Trivia

Kingdom Rush, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers and Kingdom Rush: Origins are all full of cultural references and easter eggs, all added by the developers. From spoken lines to background images, there are hundreds of references to film, TV, games, music and books rammed in. This page will explain where they all come from.

The name Gerald is an old Germanic name that means Rule of the Spear.

"Prepare for glory!" - Spoken by King Leonidas in the graphic novel/film 300
"Honor guide me!" - The first of several quotes taken from StarCraft, this is a confirmation quote for the Zealot unit.
"Come on, you wanna live forever?" - Censored version of the Daniel Daly's (American sergeant, he was decorated twice with Medal of Honor) quote - "Come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
"I will cleanse this land!" - The Wiki started by the developers states this is a quote from Diablo II. It is also a line from a song called The Cleansing by Nothing More.

Alleria Swiftwind

There is a character in Warcraft called Alleria Windrunner, who is also both an elf and an archer.

"Give me a target!" - A quote of the character Varus in the multiplayer online game League of Legends.
"If it bleeds, I can kill it!" - A riff on a line spoken by the character Dutch in the film Predator.
"Swift, like the wind!" - As swift as wind (Traditional Chinese: 故其疾如風) is a line from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, part of the verse "故其疾如風、其徐如林、侵掠如火、難知如陰、不動如山、動如雷霆" (Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest, in raiding and plundering be like fire, be as hard to know as the shadow, be immovable like a mountain, move as fast as lightning).
"Calm and careful" - A line spoken by Robin in the 2010 version of Robin Hood.

Malik Hammerfury

Malik (Arabic: ملك‎) (Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ‎) is a Semitic name, meaning king, chieftain.

"It's hammer time!" - A line taken from the song U Can't Touch This! by rapper MC Hammer.
"Can't touch this!' - A second line from the MC Hammer song, both this and Hammer Time have entered popular culture as catch phrases and are used in numerous sources.
"I pity the fool!" - A quote made by the character B.A.Barachus in the TV series The A-Team. B.A. is portrayed as a large bodied black man that nobody wants to mess with, much like Malik is portrayed in the game.

Bolin Farslayer

"I never miss!" - A line spoken by El Wray in the Grindhouse film Planet Terror.
"Hasta la vista baby!" - The catch phrase associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger's titular character in Terminator II: Judgement Day. "Hasta la vista" is a Spanish phrase meaning "see you later".
"Oh-ho, do you feel lucky, punk?" - A line spoken by Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry. The full line "I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" is understandably very long and therefore very hard to remember, which is why only the last part has become the most memorable.

Magnus Spellbane

The name Magnus is a late Latin word meaning Great. His name and his appearance are a nod to Magnus Bane, the warlock of the Shadowhunters Chronicles novel series.

"Hocus pocus" - Famous 'magic words' that usually take second place behind Abra Cadabra.
"Knowlege is power" - Translated from the Latin proverb 'Scientia potentia est', and commonly attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, it implies that having knowledge and education will make one greater or give them better potential in life than those who have no knowledge.
"Power, unlimited power!" - Words 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.
"It's a kind of magic" - A line spoken by Connor MacLeod in the film Highlander. It is more commonly known from the song A Kind of Magic by English rock band Queen. The song was made for the film, based on the spoken line.

Ignus

"Ignus" is similar to the latin word for "fire", "Ignis".

"Let's burn!" - A quote from StarCraft, this is the confirmation phrase used by the Firebat.
"Need a light?" - Another quote from the StarCraft Firebat.
"Fire and Brimstone!" - A term used to describe the wrath of God in the Old Testament. Brimstone is an archaic name for Sulfur, an element often associated with the acrid odour found near volcanic activity (hydrogen sulfide has the distinct smell of rotten eggs).
"By fire be purged!" - A quote from World of Warcraft made by the character Ragnaros, who is the master of all fire elementals.

King Denas

Denas' name is an anagram of 'Sande', the first surname of Gonzalo Sande (GONZASAN), a founder of Ironhide.

"Go ahead, make my day!" - A line spoken by Harry Callahan in the film Sudden Impact. The film is part of the Dirty Harry series, making it the second quote from the series, the first made by Bolin.

Elora Wintersong

"Winter is coming" - Motto of the House of Stark in A Song of Ice and Fire.
"Ice, ice, baby" - The name and lyric of a song by rapper Vanilla Ice. The song is well known for sharing the baseline of the song Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie.
"Cool!" - Meaning both cold and awesome.
"It's chilling time!" - A sleight on the phrase "It's clobberin' time!", the catch phrase of choice for The Thing from Marvel series The Fantastic Four. This phrase would later be used in it's original format for Frontiers hero Grawl.

Ingvar Bearclaw

The name Ingvar comes from the Norse name Yngvarr, derived from the alternate name of the god Freyr, and combined with the word arr meaning Warrior.

Norse Berserkers were warriors able to enter an uncontrollable trance of fury and rage that gave them great strength. In regards to the translation of the old Norse words, and the writings of them in Norse legend, they wore bear pelts and would undergo shape shifting though more like shifting into the state of rage rather than an actual form change.

"Bear with me" - He turns into a bear, so it's a funny.
"Valhalla awaits!" - A reference to Valhalla (the Norse afterlife for fallen warriors) but also a line from the song Valhalla Awaits Me by Amon Amarth.
"You wont like me when I'm angry." - Said by Bruce Banner before he turns into the Hulk.
"Until Ragnarok!" - Another song line, this time from In Chains Until Ragnarok by Enslaved. Ragnarok, or Ragnarök, in Norse Mythology, is the end of the worlds.

