KRV:Trivia

Kingdom Rush Vengeance=
==Heroes==
===Veruk===
Veruk's attire is based entirely on the gladiators from the 4th century, during the Roman Empire's time. His origin story is also a reference to Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator who managed to beat the Romans with just a handful of gladiators in the Third Servile War.
* "Strength and honor."
**A line spoken by several characters in the 2000 film Gladiator. It is used as both a greeting and farewell.
* "Are you not entertained?"
**A line spoken by Maximus when standing in the arena, in the 2000 film Gladiator.
* "Manflesh"
**A line said by an Orc in the 2002 film, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
* "Freedom!"
**This single word is taken from an iconic moment in the film Braveheart following the life of William Wallace.
===Asra===
Asra is an Arabic name (أسرى) meaning travel at night
*"I am the sword in the dark!"
**The first line of the oath said by the men of the Night's Watch in George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire.
*"Dark necessities"
**The title of a song by the rock band Red Hot Chilli Peppers
*"You think darkness is your ally?"
**Spoken by Bane in the film The Dark Knight Rises.
*"In darkest night"
**In Darkest Knight is a Batman comic released in 1994, where Batman becomes a Green Lantern. The title comes from the Green Lantern's oath "In brightest day, in blackest night.." which likely also inspired Asra's phrase.
===Oloch===
* Oloch is the name of the iconic half-orc warpriest in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
* Several of Oloch's abilities are derived from previous Demon enemies in Kingdom Rush. The Infernal Combustion passive is a trait shared by all Demon enemies, Duplication is unique to the Demon Legion, and Demonic Blast comes from the fire throwing Flareon.
*"Wanna make a deal?"
**Demons, particularly Crossroad Demons are known for making deals with humans. It is usually some kind of power or privilege, in exchange for the human soul.
*"Toasty!"
**An Easter Egg found in the video game Mortal Kombat II. The face and voice of sound designer Dan Forden appears on the screen and says this phrase if the player performs a particular move. Making additional button presses during this brief pop-up unlocks a battle with a hidden character.
*"Smoking!"
**A variation of "Smokin'!" The catchphrase of the titular character of the 1994 film The Mask. 
*"Hot damn, I'm too hot!"
**Two sections in reverse from the song Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson. The original line is "I'm too hot, hot damn!"
*"The clock ticks life away!"
**Lyrics from the song "In the End" by American rock band Linkin Park.
===Margosa===
* The name Margosa is possibly derived from the Spanish word Amargo which means bitter. The -sa suffix likely comes to maintain the similarity to the Vampiresa, on which Margosa is based.
* Margosa's Bat Form is based on both Lucrezia and the Vampiresa's form of movement. Equally, her Beast Form is possibly based on the Lycans transformation from human(oid) to beast.
* "I never drink... wine."
** A line spoken by the 1931 film Dracula. The line is closely associated with the character and said in numerous related media.
*"I find your suffering exquisite."
** A line said on screen by the character Vega, in the 2008 video game Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
*"Not my blood type"
** Based on the phrase "Not my type" to indicate a person does not fit the preferences of the person stating the phrase. In this context, it also includes a reference to blood type and may be related to transfusion, as different blood types are often incompatible.
*"The hunter becomes prey"
**The hunter becomes the hunted is a popular trope wherein the normally powerful hunter has the tables turned in it by the weaker or less intelligent prey, essentially becoming the hunted itself.
===Mortemis===
* The name Mortemis is likely a portmanteau of Artemis and Mort. The former is a Greek Goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity and likely has no influence on this character, while the latter is French for Death. Mort is also the name of a book in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. The book follows the titular Mort, as he becomes an apprentice to Death.
*Death is but the beginning
**Similar to a line taken from the 1999 film The Mummy. The sarcophagus of the Mummy has the words "death is only the beginning" carved on the inside.
*I love the smell of rot
**Based on the line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" from the film Apocalypse Now
*Join my army of darkness
**Army of Darkness is a horror-comedy film and the third in the Evil Dead series. Several references to Evil Dead have been made through the Kingdom Rush franchise.
*Call of the Haunted
**Call of the Haunted is a magic card from the TCG Yu-Gi-Oh. Playing it allows the player to bring back a fallen monster from their graveyard.
===Tramin===
*The bomb has been planted
**An audio clip from Counter Strike that has been used in various meme formats to draw attention to how it could draw unnecessary and unwanted attention to a person.
