List of pop culture references in the Spiral Games Universe

This is a list of pop culture references in Spiral Games Universe media. Not all of the references listed on this article are 100% confirmed, though they are included if there is significant belief that the given reference was made.
If you disagree with the accuracy of any reference listed or would like to suggest one, feel free to discuss it on the talk page.
==Wizard101==
===Movies===
*
**In the Chamber of the Frozen Sun inside the Solar Arc in Khrysalis, the Ice Angler speaks in lyrics from the song "Let It Go" from the Disney movie . His companion, Adele Dazeem, is a reference to actor John Travolta's severe mispronunciation of singer Idina Menzel's name when introducing her to sing "Let It Go" at the 2014 Academy Awards.
*
**In the Azteca side quest "The Sea of Fire," the player throws the cursed amulet, the Sign of Chancay, into lava on the Isla del Fuego. Once this is done, Grandmother Raven rhetorically asks "What is it about cursed artifacts and volcanoes?", a clear reference to the being cast into in .
**In Karamelle, King Gobbsmack's advisor and translator is Goba Wyrmtongue. This is a clear reference to , a character who, in a similar role to the character in Wizard101, is an advisor to a king, King .
*
** The Wallaru boss Freddy Kroaker in The Dreaming is a reference to the character Freddy Kreuger in the film series Nightmare on Elm Street. This is also apparent in the boss' cheats regarding being "Nightmare Prone" and "Living Nightmare" item card that is given to The Wizard.
*
**In Zafaria, a Golden Idol can be seen in the possession of Belloq. This Idol is based on the Chachapoyan Fertility Idol from the 1981 film .
* (Skywalker Saga, Episodes I-IX)
**In Zafaria, the elephant Hannibal Onetusk is based on .
**In the first fight of the Graveyard instance in Darkmoor, the text for one of Yevgeny NightCreeper's cheats is "Klaatu Barada Nikto". The Klaatu, Barada, and Nikto are all fictional species in the Star Wars universe.
**In the Mirage quest "Istanboa Was Catstantinople", upon encountering Teddy Hairkonnen in Tetrus Prison she says "Hey! Aren't you a little short for a Guard?" which is a reference to a line says to Luke Skywalker after coming into her Death Star cell in stormtrooper armor in the original Star Wars film (1977); "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"
**In Mirage, the Thieves' Den is based on Jabba's Palace as originally seen in (1983). The Rain Core is a reference to the that Luke Skywalker encounters in the film, and the bounty hunter snake Boa Fett is named after and based on the bounty hunter .
**The Karamelle storyline quest "The Cabal Strikes Back" is a reference to the title of Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back.
**In Khrysalis's Alcazar of Radiant Judgement, the Sugar Glider NPC Allderan NoMoon's name is a reference to Star Wars; Alderaan, the planet that is destroyed by the Death Star in the film, and NoMoon, a reference to a line by Obi-Wan Kenobi where he says about said Death Star: "That's no moon, that's a space station." NoMoon even refers directly to the Death Star in the Wizard101 quest "Telescopic Memory"; when trying to remember her name, she says: "My name was Allderan... DeathStar?"
*Saving Private Ryan
**The Krokotopia storyline quest "Saving Private O'Ryan" is a reference to the title of the 1998 film .
*The Breakfast Club
**The entire Wysteria side quest "The Brunching Club" is a reference to the 1985 film The Breakfast Club.
===Television===
*
**The Karamelle storyline quest "Nana Nana Nana Nana Pet Man!" is a reference to the infamous lyrics from the 1966 Batman television series.
*
**Mr. Frond is the name of several Treant creatures that are fought during the first two levels of the third Stage of the Life Deckathalon event. These are probably a reference to the character Phillip Frond (known as Mr. Frond) from the television series .
*''
**Gob the Builder in Gobblerton is an "unlicensed handygobbler" that does repairs on the Gobblerton Factory. This is a reference to the Bob the Builder character in the British kids television show. Another reference to Bob the Builder may be found in the Production Junction with a sign that says "Nana Loves a Hard Worker" with a yellow hard hat that looks similar to his. 
*
**The Professor is based on , the protagonist of .
***The first incarnation seen in the game is a mash-up of the different incarnations seen in the show, with his appearance including a scarf, bow tie, trench coat, and shoes. The scarf is signature of the , the trench coat and Converse is signature of the , and the bow tie is signature of the .