Oni

An Oni (Kanji: 鬼) is a demon in Japanese folklore, they are usually ugly looking with wide grins, horns, fangs and usually red or blue skin. Whilst usually malicious monsters that attack people, they can also be considered protective, as statues bearing their grimacing faces are found on buildings to ward of other spirits (like gargoyles found on European buildings for the same purpose). The Oni feature a great deal in Japanese culture, appearing in some form in numerous Manga, Anime and computer games.

"Off with their heads" - Said in several different forms, but popularly linked to the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland.
"Banzai!" - The Banzai charge is the term used by the Allied forces to refer to Japanese human wave attacks mounted by infantry units. This term came from the Japanese cry "Tenno Heika Banzai" (天皇陛下萬歲, "Long live the Emperor"), shortened to banzai, and it specifically refers to a tactic used by Japanese soldiers during the Pacific War.
"My blades are thirsty" - Google tells me this is a line of a song called 'Swordmaster' by Battlelore. It has a similar genre style as the songs that inspired lines for Ingvar Bearclaw.
"A good death" - A line spoken by Kasumoto in the film The Last Samurai.
"Death brings me honour" - When killed, Oni performs seppuku, the ritual suicide that samurai perform so they can die with honour.

Hacksaw

A Hacksaw is a type of blade used for cutting materials. They're usually used in the early stages of construction. Likewise, to refer to someone or something as 'a hack' is to say that it's not up to the standard that is expected of it. If someone is doing a hack job then they're not as good as a professional, and if something is considered a hack, then it's not as good at its purpose than a properly vetted one. Since Hacksaw is a gnome in a self constructed robot suit, both he and the suit could be considered 'hacks'.

"Timber! Hoo hoo haa haa!" - The laughing bit is a little odd, but Timber! is what lumberjacks and others in similar professions shout when a tree is being cut down, as a warning to those around to get the merry hell out of its way and avoid getting crushed. Sound advice. Timber is also the word used to describe wood intended to be used for construction.
"Cowabunga!" - Popularised by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character Michelangelo. It's surfer slang for "Whoo hoo!".
"Bazinga!" - Another phrase popularised by a TV character, this time Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. Again, it's a phrase meaning "That went well."
"Ridiculous!" - From the way it's spoken, it sounds like a take on the Riddikulus spell from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a spell used to turn a boggart's illusions back against it.
"I am not finished!" - Except he is finished. Dead.

Thor

Thor (Proto-Germanic: Þunraz, Old Norse: Þórr, Old English: Þunor, Old High German: Þonar) is the Germanic God of Strength, Thunder and War. Thor is now most commonly known as a character from the Marvel universe, both comic and film. The name Thor itself means Thunder.

"For Midgard!" - Midgard is the name used in Norse mythology to describe the realm of Earth, as oppose to Asgard, the realm of the gods. This phrase is commonly used by Marvel's Thor as a battle cry.
"I say thee nay, vile one!" - Another battle cry from Marvel's Thor, often when countering the attacks of a villain.
"Heavy Metal Thunder!!" - A line from the song Born to be Wild by rock band Steppenwolf. This is the second instance of this song being used for a quote as the song title itself is used by the Rangers Hideout.
"Wrath of the Heavens!" - Based on the title of the Playstation 2 action-stealth game Tenchu: Wrath of the Heaven.
"Mjolnir!!!" - Mjolnir is the name of the enchanted hammer that Thor carries.

Kingdom Rush: Frontiers

Alric

The name Alric is a variant of the Germanic name "Alaric" which means Ruler of All. The name is composed of two elements, ala (all) and ric (ruler).

"Blood and sand!"- Likely taken from the name Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the first season of an American TV series that ran from 2010-2013.
"Stay Frosty!" - A common turn of phrase used in many films and TV shows to mean "stay alert". It may also be a reference to a song of the same name by American rock band Valen Halen.
"Till shade is gone" - A quote said by the Aiel, a desert race featured in the book series Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (specifically the third book The Dragon Reborn). The full quote is "Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit into Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day."

Mirage

A mirage is a naturally occuring phenomena caused by the sun's ray bending to displace an object or area. A commonly portrayed mirage is that of an oasis of clean water being seen in the middle of a desert.

"They won't see me coming." - A quote made by the Variant in the online battle simulator Universe at War.

Cronan

Presumably named after Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian as they do share a similar appearance. Cronan's accent is very similar to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays the character in the 1982 film adaptation. The name Conan itself is Gaelic in origin and means 'little wolf'.

"The hunt is on!" - The name of an event that occurs between two characters in League of Legends. The phrase is also the tag-line for the 1990 film The Hunt For Red October, but this is unlikely to be the reference originally intended by the developers.
"Master. Beastmaster" - The catch phrase of 'Bond. James Bond."
"Danger is my trade!" - A line spoken by the character Kalidor in the 1985 film Red Sonja. Kalidor is played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"I'll be back - A further Schwarzenegger reference, spoken by the titular character in the 1984 film The Terminator.

Bruxa

The word 'Bruxa' is Portuguese for 'witch'

"The payment is fair." - A word of word line made by the character Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
"Crucio!" - The spoken word for the unforgivable torture spell used in the Harry Potter series (book and film), which unleashes unbearable pain upon the victim.
"The bones were drawn!" - Osteomancy (throwing oracle bones into fire) is a common method of divination of many religions.
Voodoo Doll - A doll made to represent a person with the intent that any actions performed upon the effigy will be transferred to the subject based on sympathetic magic, which is often associated with torture via burning or stabbing with pins in pop culture. In reality, so-called 'voodoo dolls' are not a part of Vodou at all. They originated in Europe where they were called 'poppets', and Vodou's actual use of dolls (which have nothing to do with sympathetic magic) was most likely mistaken for this by European onlookers.

