee, who played the vampire lord more than any other man in film.
  • The Exorcist
    • In the War Quarter of the Undercity, there waits a Level 40 Priest trainer named Father Lankester, named after the priest Lankester Merrin.
  • Family Guy
    • The Quagmire is most likely named after the iconic character from Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy. This is further supported by the fact that The Quagmire's shoreline and lakes in relation to the rest of the Dustwallow Marsh is similar to Glenn Quagmire's head shape. The person who wrote this is also a fucking idiot as a quagmire is a type of landmark.
  • Farscape
    • The Accessories Quartermaster NPC in the Old Town section of Stormwind is named Officer Areyn. She resembles Claudia Black's character, Aeryn Sun, from the television series.
  • Fight Club
    • In the War Quarter of the Undercity there are two NPCs named after the main characters, Tyler and Edward, that fight other NPCs. The undead around them also have names from the novel and movie, such as Marla and Chloe.
    • There is also a mace in the game appropriately named the [Fight Club].
  • Finding Forrester
    • In Dire Maul North, if Guard Fengus is approached in conversation (if Fengus is left alive after the player becomes the new king), he will say "You da man now, dog", referencing a line in Finding Forrester spoken by Sean Connery. The line inspired the ytmnd.com website.
  • Forrest Gump
    • A dwarven fisherman named Gubber Blump can be found on the beach near Auberdine; he is a reference to both Forrest and his friend Bubba. His dialogue is similar to both characters; he introduces himself, "My name's Gubber, Gubber Blump," and later recites a list of all the different ways to cook crab.
    • In the human capital of Stormwind, the flower shop is run by Florist Gump.
  • Fraggle Rock
    • There is a NPC in Un'Goro Crater who is similarly named Spraggle Frock.
  • Friends
    • The male human /flirt emote 'How you doing?' is a reference to Joey Tribbiani's famous quote from the TV SitCom Friends.
  • Friday the 13th
    • The lake next to the town of Goldshire is called Crystal Lake, named for a location in the movies.
    • An Undead in the town of Brill will give you directions to the lake to the east in Lordearon, but warns you to be careful because some guy in a mask killed a bunch of people near there, referencing Jason Voorhees, the killer in the movies.
    • A Human named Jason Mathers stands on a small pier on the shores of Crystal Lake, and sometimes when a player asks a Stormwind Guard about the fishing trainer, they will tell that the fisherman once fished up a strange mask from Crystal Lake.
  • Full Metal Jacket
    • While doing the Un'Goro Soil quest as Horde, Ghede in Thunder Bluff nearly quotes Sgt. Hartman, saying: "Be advised, Jackson - I am in no mood for any comment that you think is cute or funny. I am here to make sure that the Arch Druid's research proceeds as planned, and I will weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve my beloved Cenarion Circle." When turning in the quest, he encourages you not to make any effort to help him unload the soil, and that "if the Great Spirits had wanted it done they would have miracled it up there."
    • The [Booterang], given in the Netherwing daily of the same name, has printed on it the first two lines of the Rifleman's Creed. The Creed pre-dates Full Metal Jacket by about 45 years, but was popularized by this movie.
  • Gamera
    • The Blackfathom Deeps instance features a giant turtle named Ghamoo-ra, a clear reference to Gamera.
    • In the Hinterlands, there is a turtle called Gammerita.
  • Ghostbusters
    • There is an NPC in the Eastern Plaguelands named Egan that gives you [Egan's Blaster]. The blaster will release the souls trapped inside the ghostly and spectral citizens of Stratholme, and then can be used again on those souls to free them. A direct reference to Ghostbusters character Egon Spengler.
    • There is an NPC in Deathknell named Harold Raims which spoofs Harold Ramis, one of the writers of the movie and the actor who played Egon.
    • In the Hinterlands, one can find The Altar of Zul. Zuul was the minion of Gozer in the first Ghostbusters movie.
    • There is also a mage quest in the Undercity (and a similar one in Stormwind) which involves the investigation of disturbances and the capturing of ghosts in Filled Containment Coffers.
    • In Stormwind there are three NPC mages that walk around and talk about "crossing the streams," and that it would be bad. This references the admonition not to "cross the streams" of the proton packs.
    • One of the goblin engineers working at the race track in the Shimmering Flats quotes the movie, saying, "We have the tools, we have the talent!"
    • When turning in a quest in the Western Plaguelands regarding a ghost, the NPC will sometimes respond, "Listen. Do you smell something?" a line from the movie.
    • An NPC at Chillwind Point near the entrance to the Western Plaguelands will say "This job is not worth another sixteen-five a year!" The character Winston said a similar line in the movie.
  • Gilligan's Island
    • The now unused zone Gillijim's Isle (located far west of Stranglethorn Vale) is a reference to the 1960s TV series. The in-game zone hosted an island in the alpha stages of WoW.
  • The Godfather
    • Upon seeing his son dead, the NPC Tirion Fordring says, "Look what they did to my boy," which is what Don Corleone says after Sonny is assassinated in the movie.
  • Godzilla
    • In Zul'Farrak, players can summon and fight a giant hydra named Gahz'rilla, an obvious reference to the giant behemoth of Japanese movie fame.
  • Goodfellas
    • In Goldshire there is a NPC named Remy "Two Times", who states "I'll give you the best price in town...best price in town!" This is a reference to Jimmy "Two Times" in the movie Goodfellas, who has a similar tendency to repeat himself in dialogue like, "I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers."
    • The Master Smith in Booty Bay, Brikk Keencraft, says "You think I'm a clown here to amuse you. Is that what you think? That I'm a clown? Huh, is it? You think I'm a clown don't you!" which is one of Joe Pesci's more memorable lines from the movie.
  • The Goonies
    • In The Deadmines, Edwin VanCleef's pirate ship's location inside a cave bears a resemblance to that of One Eyed Willie's ship.
  • The Great Race
    • The face on the front cone of the goblin racer in the Shimmering Flats bears a striking resemblance to the artwork on a couple of the vehicles operated by Professor Fate.
  • Rutger Hauer
    • In the Undercity War Quarter at the west side near the sewers entrance, there are two NPC guards named Sergeant Rutger and Sergeant Houser, in homage to the famous actor.
  • Highlander
    • A master swordsman named Klannoc Macleod <the Islander> can be found on Fray Island near Ratchet, a reference to either Connor MacLeod or more likely the Clan MacLeod (which figured heavily in the television series) from Highlander. He is described as the "chief warrior" and carries a katana, the Highlander's weapon of choice in the film.
  • Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I
    • In Dire Maul North, after killing the Gordok King, you receive a buff that says, "You're the king - it's good to be the king!" which is a reference to the famous line by King Louis XVI.
  • Indiana Jones
    • An Uldaman quest uses an amulet which must be fitted onto a staff and placed so that light will pass through it to open a door; in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy performs a similar maneuver to find the hidden cave in which the Ark was stored.
    • In Searing Gorge, there is a quest found on a wounded dwarf archaeologist named Dorius which concerns the Suntara Stones, a reference to the fictional Sankara Stones sought by Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom.
    • In Grizzly Hills, Harrison Jones can be found in some ruins being held in a cage. He gives the quest Dun-da-Dun-tah!
  • James Bond
    • Stormwind's covert operations and military intelligence service is named SI:7, which is a reference to MI6, the organization that James Bond works for. (This could also be referring to the real British Secret Intelligence Service.)
  • Jaws
    • The fishing trainer in Lakeshire is named Matthew Hooper. Matt Hooper is the name of the character Richard Dreyfuss played in Jaws. He was an expert on fish and sharks.
  • Joe Dirt
    • One of the ghostly citizens of Caer Darrow is called Joseph Dirte. He also makes a comment referencing to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury.
  • Karate Kid
    • One of the bosses in Naxxramas instructs his students to "Sweep the leg," a line from the movie.
  • Kill Bill
    • There is a weapon called the [Hanzo Sword]. This may be a reference to the man whom the character from Kill Bill was based upon, "Hattori Hanzo", an actual ninja who was trained from childhood and first fought in combat at 16. He lived from 1541-1596.
    • The mob Lefty in Blackrock Depths uses the ability Five Fat Finger Exploding Heart Technique which is a parody on the martial arts-move "Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique" seen in Kill Bill.
  • Krull
    • Inside Onyxia's Lair, there is a skeleton laying near the edge of the lava pool with its arm reaching into the lava towards a shuriken. This plays homage to the scene where Prince Colwyn had to retrieve the Glaive from a lava pool.
    • The creature The Beast also refers to the name given to the creature who controls the slayers from the Black Fortress


  • Krosh
    • Above New-Cifera there is a big turtle named "Krosh" that is hiding wihin it's shell (armor). The name is a reference to embassador Kosh from Babylon 5.