***The second, female incarnation introduced in the Doomsday Krok Gauntlet is mostly based on the , while also retaining the Eleventh Doctor's bow tie.
**Rose Piper, an NPC seen inside the B.O.X. that sells recipes, is named after the and Tenth Doctor's companion, , and the actress that plays her, .
**Harq' Ness, an NPC selling clothing items inside of the B.O.X. in the Doomsday Krok Gauntlet instance, is named after Captain .
**In the Doomsday Krok Gauntlet, the Professor tells the player to use her Doohickey to "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow." This is directly lifted from the show, and is a recurring phrase that was first uttered by the in a 1972 episode.
*
**The Lemuria quest "Looney Attunes" is a reference to Warner Brothers' animated media franchise . The short films grew to worldwide success with its iconic characters such as starring in various spinoffs and adaptations and becoming mascots for the Marriott's Great America and later theme parks.
* 
**The Grandmaster Artisan quest is named "That Seven Seas Show", which is a reference to the television series .
=== Video games===
* 
**The Karamelle storyline quest "Brudel Legend" is a reference to the title of the 2009 video game .
*
**The Wallaru quest "Red Ned Redemption" is a reference to the Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo Switch western shooting game Red Dead Redemption. 
*
** In the Caravan in Mirage, you can find two NPCs named Pally PackMan and Percy PackMan, based on the characters of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man from the video game series.
*
**In Tyrian Gorge in Khrysalis, you can find an NPC named Z'ur Grush. This is a reference to StarCraft's "Zerg rush", in which the bug-like Zerg species attacks an enemy base en masse, overwhelming them by sheer numbers.
*
**A side quest in Karamelle named "The Wizardful 101" is most likely a reference to the 2013 video game .
===Books===
*
**Brandon Mistborn is most likely named after , the author of the epic fantasy novel series.
*
**The Lemuria quest "Where the Wildlands Are" is most likely a reference to the 1963 children's book by . In the book, a boy named Max sails to an island with monsters called Wild Things. He becomes their king, but after a while Max feels lonely and sails back home to his bedroom. A directed by was notably released in 2009.
===Comics===
*
**Buck Gordon is a combination of science fiction space opera comic strip protagonists Buck Rogers and , the latter of which was created to compete with Rogers. Buck Rogers was created by and first appeared in U.S. newspapers in January 1929.
*
**Mandar is based on , particularly his portrayal by in the eponymous . The character was originally created by , first appearing in in December 1932.
**Moth-Amon, a central figure in Mandoria, is based on a combination of Thoth-Amon and , according to Adam Roush. Both are villainous wizards associated with Conan the Barbarian, and all of these characters were created by . Thulsa Doom was previously referenced in the Spiral Games Universe with the character Thulsa Dune, mentioned in The Modern Adventures of Stallion Quartermane #5.
*
**According to Adam Roush, Morg the Merciless is based on the character from the comic strip and related media. Ming was the main villain of the comic who rules the planet . Additionally, Buck Gordon is based on a combination of comic strip protagonists (and competitors) Flash Gordon and . Flash Gordon was a later invention of and intended to be a competing comic strip to Buck Rogers, and first appeared in January 1934.
*
**In the Balance School side quest "Crystal Command," the jeweler Jared Banks states that the Harmonious Crystal is the most impressive crystal he's seen since a "young clerk from Kent" brought a "green one" in to his shop a long time ago. This is probably a reference to and the fictional mineral .
**In Empyrea Parts 1 and 2, many of the Cabal characters are based on various DC Comics villains.
***Baane is based on .
***Dynt is based on .
***Killer Krok is based on .
***Le Pingouin is based on the .
***Poison Oak is based on , notably gender swapped.
***Qhatlady is based on .
***Quizzler is a mash-up of the and the .
**The Hall of Heroes in Telos is obviously based on the , the fictional headquarters of the that made its first appearance in the 1970s animated series and later appeared prominently in Justice League-related comic titles.
* 
**The Bantam is based on the , a fictional costumed crime fighter created by who is the protagonist of the comic strip and notably operates from the fictional African country of , not too different than the jungles of Lemuria. He is also also known as Kit Walker, which was referenced with the Bantam's real name being Kit Bawker. The Phantom's suit is purple and black, just like the Bantam. The comic strip first premiered in February 1936.