Captain Blackthorne

"Ahoy matey!" - The greeting used by participants of the International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September).
"Where be the treasure?" - A common pirate phrase.
"Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho!" - A common pirate phrase.
"Hoist the Colours!" - Said by the pirates (kicked off by Elizabeth Swan) at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End when they face the Queens naval fleet.
Release the Kraken - Featured in the second Pirates of the Caribbean film Dead Man's Chest. The Kraken is a giant cephalopod monster of massive size that appears in lots of sea or myth based media. It is also a catchphrase spawned by the movie Clash of the Titans, in which the Kraken was released.

Nivus

"Excelsior!" - One of Stan Lee's (brainchild of Marvel Comics) most used phrases.
"A Wizard is never late!" - A line spoken by Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. The full quote is "A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to."
"Boomshakala!" - The key phrase from 1993 hit song Boom-Shak-A-Lak by Apache Indian. The song has been used in films and commercials across the world.
"Merlin's Pants!" - A line spoken by Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book and film) as an exclamation of shock or surprise. The character of Merlin (though only mentioned in the series) is so well known that his name has entered everyday vernacular.

Dierdre

"Purification is at hand" - A line spoken by a disgruntled employee in The Simpsons episode 'Marge Gets A Job' (Series 4 episode 7). The full line is "I am the angel of death. The time of purification is at hand."
"My faithful, join me" - A quote made by the character Chen in Dota 2.
"For the fallen" - Possibly related to a poem of the same name written by Laurence Binyon. It's from this poem that the 'Ode of Remembrance' originates, which is used to honour those who died during World War I.

Grawl

The word Grawl comes from brawl, a word used to describe a noisy fight.

"Here comes the pain." - The sub-title of WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain, a wrestling game released for the Playstation 2 in 2003.
"Is there no one else?" - A quote made by Achilles in the 2004 film Troy. When Achilles easily slays the best fighter of the opposing side, he calls out to the crowd to see if anyone else dares face him.
"It's clobberin' time!" - The catch phrase of The Thing from Marvel series The Fantastic Four. This phrase has been previously used in a similar format by Elora Wintersong in Kingdom Rush.
"Let there be rock!" - A sleight on the phrase "Let there be light" as written in the Book of Genesis, first book of the Hebrew Bible, where God created the Earth and filled the darkness of the void with light.

Sha'tra

The name Sha'tra doesn't mean anything, however the word 'Shatra' itself has several different references. It is a chess like game from Siberia, a rattle used in Altai music, the alternate name for the town Ash Shatrah in Iraq, the name of a human-demon species in The Tales of Ethshar, and the name of an alien species in Star Wars.

As Sha'tra does not speak in English, his quotes can only be written based on what they sound like. However, transliterating them into Latin reveals some similarities:

"Nas'de Zagon!" - This phrase contains some of the the letters that make up the name 'Gonzalo Sande', one of the co-founders of Ironhide Studios.
"Aroval Siniros!" - The first part of this phrase contains the letters from the name 'Álvaro', another co-founder.
"Ini'laer Sai'tam!" - The first part of this phrase is almost 'Realini' backwards, the third co-founder of Ironhide. The second part is the first name of the comic artist, Matias Bergara, backwards.
"Edih Nori!" - This is 'Iron Hide' backwards.
Abduction - Alien abduction is the event reported to be experienced by people who have been taken aboard an alien spacecraft for different reasons, most commonly to be experimented on by aliens. It is a common feature in many forms of alien media.
Vibro Blades - A Vibroblade is a weapon featured in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. It is described as a bladed weapon that uses ultrasonic frequencies to increase cutting power.
Final Countdown - The Final Countdown is a 1986 song by Swedish rock band Europe. The song mentions space travel and other planets (namely Venus).

Karkinos

In Greek mythology, Karkinos (Greek: Καρκίνος) was a giant crab that fought alongside the Hydra, in its battle with Heracles (more commonly known as Hercules). Though crushed underfoot in battle, it was then lifted to the heavens and became the constellation Cancer.

"I am Karkinos" - Most likely a reference to the Marvel character Groot, from Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot's catch phrase (and only spoken line) is "I am Groot."
"Never retreat, never surrender." - Similar to a line spoken by King Leonidas in the graphic novel/film 300. The full line is 'Spartans never retreat. Spartans never surrender.'
"I am made of rage!" - A quote made by the character Colossus in Marvel's Astonishing X-Men, under the penmanship of Joss Whedon.

Kutsao

"Fear is the mind killer" - The start of a litany against fear used by the Bene Gesserit, a political and religious force in the series Dune by Frank Herbert. The litany is used to focus the mind in a time of peril. The full quote is "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.".
"Shapeless like water" - A quote made by famous martial artist Bruce Lee. The full quote is "You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend."
"The obstacle is the path" - A Zen proverb. The obstacle isn’t something standing in our way. It’s the way itself.
"There is no spoon." - A quote made by the (erroneously named) character Spoon Boy from the 1999 film The Matrix.

Dante

The name Dante comes from the Latin name Durans, which meant 'enduring'. The most well known Dante is Dante Alighieri, who wrote The Divine Comedy, an epic poem that that tells of his descent through the many levels of Hell and then into the paradise of Heaven.

Dante also bears resemblance to many vampire hunters from pop culture, such as Solomon Kane, Abraham Van Helsing and Blade.

"I'm the best at what I do" - The catch phrase of Marvel's Wolverine, one of the most popular comic book characters ever. The full quote is "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn't very nice".
"There are many paths to redemption" - A line spoken in the 2009 film Solomon Kane by an Abbot. The full quote is "There are many paths to redemption... not all of them peaceful"
"Bless me, for I have sinned" - When Catholics go to confession, they greet the priest with the line "Bless me father, for I have sinned."
Akimbo Style - Akimbo is a human body position in which the hands are on the hips and the elbows are bowed outward. Perhaps because this pose is often used by two-pistoled gunfighters in media, the word is sometimes mistakenly applied to any situation in which someone has a matched pair of weapons in his hands.
Silver Bullet - A "silver bullet" is a simple solution to a complicated problem. The skill's ability to insta-kill Werewolves and Lycans is a reference to how silver is shown in pop culture as a method of killing werewolves.