*Goblins don’t look at explosions
**Based on the song Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions, a spoof song performed by three comedians at the MTV Movie Awards. It is based on the concept of film characters walking calmly away from explosions.
*I regret nothing!
**A common phrase used in meme culture, that likely stems from the French song Non, je ne regrette rien.
===Jigou===
* "Winter is coming!"
** The famous motto of House Stark, one of the Great Houses of Westeros, from the Game of Thrones series.
* "Prepare for the ice age!"
** A quote uttered by the Dodo leader from the 2002 animated film Ice Age.
* "Let it snow!"
** Most likely a reference to the winter song "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.
* "Snow cone?"
** A quote from the Abominable Snowman in the 2001 animated film Monster Inc.
* "I feel... warm."
** Possibly an alteration for the death quote of Barbarossa in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
** Jigou means, to come out of desperate situation and make a complete return in one sudden burst in Japanese.
* Jigou is based on Yeti from Kingdom Rush.
===Jun'Pai===
* I'm the Captain now!
**A line from the film Captain Phillips, inspired by the true events of the Maersk Alabama hijacking near Somalia in 2009.
* Your bases belong to me!
**Inspired by the early 2000's meme All your base are belong to us, based on a broken English translation of the Japanese arcade game Zero Wing.
* "From the depths!"
**The name of a naval combat game by Brilliant Skies Ltd.
*Banner of Courage
**The Banner of Courage is a magic card from the TCG Yu-Gi-Oh. Playing it grants all monsters controlled by the player a boost in attack damage. The card image portrays a banner similar to the one that Jun'pai conjure.
*Gaze of the Naga
**Naga is a Sanskrit word for serpent or snake. The Naga are divine creatures that have snake like appearances. There is also a Naga race in Warcraft which are more akin to the Deep Devils, as an aquatic serpentine species. Jun'pai himself appears to be modelled on a Naga Royal Guard.
*Splash
**An infamous move from the Pokémon game series. Splash was (originally) the signature move of Magikarp, however the move itself would have no effect in battle, accompanied by the phrase "But nothing happened". With perseverance, Magikarp would evolve into Gyarados, a leviathan like sea creature who's appearance is not unlike Jun'pai.
*Terror From The Deep
**A video game from 1995 X-COM: Terror from the Deep was an underwater strategy game where soldiers would face off against an alien race that were amphibious or fish like in appearance, similar to the Deep Devils.
===Doom Tank SG-11===
* Its naming scheme of SG-11 is most likely based on the Metal Slug SV-001 tank from its eponymous series.
* Unlike traditional hero deaths, the Doom Tank doesn't vanish. Instead it's body breaks down from the caterpillars, gives an embarrassed smile, and it's pilot ducks inside the cockpit waving a white flag.
*The Expendables
**Named after the film series The Expendables about a team of Elite mercenaries. The film is noted for having a main cast consisting of film stars famous for having appeared in action films.
*Call of the Valkyrie
**The Valkyrie is a female warrior figure from Norse mythology who choose who lives and who dies in battle, before leading the noble dead to Valhalla, the afterlife that celebrates those slain in battle. In this context, it may be based on the XB-70 Strategic Bomber or Operation Valkyrie after which a number of films were based.
*Ready to Rumble
**Part of the catch-phrase of Michael Buffer, a ring announcer for professional wrestling and boxing. The full quote features exaggerated on the 'r' sounds, "Let's get ready to rumble!". This quote was previously used by the DWAARP In Kingdom Rush: Frontiers
*Wilhelm Scream
**The Wilhelm Scream is a famous sound effect; and an Easter egg for film fans; that has been used in hundreds of films. It is named after Private Wilhelm, a character in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River, who screams as he is killed, but originated from the 1951 film Distant Drums.
===Beresad===
*"All that glitters is mine"
**A play on the term all that glitters is gold.
*"My breath is death"
** Reference to a line spoken by the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit
*The Dragon Spawn is based on the Inferno Golem from Warcraft III''
===Murglun===
*"Summer is coming!"
**Based on the line "Winter is coming", the motto for House Stark in A Song of Ice and Fire. The season is flipped here to represent the heat of the character.
* "Catch my fire!"
**Based on the phrase "Catch my drift", but the implication of drift being a snow drift is swapped again to a hotter antonym to better represent the character. It may also reference Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series.
===Eiskalt===
* Eiskalt is German for freezing.