  • Labyrinth
    • In the Ironforge side of the Deeprun Tram that connects the two main Alliance cities, there's a gnome NPC named Haggle who bears a distinct resemblance to Hoggle from the Henson movie.
  • Land of the Lost
    • Un'Goro Crater is a steep-walled valley filled with dinosaurs. Two NPCs here are Williden Marshal and Hol'anyee Marshal, direct references from LotL's characters: Marshal, Will, and Holly. Also, there are crystal pylons which use red, green, blue, and yellow power crystals, visual references to the crystals used in Land of the Lost's pylons.
  • The Last Starfighter
    • In Orgrimmar's Cleft of Shadow, there is a level 35 Troll near the Rogue Trainer named Zando'zan, a reference to the Assassins that go after Alex's Beta Unit back on Earth in the movie.
  • Lost
    • In Sholazar Basin players can find a metal object that when hovered over produce the numbers '5 9 16 17 24 43', which is a reference to the hatch in lost and 'the numbers'. the numbers in Lost are '4 8 15 16 23 42'.
  • Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
    • Gadgetzan, in Tanaris, is obviously inspired by Bartertown from the third 'Mad Max' movie. The town has a large caged dome in the center where fighting between Horde and Alliance is permitted, which is the exact same concept as Bartertown's Thunderdome. (This feature has been removed as of 1.11.)
    • Tanaris is a desert area that is very similar in appearance to the one in the movie (arguably, some players also contend that Gadgetzan is very similar in style to Mos Eisley in Star Wars).
    • Katrina Turner, an NPC in Gadgetzan, is a reference to Tina Turner and her role in the movie.
  • Masters of the Universe
    • When Winna Hazzard's kitten, Saber, is exposed to the Tainted Moonwell of the Ruins of Constellar in Felwood, he becomes a huge green tiger with yellow stripes, similar to Cringer/Battle Cat.
  • The Matrix
    • The guards in Ironforge sometimes say they wished they had taken the blue potion instead of the red potion when a player asks for the location of the Alchemist, referencing the red and blue pill that Morpheus offers Neo.
    • An NPC by the graveyard at Light Hope's Chapel occasionally says that he wished he had taken the translucent pill.
    • A NPC named Juston in the Cathedral Square in Stormwind City often says, "There is no spoon," a phrase from the movie that is also a cheat code in Warcraft III for unlimited mana.
    • One of the boys who is fishing in Stormwind's Canal District sometimes says, "There is no spoon."
    • [Bent Spoon], pickpocketed from Level 10-20 NPCs, is another reference to the spoon scene.
  • Mission: Impossible
    • A rogue quest in the Barrens is titled Mission: Possible But Not Probable.
    • In the Covert Ops - Alpha and Covert Ops - Beta quests, the plans that Gaxim Rustfizzle gives you end by saying to destroy these pages, and mentions looking into a way to make them self-destruct after they're read. This is a parody of the opening of most episodes of the Mission: Impossible TV series where the taped instructions end with, "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds."
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus
    • In the Eastvale Logging Camp in Elwynn Forest is a lumberjack named Terry Palin, who sometimes says, "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK. I sleep all night and I work all day." These are the lyrics to the chorus of Monty Python's Lumberjack Song, originally performed by Michael Palin. The song was composed by Michael Palin, Terry Jones (another member of Monty Python), and Fred Tomlinson. The NPC's name is a combination of Terry Jones and Michael Palin's names.
    • There is a consumable item purchasable at the Darkmoon Faire called [Crunchy Frog], a reference to the unpalatable chocolates described in the sketch of the same name.
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    • There's a rep quest from Gzhun'tt in Sporeggar called Bring Me A Shrubbery! The Knights of Ni in the movie demanded that King Arthur bring them a shrubbery before they'd let him pass. The repeatable part of this quest is called Bring Me Another Shrubbery!, which is a reference to their followup demand. Ni!
    • In the Stormwind City, a couple of boys fishing make a reference to the Killer Bunny in the movie by saying, "And then the rabbit just bit his head off... I swear."
  • The Music Man
    • Meggi Peppinrocker in Everlook gives out the quest Trouble in Winterspring! which borrows heavily from the lyrics of Meredith Willson's song "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man. In the musical, Professor Harold Hill sings of how playing pool requires "judgement, brains and maturity," and how he's developed "a cool head and a keen eye." Meggi uses these same phrases and other direct quotes from the song's lyrics when talking about her experiences in the wilderness of Winterspring.
  • The Neverending Story
    • There is a mountain giant in the region of Feralas named Rockbiter, named after a character in the movie.
    • The region Swamp of Sorrows is likely a reference to the Swamp of Sadness, where Atreyu loses his horse, Artax.
  • Old School
    • When performing the quest Triage (Alliance) for Dr. Gustaf VanHowzen, the injured soldiers occasionally say the line "...I...I think I see Blue.." This is a reference to a scene from Old School where Will Ferrell's character has been badly beaten and is slightly delirious. Once Ferrell's friend comes to help him, Ferrell says the lines "I'm so cold Mitch... I think I see Blue. He looks glorious," Blue being another character in the movie that had previously died.
  • Oz
    • In the Detention Block in the Blackrock Depths instance of Blackrock Mountain, several prisoners bear names and semblances to characters on the TV show Oz, e.g. Tobias Seecher is a reference to Tobias Beecher, a prisoner and protagonist in Oz.
  • Petticoat Junction
    • At the entrance to Dustwallow Marsh there is a burned out inn called the Shady Rest Inn, named after the setting of the TV show Petticoat Junction.
  • Pinocchio
    • In the Badlands is a gnome with a small mechanical servant called Servo, itself a reference to the robot Tom Servo of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Servo will occasionally say "One day I'll be a real boy."
  • Popeye
    • Topper McNabb in Stormwind occasionally says, "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today," a frequent quote from the character Wimpy.
  • The Princess Bride
    • The completion text for Blackhand's Command says, "Have fun storming the castle." This is a quote from Max the Miracle Worker in the movie The Princess Bride.
    • In Menethil Harbor there is a stable master with the name Wesley.
    • As of Patch 1.11, in Light's Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands there is an envoy of the Argent Dawn named Father Inigo Montoy, named after Inigo Montoya.
    • Lord Victor Nefarian will sometimes yell "Inconceivable!" when members of the chromatic dragonflight are defeated in the arena event of Upper Blackrock Spire.
    • When you are fishing up coins in the Dalaran fountain, you will sometimes receive [Inigo's Copper Coin], which has inscribed on it, "I wish I had my father back...", referencing the main character's dead father.
  • The Prisoner
    • There is a quest in Everlook involving a mob named Number Two, who is a gorilla. Number Two was the antagonist of this influential British sci-fi programme, and a gorilla mask factored very heavily into the show's final episode.
  • Psycho
    • The undead innkeepers in the Undercity and in Silverpine Forest are named Innkeeper Norman and Innkeeper Bates, named after the main character, hotel manager Norman Bates.
    • A warlock trainer in Brill is named Rupert Boch. Writer Robert Bloch is the author of the novel Psycho, on which the movie is based.
  • Pulp Fiction
    • In Ravenholdt Manor, there is a mysterious human with the name Winston Wolfe <The Wolf>. This is a reference to Harvey Keitel's character in Pulp Fiction.
  • Red Dwarf
    • At Refuge Point there is a character involved in the Hints of a New Plague? quest line called Apprentice Kryten. He shares his name with the robot in this series.
  • Sanford and Son
    • In the city of Orgrimmar one may visit Droffers and Son Salvage where orcs Dran Droffers and his son Malton are proprietors. Their names are anagrams for Fred Sanford and Lamont, the titular characters in this show.
    • Their quest Ripple Recovery is an obvious reference to Fred Sanford's wine of choice on the show.
    • Dran calls people "dummy", one of the show's catch phrases.
  • Saturday Night Live
    • [Happy Fun Rock] is a reference to a skit commercial for a product named Happy Fun Ball.
    • A [30D] The Only Cure is More Green Glow is a reference to the popular skit about 'More Cowbell', which had the famous line: "I have a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!"
    • Even more direct to the 'More Cowbell' skit is the Netherstorm quest Needs More Cowbell, which leads to you repeatedly ringing [Bessy's_Bell].
    • There is another quest in Tanaris called simply N [60R] The Only Prescription, which may be a reference to the same sketch.
  • Scarface
    • In the Eastern Plaguelands, an NPC by the name of Tirion Fordring lives in a small house in the wilderness. When a monster approaches him, he gets out his hammer and says, "Say hello to my little friend." This is a quote from the movie Scarface from 1983 starring Al Pacino.
  • The Shawshank Redemption
    • In Tanaris, there is a quest called The Scrimshank Redemption. While the content has little to do with the movie, the quest title is a rather obvious reference to the movie.
  • The Silence of the Lambs
    • In Dire Maul North, there are a series of quests that involve the creation of a [Gordok Ogre Suit]; one of the components of the suit is an [Ogre Tannin], which is found in a basket. When you obtain the Tannin, an ogre (Gordok Bushwacker) comes charging down the stairs screaming, "It puts the tannin in the basket or it gets the mallet again!!" This is a reference to the killer Buffalo Bill in the film (and novel), who instructed his victim, "It [the victim] rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again." Also, Buffalo Bill was making a suit out of human skin.
    • In a cave in Thunder Bluff is a character named Clarice Foster. This is a reference to the FBI agent in the film (Clarice Starling) and the actress who played her (Jodie Foster).
    • In Darkshire there is an NPC by the name of Clarise Gnarltree (a reference to Clarice Starling). One of her dialogue possibilities pertains to the screaming of the lambs at night.
  • The Simpsons
    • A worker for the Darkmoon Faire is looking for her lost frog, Jubjub, which shares a name with the pet iguana owned by Selma Bouvier, a minor character.
    • In the Library instance of the Scarlet Monastery, a miniboss named Houndmaster Loksey yells out, "Release the hounds!" when attacked in a voice very similar to that of Mr. Burns, the greedy owner of the Springfield nuclear power plant. The two characters also have similar hair styles.
    • In Dire Maul, after killing King Gordok and causing the ogres to become friendly, some ogres quote The Simpsons, such as, "I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T!"
    • Occasionally, one of the children fishing off the docks in Stormwind will yell out that he has caught a big, three-eyed fish just like the famous one from the series.
  • The Six Million Dollar Man
    • In the Badlands, Lotwil Veriatus's robot Servo says, "We can make it better, stronger, faster. We have the technology. We have the magic." This is a reference to the opening sequence of the 1970s TV show The Six Million Dollar Man.
  • The Sixth Sense
    • In Auchindoun, outside of the Auchenai Crypts, there is an NPC boy named Ha'lei who gives the quest I See Dead Draenei. This is a play on the famous line from the movie in which Cole Sear, played by Haley Joel Osment, says "I see dead people."
  • Sling Blade
    • In Dustwallow Marsh, there is an NPC named Jarl that gives a quest called Jarl Needs a Blade, in which you must get him a [Moonsteel Broadsword]. He states while giving the quest, "Some people call it a moonsteel broadsword. I call it a swing blade." This is an obvious reference to Billy Bob Thornton's character in Sling Blade, Carl, who says almost the same thing about a kaiser blade.
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
    • One of the male Dwarf's /silly emotes produces a phrase similar to the song "Heigh-Ho" from the Disney movie, although the character forgets the words.
    • In the instance Blackrock Depths, the player will fight against some ghost dwarves named The Seven. While most of them just have mean sounding names, one, Dope'rel (Dopey), confirms the reference.
  • South Park
    • In the instance Stratholme is a boss named Timmy the Cruel. He yells his name again and again, similarly to the South Park character of the same name. Timmy the Cruel is also possibly the same ghoul as Timmy in Warcraft III
    • Hemet Nesingwary in Nagrand will occasionally fire his gun at nearby talbuks and yell "It's coming right for us!" This is a clear reference to an early episode of South Park where Jimbo and Ned took the boys hunting.
  • SpongeBob SquarePants
    • Lurking off the northern shores of Desolace about a bit out into the sea, one can find a rare crab scuttling along the bottom of the reef by the name of "Crusty". This little guy is a reference to the popular TV show SpongeBob SquarePants as SpongeBob works in a restaurant called the "Krusty Krab".
  • Stargate SG-1
    • In the Stormwind Champions' Hall, there are two NPCs by the names of Captain O'neal and Lieutenant Karter, a nod to the characters Colonel Jack O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, played by Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping respectively.
    • There are also Stormwind NPCs named Lieutenant Jackspring (Daniel Jackson), Guard Hammon (General Hammond), Guard Quine (Jonas Quinn), and Sergeant Major Clate which is an Anagram for Teal'c.
  • Starship Troopers
    • At The Gaping Chasm in Tanaris, the quest "A Great Idea" involves capturing a Hazzali Swarmer (which resemble the insect creatures from the movie) and returning it to Zeke Bootscuff. Upon turning in the quest, Zeke asks Narain Soothfancy to come over and then asks him "What's it thinking?". After pausing momentarily, Narain says "It's Afraid." followed by yelling, "It's Afraid!" This is a reference to the end of the movie where Carl Jenkins is asked to read the captured creatures mind, and declares that "It's Afraid!"
  • Star Trek
    • In Booty Bay, there is a goblin named Scooty (named after Scotty) who operates the Transporter 3000. Completing the quest and using the transporter takes you to Gnomeregan, where a goblin named Sprock (Spock) waits on the other side, with his faction labeled as <Away Team>.
    • In Gadgetzan there is a gnome named Jhordy Lapforge (Geordi LaForge) who stands next to a similar Transporter which serves as the destination for the Ultra-Safe Transporter available to Engineers of the Gnomish persuasion.
    • In Orgrimmar the NPC Engineer's name is Nogg, a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reference to young engineer Nog, the first Ferengi in Starfleet. Also in Nogg's is Sovik, who might be a reference to the Vulcan 'Saavik' first introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
    • In Stormwind in the Old Town district, there is a human named Lenny "Fingers" McCoy, a reference to Leonard "Bones" McCoy from the original series.
    • Warden Treelos (Cenarion Thicket, Terokkar Forest) says, "There are FOUR lights!" when first talking to him. Captain Jean-Luc Picard said the exact same thing in the two-part Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Chain of Command".
    • In Area 52 in Netherstorm there is a goblin named Chief Engineer Trep, a reference to Star Trek: Enterprise's Chief Engineer Trip.
  • Star Wars
    • In the Priest quest Blood of Morphaz, Ogtinc tells the player, "many druids died to bring us this information." This is a clear tip of the hat to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, where the Rebel leader tells the gathered Rebel Alliance of the second Death Star's fatal weakness, claiming that "many Bothans died to bring us this information."
    • The Holy Priest talent, Spirit of Redemption, that activates when the Holy Priest dies, reads "You have become more powerful than anyone can possibly imagine.", An obvious reference to the original Star Wars trilogy.
  • The Terminator
    • The final Hunter talent in the Beast Mastery tree is called Bestial Wrath and in its description is, "the beast does not feel pity or remorse or fear", which is a line taken out of Terminator: "Listen. And understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!"
    • In Marvon Rivetseeker's workshop in Ratchet, there is a mechanical arm upright in an elongated jar on an end table. This is a reference to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where a microchip and mechanical arm were recovered by Cyberdyne Systems Corporation from the remains of the first terminator.
    • There is a metal arm outside the lava in a small room behind bunch of crates in LBRS which might have come from a terminator.
    • Ossirian the Unscarred, the last boss in The Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, yells "You are terminated" when he kills a player, which is a quote from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
    • The Warlock's minion, the Felguard, sometimes says "I'll be back" when being dismissed, a line which Arnold Schwarzeneggar popularized as the Terminator.
    • The paladin Tier 2 raid set, often abbreviated as T2, is called Judgement Armor, a reference to the second movie, Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
  • Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
    • In the Blue Scepter Shard section of the quest line that opened the doors to AQ, the player must find and speak to the ghost of Azuregos. After a long dialog, the blue dragon spirit gives you a [Magical Ledger]. If you persist in talking to the spirit, he says, "I SAID GOOD DAY!", as Willy Wonka does near the end of the movie.
Fail:INV Jewelry Amulet 03.png