Kahz

In Greek mythology, the minotaur was a humanoid beast with a bull's head. It was imprisoned in a labyrinth under King Minos of Crete's palace. Seven people were annually sent into the labyrinth to feed it. The minotaur was finally slain by the hero Theseus.

"Where's the beef?" - A catchphrase spawned when an American fast food restaurant ran a memetic ad featuring a hamburger with a cartoonishly oversized bun and a similarly undersized patty. Also a pun about Kahz's species.
"Fus ro dah!" - The most famous thu'um in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Using it launches enemies.
"Death smiles at us all!" - A quote within a quote from the 2000 film Gladiator. The full quote is made by the main character Maximus, but within it he refers to the quote as made by a separate character, Marcus Aurelius. The full quote is "I knew a man once who said, "Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back."
"...Mooooo!" - Another joke about Kahz's species.
Daedalus' Maze - A reference to the aforementioned myth of the Labyrinth. Daedalus was the name of the architect of said Labyrinth.

Ashbite

Reign of Fire - This is the name of a 2002 film about fire breathing dragons being reintroduced into the modern world (with devastating results).

Bonehart

The name is rather obviously referring to how he is composed almost entirely of bones.

"Never laugh at undead dragons!" - A change on a quote from The Hobbit made by Bilbo Baggins. The original quote is "Never laugh at living dragons."
"Have a bone to pick?" - To "have a bone to pick" means to want to talk to a person about something he/she has done that has annoyed you.
"The plague is coming!" - This one is rather ambiguous, as there are multiple definitions. A plague is a rapidly-spreading disease that is usually fatal. The plague is a disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium spread through the bite of the rat flea. Ironhide is probably referring to the former.
"Throw me a bone!" - To "throw someone a bone" is to give praise or a reward to a person, even though they haven't contributed much.
Bone Golem - The golems are all named "Wishbone", which either refers to a forked bone formed by the collarbones of certain theropod dinosaurs (the coelophysids, allosaurs, oviraptorids, tyrannosaurs, troodontids, dromaeosaurids and birds) or an American children's TV series which tells an abridged version of classic literature.

Rurin Longbeard

His name can be a reference to Húrin, Túrin or Durin, the names of many Dwarves in Tolkien's works. The most logical would be Durin Longbeard, father of the most important clan of dwarves and their first king.

"Dungeon's deep and cavern's old." - A line from the song 'Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold' sung by the party of Dwarves in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.
"Send them to me" - A line spoken by the dwarf character Gimli in The Two Towers (again written by Tolkien), where he encourages his comrades to send enemies in his direction for a beating.
"Not the beard!" - Another line from Gimli in The Fellowship of the Ring, as he expresses his distress when a character grabs on to his beard to stop him from falling to his death.

Lucrezia

"The blood is the life." - A line spoken by Dracula, in the 1992 film of the same name, based on the 1897 book by Bram Stoker. The full quote is "The blood is the life... and it shall be mine."
"Blah blah vampire emergency blah" - A word for word line spoken by the character Pam De Beaufort in the HBO series True Blood.
"Got blood?" - A take on the advertising phrase "Got Milk?" which encourages the drinking of cow milk.
Life Drain - Using this skill creates an aura around Lucrezia in the shape of a red cross. This could be a reference to the humanitarian organization known as the "International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies", which provides aid to disaster victims. It is also a possible reference to the characters Remilia and Flandre Scarlet from the famous Japanese indie vertically scrolling shooter series Touhou Project, both of whom are associated with cross imagery and are also vampires.

Kingdom Rush: Origins

Eridan

"You have my bow." - A line spoken by Legolas during the Council of Elrond after Frodo Baggins volunteered to take the One Ring to Mordor in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Arivan

"Shazam!" is a line said by the DC Comics hero Captain Marvel/Shazam that allows him to transform to or from his superhero form and it usually involves lightning.
"I bend all elements!" is a reference to the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series, where many of the characters bend (manipulate) the four classic elements and the titular Avatar is able to bend all of the elements.
According to the developers, Eridan and Arivan are brothers, and sons of a sorceress and a druid. Arivan followed the family tradition of being a wizard, but Eridan became a ranger, becoming a bit of a black sheep in the process. In addition, the brothers do not get along well. This information is not considered canon, as it is not mentioned anywhere in the games

Catha

"Sugar, spice and everything nice!" - A line from a well known Nursery Rhyme 'What Are Little Boys Made Of?'. In the rhyme, boys are made from nasty things, whilst girls are made of sweet things.
"Let's put a smile on that face!" - A line spoken by The Joker in the 2008 film The Dark Knight, in reference to his horrific facial scars in the shape of a smile.
"Bippity boppity boo!" - The name of a song in the Disney film Cinderalla, sung by the Fairy-Godmother.
"Here I come to save the daaaay!" - The catchphrase of animated superhero Mighty Mouse.

Razz and Rags

Razz & Rags appearance of a small person riding a larger one is likely based on the relationship between Bran Stark and Hodor in George R.R. Martin’s book series A Song of Fire and Ice, or the T.V. adaption Game of Thrones.
Razz is the second Gnome hero introduced, following Hacksaw from the first Kingdom Rush. Because of their different appearances and fighting styles, it is unlikely they are related, but they both did think of the concept of building something big to help them in battle.
The music that plays during the Hammer Time attack is the 8-bit theme song from the original arcade Donkey Kong. It’s more well known as the music that plays in the Smash Brothers series when a player picks up the Hammer item, which causes them to rapidly beat a giant hammer up and down to attack opponents. The name of the skill is derived from a popular song of the same name.