===Jack O'Lantern===
* "Ghost Rider"
** A reference to the Marvel Comics character of the same name, as is Spirit of Vengeance.
* "Thriller"
**A reference to the Michael Jackson song of the same name.
* Jack's sword from his appearance in Kingdom Rush: Frontiers was replaced with an axe.
===Dianyun===
*Kong Ming Lantern
**A type of paper balloon with a small fire at the bottom designed to help it float. They are launched into the air for various festivals. 
* "Look at the sky."
** Song by Porter Robinson
* "I am the law."
** Catch phrase of Judge Dredd. Also the name of an achievement in Kingdom Rush earned for defeating the Kingpin.
*Dianyun in Chinese can be translated to thunderous cloud.
===Grosh===
* "Fear is my fuel!"
** Part of the album name "Death is my pilot, Fear is my Fuel" by Mr. Zoth
* "I! AM! WAR!"
** The name of a metal music band.
===Isfet===
*The name Isfet is likely is an ancient term from Egyptian mythology meaning "injustice", "chaos", or "violence".
*Isfet's abilities are based on the Biblical Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12)
**Black Swarm - Gnats (8:16-19), Flies (8:20-32), Locusts (10:1-20)
**Frog Curse - Frogs (7:25-8:15)
**Rain of Ice and Fire - Hail (9:13-35)
**Blood Torment - Blood (7:14-24), Boils (9:8-12)
**Dark Tempest - Darkness (10:21-29)
*Rain of Ice and Fire
**An additional reference to the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.
==Towers==
===Shadow Archers===
* The Shadow Archer is based on the Shadow Archer enemy from the first Kingdom Rush.
*"The night is dark."
**Part of the prayer to the Lord of Light R'hllor from wikipedia:A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. The full line is "The night is dark and full of terrors."
*"An arrow to your knee!"
**Based on a line from the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee.". The phrase has been parodied many times and is more commonly seen in meme format.
*"The arrow finds its mark."
**A line spoken by the character Hanzo in the video game Overwatch. He normally says My arrow finds it mark.
===Orc Warriors Den===
* The Orc Warrior Den is based on the Orc enemy from the first Kingdom Rush.
* The tier 3 Orcs are a reference to the Grunts from Warcraft 3.
* "Puny Humans"
** seems to loosely refer to "Puny Human", a line spoken by the 2003 Hulk.
*"Ka Mate! Ka Mate!"
**Part of the Haka a ceremonial Māori dance most commonly seen performed by the New Zealand rugby team the All Blacks, who chant and perform the dance before a match as a means to intimidate their opponents. The words "Ka Mate" translate to "I die".
* "We die, we live again"
**Taken from the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. The original line is spoken by the character Nux "I live, I die. I LIVE AGAIN!"
*Orc Warrior names do not appear to have any significant meaning or reference. They are simple, one or two syllable names.
**Trahg
**Mgon
**Gaoq
**Goteg
**Drok
**Blokk
**Aruk
**Tklo
**Grub
===Infernal Mage===
* The Infernal Mage is based on the Demon enemies from the first Kingdom Rush
* "Fight fire with fire."
**A common metaphor used to imply fighting something using the same tactics or measures.
* "Light my fire."
**The title of a song by 1967 rock band The Doors.
===Rocket Riders===
* The Rocket Rider is based on the Goblin race from the first Kingdom Rush, but not a specific enemy. It does share a name with the Rocket Rider enemy, but appears to be unrelated in ability.
*"To infinity and beyond!"
**The catchphrase of Buzz Lightyear, from the 1995 animated film Toy Story
*"Prepare for trouble!"
**Part of the Team Rocket motto from the anime Pokémon. The motto begins "Prepare for trouble, and make it double!"
*"Ride or Die!"
**A song by The Knocks.
*"Witness me!!"
**The last words spoken by Morsov the War Boy in Mad max: Fury Road.
===Dark Knights===
* The Dark Knights at Tier 4 are based on the Dark Slayer from the first Kingdom Rush but their armor looks very similar to the Fallen Knights from Castle Blackburn.
* The Brutal Strike skill and the weapon is based on the Chainsword from the game Total War Warhammer 40k used by Space Marines.
* The upgrade Armor of Thorns is based on the armor set of the same name in the game Dark Souls, worn by Knight Kirk who shares a similar appearance to the tier 4 barracks.
*"Here comes the pain"
**The subtitle of the 2003 video game, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
*"For the Dark Lord!"
**A role reversal on the quote "For the King! said by the Knights Barracks in the first Kingdom Rush.
*"We're the bad-guys!"