*
**In Khrysalis Part 2, Kravenly the Hunter is a warlord working for Morganthe that controls the armaments of Banyan Tower. He is based on the villain .
** The Attunement Stones in Lemuria are probably a nod to the , six fictional gems in the Marvel Comics universe that are named after and embody different aspects of existence. In Wizard101, they represent different schools of magic.
** Zolomon, a spider boss in Wallaru, has cheat dialogue that says "Spiders of the multiverse!" This is likely a reference to the Spider-Man and Spider-verse comics.
=== Music===
*
**The Zafarian boat Dancing Queen is a reference to the 1975 song of the same name by Swedish group . The quest "You Can Jive" is a direct reference to lyrics from the song.
*
**The Empyrea quests "Stream On" and "Dude Looks Like a Lion" are references to the songs "" and "" by the band . Tyler, the dwarf Aero Smith (profession named after the band) that starts and ends the quest in the Southwest Aero Plains, is named after Aerosmith lead singer , with the dwarf's voice being based on the singer's.
*
**The Dragonspyre storyline quest "The Final Countdown" is a reference to the song of the same name by Swedish rock band Europe.
*
**A creature featured in the Baddle of the Bands one-shot gauntlet is Motley Crew, and says "You look like you want sumthin' for nothin'," and "you think you got the looks that kill," a reference to their songs "looks that kill" and "sumthin' for nothin'".
*
**The boss Papa Jacobo In Ruined Alcazar is based on Jacoby Shaddix, the lead singer of the grammy-nominated rock band Papa Roach. As such, the boss is a large roach. The speech that the boss says comes from their song "Last Resort", but changes part of the lyric of "I'm hungry, feeding on chaos and living in sin" to be "living in shadow" instead of sin.
*
**The Pet Shoppe Boys Pet Shop in Wizard City's Pet Pavilion is named after the British pop duo . Both of the members of the duo's names were incorporated into the NPCs. Tennant Wastelander is named after , and Lowe Springfield is named after . The last name "Springfield" is a reference to British soul singer , who sang on Pet Shop Boys' 1987 song "". 
*
**The Celestia storyline quest "Dark Side of the Moon" is a reference to the 1973 album .
*
**The Karamelle storyline quest "Mage Against the Machine" is a reference to the name of the band .
*
**In the Azteca storyline quest "Song of the Swamp," the player follows tracks from the Storm Caiman's Celestial Bow in the Mangrove Marsh into a cave and discovers the Mana Gemstone to be in the possession of Quilla Blood Sky. After defeating them, Quilla says "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel... fine." This is a reference to the 1987 song "" by American rock band 
*
**The Azteca storyline quest "Black Hole Moon" is a reference to the song "" by the band . 
* 
**In the Khrysalis storyline quest "Rat in a Cage", bee liutenant Ozzric exclaims that "Despite all your rage, you're still rats in a cage!", followed by "Smashed, like a pumpkin!". The first phrase and quest name are lyrics from the Smashing Pumpkins song "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", with the second phrase referring to the band's name.
*
**One of the creatures featured in the Baddle of the Bands one-shot gauntlet is Dee Snidee, who says " You're so condescending, and your gall is never ending," a line from the song "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister. Their lead singer is Dee Snider. 
*Other 
**Mr. Sandman, a creature found on first and second floors of the tenth Stage of the Balance Deckathalon, is mostly likely named after the song "," which was written by in 1954. The most famous recording of the song was released the same year by .
**In the Wallaru quest "Ride or Cry", the Emu Rider speaks in a rhyme that goes "One, two, the water don't belong to you. Three, four, you lie no more! Five, six, seven, eight, you have just sealed your fate!" The dialogue is a reference to the popular children's nursery rhyme from the 1800s, "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe", and continues throughout Wallaru from various other characters including Furryosa.
===Theatre===
*
**Dialogue among the Protesctor of the Fang in The Vault of Ice quote the lines of the witches in Macbeth:
***"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
===Other===
*In the Mirage storyline quest "The Eerem Tablet," a Qhat named Shrowdenger's Qhat is encountered. The character explains that the Ancient Ones wanted to pose the ultimate question of how an individual would know if a Qhat was alive or dead after sealing them in a box, and insists the answer is that the Qhat is both alive and dead at the same time. This is a reference to the real-world thought experiment of .