ThunderCats, Ho!

  • ThunderCats
    • The small inventory icon for several necklaces utilizes the ThunderCats logo.
    • There is also a horde quest in the Scarlet Monastery where one of the reward items is the [Sword of Omen], Lion-O's sword.
    • In addition, the Samophlange quest chain starting in the city of Ratchet is likely a reference to a moderately famous series of outtakes from the show, in which one of the voice actors asks, "What the f— is a samophlange?"
  • Top Gun
    • In Alterac Valley the Wing Commanders on Alliance side are Ichman, Slidore and Vipore, and on Horde side are Guse, Jeztor and Mulverick. The names are similar to the pilots Iceman, Slider, Viper, Goose, Jester and Maverick, respectively, from Top Gun.
  • The Toxic Avenger
    • The rare weapon [Toxic Revenger] inflicts special damage to its target that makes it glow radioactive green, much like the hero of the Toxic Avenger movies.
  • Trading Places
    • Topper McNabb in Stormwind City quotes, "Spare some change for a poor blind man? …What do you mean I'm not blind? …I'M NOT BLIND! I CAN SEE!! It's a miracle!" This is a quote from the movie where Eddie Murphy's character is confronted by two policemen when trying to scam pedestrians in the park.
  • Transformers
    • An NPC named Grimlok, named after the leader of the Dinobots, may be found in Uldaman. Grimlok says, "Me Grimlok, king!", one of the original character's lines from the Transformers TV show.
  • Trigun
    • On many wanted posters in the game there is a man in a long trench coat that looks like the character Vash, from the popular anime/manga series.
  • Troy
    • At the opening event for the Dark Portal, one of the NPCs fighting the invading demons shouts out, "Brothers and sisters of the sword! I would rather fight alongside you than any army of thousands! We are lions! Do you know what's waiting through these demons and beyond that Dark Portal? Immortality! Take it!" Brad Pitt says almost the same thing in the 2003 movie Troy.
  • Under Siege
    • The cooking trainer named Stephen Ryback in Stormwind's Pig & Whistle Tavern in the Old Town district is a reference to the 1992 movie Under Siege starring Steven Seagal as Casey Ryback. The Stormwind guards also allude to this by saying, "From the way he handles a knife, I don't think he was always a chef." Furthermore, next to the cooking trainer NPC, there is a cooking supplier NPC named Erika Tate, also an actor/character combination from the same movie (Erika Eleniak as Jordan Tate).
  • Christopher Walken
    • The senior warrior trainer of the undead race is called Christoph Walker, apparently named after either the actor Christopher Walken, or Christopher Walker aka The Phantom.
  • Xanadu
    • At the Stormwind bank, the three banker NPCs are named Olivia Burnside, Newton Burnside, and John Burnside. Putting their first names together yields the name of singer/actress Olivia Newton-John. The aforementioned Olivia Burnside touts the security of the bank by stating, "No one's ever stolen anything out of here. Not in the whole history of... the whole history!" Olivia Newton-John's character Kira makes an almost identical comment to Sonny when he tells her he's going to take her out of Mount Olympus.
  • Yuen Woo-ping
    • Woo Ping, the Weapon Master in Stormwind City is named after famed martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Woo-ping.

Literature[]