**A line said by the character Deadshot in the 2016 film Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn has a similar line in the film; We're bad-guys; which it may also be derived from.
*"Come on, make my day!"
**Likely to be adapted from the line "Go ahead, make my day" said by the character Harry Callahan in the 1983 film Sudden Impact (part of the Dirty Harry series).
*"Witness true strength!"
**A line said by the character Darius in the 2009 video game League of Legends
*Regardless of the fact that they are evil, the Dark Knights are still Knights, so all their names are prefixed by the title Sir. The unit names are all inspired by actors who have played Batman; aka the Dark Knight; on screen,
**Sir Wilson - Lewis Wilson, first seen in a 1943 serial Batman. Wilson was the first ever screen Batman.
**Sir Lowery - Robert Lowery, starred in the follow up to Wilson's series, Batman and Robin in 1949.
**Sir West - Adam West, logged the most hours as Batman in the iconic 1960's series.
**Sir Keaton - Michael Keaton, first seen in Tim Burton's 1989 big-screen film.
**Sir Kilmer - Val Kilmer, seen only in Joel Schumacher's 1995 Batman Forever.
**Sir Clooney - George Clooney, seen in the follow up to Kilmer's film Batman & Robin in 1997.
**Sir Bale - Christian Bale, first seen in 2005's Batman Begins.
**Sir Affleck - Ben Affleck, first seen in Zack Snyder's 2016 film Batman v Superman.
**Sir Conroy - Kevin Conroy, the only name listed that was not seen on screen, Conroy voiced Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and many other DC animated series featuring the character.
===Melting Furnace===
*The Melting Furnace is not based on any kind of enemy seen so far in the Kingdom Rush series. It is based on the DWAARP tower seen in Kingdom Rush: Frontiers.
*Presto Logs
**Presto Logs are artificial fuel for wood burning stoves developed from leftover sawdust in 1930. In the image of the skill and achievement, they have the appearance of the Presto Logs seen in the 1990 film Back to the Future 3 where they are used to accelerate the train.
*"Hell's kitchen!"
**A reality cooking TV series hosted by British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The series originated in the UK but became more popular in the US. It features amateur chefs competing to be Head Chef of a restaurant whilst facing the increasing pressures of the competition.
*"Smell the Ashes."
**Part of a quote from the Half-Life franchise.
*"So Hot right now."
**Quote by Jacobim Mugatu from Zoolander.
*"The log is about to blow!"
**Referring to the aforementioned Presto Logs, when the Red Log reaches a critical temperature, Marty says "Doc, the red log is about to blow!"
*"Out of the frying pan!"
**A common phrase "Out of the frying pan and into the fire" used to indicate moving from one bad situation into a worse one.
===Specters Mausoleum===
*When the Mausoleum posses an enemy that can summon other enemies, these enemies will be on your side too; but instead of walking to the entrance and subsequently returning to normal, they will not move but they will attack incoming enemies, just like barracks. Also, they remain under your control you till they die.
**This includes: Ice Witch summoning Apex Shard, High Sorcerer transforming enemies into Sheep, Apex Stalker spawning Apex Shard after death, Joe Jenkins spawning Baa San and Valkyrie turning dead enemies into Draugr
*The Specters Mausoleum is not based on a particular enemy, but is inspired by the Ghost and the tombs they would appear from in Desecrated Grove. It has a similar attack style of the Archmage Tower where spirits are spawned and stored to attack at once.
*A Mausoleum is a tomb. It is a building found in burial sites much like a monument to the person interred there. The name comes from the burial chambers of King Mausolus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus; known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
*Gargoyles are architectural features on large gothic styled buildings used to direct flowing water away from the building. They are designed as grotesque creatures or animals in order to deter evil spirits from entering, especially when featured on the rooves of churches or spiritual buildings.
*"We are legion"
**In the Bible; the Christian New Testament Matthew (8:28-34); Jesus encounters a man possessed by demons who answers a question for his name (the man) with "My name is Legion, for we are many."
*"Ghosts and ashes."
**As Ashes and Ghosts, it is the name of a song by The Cult and features lines such as "Can't cast a spell on me". In the original spoken format, it is the name of a 2017 science fiction novel by F. T. Lukens.
*"No rest for the wicked."
**A common phrase used to indicate that a person or people are always busy with something to do, as the implied 'wicked' are the souls of the damned suffering eternal torment without reprieve.
*"Fly, my pretties, fly!"