Lilith

The name Lilith is derived from the Akkadian lilitu meaning of the night.

Lilith is a demonic figure in ancient Assyrian mythology. In Jewish folklore, she is the first wife of Adam, created before Eve but cast out of the Garden of Eden after refusing to be sub servant to Adam.
Lilith has been popularised in many forms, perhaps the most well known of recent adaptions is from the TV Series Supernatural, where the demon Lilith, is the first demon ever created by Lucifer, and the key to his escaping his cage in Hell.

"Your soul is mine!" - The battle cry of Shang Tsung from the Mortal Kombat series. Though not often spoken in the game, it was said several times in the 1995 film adaptation.
"Pity those who cross me." - A spoken line of the character Varus in the League of Legends game.
"Look into my eyes!" - Spoken by Ghost Rider when using his Penance Stare, causing the target to suffer all the pain combined that they have dealt to the innocent in the past.

Reg'son

Wait and Bleed is a 1999 song by the heavy metal band Slipknot.

Prince Denas

The Avenger skill is a reference to Captain America throwing his shield at foes.

Xin

"Panda Style!" - Many styles of martial arts are named after animals, some of which are seen as Kutsao skills.
"Fear is the only darkness." - A line spoken by Master Po in the 1972 TV Series 'Kung Fu'.
"Oh-hoh-hoh-hoah!" - Though not instantly obvious in written form, when spoken it is the opening chant of the song 'Kung Fu Fighting' by Carl Douglas.
"Skadoosh!" - The catchphrase of Po, the lead character and titular 'Kung Fu Panda' from the 2008 Dreamworks film.

Lynn

"The end is near." - A common phrase used to indicate the 'end of world'.
"Ignorant thralls." - A quote made by the character Diana in the game League of Legends.
"What do you want errand boy?" - A quote made by Victor Von Doom, enemy to the Fantastic Four, in the Marvel comics.
"Resistance is futile." - The catchphrase of the alien species The Borg first seen in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Vez'nan

In the game's ending comic strip, Vez'nan, Eridan and Prince Denas find the corrupted Tear of Elynie. Denas says that the corrupted Tear must be destroyed, and Eridan suggests casting it into the Rift of Cinders, at which point Vez'nan volunteers to do it - the first step in his fall from hero to evil overlord. When the Shrine of Elynie is played in the Heroic Challenge or Iron Challenge, if Vez'nan isn't chosen to be the player's hero, he can be seen with two unarmoured Demon Legions guarding the corrupted Tear.
The HP of Vez'nan's demon on level 0 is 666, the number of the beast associated with the Devil.

"All magic comes with a price." - A line spoken by Rumpelstiltskin in the 2011 TV Series 'Once Upon A Time'.
"Witness true sorcery." - A response made by the hero Invoker in Dota 2.
"With glorious purpose." - A line spoken by the villain Loki is the 2012 film The Avengers. The full line is "I am burdened with glorious purpose.".
"Power is... POWER!" - A line spoken by Cersei in the TV Series 'A Game of Thrones', based on the book series 'A Song of Fire And Ice' by George R. Martin. It is said to counter the common phrase "Knowledge is power.".
"You mewling quim!" - Another line spoken by Loki in The Avengers. Joss Whedon (writer and director) considers getting the line into the film a great achievement, as the meaning is highly insulting.

Durax

Durax bears a striking similarity to the Sorcerer Stones that are found in the ancient city of the Elves, especially when he is in his Lethal Prism form.
The basis for Durax has been explained by Ironhide on their official Facebook page. "Durax was a Uruguayan brand for glass made plates and cups that pride itself in making them very resistant. So when the time came for making a crystal made golem, we couldn't resist the joke. So there, now you know."
Durax may also have been partially inspired by the alien Diamondhead from the cartoon television series Ben 10. Diamondhead is a being of living diamond, able to shape his body into blades and throw projectile diamonds much like Durax.

"I'm the one who knocks" - A line spoken by Walt in the television series Breaking Bad. It is part of a monologue where he implies that he is the person behind the door with a gun, as opposed to the person who opens the door and gets shot. He isn't in danger, he is the danger.
"Durax don't text" - A slightly out of context quote (as 'texting' doesn't exist in the Kingdom Rush universe) but is from the 2010 Machete, where the texting ability of the titular character is often brought up.

Bravebark

Ents are a sentient tree-like race from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
The inspiration behind including an Ent may have also have come from the popularity of Groot, another tree-like being from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, the film version of which was released and became very popular during the time Origins was being created and developed.
Welcome to the Jungle is a 1980s song by the rock group Guns N' Roses.
"I'm smarter than the average tree" - A reference to Yogi Bear who is known for saying "I'm smarter than the average bear."
Bravebark's Greenlings look very similar to Tainted Treants from the original Kingdom Rush.

Bruce

"War never changes." - A quote is used in the introduction scene of all Fallout games.
"Respect, and honour." is used as both a greeting or farewell in the film 300 where it is first spoken by King Leonidas whilst teaching his son.
"You're gonna hear me roar!" is a line from the 2013 Roar song by singer Katy Perry.
"Courage my friends!" is part of a quote made by Canadian politician Tommy Douglas. The full quote is"Courage, my friends; 'tis not too late to build a better world.".
Bruce is named in honour of Bruno de Leone, aka Delebru, who was the first member of Ironhide to be recruited outside of the three founding members. He has since left Ironhide and moved to New Zealand to work for game developer Ninja Kiwi. His surname Leone is Italian for lion.