  • The Anarchist Cookbook
    • A late level mage quest begins with a tome known as "The Arcanist's Cookbook". This is a reference to The Anarchist's Cookbook, a collection of articles on explosives, hacking, and other shady business.
  • The Bible
    • The Journeyman leather trainer in Stormwind is called Simon the Tanner, a reference to someone Paul the Apostle stayed with in the "Book of Acts".
    • Outside the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj is an NPC named John the Revelator, a reference to the last book of the Bible (Revelations).
  • The Camels are Coming
    • An NPC named Bingles can be found east of the lake in Loch Modan. This is a reference to Major James Bigglesworth, known to all as "'Biggles'", is a fictional pilot and adventurer created by 'W. E. Johns'. The first collection of Biggles stories, 'The Camels are Coming', was published in 1932. Characters named "Biggles"--also a reference to the Johns character—were a running joke in a couple of 'Monty Python' sketches. The "Spanish Inquisition" sketch featured 'Terry Jones' as a "Cardinal Biggles" (complete with goggles), while the "Biggles" sketch featured 'Graham Chapman' in the titular role.
  • Chronicles of Narnia
    • There is a pair of boots called "Dawn Treaders," an obvious reference to "C. S. Lewis"' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
  • Crime and Punishment
    • There is an NPC in Stormwind City named Nikova Raskol, a play on the name Raskolnikov, the protagonist of 'Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment.
    • There is also a quest of the same name where a character must kill an NPC named Dextren Ward.
  • Damon Knight
    • An Exotic Cookbook found in some areas of the game through killing NPCs or pickpocketing them has the flavor text "How To Serve Man", a reference to Damon Knight's short story "To Serve Man", which was later made into a Twilight Zone episode and parodied in one "Treehouse of Horror" special on The Simpsons.
  • The Divine Comedy
    • A signpost on the western edge of Deadwind Pass bears the words "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here". In some translations of Dante's Inferno, these same words are written on the gates of Hell.
  • Discworld
    • In Dustwallow Marsh there is a Watchman called Captain Vimes, a direct reference to Captain Vimes of the Night Watch, one of Terry Pratchett's popular Discworld characters. Another reference to this character might be Commander Samaul.
    • There is also a series of quests in Duskwood for a group of NPCs belonging to The Night Watch.
    • Mayor of the Darkshire, Ebonlocke, might be a minor reference to Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, Lord Havelock Vetinari.
  • Dragonlance
    • Hall of Thanes can easily be a reference to the Hall of the Thanes that was the throne room in Pax Tharkas. It also can be a reference to the Valley of the Thanes where the kings of Thorbardin are laid to rest.
    • Iron Forge is similar to the family name of a Hero of the Lance, Flint Fireforge.
    • A forsaken warrior trainer in Brill called Ratslin Maime is a play on words on the famous character Raistlin Majere.
    • The Pig and Whistle tavern mentioned elsewhere as an easter egg is the name of an inn in Flotsam in Dragonlance.
  • Dune
    • Obviously, the mobs called "Sandworms" are a reference to the huge worms in Dune.
    • The worm boss Ouro in AQ 40 has a 6% drop chance on an item called [Jom Gabbar]. The icon resembles a mysterious box. In the Dune book Muad'dib was tested with a box and a poisoned needle. The box was simply called 'the box,' but the needle was called Gom jabbar. In the test you place your hand in the box and it will cause unimaginable pain until the test ends. However, if you take your hand out too early the one testing you will stab you with the needle and you will die instantly.
    • As of patch 1.12, the desert of Silithus features a collectible item called "Silithyst" which appears in "blooms" throughout the desert just as Spice does in the novel. The catch phrase for this is "He who controls the Silithyst, controls the desert" which is a play on the novel's catch phrase "He who controls the Spice, controls the universe."
    • A sleeping Druid named "Kerlonian Evershade" will occasionally say "The sleeper has awakened" when you blow a horn to wake him up. The quote was also used by the Druids in "Warcraft III."
    • In Trisfal Glades along the Whispering Shore and the North Coast two rare Murlocs will spawn named Maud and Deeb. Together the names are a reference to Muad'dib from the novel.
  • Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (Sir Thomas Gray, 1750)
    • The road from the Dark Portal to Hellfire Citadel is The Path of Glory,a reference to the famous line that ends the 9th stanza of Gray's poem which reads,
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour:-
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
    • The line from Gray also became the title of Humphrey Cobb's World War I novel and the 1957 Stanley Kubrick movie of the same name, Paths of Glory.
  • Ernest Hemingway
    • The quest giver Hemet Nesingwary- an anagram of Ernest Hemingway- is the typical "great white hunter" found in many Hemingway stories. The quest N [40]  The Green Hills of Stranglethorn is a reference to Hemingway's The Green Hills of Africa. Also, two NPCs in this camp also have names that are anagrams of authors' names, Sir S.J. Erlgadin (J.D. Salinger) and Ajeck Rouack (Jack Kerouac).
  • Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
    • The dagger [Heartseeker] may be a reference to Fafhrd, who always named his offhand dagger "Heartseeker".
  • Farseer Trilogy
    • The NPC Shado 'Fitz' Farstrider at Nesingwary's Expedition in Nagrand is a reference to the assassin Fitz Farseer from the Farseer Trilogy written by Robin Hobb.
  • Five Deadly Venoms
    • Within the city of Stormwind lies a poison shop called "The Five Deadly Venoms", which is a reference to the Kung-fu cult hit of the same name.
  • Flowers for Algernon
    • An undead man in the Apothecarium of the Undercity named Algernon stands holding a peacebloom, a reference to the aforementioned novel.
  • Hades' Daughter
    • There is an NPC in Teldrassil named Asterion who is trapped and must be set free. This is a reference to Sarah Douglass' character in the Troy Game series.
  • Heart of Darkness
    • In Stranglethorn Vale, near the northern edge of the map, there is a camp named Kurzen's Compound, with adds such as medicine men. This is a reference to the character Kurtz who befriended an African tribe deep in the jungle and eventually went mad.
  • Harry Potter
    • A quest from the Mor'Ladim series of quests in Darkshire is named "The Daughter Who Lived," a reference to "The Boy Who Lived," which Harry Potter is referred to in the series.
    • A quest for the second Scourge Invasion is called N [70R] Chamber of Secrets which quotes the title of a Harry Potter Book. To complete this quest, you have to kill Tenris Mirkblood, whose surname sounds similar to 'mudblood', which is an insult aimed at wizards/witches with no magical parents.
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
    • In Deeprun Tram, there is a Leper Gnome by the name of Haggle who walks around and says, "Forty-two... forty-two what? It could be anything..." This is a reference to the Douglas Adams classic where the answer to "The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything" is "'Forty-two'". Two popular Questions to the Answer of Forty-Two are "At what number on a certain street in New York City is the club known as Stavro Mueller Beta located at?" and "What do you get if you multiply six by seven?", as well as "How many roads must a man walk down?".
    • Non-combat pets, or companion pets, have "42" health-points (hp). A possible reference to the answer to "The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything".
    • Zafod Boombox in the Gunship battle in Icecrown Citadel, is referring to Zaphod Beeblebrox
  • Xaviera Hollander
    • In Booty Bay, the fishing trainers shop is named The Happy Bobber, although the sign outside shows a fishhook. This is an allusion to 'The Happy Hooker', an autobiography published in 1971 and written by former Dutch madame and prostitute 'Xaviera Hollander'.
  • The Island of Doctor Moreau
    • The (so far inaccessible) Island of Doctor Lapidis is a reference to the science-fiction novel by H.G. Wells.
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas
    • During the holidays in December, a series of quests are opened up and one involves a giant green yeti named "The Greench." He has stolen a delivery of gifts. The name of the quest is "You're a Mean One..." All from the book by Dr. Seuss.
  • The Jungle Book
    • In the last phase of the quest "Panther Mastery" for Sir S. J. Erlgadin of Nesingwary's Expedition, you are required to hunt and kill a black panther named Bag'thera whose name closely resembles the black panther 'Bagheera' from 'Rudyard Kipling'’s 'The Jungle Book'.
  • The Lorax
    • Located in Winterspring patrolling a broken temple to the south east, The Lorax is a reference to a Dr. Seuss book of the same title.
  • H.P. Lovecraft
    • The world of Azeroth is a modified version of Azathoth, a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, as well as a deity of the Cthulhu Mythos
    • The name Warcraft is inspired by how much H.P. Lovecraft and his stories inspired the creators. Replacing Love with War to create Warcraft.
    • During the quest "The Star, the Hand and the Heart" in Dustwallow Marsh the god of murlocs is summoned. The god of these fish-men is called Dagun, which is an obvious reference to 'Dagon', one of the Great Old Ones. Dagon is featured in Lovecraft's Shadow Over Innsmouth. Similarly, the murlocs are, perhaps not only in the given context, a reference to the novel's frogfish-like worshippers of Dagon, the denizens of Y'ha-nthlei. A movie with the same name has also been made.
    • In the quest Crime and Punishment, Councilman Millstipe of Darkshire wants you to bring him the hand of Dextren Ward. This is a reference to The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.
    • C'Thun, the final boss in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj raid instance, bears a striking resemblance to Lovecraft's creation, 'Cthulhu', a horrible being, with a notable feature of tentacles.
    • The progress text for the quest for the tier 2.5 set (requiring you to kill C'thun reads "At his dwelling at Ahn'Qiraj, dread C'thun awaits in slumber, similar to the "In his house at Rl'yeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming", the mantra of the Cthulhu cultists.
    • Doctor Herbert Halsey, Artisan Alchemist (Undercity). This NPC is a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's, Reanimator. Herbert Halsey is actually a mix of two characters from Lovecraft's story, Herbert West and Dr. Allen Halsey. Blizzard keeps to the Lovecraft theme by giving Dr. Herbert Halsey an Artisan Alchemist role residing in the Forsaken capital of the Undercity surrounded by dissection tables and body parts.
    • A quest "Solution to Doom" requires you to retrieve Tablet of Ryun'eh from Uldaman. In Lovecraft's works, R'lyeh is the sunken city where Cthulhu is said to dwell in hibernation.
    • The surname of a Warlock trainer Richard Kerwin in Undercity bears resemblance to Curwen, another reference to The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, along with the surnames of Undercity rogue trainers being Charles, Dexter and Ward.
  • Karl May
    • The Shattered Hand Clan may or may not be an obscure reference to Old Shatterhand (though the names have completely different meanings)
  • The Metamorphosis
    • In Tarren Mill, there is an NPC named Deathguard Samsa, who asks you to collect human skulls - the protagonist of 'Kafka's novel was named Gregor Samsa.
  • A Modest Proposal
    • A Netherstorm quest that begins near the Etherium area, the title is a reference to Johnathan Swift's essay "A Modest Proposal".
  • The Old Man and the Sea
    • In Booty Bay, there is a fishing trainer named Old Man Heming, an allusion to 'Ernest Hemingway' and his novella. Also, there is a hunter in Stranglethorn Vale called Hemet Nesingwary — an anagram for the writer's name.
  • The Right Stuff
    • There is a warlock quest in Felwood called "The Wrong Stuff" which is likely a reference to "Tom Wolfes 1979 novel" which itself was later adapted into a film in 1983.
  • Shakespeare
    • In Undercity, the four bankers have the last name Montague. This is a reference to one of the feuding families in Romeo and Juliet. This is more certainly derived from Mercutio's line, when mortally wounded "A plague o' both your houses!", that plague, of course, being the one of undeath, in this case.
      While three of the Montagues are "alive"/corporeal, Ophelia is a ghost, surely a reference to the Ophelia in Hamlet who drowns herself.
    • A butcher called Dirge Quikcleave in Tanaris says "Get thee to a cheesery!" when sending you on a quest to gather cheese and other cooking ingredients. This is a reference to "Get thee to a nunnery", a line from Hamlet to Ophelia.
    • Some undead creatures drop a 'pound of flesh', a reference to 'The Merchant of Venice'.
    • In Silverpine Forest there are two undead characters named Rane and Quinn Yorick. This is a reference to a famous scene in Hamlet, wherein Hamlet holds the skull of a dead childhood friend and mourns, "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."
  • A Song of Ice and Fire
    • There is a gnome in the gardens of Castle Stormwind by the name of Tyrion, probably a reference to Tyrion Lannister, the Imp.
    • It is possible that Duskwood's "The Night Watch" refers to the faction of the same name in the George R.R. Martin books, particularly since both battle the undead.
    • There is also a wolf pup named "Lady", a reference to Sansa Stark's pet wolf, running around the Blacksmith in Arathi Basin.
    • There is Jon Jon the Crow in Stranglethorn Vale, which may refer to Jon Snow, a member of the Night Watch, who are commonly referred to as "crows".
  • A Tale of Two Cities
    • In Booty Bay, there is a tailoring shop with a sign outside proclaiming the shop name to be "A Tailor to Cities", an obvious reference to the Charles Dickens novel.
  • The Time Machine
    • Morlocks are a fictional species created by H. G. Wells for his 1895 novel "The Time Machine". It's possible that Murlocs are named for these creatures.
  • J.R.R. Tolkien
    • [The 1 Ring] — An item in reference to 'The One Ring' of Lord of the Rings (LotR) fame. It gives +1 to Strength, Agility, Stamina, Spirit and Intellect. It's reportedly not as good as The 2 Ring. It can be obtained through fishing, a reference to how 'Gollum' finds the ring in a river.
    • A quest obtained in Gnomeregan to return a ring to a gnome in Ironforge has the name 'Return of the Ring', a pun of the name of the last book in the LotR trilogy.
    • One of the /silly emotes for a human male talks about an 'idea for a movie' (that movie being the story of LotR, replacing "ring" with "bracelet", and other thoughtful changes.)
    • The /silly emote mentioned above seems to highlight many visual similarities to the art direction of the LotR films, such as Blackrock Mountain and the surrounding Burning Steppes bearing a striking resemblance to Mount Doom and the surrounding country of Mordor.
    • A dwarven reimagining of the Argonath exists in southern Loch Modan.
    • Beren's Peril, an area of Silverpine Forest, is possibly named for Beren, a man from the past of LotR. His story is more fully told in The Silmarillion.
    • A dying Blood Elf in the Ghostlands gives a quest called Anok'suten. One of the rewards for killing this elite (a giant spider) is a one-handed sword called Stung. This is an obvious reference to Sting, which is Bilbo's sword in The Hobbit, used effectively against spiders in the book. He later gives it to Frodo in LotR.
    • Mount Blackrock appears to be based on Mount Doom they both overshadow the areas surrounding them, Mordor, and Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes. They both contain giant magma chambers where certain items can only be forged e.g. In Mount Doom it would be ring whilst in BRD it would be Dark Iron.
    • The mines of Moria is not just a mine, but also a small underground town where dwarves live. Blackrock Depths is similar, except being bigger. A stunningly close example between the two is the room with pillars in LotR when they enter, and in WoW the Lyceum room before the final boss. The Mines also guarded by the Balrog, and BRD is guarded by many fire elementals and giants similar to Balrog.
    • The Burning Steppes and the Searing Gorge are very similar to Mordor, for starters Mordor, just like the two zones, is a burning hellhole overshadowed by a gigantic volcano. There is also evil orcs in both Mordor and Burning Steppes, who simply want to take things for themselves. Mordor is ruled by Sauron, whilst Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge are ruled in practice by Ragnaros, an elemental lord hellbent on destruction.
  • Treasure Island
    • Every time the chest in Stranglethorn Vale is placed in the arena someone named Short John Mithril announces it. Short John Mithril is a reference to the pirate Long John Silver from Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novel.
  • Walt Whitman
    • In Duskwood, in a house near the alliance Gryphon there is an NPC named Whit Wantmal which is an anagram of 'Walt Whitman'