*Mohn'ti Python, a Rank 4 Boss creature fought during the third Stage of Beastmoon Monster Mayhem events, is named after British surreal comedy troupe .
*Oculus Swift, a Rank 3 creature found during the third level of the third Stage of the Myth Deckathalon event, is probably named after the virtual reality headset .
*The Wallaru quest "Desperate Times, Desperate Dingoes" has The Wizard go to "Outback Stake House", a reference to the restaurant chain Outback Steak House.
==Pirate101==
===Movies=== 
*
**The Bird With No Name is a reference to the character, The Man With No Name, from 1964 film A Fistful of Dollars.
***Quest title "A Fistful of Mallards" is a reference to the film title.
*
**Egg Shen is named after the character of the same name from the film, Big Trouble in Little China.
*
**After defeating the Temple Guardians during the quest "Crimson Tide", one of them recites a version of the from the 1982 film Blade Runner.
*
**Waco Kid is named after the character of the same from the film, Blazing Saddles.
*
**Butch Chickadee and The Sundance Kid are named after the titular characters from the film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
*
**Character Crokagator Dundee is named after the titular character from the film Crocodile Dundee.
*
**Quest title "Chances with Wolves" is a reference to the film, Dances with Wolves.
*
**Quest title "Dazed and Confused" is named after the 1993 film of the same name.
*
**Dr. Noh is named after the James Bond film, Dr. No.
*
**Danny Ratso is a play on the name of the main character of Grease, Danny Zuko.
*
**The Frogfather is named after the 1972 American film and character portrayed by Marlon Brando, The Godfather.
*
**Guardian of the Paw and The Monkey's Paw may be a reference to the plot of the film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, with the Monkey's Paw being a reference as the Holy Grail. 
***Guardian of the Paw quote, "You have chosen... wisely.", is a reference to a line from the film.
*
**Brody and his ship, Amity, are named after the character Martin Brody and town of Amity in 1975 American film, Jaws.
***Following his rescue from The Pirate, Brody exclaims, "I need a bigger boat!"
**Peter Quint is named after the Jaws character, Quint. 
*
**The Magnificent Seven are modeled after the film of the same name, in which seven lawmen team up to fight against crime. However, the members are not referenced, and instead named after real historical figures.
*
**Libirdy Valance is named after the titular character of John Wayne film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
*
**Quest title The Moo Manchurian Candidate is based upon the film, The Manchurian Candidate starring Frank Sinatra.
*
**Quest title "On Golden Frond" is a reference to the 1981 film, On Golden Pond.
*
**Josey Quails is named after Josey Wales, a character from the Western film, The Outlaw Josey Wales.
*
**Gazpaccio is a reference to the character Gepetto from Pinocchio, the character which builds Pinocchio.
*
**Quest title Curse of the Black Pearl is named after the Pirates of the Caribbean film of the same name.
*
**Miracle Mitch may be a reference to the character Miracle Max in 1987 American film, The Princess Bride.
*
**"Nasty" Nathan Birdett is named after character Nathan Burdette in Western film, Rio Bravo.
*
**Quest title "The Spaniel Prisoner" is a reference to the 1997 film, The Spanish Prisoner.
*
**Dos Amigos Y Uno are a reference to the titular trio from 1986 film, ¡Three Amigos!.
***El Guapo and his motives are modeled off of the Three Amigos character of the same name.
**It is likely Santo Pollo gets its name from the Three Amigos fictional town of Santa Poco.
*
**Quest title "Treasure of the Sierra Padre" is named after the film, Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
*
**English Bill, also known as the Duck of Death, is named after the character English Bob, who is known as the Duke of Death, from Western film Unforgiven.
*
**Quest title "Where man? Wereman!!", characters Glendon and Yogami, and the cure of mariphasa flowers are a reference to the 1930s film, Werewolf of London. 
* 
** Kobe Yojimbo is the starter companion for Buccaneers. He is likely named after the 1961 Japanese film Yojimbo, which follows a ronin in feudal Japan.
**Wagyu Sanjuro is likely named after the main character of Yojimbo, Sanjuro Kuwabatake.
===Television===
*
**Quest title "Drake-ing Bad" is a reference to the TV series, Breaking Bad.
*
**The Cisco Kid and Pancho Grilla are named after characters Cisco and Pancho respectively from TV series, The Cisco Kid.