**An example of the Mandela Effect, as the line is associated with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz with the Wicked Witch saying it as she releases her flying monkeys. In fact, she only says "Fly, fly, fly!" but the quoted line is more commonly known.
**To be more direct since the quote applies to gargoyles, it is also spoken by Laverne the gargoyle in the Disney film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
===Goblirangs===
*"Bangarang!"
**The battle cry of the Lost Boys in the 1991 film Hook
*"What goes around comes around!"
**A proverb that means 'your actions will eventually have consequences'. It is effectively the same as "You reap what you sow" previously stated by the Forest Keepers
*"I'm rubber, you're glue!"
**A riposte used if insulted. "I'm rubber, you're glue, it bounces off me and sticks on you" implying that an insult or accusation is reflected back on the accuser.
*"Not the bees! Not the bees!!"
**Taken from the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, the line is spoken by the character Edward Malus after he is taken captive and tortured with bees.
===Bone Flingers===
*Got Milk?
**Reference to the "Got Milk?" ad campaign.
*Doot doo-doot!
**Reference to the Skull Trumpet meme where a skeleton plays a trumpet making a "Doot" sound.
*Spooky and Scary!
**The song "Spooky Scary Skeletons" performed by Andrew Gold, often used in several skeleton-related memes. 
*Who let the dogs out?
** A lyric created by Baha Men. 
*Big ol' pile of them bones!
**Lyrics from the Alice in Chains song "Them Bones" ("Gonna end up a big old pile of them bones")
*The Skeleton War
**Reference to the Skeleton War meme where people post various skeleton related media.
===Elite Harassers===
* The Elite Harassers are based on the Twilight Harassers from Kingdom Rush: Origins. As they are introduced for Silveroak Outpost, Vez'nan likely chose them as they were the enemies of the Aredale elves, of which Alleria Swiftwind was the princess.
* The achievement ULTRA INSTINCT is a reference to Dragon Ball Super, where the ability allows the user to dodge and defend themsleves without thinking about doing so.
* "Swift as a coursing river."
**A line from the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from the Disney film Mulan.
*"Not today!"
**A line from Game of Thrones spoken by several characters but associated mostly with Arya Stark. When asked "What do we say to the God of Death?" the answer is "Not today".
===Orc Shaman===
*"Electrifying!"
**Likely from the song 'Your the one that I want" from the 1978 film musical Grease, where the phrase "It's electrifying" is used.
*"Thunderstruck"
**The name of a song from rock band AC/DC. 
* Orc! Use Thunderbolt!
** A reference from the Pokémon series, A quote Pokémon Trainer Ash says to his Pokémon Pikachu in battle "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!".
* Stand under my umbrella
** A line from a song Umbrella by Rihanna.
===Grim Cemetery===
*“Plants. . . Bad”
**A reference to the video game Plants Vs Zombies, in which you defend your house from hordes of zombies with mutant plant seeds.
*"Zombies love spicy tacos"
**Another reference to the Plants Vs Zombies series an Item the "Magic Taco" that has appeared in many PVZ games. In Plants vs Zombies 1 a zombie drops a taco in one of the levels after you beat it, in Plants vs Zombies 2 there's a magic taco with hot sauce that's the main MacGuffin of the game, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 1 & 2 both have modes in which players in the zombie team have to either find or steal tacos from the plants team in order to win.
*"The Foulest Stench"
**Lyrics from the song "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.
*"Do Cardio"
**Quite possibly a reference to "Rules to Survive Zombieland". Rule #1. Cardio.
===Rotten Forest===
* The tower is based on the Tainted Treant found in the Rotten Forest level from Kingdom Rush. 
* "Intruders Beware!"
** Part of a warning by the late One-Eyed Willy in the film "The Goonies".
* "The Forest has eyes."
** The title of a children's picture book by Bev Dolittle.
* "Burárum"
**An Entish sound or word, from The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, issued by Treebeard when he spoke of the orcs. The word is described as a "deep rumbling noise like a discord on a great organ", signifying Treebeard's disgust at the thought of these creatures. It is glossed as an "Entish noise of disgust".
* "There's something in the mist."
**A line from the film The Mist based on a Steven King book of the same name. A largely unseen creature hides in the titular mist and drives a town to madness.
===Blazing Gem===
* The Blazing Gem and the acolytes are similar to the Sunray Tower from Kingdom Rush Flash version.
* The Blazing Gem is a reference to the tainted Tear of Elynie formerly used by Vez'nan in the first game.
* 'Another one bites the blast."