Phoenix

The Phoenix is a mythological bird often associated with fire and rebirth.
Although the game text refers to Phoenix as male (his is used in a skill description), posts made by Ironhide Developers on the community forums have stated that Phoenix is female, and references to being a male in game are typos. As such, she is listed as female here and the typos are corrected to the correct pronouns.

Wilbur

Wilbur is named after Wilbur Wright; brother of Orvil Wright; who together are credited with building the first successful airplane.
Wilbur's bombs in Boom Box Mk. resemble Bob-ombs from the Super Mario Bros. series.
Wilbur's various skills suggest that he is the inventor of many of the Dwarf towers in the (chronologically) second and third games.
- M.A.D. Missiles - The missiles have a similar look and function to those on Big Bertha, the Battle-Mecha T-200 and the Big Boy.
- DwaAarps Engine - Similar name to the DWAARP tower.
- Airplane - Very similar to the airplane used to deploy the Big Boy bomb.

"You can be my wingman any time!" - A line spoken by 'Iceman' in the 1986 movie Top Gun
"Welcome to the danger zone!" - The song Dangerzone by Kenny Loggins was used in Top Gun.
"Do a barrel roll!" - In the Starfox game series, a barrel roll is used to bounce enemy attacks away without them doing damage. In Starfox 64 (AUS/EU: Lylat Wars) the phrase is spoken by one of the characters and has since become a popular meme.
"Mayday!" - The inter nation distress signal used in radio procedure. Taken from the french phrase m’aidez which means help me.
The M.A.D. in M.A.D. Missiles is likely a reference to the Cold War term M.A.D. or Mutually Assured Destruction

Faustus

Though not implied, the younger appearances of several other established Kingdom Rush and Frontiers characters suggests that Faustus may be the living form of Bonehart, as they both share an eloquent form of speech and Faustus makes a passing comment about 'living forever'.
The link is further suggested by the origin of Faustus' name. Doctor Faustus is a play based on a German tale called Faust about a scholar who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and earthly pleasures for a set number of years, after which the Devil claims his soul and he becomes eternally damned.
Dracarys means "dragon fire" in the fictional High Valyrian language from the book series [[Wikipedia:A Song of Ice and Fire|A Song of Ice and Fire] by George R.R. Martin.
A dragon lives forever is a line from the song Puff the Magic Dragon.

Alleria Swiftwind

Alleria's name appears to be derived from Alleria Windrunner, a character in Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft franchise.

"Give me a target!" - A quote of the character Varus in the multiplayer online game League of Legends.
"If it bleeds, I can kill it!" - A riff on a line spoken by the character Dutch in the film Predator.
"Swift, like the wind!" - As swift as wind (Traditional Chinese: 故其疾如風) is a line from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, part of the verse "故其疾如風、其徐如林、侵掠如火、難知如陰、不動如山、動如雷霆" (Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest, in raiding and plundering be like fire, be as hard to know as the shadow, be immovable like a mountain, move as fast as lightning).
"Calm and careful" - A line spoken by Robin in the 2010 version of Robin Hood.

Malik

When you free Malik his hammer drops down from the sky. As you've used the Thunderbolt to free him, the hammer may be a reference to Thor, as the swirl on the face of the hammer Malik wields appears to be on Mjolnir, as wielded by Thor, in his profile art.

Bolverk

Bolverk is based on a character of the same name, from the game The Banner Saga by Stoic Studio.
The cameo came about as a result of gaming website Gamezebo's 10 Best iPad Games of 2014, which saw both Kingdom Rush: Origins come up alongside The Banner Saga. After exchanging compliments and admiration on twitter, a subtle hint from Gamezebo "what's it going to take to get Varls in Kingom Rush 4?" resulted in Bolverk making an appearance.

Towers

Kingdom Rush

Archer Tower

"Dodge this!" - A line spoken by the character Trinity in the 2000 film The Matrix .

Musketeer Garrison

"This is my boomstick" - A line spoken by the character Ash in the 1992 cult film Army of Darkness. Ash impresses medieval peasants with his modern shotgun, by shooting a knights sword in two.
"One shot, one kill." - A term used to describe the most efficient way of causing a death with a fire arm. A head-shot kills instantly, and you only need to use one bullet.
"Fire at will!" - A commonly used term to stop following procedure and use as much power and force as necessary to get the job done.

Rangers Hideout

"I see dead people." - A line spoken by the character Cole in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, about a young boy who can see and communicate with the ghosts of dead people.
"Born to be wild!" - A line from the song Born to be Wild by rock band Steppenwolf. This is the first instance of this song being used for a quote (chronologically) as another line from the song was later used for the hero Thor, when he was introduced to the game.

Barracks

"For the king!" - A quote made by a Knight unit in Warcraft III
"Have at thee!" - A battle cry from Marvel's Thor. This is the first occurrence of a quote from this character, more were later added when the hero Thor was introduced." -

Holy Order

"Feel my wrath" - A quote made by both the Priest units and the Shade units in Warcraft III
"Let there be light!" - As written in the first book of Genesis, where God created the Earth and filled the darkness of the void with light.

Mage Tower

"Like a charm" - Part of a common phrase "worked like a charm" used when something has done exactly what it was meant to.
"I put a spell on you" - A song written and sung by Screamin' Jay Hawkins from 1956. The song has become well known after being featured in the 1993 film Hocus Pocus.
"Might and magic" - The name of a series of RPG games for the PC that started in 1996. Might and Magic are considered defining examples of early Role-playing games.