*
**Captain Reynolds and Doctor Tam are named after characters Mal Reynolds and Simon Tam respectively from TV series, Firefly.
***Cobb, Mr. Washburne, and Mrs. Washburne are named after Jayne Cobb, Hoban “Wash” Washburne, and Zoe Washburne respectively.
*
**Quest title "Jumping the Shark" refers to an idiom originated from the TV series Happy Days, in which a character jumps over a live shark.
*
**Quest title "Orange is the New Lack" refers to the television series, Orange is the New Black.
*
**El Kaboing is named after the character, El Kabong, from cartoon series, The Quick Draw McGraw Show.
*
**Bones McCoy is named after the character Leonard “Bones” McCoy from sci-fi series, Star Trek.
*
**Captain Steed's comment, "You are perhaps a little short for an Armada trooper", is a reference to a scene in Star Wars: A New Hope, in which Leia comments, "Aren't you a little short for a Storm trooper?"
*
**Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah is named after a musical segment of the same name from The Jetsons.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suafkk2vWNI
*
**The Free Ranger and Tonka are based off of the characters the Lone Ranger and Tonto from The Lone Ranger, respectively.
***The ship The Silver Stallion is also a reference to the Lone Ranger's horse, named Silver.
*
**Jojo Mojo is a reference to the villain character, Mojo Jojo, from The Powerpuff Girls, who is also a monkey.
===Books=== 
*
**Captain Blood is named after the titular character in the novel, Captain Blood.
***Sabatini is named after the author of the novel, Rafael Sabatini.
*
**Characters Ebeneezer Scrooge and Cratchit are named after the characters of the same names from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
***Quest title Humbug! and quest events are also a reference, "humbug" being a frequent phrase Scrooge utters.
*
**Donkey Hotay is a reference to the titular character of Spanish novel, Don Quixote.
***La Mancha is the name of Quixote's hometown.
***Pancho Stanza is a reference to the character Sancho Panza, Quixote's sidekick.
*
**Quest title A Sayonara to Arms is a nod to Ernest Hemingway novel A Farewell to Arms.
*
**Moo Manchu is based upon the fictional character, Fu Manchu, who first appeared in short story, The Zayat Kiss. He has also made several film appearances and iterations in which Moo Manchu also takes influence from.
***Quest title The Mask of Moo Manchu from 1912 film .
***Quest title The Shadow of Moo Manchu from 1939 film .
*
**Shunzang's journey to Maruzame Castle is based on the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, in which a Buddhist monk, along with three celestial protectors and his dragon steed, travels to Central Asia seeking enlightenment.
***Shunzang is based on , who is himself based on the 7th-century monk .
***Monkey King is based on , also known as the Monkey King, a monkey with supernatural powers who accompanies Tang Sanzang after being imprisoned under a mountain as punishment for rebelling against heaven.
***Friar Sand is based on , a general of heaven who was exiled to Earth after breaking a valuable vase/goblet and cursed to reincarnate as a grisly ogre.
***Pigsy is based on , a marshal of heaven who was banished to Earth after drunkenly flirting with the goddess of the moon, where he reincarnated as a humanoid pig-like monster.
***Dragon Prince is based on the , a dragon prince and son of the Dragon King, , who serves as Tang Sanzang's steed on his journey.
*
**Quest title Kidnapped and characters Louis Stevenson, David Balfour, and Alan Breck are references to Robert Louis Steven and his novel, Kidnapped.
*
**Quest title "Lonely Dove" is a reference to the Western novel, Lonesome Dove.
***Lorena Larker, Gus McCrane, and Woodrow Caw are named after characters Lorena Wood, Gus McCrae, and Woodrow Call respectively.
*
**Captain Ahab is named after the character from the 1851 Herman Melville novel, Moby Dick.
*
**Quest title "Them Rats of Nim" is a reference to the novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
*
**Characters Mr. Brownlow, Bill Pikes, and Oliver Twist are named, some verbatim, after characters from the novel Oliver Twist. Bill Pikes' name in the original series is Bill Sikes.
*
**Ricky Ticky Tabby is named after the titular character in short story, Rikky Tikky Tavi by Rudyard Kipling.
*
**Mycroft Bones is a reference to the character Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes' older brother, from the Sherlock Holmes book series.