** From the song "Another one Bites the Dust" by Queen.
* "Ohhhmmmm!"
** Essentially a popular yoga mantra.
* "Behold our precious."
** Presumably inspired by "my precious" spoken often by Gollum in Lord of the Rings.
*"No man should have this power."
** A common trope in media where someone with a ton of power is corrupted by it.
===Deep Devil's Reef===
* The Deep Devil's Reef features three enemies first seen in the Rising Tides mini-campaign from Kingdom Rush: Frontiers; the Bluegale, Greenfin and Redspine.
*Sleep with the fishes
**A phrase pertaining to gangster cliché. Anyone that was killed or had their body disposed of in a river, ocean or significant body of water was described as "sleeping with the fishes" as they were at the bottom of the waterbed, where the fish lived.
*Deep Devil names do not appear to have any significant meaning or reference. Like the Orc Warriors Den, they are simple, two or three syllable names.
**Vanarka
**Irucza
**Antha
**Elhith
**Etula
**Midas
**Rekar
===Wicked Sisters===
* The tower is based on the Black Hag enemy from Kingdom Rush.
* The name Wicked Sisters may be related to two of different terms.
**The Wicked Witch of the West and the Wicked Witch of the East in The Wizard of Oz are both sisters. 
**The three witches in William Shakespeare's Macbeth are referred to as Weird Sisters. This name is used in a number of other magic themed series, such as Discworld, Harry Potter and Sabrina to name but a few.
* Hanging from the Wicked Sisters' house are bundles of wood similar to those found in the woods in the film The Blair Witch Project
*"Swish and flick!"
**The wrist movement required to cast the levitation spell Wingardium Leviosa in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
*"We'll get you my pretty! Ha ha ha!"
**A line spoken by the Wicked Witch of the West in the film The Wizard of Oz. The original line is "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!". As there are two witches in the tower the conjunction I'll is pluralized.
*"Twist the bones and bend the back!"
**The first line of the spell used to turn someone into a cat, used by the witches in the film Hocus Pocus
*"So you wanna play with magic?"
**A line from the song Dark Horse by Katy Perry. 
*"It's not easy being green."
**A line from the song Bein' Green sung by Kermit the Frog of The Muppet Show
*"Sure you can manage that broom?"
**A line from the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry is given a new broom. This line is not featured in the film due to the scenes occurring at different points.
**Nimbus 4000 is based on a magic broomstick brand in the same series, in which the highest model for the Nimbus line is merely 2001.
===Goblin War Zeppelin===
*The Paratrooper that drops onto the field of play is a Goblin Zapper, first seen in the Kingdom Rush level Ruins of Acaroth. However, updates of the first game have changed the enemy name to Goblin Sapper. It remains to be seen if this was an error, or if the Zapper in this instance is the mistake.
*"Gimme Fuel!"
**Part of a line from the song Fuel by Metallica.
*"What do your goblin eyes see?" 
**A reference to the line "What do your elf eyes see?", spoken by the character Aragorn in the 2002 film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
*"Chocolate Rain!"
**Song by Tay Zonday.
===Spider Nest===
*Spider nest, spider nest
**Based on the theme song to the Spider-Man TV series from 1967. The first line "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can" is still widely recognised and a permanent part of Spiderman fan culture.
* Here comes the spider-man!
**Again, this line comes directly from the same theme song, this time it is the last line of the song "Look out, here comes the Spider-Man!"
===Ignis Altar===
*The Shamans of the Ignis Altar may be the ancestors of the Ma'qwa, who have continued the tradition of throwing sacrifices into volcanos, but have moved on from Velociraptor Eggs to kidnapped princesses.
*"It ain't much but it's honest work." 
**A popular meme fromat featuring Dave Brandt in a farmers' outfit saying the quote. Often used sarcasticly to describe how people doing something despicable think of themselves. Since the savages on the volcano are sacrificing unborn velociraptors (which is pretty dastardly), the line fits right in.
*"Another day, another egg."
**Rephrased from the song "Another Day, Another Dollar" by Wynn Stewart
*"Let's start a fire."
**Song by the band Stubborn
*"Lava bath! Lava bath!" 
**"Lava Bath" is a song by Axe Wielder
*"This is fine." 
**A meme taken from the webcomic Gunshow created by K. C. Green. The meme shows a dog sitting at a table, sipping tea and saying "This is fine" in the living room of a burning house, so the quote being used by people sitting on an active volcano makes a lot of sense.
*"Art is an explosion!"
