Cultural references

In the Baldur's Gate series, there are numerous references to books, other video games, movies, plays, television shows, music and more subjects of pop culture or history, inserted by the developers. This page tries to list them all.

Note: This list is far from complete, and additions are welcome.

A Few Good Men

• In a dialogue with a militia captain, which is part of the Betrayal at the Gates quest, protagonist can answer with a line "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!", which is a direct reference to a famous line from A Few Good Men.

Battlestar Galactica

• Jaheira's comment "By your command." – spoken in a monotonous, robotic manner – is very similar to the way the Cylons in the original Battlestar Galactica series would acknowledge an order given to them.

Bhagavad Gita

• Xzar's "I am become death, destroyer of worlds!" is a reference to a line from the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu holy scripture. It has gained much fame when Oppenheimer, one of the 'fathers of the atomic bomb', cited it after the nuclear test Trinity.

Breaking Bad

• In a dialogue with Dorn, the player can choose to reply "I am not in danger, Dorn. I am the danger". This is a direct reference to the famous quote in the crime drama TV-show Breaking Bad.

Cyrano de Bergerac

• The attempted seduction of Lady Irlana by Garrick with the help of the gnome Cyrando in the Athkatla Temple District in Shadows of Amn mirrors the balcony scene of the play Cyrano de Bergerac, where Cyrano feeds lines to the similarly inarticulate Christian, in a succesful attempt to seduce Roxane.

Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)

• The paintings in the upper left area of Adventurer Mart are pixelated screenshots of two characters from the 1980s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. The painting on the left is of Hank the Ranger and the painting on the right is of Bobby the Barbarian. The text displayed when examining the portraits alludes to the "dimunutive barbarian", referencing the fact Bobby was an 8-year-old kid, his "pet unicorn smaller than he", being Uni the Unicorn, the baby unicorn who functions as the party's pet, Hank's portrait says they were "attempting to return to their homeland far away" referencing the plot of the show being the cast of characters having been sucked into the game from the real world, and both paintings reference the party being killed by Tiamat, which is a reference to the very first episode of the show where a party of adolescents sucked into a magic realm were expected to do battle with the aforementioned five-headed god of evil chromatic dragons.

Edgar Allan Poe

• Poe, a 'poet' on the Firewine Bridge, is a reference to the 19th century poet and author Edgar Allan Poe.

Faust

• The quest Rescue Marlowe's Daughter is a reference to the legend of Faust, which is about a man who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for power and knowledge. Marlowe and Vongoethe refer to Christopher Marlowe and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, both of whom wrote their own versions of the legend.

Galileo Galilei

• Near Beregost's temple, an astrologer by the name of Galileus can be met. Both his dialogue and name are references to the Italian astronomer Galileo of the Renaissance period.

"Get Together"

• Alora's line "C'mon, people, now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together; try to love one another right now." are lyrics from the song "Get Together" by The Youngbloods.

Goody-two-shoes

• Cespenar comments, when presented with the Paladin's Bracers, "I think I sees bracers of goody-two-shoesness!", referring to the phrase "goody-two-shoes", or "goody two shoes", which is based on "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes" and used for excessively virtuous persons – as in paladins.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

• In Siege of Dragonspear, in the Underground River area, Anji will say "Aw, hells, here we go again..." when you drop a Potion of Fire Breath into the campfire. This is a reference to the "Ah shit, here we go again" opening line of the 2004 action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

• In The Black Pits, the 'Tier 1' battle How to Raise the Dead and Influence People is a reference to the 1936 self-help book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

• Near the ruined temple of Amaunator, north of the Umar Hills, is a room with letters of the alphabet on the floor. To gain access to the rooms beyond, these letters have to be crossed in the right sequence, spelling the name of the god AMAUNATOR, otherwise the crossing character is struck by a Flame Strike. This is a reference to the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where a similar trap guards the resting place of the Holy Grail.

"Jabberwocky"

• Montaron's line "I warrant your attention?! Oh frabjous day, callooh callay!" is a reference to Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem "Jabberwocky".

Leonardo da Vinci

Gondsman Leonardo's Helical Aerial Wonder

Da Vinci's ornithopter with a helical rotor (top)

• In the Hall of Wonders, a vehicle described as 'Gondsman Leonardo's Helical Aerial Wonder' is displayed near the front entrance, closely resembling Leonardo da Vinci's design for an ornithopter.

"Little Red Riding Hood"

• Cespenar asks, when presented with the Thieves' Hood, "A hood? You off to visits grandmother or what?", referring to Little Red Riding Hood who is on the way to her grandmother.

Michael Jackson

• Cespenar asks, when presented with the Bard's Gloves, "Here's a glove. Only one? What is you, a rock star?", referring to Michael Jackson's trademark of wearing a single glove.

Newhart

• Larry, Darryl, and Darryl – a kobold, a xvart and a tasloi – can be met in the Fire Leaf Forest. They are an homage to characters of the same name, the 'Do Anything for a Buck' trio from the 1982–1990 sitcom Newhart.

Of Mice and Men

• Xzar's line "Ahh, tell me 'bout the rabbits." is a reference to a mentally disabled man named Lenny from John Steinbeck's 1937 play Of Mice and Men, whose dream it was to start a rabbit farm.

Porky Pig

• Khalid's line "Th-th-th-that's all, f-folks!" is the catchphrase of the Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes character Porky Pig.

Predator

• Shar-Teel's line "If it bleeds, I can kill it." is almost identical to a line from the film Predator, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger's character utters similar words.