**Meowiarty named after the character Moriarty.
*
**Strong John Silver is a reference to the character Long John Silver from Scottish novel, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
**Blind Mew is named after Treasure Island character, Blind Pew.
*
**Ability True Grit is named after the Western novel, True Grit.
**Rooster Cogburn is named after the True Grit character, Reuben "Rooster" J. Cogburn, and specifically modeled after the John Wayne portrayal in its 1969 film adaptation.
* 
**El Toro is the alter ego currently assumed by Don Rodrigo de la Vega, protector of Santo Pollo. Rodrigo and his identity as El Toro are based on Zorro, a fictional character created by . Zorro (Spanish for 'fox') is a masked vigilante who protects the lower class and the indigenous peoples of California, and the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, the only son of the richest landowner in California, Don Alejandro de la Vega. Zorro eludes detection by the government by acting foppish and oblivious to hide his prowess and heroic exploits.
**Rodrigo is often seen using his rapier to carve the initial "T" in an act of bravado, similar to the carving of the letter "Z" done by Zorro.
===Comics===
*
**The Bronze Tiger is named after the DC Superhero character, Bronze Tiger.
===Music=== 
*
**Quest title "A Flock of Seagulls" is a reference to the band of the same name.
*
**Father McKenzie is the name of a character from Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby.
*
**Quest "Do Fear the Reaver" is a reference to the song Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult.
*
**Zeke's Quest to find the "Dixie Chicks" is a reference to the band of the same name.
*
**Chumba Wumba was a Waponi sumo wrestler and the final boss of Book 1. His name is a reference to British anarchist punk band . 
***Chumba Wumba can only be defeated by destroying the three idols present in the battleboard. If his health reaches zero, he instantly revives himself, prompting Bonnie Anne and Old Scratch to chime in with relevant lyrics from the chorus of the band's most well-known single, ("He gets knocked down, but he gets up again!", and "We never going to keep 'im down!")
***Defeating Chumba Wumba three times awards the player with the badge Tubthumper, in reference to the song . Chumba Wumba also has a chance to drop an exclusive weapon called Tubthumper.
*
**Quest title "Rock the Catspaw" is a reference to the song, Rock the Caspah by The Clash.
*
**Quest title Hamakala Chameleon is a reference to Culture Club song, Karma Chameleon.
*
**Quest title "Hungry Like the Wolf" is a reference to the song "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran.
*
**Quest title "Gypsy Kings" is a reference to the band Gipsy Kings.
*
**Marquis Mark is named after the hip-hop group, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch.
***Prospector Zeke's quest given in Skull Island is titled Marquis Mark and the Funky Bunch, a reference to the in-game character and group.
* 
**Earning the badge Tubthumper unlocks the ability for the player to purchase Oingo Boingo as a companion from the Crown Shop. Oingo Boingo is named after the American new wave band of the same name.
* 
**Martin Chambers and his ship, named The Pretender, is a reference to the rock band, "The Pretenders", and its drummer, Martin Chambers.
*
**The name of the Book 13, Chapter 33 storyline quest "Anarchy in the MB!" is a reference to the 1976 song "" by English punk rock band .
**Squid Viscous is a reference to musician Sid Vicious, bassist for the Sex Pistols. His name is a pun based on the slimy texture of a squid.
*
**Prospector Zeke quest "Shonen Knives" is named after the band, Shonen Knife.
* 
**The companion promotion quest "I've Got the Powder" for Louis LeBisque is a reference to the repeated lyrics "I've Got the Power" in the 1990 song "" by German Eurodance group .
*
**The Book 12 side quest "In the Sticks" involves the Pirate taking down two Inoshishi leaders from the "sticks", Jae Wai Yung and Tah Mee Shaw. The name of the quest is from Styx, an American rock band, and the bosses' names are references to two of the band's members, and . 
***The location that Jae Wai Yung and Tah Mee Shaw are found in, Dojo Arigato, is a pun based on the Japanese lyric "domo arigato" from the band's song .
***Jae Wai Yung recites lyrics from the band's song Renegade at the beginning of the dungeon ("The jig is up, the news is out, you finally found us") and after the battle ("Nevermore to go astray...").
***Tah Mee Shaw recites lyrics from the band's song Cold War at the beginning of the dungeon ("I say you're a thing of the past, and you ain't gonna last").
* 
**The Crown Shop companion Wu Tang is named after the American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, who were themselves named after the class of Chinese martial arts.