Music[]

  • ABC (band)
    • A dwarf in Eastern Plaguelands gives a quest called "When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent", a reference to ABC's song When Smokey Sings which contains the line, "When Smokey sings, I hear violins."
  • AC/DC
    • While taking target practice up in Dun Morogh, Shorty of the Dwarven Mortar Team will say/sing '"I'm T.N.T. - I'm dyn-o-mite!"'
    • There is a Rogue talent called "Dirty Deeds".
  • Alizée
    • The female night elf dance styles are taken from the French pop singer.
  • Bad News
    • "Burning, looting, burning and a shooting." – Dwarven Mortar Team. Reference to the song "Warriors of Genghis Khan" by the parody band "Bad News" The original lyrics are "Burning, looting, raping and a shooting".
  • Bob Dylan
    • A quest in the Eastern Plaguelands that begins at Chillwind Post is called All Along the Watchtowers is named for the Bob Dylan song All Along the Watchtower, made famous by "Jimi Hendrix".
  • Bon Jovi
    • There is a quest in Stranglethorn Vale called "Bad Medicine" a number one song off the band's New Jersey album.
  • Bauhaus
    • [Royal Overseer Bauhaus] of the Undercity Census Bureau may be named for the seminal goth band. This could also be a reference to the German Staatliches 'Bauhaus' school of architecture and art which deeply influenced the modernist period.
  • Barber of Seville and 'Marriage of Figaro'
    • A human in Southshore is named Bartolo after a character in these operas (he gives the quest Bartolo's Yeti Fur Cloak).
  • The Beatles
    • Michelle Belle at the inn in Goldshire is very similar to the lyrics of the song 'Michelle' – "Michelle my belle, these are words that go together well." See also Ringo Starr, below.
    • The Winter's Veil quest With A Little Helper From My Friends is a reference to the Beatles song "With A Little Help From My Friends."
  • Beck
    • The rare staff "Odo's Ley Staff" is a reference to the artist's Grammy winning 1996 album titled "Odelay."
  • Jimi Hendrix
    • When flying into or out of Dalaran one flies through a Purple Haze.
  • Blind Willie Johnson
    • In Silithus, outside the gates of Ahn'Qiraj is a priest named Jonathan the Revelator, referencing the popular Johnson song "John the Revelator".
  • Chaka Khan
    • A quest in Desolace from the chief of the centaur is called simply "Khan Shaka".
  • Depeche Mode
    • In the Blasted Lands, there is a quest giver that wants to collect crystals which drop in the zone, and the name of the quest is "'Everything Counts' in Large Amounts".
    • The Night Elf rogue pickpocket quest extensively references "The Bottom Line" from the album "Ultra". When you meet the rogue trainer in Dolanaar to start the quest chain, he is saying/singing a paraphrased version of the opening words from the song. His quest, which sends you to the Rogue Trainer in Darnassus, is "The Apple Falls", and her quest (to pickpocket a satyr) is called "Destiny Calls", which are lyrics from the song.
    • In Bloodmyst Isle, there is a quest called 'Precious and Fragile Things Need Special Handling.' The lyrics are identical to the first lines of the song "Precious."
    • 'The Deadliest Trap Ever Laid' is the name of an Aldor/Scryer daily quest giving Netherwing reputation, and a line from the song "Home".
  • Neil Diamond
    • Players can obtain a buff called Songflower Serenade, an allusion to the song Longfellow Serenade by "Neil Diamond".
  • The Doors
    • Lord Serpentis, one of the bosses in the Wailing Caverns says "I am the Serpent King..I can do anything." This is a reference to 'Jim Morrison' of 'The Doors' whose alter ego was known as 'The Lizard King'. The line is taken verbatim (minus the substitution) from the song "Not To Touch The Earth", one of seven songs that make up a medley known as 'The Celebration of the Lizard'.
  • The Electric Slide
    • The current female tauren dance cycle is the electric slide.
  • Emerson, Lake and Palmer
    • The ogre Torkus in Ogri'la is a possible reference to the hit Emerson, Lake and Palmer album "Tarkus".
  • Genesis
    • The Western Plaguelands quest "Counting Out Time" is from the title of a song on their 1974 album 'The Lamb Lies down on Broadway'
  • Grateful Dead
    • There is a quest in Redridge which yields a "Bouquet of Scarlet Begonias", a Grateful Dead song.
    • The bartender in the Lakeshire Inn quotes the lyrics from their song 'Brown-Eyed Woman' , "The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean."
    • The bartender in Goldshire quotes, "If your cup is full, may it be again," from 'Ripple.'
    • An achievement is titled, "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been," a famous lyric from 'Truckin
  • Gregory Charles
    • There is a Rogue Trainer in Undercity named after the popular artist and imitator from Quebec, Canada
  • Guns N' Roses
    • There is a quest in Stranglethorn Vale called "Welcome to the Jungle" a very obvious reference to the opening song of the Appetite for Destruction album.
  • Hammerfall
    • The Horde town in Arathi Highlands is named after the 'Power Metal' band of the same name. This can be attributed to the fact that Samwise, one of the lead Blizzard artists is not only a fan of the band, but creates their CD covers.
    • A quest given by Danath Trollbane is called The Legion Reborn, which might be a reference to the HammerFall song, The Legend Reborn.
    • A song from the HammerFall album "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken" is named Hammer of Justice, possibly as a nod to Blizzard and the Paladin ability Hammer of Justice.
  • Harry Belafonte
    • There is an item in the game called Tel'Abim Banana, which might be a reference to the Harry Belafonte song Banana Boat, with the lyric "Come mister tally man, tally me bananas".
  • Jay-Z
    • During the Halloween special event, a quest from a needy orphan requires you to perform emotes to NPCs to collect candy. The Tauren innkeeper in Thunder Bluff asks you to dance, and once you do she also dances and states "I may have ninety-nine problems, but dancin' ain't one of them!" This is a reference to 'Jay-Zs popular song, "99 Problems" in which he says "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one". (This line is also directly lifted from an 'Ice-T' song of the same name, though it is unclear which song Blizzard is referring to).
  • Jethro Tull
    • The quest "Bungle in the Jungle" received in Gadgetzan is a reference to the song of the same name from the band's 1974 album War Child.
  • Led Zeppelin
    • A quest for the Instance Dungeon Stratholme called Houses of the Holy is an obvious reference to the band's 1973 album of the same name.
    • A quest in Shadowmoon Valley is named "Crazed and Confused", similar to the band's song "Dazed and Confused", of their famous debut album.
  • Macarena
    • The human female dance style is the Macarena.
  • MC Hammer
    • The male orc dance style is the same as seen in the rapper's videos, most notably "'U Can't Touch This'".
  • Metallica
    • An NPC in Stratholme is named "The Unforgiven" a reference to one of their songs.
    • There's a quest named Ride the Lightning in Blade's Edge Mountains, at Toshley's Station. This is after their second album, and Ride the Lightning is also the second song on that album.
    • The Paladin spell Hammer of Justice could be a reference to the lyrics "Hammer of justice crushes you, overpower", from the Metallica song "...And Justice For All" featured on the album of the same name.
  • Men at Work
    • Caretaker Alen in Eastern Plaguelands says "I come from the land down under... where women plague and men sunder" every now and then as a reference to the "Men At Work" – Song "'Down Under'"
  • Michael Jackson
    • The male night elf dance moves are very similar to those of pop-singer Michael Jackson's.
  • The Muppets
    • If the "/silly" command is used as an Orc player, the character will sometimes state "It's not easy being green", a reference to a song of the same title performed by Jim Henson's most famous Muppet, "Kermit the Frog".
  • Olivia Newton-John
    • In 'Stormwind' the three bankers are named Olivia, Newton and John. This is a reference to the singer/actor from the 1980s.
  • Peter Gabriel
    • The quest The Family and the Fishing Pole in Darkshore references a song from the singer's song The Family And The Fishing Net.
  • Peter Murphy
    • The quest Deep Ocean, Vast Sea in Darkshore references a song from the "Bauhaus" singer's solo album, "Deep".
  • Pink Floyd
    • In 'Hammerfall', there's a First Aid-quest. While patching up dying soldiers, one of the will sing the song 'Goodbye Cruel World' by "Pink Floyd".
  • Pomeroy
    • In Stormwind City there is a guard named "Patroller Pomeroy" possibly a reference to the band Pomeroy.
  • Queen
    • In Hillsbrad Foothills there is a level 32 Horde quest to prove your ability to protect the Hammerfall outpost in Arathi by killing ogres. The quest shares the title with Queen's song "Hammer to Fall".
    • A male Night Elf /silly emote states "Who wants to live forever?" which is also the title of a Queen song from the film "Highlander", which in turn is about immortals.
  • Rammstein
    • In the Stratholme instance, one of the final encounters before fighting 'Baron Rivendare' on the 'Baron run' or 'Undead side' of the instance is a powerful abomination called Ramstein. This may also, conceivably, be a reference to the German town called 'Ramstein-Miesenbach' or even the air-show disaster that took place at the nearby 'Ramstein Air Base', which inspired the name of the band, Rammstein.
  • R.E.M.
    • The two councilmen in the Town Hall of Darkshire are named "Berrybuck" and "Millstipe", a reference to the classic "R.E.M." lineup of "Bill Berry", '"Peter Buck", "Mike Mills", and "Michael Stipe".
  • Ringo Starr
    • A quest in Un'Goro Crater called "With a Little Help from My Friends" has the player rescue a Goblin named Ringo. The quest is named for the song sung by Ringo on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band".
  • Run-D.M.C.
    • At the Brewfest near Ogrimmar stands an NPC named Ram Master Ray, a reference to Run-D.M.C.-bandmember Jam Master Jay.
  • Rush
    • A quest in Un'Goro Crater called "Roll the Bones", the name of a song by the hit Canadian rock band, Rush.
  • Siouxsie and the Banshees
    • In the Dire Maul West instance there is a rare spawn called Tsu'zee and there are two Wailing Banshees right behind her.
  • The Smashing Pumpkins
    • During Hallow's End, you will find a pair of Human Commoners in Stormwind City, who offer the quest "Costumed Orphan Matron". Their gossip states, "When Hallow's End is over we'll smash all these pumpkins. That'll be the greatest day I've ever known!" This is a reference to both the band and a lyric from their 1994 hit "Today".
  • The Toyes
    • If the "/silly" command is used as a male Troll player, the character will sometimes recite, in a heavy Jamaican accent, "I kill two dwarves in the morning, I kill two dwarves at night. I kill two dwarves in the afternoon, and then I feel alright. I kill two dwarves in time of peace and two in time of war. I kill two dwarves before I kill two dwarves, and then I kill two more," a direct reference to 'the Toyes' song "Smoke Two Joints". The band 'Sublime' did a cover of the song; it's unknown which version Blizzard was making reference to. This was apparently removed as of Patch 1.11, for copyright reasons. [1]
  • Sid Vicious
    • An NPC on the shores of Lake Lorderon is named Nancy Vishas, possibly an allusion to 'Nancy Spungen', deceased girlfriend of former "Sex Pistols" bassist 'Sid Vicious".
    • When Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain played outside Shattrath during BlizzCon 2007, the band lineup featured a Blood Elf guitarist named Sig Nicious.
  • Warrant
    • There is a merchant in Ironforge named Sraaz who quotes random lines from Warrant's song Cherry Pie, like "Cherry Pie, tastes so good it makes a grown gnome cry". He wanders around near the Gryphon master. Sraaz only has one item for sale, Homemade Cherry Pie.