Arcane Wizard

"Klaatu barada nikto" - A line spoken by the character Klaatu in 1951 film The Day The Earth Stood Still. The phrase was used to stop the robot Gort from destroying the Earth. The phrase has been used in many other games, films and TV shows since.
"Avada Kedavra" - The spoken word for the unforgivable killing spell used in the Harry Potter series (book and film), which kills the target outright. The character Harry Potter is the only person known to have survived the spell.
"You shall not pass" - A line spoken by Gandalf in the 2001 film Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, when confronting a Balrog and stopping it from reaching the other members of the fellowship. The line is slightly different in the original text, reading "You cannot pass.". However, in the Peter Jackson film, the line is actually 'You shall not pass!'

Sorcerer Mage

"Do or do not. There is no try" - A line spoken by Yoda in the 1980 film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
"Ashes to ashes" - Part of the phrase "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" spoken during a burial service, to denote the finality of the coporeal body.

Artillery Tower

"Want some, get some" - A line spoken by the character Kirk Lazarus in the 2008 film Tropic Thunder.
"Hail to the king, baby" - The final line spoken by the character Ash in the 1992 cult film Army Of Darkness, declaring himself to be a King in one way or another.

Big Bertha

"Say hello to my little friend" - A line spoken by the character Tony Montana in the 1983 film Scarface.
"Yippee ki-yay, motherf*****!" - A line spoken by the character John McClane in the 1988 film Die Hard. Though it only has context in the first film, it becomes the character's catch-phrase in the sequels that followed. In the game, it is bleeped out.
"Rest in pieces!" - A quote made by the character Duke Nukem in the 2002 Xbox 360 game Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

Tesla X104

"Ride the lightning" - The name of the second album by heavy metal band Metallica. It is also the name of the second track on the album.
"Toasty!" - A line spoken in 1993 game Mortal Kombat II. It started as an easter egg, where an image of one of the game designers would appear on screen and speak the line if a particular move was performed. Secret characters could be encountered if certain buttons were pressed whilst the image was on screen.

Sylvan Elf Hall

Sylvan is a word used to refer to an association with the woodland. In mythology it refers to forest spirits or deities.

"By the light of the moon." - A quote made by a Night Elf Sentinel unit in Warcraft III
"The world is changed." - A line spoken by the character Galadriel in the 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. It is the first line spoken in the film.

Kingdom Rush: Frontiers

Crossbow Fort

"Time for target practice" - A line spoken by the hero Sniper in Dota 2.
"Blackbird fly!" - A line from the song Blackbird by The Beatles.
"Be quick or be dead" - A song by heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

Tribal Axethrowers

"The tribe has spoken, mon" - A line spoken in the reality-TV series Survivor, used when a contestant is being voted off the show.
Fight magic with magic - Similar to the idiom 'Fight fire with fire', meaning the best response to attack is with a similar or equal attack.

Assassin's Guild

"Requiescat in pace" - A line spoken by the character Ezio in the game Assassin's Creed. The phrase itself is Latin for "rest in peace".

Knights Templar

"Hooah!" - Military slang meaning 'referring to or meaning anything and everything except no' used by soldiers in the U.S. Army and Air Force.
"A Sword day... a red day!" - A line spoken by the character Théoden, the king of Rohan, in the 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Spoken to the amassed troops before they enter the battle at Minas Tirith.
"Rise a Knight" - A line spoken by Balian in the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven. The full quote is "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Safeguard the helpless. Never lie, even if it leads to your death; that is your oath. (slaps a man) And that is so you don't forget it. Rise a knight... rise a knight!"

When the going gets tough - Part of a proverb 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going'. Also the name of a song by Billy Ocean.
Let it bleed - The name of a song by rock band The Rolling Stones.
That's the cup of a carpenter - A line spoken by the character Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade whilst searching for the Holy Grail, he discards all the gold and jewel encrusted cups in favour of one roughly carved out of wood.

Archmage Tower

"Gone... with the wind" - The name of a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell, later made into a film in 1939.
Is there an F5? - A line spoken by the character Melissa in the 1996 film Twister, in reference to the scale tornados are classed by.

Necromancer Tower

"Fear the Reaper..." - A reverse on the advice given by the song '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' by the Blue Oyster Cult.
"Let's ride..." - A line spoken by the character Johnny Blaze in the 2007 film Ghost Rider, based on the comic series of the same name.

DWAARP

"Ready to Rumble!" - Part of the catch-phrase of Michael Buffer, a ring announcer for professional wrestling and boxing. The full quote features is exaggerated on the 'r' sounds, "Let's get ready to rumble!"
"Great Scott!" - The catch-phrase of Doctor Emett Brown in the 1985 film Back to the Future.
"Shake and bake!" - A food package made by Kraft Foods. A bag of bread crumbs or flavouring to which meat is added, shook up, then sealed and baked to release the flavouring of the power.
Give me fuel, give me fire - A line from the song Fuel by Metallica

Battle-Mecha T200

"Down the garbage chute" - Similar to a line spoken by Princess Leia in 1977 film Star Wars: A new Hope, where she orders other characters "Into the garbage chute..."

Dwarven Bastion

"Lock stock and barrel" - A figure of speech used when referring to 'everything'. The lock, stock and barrel are the effective portions of a gun, and therefore, everything.
TNT! ... and i'll win the fight! - A line from the song TNT by AC/DC
Full Mithril Jacket - A take on the name of a 1987 film Full Metal Jacket. Mithril is a metal mined by dwarves in The Lord of the Rings.
Seven-six-two millimeter.. - A line spoken by the character Private Pyle in the film Full Metal Jacket

Dwarf Hall

"That still counts as one!" - A line spoken by the character Gimli in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
"Let them come!" - A line spoken by the character Gimli in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.
"Khazâd ai-mênu!" - A phrase spoken in Khuzdul, a dwarven language created by J.R.R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings. The phrase translates as "The Dwarves are upon you!"
As light as a feather - The first part of a line spoken by Bilbo Bagins in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, when he passes on his Mithril vest to his nephew Frodo.
...as hard as dragon scales - The second half of the same quote.
Dwarfweiser - A take on the name Budweiser, a German lager that is one of the highest selling beers in the United States.
Wassuuuup! - A reference to an advertising campaign for Budweiser that began in 1999. The phrase entered pop-culture almost immediately.