===Historical Figures===
*
**Bonnie Anne is one of the first companions the player meets after arriving in Skull Island. She is based on Anne Bonny, an Irish pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy who is widely known for being one of very few recorded female pirates in history.
*
**Bat Masterson is based on Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson, an American lawman and journalist.
*
**Billy the Kid is based on Henry McCarty, an American outlaw known as "Billy the Kid".
*
**Buffalo Bill is based on William Frederick Cody, an American showman and bison hunter known as "Buffalo Bill".
*
**Calamity Jane Canary is based on Martha Jane Canary, also known as "Calamity Jane", an American sharpshooter and frontierswoman who was known to be an acquaintance of and, at one point, a member of show.
*
**Crazy Horn is named after Lakota war leader, Crazy Horse. 
*
**Duck Holliday is based on John Henry Holliday, better known as "Doc Holliday", an American dentist, gunslinger, and close friend of .
***Doc Holliday struggled with tuburculosis for much of his life, which was ultimately the cause of his premature death in 1887. This is likely the inspiration for Duck Holliday's persistent cough during in-game dialogue.
* 
**Captain Horace Avery is the steward of Skull Island. He retired from pirating after securing his fortune during the Polarian Wars. He is likely based on Henry Every, also known as Henry Avery, who is widely regarded as one of the most successful pirates in history. Every is known for being one of very few pirate captains to end his career of piracy without being killed or arrested.
*
**Cao Tzu is based on Laozi, sometimes romanized as Lao Tzu, who is widely regarded as the founder of .
***The religion of Caoism is also based on Taoism.
*
**Marco Pollo is based on Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant and explorer who became famous for his travels on the Silk Road in the late 1200s.
***Marco Pollo's name is also a pun based on pollo, the Spanish word for "chicken".
* 
**Reedy Mary is Bonnie Anne's old shipmate who appears during her second promotion quest "Her Majesty's Secret Service". She is based on Mary Read, an English pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy who is well known along with Anne Bonny as being one of very few female pirates in recorded history.
*
**The Amber Horde is based on the , one of four Mongol Empire khanates in the 13th century. Many members of the Amber Horde are based on historical figures from the Mongol Empire.
***Subodai may be based on , Mongol general and military strategist to and 
***Qulpa is based on , khan of the Golden Horde from 1359 to 1360.
***Batu is based on , the founder of the Golden Horde.
***Guyuk is based on , third Khagan of the Mongol Empire.
***Ogudai may be based on , second ruler of the Mongol Empire and son of .
*
**Standing Bull is a bison spirit named after Lakota resistance leader, Sitting Bull.
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**Wild Bill Peacock is based on James Butler Hickok, better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, an American folk hero known for his career as a lawman, actor, and gunslinger.
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**The Wild Bunch is based on the gang of American outlaws of the same name who were active from the 19th century to the early 20th century.
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**Captain Kid is based on Captain William Kidd, one of the most famous pirates in recorded history. Kidd was a privateer commissioned to hunt down enemy pirates in the 17th century, but struggled to accomplish his goal. Upon his return from his voyage, however, he was denounced as a pirate himself and eventually tried and hanged in 1701.
===People===
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**Corporal Sanders is named after Colonel Sanders, founder of restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken.
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**Mr. Fry and Mr. Laurie are named after Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who performed as a comedic duo under the name Fry and Laurie.
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**Gilbert and Sullivan are named after dramatist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, likely referring to their theatrical partnership.
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**Rooster Cogburn's voice and personality is modeled after John Wayne's portrayal of the True Grit character, Reuben "Rooster" J. Cogburn, and its subsequent sequel, Rooster Cogburn.
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**Shelly Duvall is named after American actress, Shelley Duvall.
===Businesses/Companies===
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**The quest "One Good Favor" instructs The Pirate to defeat De Monte ships and gather 6 fruit crates. This is a reference to the Del Monte company who sells canned fruit and fruit cups. In addition, the De Monte Fleet Ships are green and gold, the same two colors used on Del Monte packaging.
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**The world Cool Ranch is named for Doritos Cool Ranch, a popular flavor of chips manufactured by the Doritos company. It is a word play on the word "ranch", which can refer both to a farm with livestock or a kind of salad dressing.
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**Frito Banditoad is named after the since-retired Fritos mascot, Frito Bandito.