Comics[]

  • Alien Legion
    • A Horde Desolace questline, The Corrupter, eventually leads to a request to kill Jugkar Grim'rod. This character references Jugger Grimrod of the Alien Legion, an early Epic Comics title.
  • Fist of the North Star
    • C'Thun, the final boss of the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, will whisper the words "You... are... already... dead..." and "Your... heart... will... explode...". Kenshiro, the lead character of Fist of the North Star, is extremely famous for the initial line, and often through his fighting style would cause massive internal damage to his opponents, including making their heart explode in an extremely violent fashion.
  • FoxTrot
    • A reward from the quest The Perfect Poison is called [Doomulus Prime]. This references a FoxTrot strip from January 29, 2006 in which Jason obtained the most powerful item in all of "World of Warquest" (in the strip, Jason lost the item before he could pick it up when he was disconnected from the server for which he gave a scream so loud, it was heard all the way to BlizCraft headquarters prompting someone there to ask if someone had tripped over the cord again.) The name of the item itself seems to be a reference to Transformers character Optimus Prime.
  • The Incredible Hulk
    • Inside the Troll instance of Zul'Gurub is a boss by the name of Bloodlord Mandokir. While fighting him, random players will get a message from him saying "Don't make me angry. You won't like it when I'm angry," which is a quote from Bruce Banner before he transforms into the Hulk. If the player decides to attack the Bloodlord after he has given this message, the Bloodlord will charge forward and beat the player to death.
    • One of the voice emotes for Orc characters is "Orc smash!", a reference to the Hulk's catchphrase, "Hulk smash!"
  • Iron Man
    • The Avenger's Battlegear, with its red and gold metallic look and helmet, bears some resemblance to Iron Man's armor during his time with the superhero team, the Avengers.
  • Judge Dredd
    • The plate PvP Tier 1 shoulder armor, [Lieutenant Commander's Plate Shoulders], bears a fair resemblence the armor worn by the comic character Judge Dredd, being gold, with flat armor on the left shoulder and a large eagle's head and wings on the right.
  • Superman
    • There is an NPC on the docks of Southshore named Farmer Kent, a reference to either 'Clark Kent' or his adopted father, a farmer who found and raised Superman.
    • An NPC called General Zog <Horde Ambassador> who resides slightly northeast of the Crossroads in The Barrens, is a likely reference to General Zod, a recurring villain from the Superman continuity.
  • Wonder Woman
    • A female Night Elf named "Arko'narin" is held captive in a cage in the Felwood. When freed and led back to her armor and weapons, she will spin in place a few times and will suddenly appear to be wearing her armor. She then says "All I need now is a golden lasso." In the 1970's, Linda Carter played "Wonder Woman" and would spin in place to change into her costume.

Sports[]

  • Capoeira
    • The male troll /dance emote actually consists of moves from 'Capoeira', an Afro-Brazilian martial art.
  • Hockey
    • Countless names given to NPCs are direct lifts of prominent NHL players.
  • Karl Malone
    • One of the NPCs in Stratholme goes by the name of Postmaster Malown, a reference to Karl "The Mailman" Malone of the Utah Jazz. He drops a rare mace named Malown's Slam.
  • Lindsay Davenport
    • Two vendors in Lakeshire in Redridge Mountains are named Lindsay Ashlock and Amy Davenport, an obvious reference to a tennis player Lindsay Davenport.
  • San Francisco Giants
    • In the Hillsbrad Foothills, there are two NPC's by the name of Ott and Bonds. Mel Ott and Barry Bonds are two sluggers who played for the Giants.
  • World Wrestling Entertainment
    • In Shattrath City, one of the NPCs is named The Rokk (Master of Cooking), a reference to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson . The Rock's most popular catch phrase was "Do you smell what the Rock is cookin'?".

Real Life Holidays[]

Some real life holidays and observances are reflected in the game. Events are sorted by date. Info is taken from Event.

  • New year
    • Celebrated on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with fireworks and free alcohol.
  • Chinese New Year
    • Known as Lunar Festival in the game, it is celebrated early February. (Between January 27 to February 14 in 2006). Some events of interest:
  • On January 29th (the date of the actual lunar new year in 2006). Celebrations occur in Stormwind, Thunder Bluff, Booty Bay and Moonglade.
  • On February 13th, one last firework show will be held in Moonglade. This parallels the Chinese 'Lantern Festival'; extra lanterns are spawned around Lake Elune'ara (the firework show occurs over the lake).
  • Red Lockboxes (Red packets) are given out from various NPCs (especially elderly).
  • A special boss named Omen only appears in this festival, inspired by the Chinese creature of myth, Nian. It is actually named 'Nian' in the Chinese version.
  • Valentine's Day
    • Known as Love is in the Air in the game, it is celebrated between February 11 and 15. Candies and 'love tokens' are given out by guards.
  • Easter
    • Known as Noblegarden in the game, it is celebrated around Easter and symbolized by finding easter eggs.
  • Independence Day
    • Known as Engineer's Explosives Extravaganza in the game and marked by fireworks, it is celebrated on July 4 on all servers.
  • Halloween
    • Known as Hallow's End in the game, it is celebrated between October 18 and November 1. Players can go 'trick or treat' at the innkeepers around this time.
  • Christmas
    • Known as Feast of Winter Veil in the game, it is celebrated between December 15 and January 2. Denoted by 'Christmas Trees' and decorations in some cities, and the appearance of Greatfather Winter, an obvious reference to 'Santa Claus'.

Other[]