**The signature quote of the character Deidara from the popular manga/anime series Naruto, whose power was creating explosive clay and making volatile figures out of it
*"A life for a life!"
** A reference to the movie Avengers: Infinity War, where there is a scene where the Red Skull says, "A soul for a soul."
** Also a reference to the movie Mulan, when the titular character's life is spared by Shang to repay his debt for her saving his life in lieu of execution.
===Shaolin Temple===
* "Control your body"
** Song by Pnau, also a discipline of Kung Fu
* "Find your center"
** Part of a lyric in the Mulan song "I'll Make a Man Out of You"
* Dragon Warrior
** The primary title held by Po, the titular "Kung Fu Panda" of the 2008 Dreamworks Animation film
* "We found him!"
** Potentially a reference line to "The Mummy Returns" when Imhotep's body was found in the ruins of Hamunaptra.
* Live long and prosper
** A phrase said by Vulcans in Star Trek, commonly associated with the character Spock.
**The phrase is also used by the Forest Keepers. 
*When the monks attack flying enemies, they use a move called the Shoryuken, translation: Rising Dragon Fist. Commonly called the Dragon Punch, it is a special move used in the Street Fighter series.
===Swamp Thing===
* "Ah! Fresh meat!" 
**A reference to The Butcher, a boss from Diablo, further referenced to The Butcher from Warcraft III and its lookalike Pudge from Dota 2.
* "Thing SMASH!" 
**A reference to Hulk's line "Hulk SMASH!".
===Sandworm Hollow===
*"You hate 'em, right? I hate 'em myself"'
**A quote from the film Beetlejuice made by the titular character, in reference to the giant Sand Worms that live in the desert outside the place a ghost is bound to.
==Bosses==
===Jokull===
*Jökull is the Icelandic word for Glacier, and the name of a Frost Giant in Norse Mythology.
*The achievement earned for defeating Jokull, is a reference, to the popular movie/book franchise, How To Train Your Dragon
===Polyx the Wise===
*"One does not simply defeat the king of the Anurians."
**Based on the One does not simply meme, which is in turn based on the line "One does not simply walk into Mordor" spoken by Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The meme uses the term to imply that something a person is implying or intending to do will not be as easy as they think; such as defeating the boss in this instance.
*"Who let the frogs out?"
**Adapted from the song Who Let the Dogs Out? by Baha Man.
===The Winter Queen===
*The Solar Heat quartz used to stop and imprison the Winter Queen is likely referring to the Sunray Tower. This could possibly explain why the tower was destroyed - it is possible that followers of winter destroyed it so it could never again be used to trap the Winter Queen.
*The Winter Queen could be a more corrupt form of Elora Wintersong from the first Kingdom Rush. They bear many similarities in looks and abilities, including the frozen hair, the blue gem in the Ice Queen’s chest (this gem is in Elora’s headband), and the overall color scheme. However, this seems to be disproved by the fact that the Winter Queen has been trapped since before the events of the first Kingdom Rush, in which it is possible to use Elora as a hero. This leaves another possibility, which suggests that Elora could be related to the Winter Queen in some way.
==Achievements==
*FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK
**Good to be bad, an album by Whitesnake.
*FAR OVER THE MISTY MOUNTAINS
**Based on the song 'Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold' sung by the party of Dwarves in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.
*FINAL DESTINATION
**Final Destination is a franchise in which death overtook the heroes who once escaped it.
*GOTTA GO FAST
**Sonic X theme song.
*I'LL BE BACK
**The famous Terminator phrase.
*MY PRECIOUS!
**The famous Gollum phrase.
*CAN'T TOUCH THIS
**A line from the song U Can't Touch This! by rapper MC Hammer. 
*NO MORE PARTIES IN THE DK
**Based on No More Parties in LA, a song by Kanye West.
*A AM IRON MAN
**A line spoken by Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame.
*NOT MY TEMPO
**A phrase from 2014 film Whiplash.
*HOLD THE DOOR
**Famous line from season 6 of Game of Thrones.
*MY WATCH BEGINS
**Also line from Game of Thrones.
*WE ARE LEGION
**In the Bible; the Christian New Testament Matthew (8:28-34); Jesus encounters a man possessed by demons who answers a question for his name (the man) with "My name is Legion, for we are many."
*HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGON
**Famous 2010 animated film.
*BROODMOTHER
**Probably based on the hero Broodmother from Dota 2.
*JOIN THE DARK SIDE
**A phrase from Star Wars that became a popular meme.
*I'M ROOT
**A reference to the Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot's only spoken line is "I am Groot." 
*SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE
**Based on a movie with the same name.
*UNLIMITED POWER!