Rocky and Bullwinkle

• In many areas of the map in both Baldur's Gate I & II, one may find a Moose and a Squirrel near each other, making reference to the 1959 cartoon series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. The villain in the TV show, Boris Badenov, refers to the heroes as "Moose and Squirrel."

Spider-Man

• In the Black Pits, the 'Tier 2' battle Unfriendly Neighborhood Spider Man is a clear reference to the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man.

Star Trek

• In The Black Pits, the 'Tier 2' battle Red Shirt Wizards is a reference to the infamous 'redshirts' from Star Trek: The Original Series: crew members who frequently die on missions, to emphasize the danger posed to the main characters.
• The Chesley Crusher is a reference to the character Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• Elan Garaq is a reference to Elim Garak from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as they are both tailors and have very similar names.
• Neera's Companion Quest shows a lot of references to Star Trek. Reginald (from Star Trek: The Next Generation), Hayes (as in Major Hayes from Star Trek: Enterprise), Gul... (as in the Cardassian military title). Neera could be a substraction of name and surname of Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Daxus (Dax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
• Worf in Star Trek is portrayed by Michael Dorn. The character Dorn in Baldur's Gate shares some characteristics with Worf as in being a gruff honor-bound warrior.

Star Wars

• The wild mage Adoy is a reference to Yoda from the Star Wars franchise. Both are old, wise and powerful individuals, and both are depicted as living in caves (though Adoy is actually being held captive there). Of course it's also "Yoda" spelled backwards.

The Black Company

• Dorotea and Senjak are a reference to the book series The Black Company, where Dorotea Senjak is the birth name of Lady.

The Blair Witch Project

• When visiting Imnesvale to Investigate the Deaths in the Umar Hills, Vincenzo, the Innkeep of the village, has tales to tell about Umar the Witch who once took people into the hills to torture and mutilate them. If inquiring, he mentions a group of three mage apprentices who were looking after the witch some years ago and never were found again. He then might hand out the woman's journal which reveals the names of the two male mages, Joshellus and Michaelus. The story about the witch is a reference to the 1999 supernatural horror film The Blair Witch Project, as are the apprentices – the students Josh and Mike in the movie – and finally the women's reaction in the journal.

The Elder Scrolls

• In the biography of Zelnick, a member of the pre-generated party for The Black Pits, it's mentioned that he once had a memorable encounter with "a particularly lusty Argonian maid," referring to The Lusty Argonian Maid, a series of books in The Elder Scrolls.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

• Eldoth's line "Only shallow people don't judge by appearance" is a reference to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray as Eldoth is a perfect representation of the decadent artist.

The Ren & Stimpy Show

• Alora's line "I don't think you're happy enough! I'll teach you to be happy!" and the one immediately following it, "Happy happy joy joy, happy happy joy joy!",  are references to the "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" song from The Ren & Stimpy Show.

The Silence of the Lambs

• Xzar's line "I ate his liver with a nice Chianti and some fava beans." is a reference to the famous quote "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti," spoken by Hannibal Lecter in the film The Silence of the Lambs. Lecter's quote is ranked twenty-one on "100 Movie Quotes" from the American Film Institute's 100 Years series.

The Simpsons

• Quayle's line "I am so smart! S M R T! I—I mean S M A R T!" is nearly identical to what The Simpsons character Homer Simpson sings after setting fire to his high school diploma.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

• Larz, one of three apprentices of Gorion's Ward as a wizard and owner of the Mage Stronghold, can be heard saying "I shall make the broom dance," a reference to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" in which the protagonist enchants a broom to do the work for him.

The Walking Dead

• The undead, raised by Kryll during Dorn Il-Khan's quest, are references to characters from The Walking Dead: Glenn, Lori, Rick and Shane.

The Wizard of Oz

• Quayle's line "I wile away the hours, conferring with the flowers, consulting with the rain." is a reference to the song "If I Only Had a Brain" from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
• Narcillicus Harwilliger Neen is a mage doing enchantments to control slimes, jellies, and oozes. So, technically, a... wizard of Ooze.

"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"

• Dynaheir's line "These boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do." is a reference to the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", sung by Nancy Sinatra.

Total Recall

• In Baldur's Gate II in the Wild Forest area, one may encounter the mysterious character Quaid, who is a reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Quaid in the 1990 movie Total Recall. If one speaks to Quaid too long, he devolves into shouting "A FORTNIGHT! A FORTNIGHT!" in a distorted-machine voice, referencing the scene in Total Recall where Quaid's disguise malfunctions, resulting in the distorted voice saying "Two weeks."

Unforgiven

• Jan Jansen's tale to Korgan of his ruthless uncle Uriah Twin-Hammers is a reference to the movie Unforgiven, as he quotes the movie line "I've killed women and children. I've killed everything that walks or crawls on this earth. And now I'm here to kill you." while facing the hero Clint Hackman, whose name is composed of the two main actors' names, Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.

Wolverine

• Bub Snikt is a reference to the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. "Snikt" refers to the 'sound' that's shown in the comics to accompany the popping out of his claws, and "Bub" is a nickname, Wolverine gives just about everyone he meets. Like Wolverine, Bub Snikt also appears to have a heightened sense of smell. And lastly, he makes a similar comment when replying to "You seem pretty good at what you do." with "You could say that. Ain't pretty though," whereas Wolverine's catchphrase is "I'm the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn't very nice…"