  • Alexander Calder
    • Alexander Calder, a warlock trainer in 'Ironforge', is likely a reference to the artist of the same name known for his large, sheet metal mobiles.
  • Abercrombie & Fitch
    • Near 'Darkshire' an old man is named Abercrombie, as in the popular clothing company. He presents a series of quests, during the culmination of which he produces a hideous monster of his own creation named "Stitches" (resembling the Abomination creature in Warcraft 3). It's widely accepted that "Abercrombie and Stitches" is not an accidental near-homonym for the "'Abercrombie and Fitch'" brand.
    • A Stormwind auctioneer is named "Fitch".
  • Aberdeen
    • Seems likely that 'Auberdine' is named after Aberdeen, a city in Scotland. Both the Dee and Don rivers in Scotland Aberdeen strike a high resemblance to the Cliff-spring River and Wildbend River in Darkshore, and the long sandy beach of both Aberdeen and Auberdine confirm that the warcraft area was modeled after a similar area in Scotland.
  • Blackwater Raiders
    • This band of turtle-riding goblin body guards hang around Booty Bay as an extra peace keeping force, which seem to be a reference to the real-life private military organization Xe, formerly named Blackwater Worldwide when the game was released.
  • Blizzard employee
    • South of Dun Garok in Hillsbrad Foothills, east of Southshore, on the cliff overlooking the coastline, there is an epitaph to "Anthony Ray Stark (1961-2005)." It should be noted that Iron Man's real name is Anthony Edward Stark and his character was created in 1963. On July 7, 2006 it was confirmed to be an in game memorial to a friend of a developer and not a reference to Iron Man.
  • Blood Elf Architecture
    • The strange armillary sphere-like structures atop some Blood Elf structures closely resemble Disneyland's Astro Orbitor ride.
  • C-4
    • Engineers in the game can learn to craft "Seaforium", an explosive device that can open locked doors.
  • Circus
    • In Ironforge, the three bankers are named Barnum, Bailey, and Soleil. This is a reference to "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus" and "Cirque du Soleil".
  • Golden Dawn
    • The 'Argent Dawn' group may be a reference to the late 19th century metaphysical order of the Golden Dawn.
  • Edwin Van Cleef
    • Possible reference to the Dutch organized crime leader, George Van Kleef, strikingly similar in terms of name and profession. Even more extraordinary is it that George Van Kleef was assassinated in November 2005, grimly ironic as his namesake is constantly killed by players ingame as part of a quest series in The Deadmines.
    • He could also be named after the well-known spaghetti-western star, Lee Van Cleef, who became famous for playing notoriously ice-cold villains.[12]
  • Gregory Charles
    • The undercity rogue trainer's name is the same as French Canadian singer/actor/entertainer Gregory Charles.[13]
  • Hatfield-McCoy feud
    • In Elwynn Forest are farms owned by two feuding families, the Stonefields and Maclures. This is a reference to the Hatfield-McCoy feud from American history.
  • Haunted Mansion
    • Players battle Thule Ravenclaw in Fenris Keep in Silverpine Forest, he is believed to be named after the famous voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft who is the lead vocalist in the Disney attraction's theme song Grim Grinning Ghosts.
    • Outside the instance Scholomance, a hearse is visible in a similar fashion as the one outside the Disneyland version of the ride.
  • Hickory Farms
    • There are goblin vendors in various places working for "Smokywood Pastures" that offer cheeses and sausages. They also set up sales wagons in the major cities during the Winter Holiday events.
  • Hindenburg
    • One of the zeppelin goblins near the 'Undercity' is named Hin Denburg, after the famous crashed German blimp.
  • Homestar Runner
    • At Thorium Point in Searing Gorge, there is an NPC named "Master Smith Burninate", a reference to Strong Bad's dragon, "Trogdor the Burninator" — the NPC appears in an area near a large dragon, and will commonly drop dragon skin if killed.
  • Honeywell
    • In Southshore there is an NPC named "Apprentice Honeywell". She also shows up in the Caverns of Time instance Old Hillsbrad. Interestingly, though visibly a female, Apprentice Honeywell has the gender male (as reported by the UnitSex API call).
  • Immovable Object/Unstoppable Force
    • Two of the items which can be obtained as PvP rewards in Alterac Valley are [The Immovable Object] (a shield) and [The Unstoppable Force] (a mace). These are references to a logical conundrum which goes, "What happens when an unstoppable force strikes an immovable object?". Since the release of the Burning Crusade, two grey (poor) quality items were included; a mace called "[The Stoppable Force]" and a shield called "[The Movable Object]".
  • JATO Rocket Car
    • In the Shimmering Flats one of the racer cars has crashed and embedded halfway up the cliff face, a reference to the Darwin Award urban legend of the 'JATO Rocket Car'.
  • Jerky Boys
    • There is an NPC in Ironforge named Talvash del Kissel. This is a reference to the infamous phone prank group The Jerky Boys. Two of the personas the Jerky Boys used while doing pranks were named "Kissel" and "Tarbash the Egyptian Magician". The latter name probably explains why the NPC hangs out in The Mystic Ward, the mage area of Ironforge.
  • Jose Cuervo
    • A Tanaris quest called Cuergo's Gold references this popular alcoholic beverage.
  • Kym Wilde
    • There is an NPC at Thunder Bluff named Kym Wildmane, which is possibly a reference to the actor Kym Wilde or the singer "Kim Wilde".
  • Leroy Jenkins
    • The Classic Dungeons and Raids Achievement "Leeeeeeeeeeeeeroy" is based from the player video of Leroy Jenkins charging into a room full of rookery whelps during a raid, while screaming his name through the microphone. The title received from this quest, killing 50 rookery whelps in 15 seconds, is his last name, Jenkins (Appears as <Name> Jenkins).
  • Morning Glory Dew
    • A high level and expensive mana restore drink that players can find is called "[Morning Glory Dew]". Blizzard employees have been quoted as saying they drink a lot of Mountain Dew so this item may reference the soda.
    • It has also been suggested that the initials "MGD" stand for Miller Genuine Draft, an American brewed beer. Given that most employers frown upon drinking alcoholic beverages in the workplace, the connection is tenuous at best.
  • Ngorongoro Crater
    • It seems likely that 'Un'goro Crater' was named after 'Ngorongoro Crater', 'Tanzania', the largest perfect caldera in the world. The geography of Un'Goro also bears a striking resemblance to Ngoro Ngoro.
  • O RLY?
    • After the saying became popular among players, one of newly added Goblin Auctioneers in Booty Bay was named "O'Reely".
    • There is also a white owl that flies around a hut near Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris named "O'Reilly".
    • An Undead auctioneer by the name of "Yarly" has been added in the Undercity Auction House.
  • Pirates vs. Ninjas
    • Eating a [Savory Deviate Delight] will cause your character to turn into either a Pirate or a Ninja. The effect is purely cosmetic. The effect will read as "Arrrrr" for pirates or "Flip Out" for ninjas, the latter a reference to the phrase "The purpose of the ninja is to flip out and kill people"
  • Peanut Butter Jelly Time
    • One of the Tauren Male's dance cycles is based on the famous 'Dancing Banana' that appears in the popular Internet Flash.
  • Cristo Redentor
    • In Booty Bay there is a statue of a goblin with its arms outstretched, very similar to the Cristo Redentor statue above Rio de Janeiro. The statue is on "Jainero's Point".
  • Smith & Wesson
    • In Ratchet a High Elf sailor will give you a mission to travel down the coast and kill the cannoneers Smythe and Whesson, an obvious reference to firearm company Smith & Wesson.
    • The German names of these NPC, cannoneers Hecksler and Knoch refer to the German firearm company Heckler & Koch.
  • Sweeney Todd
    • There is a traveling salesman who wander around Elwynn Forest and Darkshire named Antonio Perelli, a reference to the traveling hair elixir salesman in the musical version of Sweeney Todd. Also, upstairs from the Stormwind barber shop are two gnome skeletons, referring to Todd being a barber and using his shop to murder people.
  • Thomas Cook
    • The cooking trainer in Goldshire, Thomas <Cook> could well be a reference to the Thomas Cook of Melbourne, Derbyshire, founder of the international travel agency of the same name.
  • Tonka
    • The Darkmoon Faire has several remote-controlled cars known as Tonks.
  • Tortuga
    • In the Tanaris desert, there is a quest to help a tortoise named "Tooga" to get back to his wife "Torta." "Tortuga" means "turtle" in Spanish.
    • Tortuga is also the name of a famous pirate's haven in the Caribbean. The eastern shores of Tanaris are thick with pirates.
  • Wickerman
    • During the 2005 Halloween season, Blizzard introduced the festivities of Hallow's End, which includes the burning of an effigy of a man (named Wickerman) in front of 'Undercity'. This references the ancient pagan practice of sacrifing men inside giant burning wicker constructs, called Wicker Men, as well as the movie of the same name[14]. It is possibly also a reference to the annual 'Burning Man' festival held in Nevada.
  • The Pig & Whistle
    • In Stormwind there's a tavern called "The Pig & Whistle" in the Old Town district. This is a reference to a bar in Hollywood called "The Pig & Whistle Tavern". It is probably a more direct reference to the book series Dragonlance, where Raistlin performs magic acts.
  • The Holocaust
    • In the orc Internment camps, in the Caverns of Time dungeon Escape from Durnholde, The occasional guard will yell "I was just taking orders!", a reference to the common excuse used by Nazi labor camp guards, during the Nuremberg Trials.
  • Where are the Cheetos?
    • There's a quest in Bloodmyst Isle called "I Shoot Magic into the Darkness." Those who don't spend their entire lives on the internet might not catch this one, but it's referencing a comedy skit done by the Dead Alewives about Dungeons and Dragons roleplayers. "Why are you casting magic missile, there's nothing to attack here!" "I'm... attacking the darkness!"

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos/The Frozen Throne[]

Fail:WC3RoC logo 16x32.png This section concerns content exclusive to Warcraft III.

In the credits sequence, there are many pop culture references to various movies and games.

Comics[]

  • Batman
    • "Nananananananana... ME!!" –Troll Batrider.
  • Spider-Man
    • "Spider sense. Tingling" –Crypt Fiend.
  • Superman
    • "Look in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's me!" –Windrider.

Games[]

  • Banjo-Kazooie
    • "Eekum Bokum" - Troll Witch Doctor. Said by Mumbo Jumbo when he casts spells.
  • Diablo
    • "Wings, Horns, Hooves, what're we saying, Is this Diablo?" –'Illidan Stormrage'.
    • An Item on one of the missions, and can be found on the Campaign Editor, is "Wirt's OTHER Leg". A "Butcher", based on the famous Diablo monster, is guarding it.
  • Games Workshop
    • Steam tanks and Gyrocopters are also both near identical units in Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
    • Repeatedly clicking on a gryphon rider replies with 'This Warhammer cost 40K' referring to Warhammer 40,000.
    • Games Workshop made Blizzard remove these references for the expansion pack, hence the renamed units and missing quote.[citation needed]
  • The Lost Vikings
    • In the Blizzard-produced bonus mission Monolith, the three possible names for the Dark Troll hero are Erik the Swift, Baleog the Fierce, and Olaf the Stout, the names of the three Lost Vikings.
  • Mortal Kombat
    • "Mortar Combat!" –Dwarven Mortar Team.
    • "Your soul is mine!" –Dreadlord
  • StarCraft
    • "Clearly, Tassadar has failed us! You must not!" – Mortar Team. Quotation from Judicator Aldaris in the first Protoss scenario.
    • "My life for Aiur... er-r-r I-I mean Ner'Zhul." – Acolyte. Refers to the line said by the Protoss Zealot whenever a new one is created.
    • In the second Night Elf level "Eternity's End", there is a Hydralisk hidden behind the trees, which you can control after you appoach it.
  • Zero Wing
    • allyourbasearebelongtous and somebodysetupusthebomb are both cheat codes for the game, referencing the Zero Wing game and well-known internet phenomenon.[15]

Literature[]

  • A Song of Ice and Fire
    • The final chapter of 'Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne' is called "A Symphony of Frost and Flame."
  • Atlas Shrugged
    • Enabled research cheat – WhoIsJohnGalt – Refers to the novel 'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand. "'Who is John Galt?'" is a slang/colloquialism used throughout, but actually refers to the mysterious engineer, John Galt, the man who stopped the motor of the world.
  • The Lord of the Rings
    • "I stole your precious." –Spellbreaker. The character 'Gollum' called 'The One Ring' "my precious" in 'the Lord of the Rings' series of books.
    • Kel'Thuzad was a currupted human mage, who succumbed to the will of the Lich King. The Witch King of Angmar is also similar, except for being a human king, as he fell to the ring of Sauron. Secondly, Kel'Thuzad is second in command to the Lich King, and the Witch King is second in command to Sauron.

