World of Warcraft is a game for geeks made by geeks. And there are few things we geeks love more than pop culture references. Heck, it’s one of the reasons Family Guy is still on the air. Whether it’s a Simpsons quote, a cleverly used song lyric, or taking something up to 11, pop culture references are the back bone of, well, pop culture. So it should come as no surprise that World of Warcraft is filled to the brim with pop culture references. Seriously, they made a list.

Make love, not Warcraft

The best references, in my opinion, are the characters who are designed and named after other pop culture characters. There are tens of thousands of characters in World of Warcraft, from dragon warlords to murloc fishermen to orc janitors. The game is bursting with digital life. And if you know where to look, and check every nook and cranny, you might just find some of the clever pop culture characters, little in-jokes from those geeks to us geeks. Here are my six favorite!

6. Mario and Luigi

Super Larion Bros.

Say hello to Muigin and Larion, a pair of mustachioed misfits in red and green overalls hanging out in Un’goro Crater. The two of them hang around carrying big, wooden mallets and complaining about each other. They’ve got a few quests between them, if you’re so willing. It seems that Warcraft simply switched the first letters on each name, then added the letter ‘N’ at the end…possibly for ‘Nintendo’? Un’Goro Crater is actually full of Nintendo references. There’s a cave full of barrel-throwing gorillas, and there once was a quest that had you save a gnome dressed in green named Linken.

5. Kaylee and Saffron

Take my love, take my land…

Oh Firefly, you may be the most popular and beloved 10-episode television show of all time. There are all sorts of Firefly references in WoW, from Mudder’s Milk to the Lasitor to the pet firefly (the insect). You can also meet K. Lee Smallfry, the cute little redheaded gnome engineer in Zangarmarsh. Or maybe Saffron Reynolds, the poison vendor in the Grizzly Hills. It’s no coincidence that she’s standing near a character named ‘Yolanda’. There’s also an innkeeper named Inaara, though the resemblance is a little off. I’m patiently waiting for the Jaynestown song to show up somewhere.

4. Bambi

Very idyllic

Far out in the forests of the Grizzly Hills, in a quiet little meadow near the Westfall Brigade, you may happen upon a cute little scene: a young deer named Bambina, an older deer named Mother of Bambina, a bunny rabbit named Thudder, and a cute little skunk named Flora walking along, minding their own business. It’s an adorable little scene. But then sometimes a hunter will come along and shoot Mother of Bambina! And then Bambina will turn into a giant red rage monster and declare vengeance on the hunter, tearing him to shreds! Because this is Warcraft, not some Disney cartoon.

3. Voltron

Form Blazing Sword…with +10 attack!

Of all the cartoons I loved as a kid in the 80s, Voltron is the one I’m most afraid to revisit. I can’t imagine those old Japanimation episodes could possibly stand up on their own outside of the warm glow of nostalgia. But fear aside, Voltron is just plain awesome, and you can find it in World of Warcraft…but you have to work for it, literally. If your character has the jewelcrafting profession – meaning they can make magic rings and amulets – you’ll eventually train up high enough to craft a set of four crystallized panther mounts, for riding. You make a red, a blue, a yellow and a green panther, and then when you combine the four of them together, you can make a black one. Red, blue, yellow, green and black cats? That’s Voltron, baby!

2. Wolverine

The best there is at what he does…

There are too few X-Men references in Warcraft, but there’s at least one, and it’s adorable. This is Loguhn, and he’s a member of the Wolvar race of wolverine-people. Have you made the connection yet? It should be noted, of course, that Loguhn is wielding a pair of three-pronged claw weapons on each hand. Loguhn is the leader of the Snowfall Tribe in Northrend, and you’re ordered to kill him in one of your quests. Something tells me he never really dies and just limps away to heal. I also hope WoW created a ‘SNIKT’ sound for the battle.

1. He-Man

By the power of Grey Skull!

Behold the greatest pop culture reference in all of Azeroth: Adam Eternum, otherwise known as He-Man, from the Masters of the Universe! You can find him in Shattrath city, battlemaster for the Alliance. Not only is he a dead ringer for Prince Adam’s alter-ego, but Blizzard went above and beyond the call of duty in creating this reference.  Adam Eternum (named for He-Man’s kingdom, Eternia) is not alone, Blizzard went and made all of his friends  as well. (Though sadly, no Ram-Man).

He’s got Oric Coe, modeled after Orko.

Everybody remember Orko?

He’s got Battle-Tiger, sitting behind him.

There are green and orange tigers in the game, just not him

And nearby, you will find his arch nemesis, Keldor the Lost. Otherwise known as Skeletor! He’s the battlemaster for the Horde in Shattrath.

Booyah!

Now that is some amazing geekery. My hat is off to the designers at World of Warcraft.

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