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Some of the weirdest references in the game are fairly obscure, and only those who pay close attention find them. Some are subtle, such as the name of a character. Others are more prominent, fleshing out the story of a whole area. Finding these hidden references and more involve meticulously skimming through every weapon description, re-reading every book, and double-checking every NPC name.
10 One Piece - Akainu’s Absolute Justice
With the release of the Legion expansion, Blizzard took a different approach with legendaries. Instead of making them few and rare, they flooded the game with them. With this new large swath of legendaries came wild and bizarre names, one of which was Akainu’s Absolute Justice.
Fans of the anime series One Piece recognize the reference. Sakazuki, also known as Akainu, is an antagonist from the franchise. He’s a follower of a philosophical belief system known as Absolute Justice which governs how to prosecute criminals. The quote on the legendary item from the game most likely refers to his fire-inspired fighting style.
9 Star Wars - Jedi Guards
The lightsaber, arguably the most iconic weapon in pop culture, immediately brings the film series Star Wars to mind. And it certainly does every year when guards in the Alliance city of Stormwind and the Horde city of Orgrimmar use lightsabers instead of swords for 24 hours.
Every year on May 4th, in honor of both the original film’s release date and the popular phrase, guards equip glowing lightsabers. It’s not the only time it occurs, however. Blizzard often surprises their audience with these special events to commemorate theatrical openings of new Star Wars films.
8 Donkey Kong - Gorillas With Barrels
Some references in World of Warcraft are more obscure than others. In the primordial jungles of Un’Goro Crater lies a group of gorillas who drop a peculiar grey quality item called Empty Barrel. What would a gorilla in the middle of a dinosaur-infested jungle need with a barrel?
In the original Donkey Kong arcade game, Mario must save Peach by making his way up a series of floors while dastardly ape tosses barrels down toward him. With the popularity of the old game, newer iterations of Donkey Kong almost always come with some barrel referencing the character’s origins.
7 Mortal Kombat - Mortar Combat Dwarves
For almost 30 years, Mortal Kombat has reigned supreme in the fighting genre and laid the foundation for newer fighting games. With a plethora of installments and even a movie to its name, Mortal Kombat has more than left its mark on the world. Even the fabled world of the Warcraft universe recognizes it.
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In WoW Classic, players adventuring through the Dwarven territory of Dun Morogh may come across a merry band of Dwarves with a love of explosives. While testing their weaponry against target dummies, they often yell, “Mortar Combat!”, a reference to the theme song from the fighting game. Players of Warcraft 3 playing as the Human Alliance faction can hire a group of Dwarves called the Mortar Team who yell the same phrase.
6 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - Finkle Einhorn
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a classic Jim Carrey film, features a highly controversial take on a transgender character. Audiences are first introduced to her as Ray Finkle, a famous football player. Later, they see her as Lois Einhorn.
In the WoW Classic dungeon, Upper Blackrock Spire, players meet a Gnome inventor named Finkle Einhorn, mixing both names of the film’s character. They find him in a Core Hound’s stomach after killing and skinning it, a possible reference to Jim Carrey’s character squirming out of a rhino. Upon speaking to the Gnome and asking how he got there, he responds in a very long-winded manner just as Ace Ventura would. Finkle returns in Cataclysm and once more in Warlords of Draenor.
5 Aliens - Hicks And Hudson
After being convinced to go back into space, Ripley and a small platoon of soldiers head out to discover what happened to a supposed lost colony in the 1986 film, Aliens. Two of those soldiers are Private First Class Hudson and Corporal Hicks.
In Elwynn Forest, west of Goldshire, lies a small garrison home to two NPCs known as Quartermaster Hicks and Quartermaster Hudson. While the reference fails to go any further than that, is it possible the two survived the events of Aliens and made their way to a planet known as Azeroth? After what they both experienced, retirement in a peaceful forest doesn’t seem so bad. Stay frosty!
4 Austin Powers - Mr. Bigglesworth
No menacing villain is complete without a kitty in their lap. One of the most famous of these conniving kittens is Dr. Evil’s Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers franchise. World of WarCraft has one of these villain-kitty combos as well.
In the return of the Naxxramas raid in Wrath of the Lich King, one of the first mobs players come across is a small cat known simply as Mr. Bigglesworth. He paths around the main entrance ring and often wanders far too close to player AoE attacks. When the group accidentally (or intentionally) kills the cat, they immediately learn who owns it. Kel’Thuzad, the lich and final boss of Naxxramas, cries out, “No!!! A curse upon you, interlopers! The armies of the Lich King will hunt you down. You will not escape your fate…”
3 Jurassic Park - Isle Of Giants
During the Mists of Pandaria expansion, Blizzard released several content patches introducing new islands around the continent of Pandaria. One of these islands was known as the Isle of Giants. It’s a small island filled with dangerous dinosaurs and a cheeky Jurassic Park reference.
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Upon exploring the northwestern portion of the island, players discover a crash site with familiar characters. A group known as the Jurassic Expedition apparently crashed onto the island and are now marooned. They all wear clothes very similar to the iconic wardrobes from Jurassic Park. Players venture into the camp to meet Agrant Sharpshot (Dr. Alan Grant), Nellie Sattler (Dr. Ellie Sattler), Nedris Smuggler (Dennis Nedry, who attempted to smuggle DNA off the island), Dr. Ion Goldbloom (Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum), Atten Hamlock (John Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough), and Arnold Raygun (Ray Arnold).
2 The Divine Comedy - “Abandon Hope…”
Deadwind Pass is one of the creepiest places in Azeroth and home to the mysterious tower, Karazhan. Players who enter the pass from Duskwood find themselves in an area known as Deadman’s Crossing. They’re greeted by a tree with dead bodies hanging from it and a sign that solemnly states, “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”
In Dante’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy, Dante finds the same eerie message upon the gates of hell. Players familiar with The Divine Comedy immediately know upon reading that message that nothing good can come of venturing into Deadwind Pass. If they absolutely must, then they dare not stray far from the path.
1 The Jungle Book - Bag’thera
Rudyard Kipling’s, The Jungle Book, introduces readers to a wide cast of quirky and often vicious animals. In Disney’s version of the tale, children meet a much tamer rendition of one of these characters who is a panther known as Bagheera.
Deep in the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, players find the Nesingwary Expedition who sends them on multiple quests to tame the wilds. For the climax of the panther questline, players must bring back the fang of a large black panther known as Bag’thera. Expedition members play up the cat as being extremely elusive as none of their world-renowned hunters are able to track it.
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