Movies[]

  • Alien
    • "In the depths, no one can hear you scream. Well.. they can, but it's really muffled." –Naga Royal Guard. Reference to "In space no one can hear you scream".
  • Austin Powers
    • "Get in my belly." A line that is spoken by the Fat Bastard.
  • Army of Darkness
    • "This... is... my... BOOMSTICK!" –Rifleman. This is a line said by the rifleman with multiple clicking. This is a line from Ash in "Army of Darkness" when he explains to the medieval people what a shotgun is.
  • The Big Lebowski
    • Cheat code to remove spell cooldown was 'TheDudeAbides', a line from the main character.
  • Braveheart
    • "Every man lives. Not every man truly dies." –Necromancer, reference to William Wallace's (Mel Gibson) line in Braveheart: "Every man dies. Not every man truly lives."
  • Clerks
    • "I hate people, but I love gatherings." –Death Knight hero unit, paraphrased from an exchange between the two main characters in Clerks: "You hate people!" "But I love gatherings! Isn't it ironic?"
  • Cool Hand Luke
    • "What we have here is a failure to communicate." –Bandit. Also said by Warden.
  • Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
    • "Crouch, tiger, I sense a hidden dragon." – Priestess of the Moon.
  • Full Metal Jacket
    • "Me so horned, me hurt you long time!" said by the orc grunts, is a reference to the prostitute's declaration of "me so horny, me love you long time!"
    • "Only two things come from Texas... and I got horns.", says a Tauren when clicked. Reference to the Kubrick movie where Gunnery Sergeant Hartman shouts at Pvt Cowboy in response to finding out where he comes from: "...Texas?! Only steers and queers come from Texas!"
  • Ghostbusters
    • "There is no Banshee, only 'Zuul'!" –Banshee. This is a reference to a 'Sigourney Weaver' line.
  • Gladiator
    • "What I do in death echoes in eternity." –Shade. Similar to a line spoken by Maximus.
  • Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
    • "You are terminated".-Goblin Tinker. T-850 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) said to T-X in Terminator 3.
  • The Jungle Book
    • "Ale is my bear necessity." –Pandaren Brewmaster. A major song in The Jungle Book is called "The Bear Necessities". "The Bear Necessities" is also a quest in Bloodmyst Isle.
  • The Matrix
    • The cheat for unlimited mana; "There is no spoon" is taken from the film 'The Matrix'.
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    • "I never say NI!" –Knight. A reference to The 'Knights who say Ni' from 'Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail|The Holy Grail'.
    • "My favourite colour is Blue! No! Yeelloow-" –Knight. A reference to The Bridge of Death from 'Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail|The Holy Grail'
    • "You're the king? Well I didn't vote for you." –Peasant. A reference to The Filth Harvesting Peasants from 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.
    • "We have a witch! May we burn her?" –Peasant. A reference to the witch burning scene in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.
    • "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" –Peasant. A reference to the constitutional peasant Dennis in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.
    • "It's only a flesh wound!" –Footman. A reference to Black Knight in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.
  • "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
    • "I don't want FOP, damn it! I'm a dapper dan man!" Said by Bandit, said by Ulysses in the movie.
  • Peter Pan
    • "Uh-oh, my Tinker bell." –Tinker. Reference to the character "Tinkerbell".
  • Predator
    • "Let's move. Five meter spread, no sound." –Archer.
  • Scarface
    • "Say hello to my little friend!" –Troll Headhunter. The same words were said by "Al Pacino's" character in "Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface".
  • The Sixth Sense
    • "I see undead people." –Necromancer.
    • "Me eat dead people." –Ghoul.
    • "I see dead people." –Far Seer. Said by 'Haley Joel Osment'. "Iseedeadpeople" is also the cheat for fully explored map/remove fog of war.
  • Star Trek
    • The cheat warpten is a possible reference to Star Trek.
  • Star Wars
    • "Me don't sound like 'Yoda'. Do I?" –'Orc Grunt'. A reference to 'Yoda'.
    • "Once you head down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Plus you got dental." –Acolyte. Reference to turning to The Dark Side.
    • "She'll hold together. (quietly) Hear me, baby? Hold together." –Tinker. Reference to 'Han Solos request for the 'Millennium Falcon' to continue flying.
    • "We aren't the dryads you're looking for" –'Dryad'. A reference to a phrase by 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, "These aren't the droids you're looking for."
    • "They came from... behind..." –the Flying Machine says this when it's destroyed, a reference to what Gold Five says when he dies in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
    • "Stay on target..." –the Flying Machine says this when clicked on too many times, a reference to what Gold Five says when he and Gold Leader are pursued by Darth Vader.
    • "At last we shall have revenge" –Demon Hunter. Reference to Darth Maul's only line in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
    • "I find your insolence... disturbing" Blood Mage when clicked too many times, referring to Darth Vader's classic "I find your lack of faith... disturbing" from A New Hope
  • Thumb Wars
    • "Touch your tongue to mine." –Far Seer. A reference to the quote made by both Oobidub Benubi and A Puppet in Thumb Wars, a Star Wars parody.
  • The Usual Suspects
    • Cheat code keysersoze for obtaining extra gold refers to the mythical crime figure Keyser Soze, whose very existence is a source of mystery and debate.
  • Where Eagles Dare
    • One of the missions in the Orc Campaign of Reign of Chaos is called "Where Wyverns Dare" named after the movie.

Music[]

  • Britney Spears
    • "Click me baby, one more time." –Sorceress. 'Britney Spears first hit was "Hit Me Baby, One More Time".
  • Guns n' Roses
    • Bandit "What we have here is a failure to communicate.", a famous intro in the song called "Civil War".
  • Sting & The Police
    • "We're all spirits in the material world." –Spirit Walker. From the Sting & The Police song of the same title.
  • Iron Maiden
    • The bonus campaign "Founding Durotar" chapter one is named "To Tame a Land", reference to a song on the album Piece Of Mind.
    • There is a level in the campaign called "Where Wyverns Dare", a reference to the Iron Maiden song "Where Eagles Dare", or also possibly a reference to the movie 'Where Eagles Dare'. Where Eagles Dare is Also a song by Horror Punk band The Misfits.
  • Jon Bon Jovi
    • "Shot through the heart, and I'm to blame." –Archer. One of Bon Jovi's songs begins with "Shot through the heart, and you're to blame."
  • Megadeth
    • The Frozen Throne bonus campaign contains a mission named 'Countdown to Extinction' after the Megadeth song and album of the same name.
  • Pantera
    • A part of the orc campaign is called "By Demons Be Driven", this a reference to the Pantera song of the same name.
  • Metallica
    • Rexxar, The Beastmaster, says "Where I lay my head is home! You see that rock? That's my pillow!". "Where I lay my head is home" is one of the lines in Metallica's song "Wherever I May Roam" from the Black Album.
    • Bandit: "I'm a rover, wanderer, nomad, vagabond... Call me what you will!". Another reference to "Wherever I May Roam".
  • The Beatles
    • "I'm the fifth Beatle." - Crypt Lord. A reference to that many people claim certain people deserve being called a "fifth" member of The Beatles, or a term used to reference people who at some point had a strong association with The Beatles.
  • The Doors
  • Queen
    • "Flash... *roar* ...aaaAAAAaaa..." –Wind Rider. This line, heard when you keep on clicking this unit, is probably a reference to the Queen song "Flash", where it was used as part of the lyrics. It was also used as a soundtrack to the movie "Flash Gordon".

Other[]

  • Kelloggs Frosted Flakes
    • "My tiger is trained for war. He's grrrrreat!" – Priestess of the Moon. Frosties/Frosted Flakes' mascot 'Tony the Tigers signature line is "They're grrrrreat!".
  • Iron Chef
    • "Fukui-san! Yes, go ahead. What the Iron Troll is doing right now is putting heads in a pot. They have to boil for 20 minutes so the eyes can be used in a second dish, an eye and raspberry sorbet. Mmmm, Sounds good!" – Troll Witch Doctor.
  • The Simpsons
    • "My eyes! The goggles do nothing!" – Foot soldier. Uttered during the "filming of Warcraft III" blooper reel of the end credits. This is a reference to the Radioactive Man movie episode of the Simpsons, when actor Rainier Wolfcastle tries to protect himself from a giant wave of acid by putting on a pair of tiny protective goggles.
    • "D'oh!" Annoyed Peasant or Dryad. It's Homer Simpson's most famous catchphrase. In the case of the Dryad, "D'oh!" is spelled "Doe" which is a female deer which technically, is what a Dryad is.
  • Homestar Runner
    • In one of the levels, a soldier guarding Prince Kael's cell is named "Trogdar". Referencing the Dragon, "Trogdor". In a twist of irony, he is killed (i.e. burninated) by Lady Vashj.
  • Rifleman's Creed
    • "This is my owl. There are many like it, but this one is mine." – Huntress. This line is also famously used in the movies Full Metal Jacket and Jarhead.
  • I Love Lucy
    • "Lucyyy" – Troll Headhunter. Said in the same manner as 'Ricky Ricardo'.
  • Smokey the Bear
    • "Only you can prevent forest fires." – Druid of the Claw.
    • "This bear with the forest hat keeps following me around!" – Firelord
  • Weakest Link
    • "You are the weakest Lich, Goodbye!" is one of Lich's annoyed phrases.
  • Who Wants to be a Millionaire
    • "No? Is that your final answer?" -Paladin annoyed phrase

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness[]

Fail:WC2BnE logo 16x42.png This section concerns content exclusive to Warcraft II.

Music[]

  • The Police
    • "Every little thing she does" is the cheat code for unlimited mana and all spells researched; in reference to The Police's song "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic".

Film and television[]

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation
    • The map cheat code of "onscreen" and the fast build cheat of "makeitso" are references to 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. They are both commands often given by Captain Picard.
    • The invulnerability cheat of "It is a good day to die" is also from the show; it is a 'Klingon' proverb. Its root origin was from the battle of Thermopylae. It was one of the responses Leonidas gave to the Persian emissary when he was asked to surrender as he had no chance of winning. Star Trek gets it from this historical reference.
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    • The sword fighting sound effect is lifted directly from the Black Knight scene in the Holy Grail.

Video Games[]

  • Command & Conquer - Tiberian Dawn
    • The hidden song "I'm A Medieval Man" is a parody of the song "I'm A Mechanical Man"

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans[]

Fail:WCOnH logo 16x48.png This section concerns content exclusive to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (aka Warcraft I).

  • Sally Shears
    • To reveal the entire map (much like black sheep wall in StarCraft), you type this. It is a reference to Sally Shears, a recurring character from the "Sprawl trilogy" series of books by "William Gibson".

References[]

  1. ↑ Michael Biehn at the Fail:Icon-imdb-22x22.png Internet Movie Database
  2. ↑ Linda Hamilton at the Fail:Icon-imdb-22x22.png Internet Movie Database
  3. ↑ Arnold Schwarzennegger at the Fail:Icon-imdb-22x22.png Internet Movie Database
  4. ↑ Mall:IMDb title
  5. ↑ Summer Glau at the Fail:Icon-imdb-22x22.png Internet Movie Database
  6. ↑ Mall:IMDb title
  7. ↑ "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at the Fail:Icon-imdb-22x22.png Internet Movie Database
  8. ↑ Mall:IMDb title
  9. ↑ Giant in the Playground: Order of the Stick #1
  10. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9qvCTdBLDs
  11. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpoGKw6L4cM
  12. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001812
  13. ↑ http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Charles
  14. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917
  15. ↑ http://www.planettribes.com/allyourbase/video1_view.shtml


v • d • e
In-jokes and references
Categories
See also
Easter eggs · There is no cow level · List of pop culture references in Warcraft · List of Warcraft references in pop culture
External links
BlizzPlanet BlizzPlanet World of Warcraft (classic) Easter Eggs
BlizzPlanet BlizzPlanet World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade - Easter Eggs and Pop Culture References
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