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**Quest title "Tastes GrrrEAT!" is a play on the Frosted Flakes' cereal catchphrase, "They're grrrreat!".
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**Hidden Valley Ranch is a dock area and dungeon in Cool Ranch connected to the Cooper's Roost Skyway. This is a reference to the Hidden Valley company that sells ranch dressing, and is the market leader in salad dressings in the United States.
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**Corporal Iams, in addition to being a dog, is named after American pet food company, Iams.
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**Louie Mutton is based on Louis Vuitton, a high-end luxury fashion company named after the of the same name.
***His name is a punny portmanteau of "mutt" and "Vuitton".
===Theatre===
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**Don Giovanni is named after the Italian opera of the same name.
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**Quest title "If I Were a Rich Rooster" is named after the song, "If I Were a Rich Man" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
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**Quest title "Diamonds: A Girl's Best Friend?" is a reference to the song Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, a song from the musical, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
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**Quest title "The Hours Creep On Apace" refers to the song of the same name from opera, H.M.S. Pinafore. 
***Its instance quest, "Guilty Heart Is Quaking", refers to a lyric in the song.
**Quest title "Seldom What They Seem" refers to the song of the same name from opera, H.M.S. Pinafore. 
*
**Miss Owens is based upon the musical character, Annie Leonowens, and quest title Hannah and the King from Roger and Hammerstein musical The King and I.
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**Quest title Love's Locket Lost is a direct reference to the title of Love's Labour Lost, a play written by William Shakespeare.
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**Quest title "Doyle and Trouble" is a reference to the dialogue among the three witches in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, "toil and trouble".
**Superstition prevents actors from saying the word "Macbeth" aloud in a theatre, or else witches would curse the production and bring about bad luck. In the Accursed Play Gauntlet, when a student says "Macdeath", the students are possessed by phantoms. One of the possessed says "double, double, toil and trouble", taken from the Song of the Witches in MacBeth.
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**Donkey Hotay's dialogue, "As if I dream... an impossible dream." is a reference to the song "The Impossible Dream" from the musical, Man of La Mancha.
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**Iago is named after the character of the same name from William Shakespeare's Othello.
**Desdemona and her father, Count Brabanzio, are named after Othello's Desdemona and Brabantio.
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**Mabel and Governor Stanley are both names of character from musical The Pirates of Penzance.
***Sullivan's quote, "And her father is a major general!" is a reference to the Penzance song title, I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.
**Quest title "Upon Our Prey We Steal" and "With Catlike Thread" refer to The Pirates on Penzance song, With Cat-Like Tread, Upon Our Prey We Steal.
***Quest title "Very True, So They Do" refers to a lyric in the same song.
**Quest title "A Felon's Employment" refers to the song, "When a Felon's Not Engaged in His Employment" from The Pirates of Penzance.
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**Quest title "A Rose By Any Other Name is a direct reference to Romeo and Juliet quote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet".
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**Savoy Mercantile is named after English theatre venue, Savoy Theatre. It was made for its showcases of productions by Gilbert and Sullivan, to which the in-game duo of the same names are named after.
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**Mack the Shark's ship, named The Threepenny Rake, is a reference to the German play The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht.
**In quest "Bob's Your Uncle", Bob Carrington refers to the Pirate's mother as Pirate Jenny, the same name as the song Pirate Jenny from The Threepenny Opera.
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**Duke Orsino is named after the character Orsino from William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
===Other===
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**Egg Foo Yung is named after the Chinese omelette dish of the same name, which is itself thought to be named after fu yung egg slices, a Chinese recipe from .
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**General Tso is named after the popular deep-fried American Chinese chicken dish, General Tso's chicken. The dish itself is named in honor of , who was sometimes referred to as General Tso. 
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**Jonah Town is based on and named after the story of Jonah and the whale from the .
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**Aguirre quotes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "No thanks - we already got one!" and "I told you, we already got one!".
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**The Rat Pack gang is named after the 1950s entertainers group, The Rat Pack.
**The Rat Pack's members are named after members of the group: Martin Dean after , Sammy Davies after , and Frankie Blue Eyes after .
*
**Wing Chun is named after the Wing Chun style of Southern Chinese kung fu.
***The martial art is characterized by its utilization of rapid punches and close quarters hand-to-hand combat, similar to the combat style used by Wing Chun in-game.
==Notes and references==
Category:Real-world lists