List of pop culture references in Warcraft (Easter Eggs)

When I saw the post of Wowinsider of the Star Trek references in the World of Warcraft. I did a google search of references in the World of Warcraft. 3 sites have references BlizzPlanet, WowWiki, and Eeggs. I will post some of my favorites when I get done reading those long pages.


Portal

• The Cooking Achievement 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 which 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.

Bambi

• In Grizzly Hills, there are 4 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", also beside them there are one skunk named "Flora" and a small rabbit named "Thudder", these 4 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%.

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".

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 Neutral [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 Terminator

• In Wintergarde Keep, during the quest Alliance Crest [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 [4]) tells this to Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton [5] in the first movie. In the second movie, a terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzennegger [6]) repeats this line to Sarah Connor, while in the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [7] the line is reprised by Summer Glau [8] 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 Simpsons

• In the Death Knight starting area, the quest "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".

• 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 ( heroic ) 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.

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, 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 "Make Love, Not Warcraft", is a reference to the South Park episode, 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.

Run DMC

• In Borean Tundra, you receive a quest called The Nefarious Clam Master. In the quest you have to defeat a mob called "Clam Master K". This is a reference to the late great Jam Master Jay of Run DMC.

Nelly

• The achievement Getting Cold in Here ( heroic ) is a reference to the song Hot in Herre, whose lyrics go "It's gettin' hot in here / So take off all your clothes."

J. R. R. Tolkien

• [Mrgl Blade] is a selectable reward upon completion of the Borean Tundra quest Neutral [71] Escape to Winterfin Retreat. 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.

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.

The A-Team

• When returning the makings of a trap to Alliance Admiral Odesyus , he says "I love it when a plan comes together", a line spoken in almost every episode of 'The A-Team by Hannibal Smith.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Men in Black

• The Goblin guards 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.

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.

Saturday Night Live

• There is a quest called Neutral [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 , 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.

Shakespeare

• In the raid instance Karazhan, one of the boss-encounters you have to face 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!"

• The zombies in duskwood sometimes drop [Pound of Flesh]. An obvious reference to one of his plays; "The Merchant of Venice".

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).

Eminem

• There is a vendor outside of the Mana-Tombs named "Slim" -- he is a . 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".

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.

Classic Fairy Tales

• A cloak called [The Emperor's New Cape] drops from Emperor Thaurissan in Black Rock Depths. The cloak is unique in that it is completely invisible. This is a reference to the classic fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes.

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 Bernard Gump.