**A line spoken by the Dark Lord of the Sith in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith when he is revealed to be the Emperor and main antagonist of the trilogy. 
*SHOW ME YOUR WAR FACE
**A phrase from 1987 film Full Metal Jacket that became a meme.
*2FAST 2FURIOUS
**Fast & Furious, popular media franchise.
*NOT HE BEES
**Taken from the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, the line is spoken by the character Edward Malus after he is taken captive and tortured with bees.
*THE SKELETON WAR
**Reference to the Skeleton War meme where people post various skeleton related media.
*THUNDERSTRUCK
**A song by AC/DC.
*NONE OF MY BUSINESS
**A song by Cher Lloyd.
*GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD
**A reference to Hypnotoad from the TV series Futurama.
*FIND CAP
**A reference to the Captain America, a superhero from Marvel comics.
*THE GILL-MAN
**Monster from the movie "Creature from the Black Lagoon".
==Levels==
===Vez'nan's Tower===
*The tower now shows that the visitors attraction that was originally demonstrated in Heroic or Iron playthroughs of Dark Tower has been developed into a much bigger tourist attraction.
*The exit location has changed since the Dark Tower level in Kingdom Rush. Whereas it was once at the very bottom, that area has now been built over and blocked off. The exit replaces what was once a Graveyard to the left of the path.
===Corridors of the Old City===
*The Runes visible all over the map are Cirth, a semi-artificial script, with letters shaped on those of actual runic alphabets, invented by J. R. R. Tolkien for the constructed languages he devised and used in his works.
===Clockwork Factory===
*Near the Chompbot Factory is the head of Bender, the robot from Futurama.
*The Chomp Bot Factory itself has a conveyer belt that features the heads of various other robots occasionally passing through it. These include: BB-8, Gir, WALL-E and Marvin the Paranoid Android.
===Bolgur's Throne===
*Replaying this level on Iron or Heroic shows two Goblins playing around on the site of Bolgur's former throne. One is wearing the former king's crown, the other is standing beside the electrical socket with a fork. If you tap them, the foolish goblin sticks the fork into the socket and gets a nasty shock, much to the amusement of its companion.
===Northerners' Outpost===
*Occasionally, a Troll Pathfinder can be seen sledging down the mountains in the northeast corner. Some times it will hit the mast of the boat.
*Tapping the giant horn in the level will eventually result in the woman stationed that to blow out the first few notes from the song Careless Whisper by George Michael.
===Frozen Rapids===
*When the longboat enters the screen it does so in reverse, resulting in it beeping in the same way large vehicles do to announce their presence to other drivers and pedestrians.
*The four secret agents are the Penguins of Madagascar
===Northerners' Village===
*This level contains a few references to Game of Thrones. Arkuz refers to himself as the King of the North, a title given to several people over the course of the series. 
*Also present is a large man holding a door. This and the subsequent Achievement is referring to the character Hodor and his origin story coming full circle as he holds the door.
*The Draugr first introduced in this level (though based on the mythical creatures of the same name) are an analogy to the White Walkers that plague the people of the North.
*When the level is completed, a ladder drops down from Arkuz's dragon which he grabs on to before being flown away. This is similar to ladders being dropped from helicopters in many action films.
===Jokull's Nest===
* Replaying this level on Iron or Heroic finds Arkuz frozen in place at Jokull's former resting place. Surrounding him are four more statues of Demon Imps. Repeated tapping of Arkuz chips away the ice around him until all that is left is a ballerina's body with his head and axe on top.
===Otil Farmlands===
* The pre-battle music is a remix of the original music from the first Kingdom Rush game, reflecting the return to Linirean soil after all this time.
===City of Lozagon===
*There is a waste bin with a recycling symbol on it near Magnus Spellbane's structure.
===Lightseeker Camp===
*Gerald Lightseeker's fortress is similar in shape and structure to the Footmen Barracks from the first Kingdom Rush, albeit with improved design.
*Replaying this level on Iron or Heroic sees the Goblins have invaded Gerald's fortress. The sword, shield, banner and flag has been pulled down, with party banners in their place and a pair of Y-fronts on the flagpole. Three Goblins are partying with red cups, one is sunning itself on the bed and the butler is standing dutifully by, barbecuing some meat.
Category:Kingdom Rush Franchise
Category:Kingdom Rush: Vengeance