Dark Forge

"Electric funeral!" - The name of a song by rock band Black Sabbath
"It's alive! Huahaha!" - A line spoken by the character Frankenstein in the 1931 film of the same name. It is spoken when the monster he has created comes to life.
It's electrifying - A line from the song 'Your the one that I want" from the 1978 film musical Grease.
"Frankie smash!" - A sleight on the catch phrase of the Hulk, who says "Hulk smash!"
Jaxx v2 arms - A reference to the character Jax from the Mortal Kombat series. Between two games, Jax has a set of metal arms fitted.

Bosses

Kingdom Rush

Vez'nan

"I love the smell of blasphemy at midnight..." - Similar to a line spoken by the character Kilgore, in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. The full line is "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
"Dyin' time's here!" - A line spoken by the character Dr. Dealgood in the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome when introducing the gladiatorial events of the titular 'Thunderdome'.
"Would you kindly die already?" - Would You Kindly is a post-hypnotic trigger used in the Bioshock games to control the actions of the games protagonist.
"You will be baked, and then there will be cake." - A line spoken by GLaDOS, the AI antagonist of the video game Portal.
"All your base are belong to us!" - A line taken from the 1991 Mega Drive game Zero Wing. The games' Japanese to English translation was done poorly, and resulted in many lines of broken English. The phrase 'All your base are belong to us" became a craze on the internet when the game was rediscovered in 1999.
"Haha! Who you gonna call?" - The catch-phrase of the Ghostbusters from the 1984 film of the same name. The phrase originated in the theme song for the film written and performed by Ray Parker, Jr.
"Yes we shall pass!" - A response to a line spoken by the character Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The line spoken by Gandalf is "You shall not pass!", in defiance of an evil being that is approaching the afore mentioned Fellowship.
"There will be no dawn...for men." - A line spoken by the secondary antagonist Saruman in The Two Towers, the second volume of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
"There is no life in the void. Only death." - A line spoken by the primary antagonist Sauron in The Fellowship of the Ring.
"Prepare for unforeseen consequences." - A line spoken by the character G-Man in the video game Half-Life 2: Episode Two.
"Good! I can feel your anger!" - A line spoken by the antagonist Emperor Palpatine in the 1983 film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
"Heeeeeere's Vez'nan!" - Similar to a line spoken by the character Jack in the 1980 horror film The Shining based on a Stephen King novel of the same name. The original line "Here's Johnny!" was ad-libbed by Jack Nicholson (playing Jack).
"Abandon all hope!" - Part of an inscription above the gate of Hell, in the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy, Inferno. The full inscription reads (in Italian) "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'entrate", or "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
"Why so SERIOUS?" - The catch-phrase of the antagonist The Joker in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. The phrase quickly became an internet craze.
"I may be bad, but I feel GOOOOOD!" - A line spoken by the character Sheila in the film Army Of Darkness, after being turned into a 'deadite'.
"Looks like it's time for me to go POSTAL!" - A catch-phrase of the character Duke Nukem from the video game series of the same name.

Elder Shaman

"Good...I can feel your anger!" - A line spoken by the antagonist Emperor Palpatine in the 1983 film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Kingdom Rush: Frontiers

Umbra

Umbra is a term used to describe the darkest part of a shadow, most often in terms of celestial bodies obscuring one another.

"I'm not afraid of the dark, the dark is afraid of ME" - A line spoken by the character Richard B. Riddick in the 2004 film The Chronicles of Riddick.
"This is going to be legen (wait for it) dary!" - A catch-phrase of the character Barney Stinson in the TV series How I Met Your Mother.
"I'm every nightmare you ever had!" - A line spoken by the titular evil clown in the 1990 mini series It, adapted from a Stephen King book of the same name.
"I am a God, you dull creature" - A line spoken by the antagonist Loki in the 2012 film The Avengers when facing the brute force of the Hulk.
"Shadows betray you because they belong to me!" - A fragment of a line spoken by the antagonist Bane in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. The full quote is "The shadows betray you because they belong to me!"
"Fascinating!" - The catch-phrase of the character Spock in the original Star Trek TV series.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" - A second line spoken by the character Riddick in Chronicles of Riddick.
"Welcome to your doom!" - A line spoken by the villain Neff in Sega's 1988 video game Altered Beast
"I'm not bad i'm just drawn that way" - A line spoken by the character Jessica Rabbit in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
"Humans are a disease, I am the cure!" - A fragment of a line spoken by the primary antagonist Agent Smith, in the 1999 film The Matrix. The full line is "Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure".
"The darkness, for me, is where I shine!" - A further line spoken by the character Riddick, this time from the Chronicles of Riddick video game Assault on Dark Athena.
"Kneel before Umbra!" - Similar to a line spoken by the antagonist Zod, in the 1980 film Superman II. The quote "Kneel before Zod!" is a very popular pop-culture reference.
"One, two, Umbra is coming for you" - Similar to the catch-phrase of Freddy Krueger, the antagonist of the film series A Nightmare on Elm Street.
"Resistance is futile!" - The catch-phrase of the antagonists The Borg in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
"You and your friends are dead!" - Word found on the infamous Game Over screen of the 1989 NES video game Friday the 13th
"Do you smell it? The scent of fear?" - A line spoken by antagonist Azog The Defiler, in the 2012 film adaption of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit
"I'll tear your soul apart!" - A line spoken by the antagonist Pinhead in the 1987 horror film Hellraiser
"Why do you live?" - A line spoken by the antagonist Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Vasile

"No time for interviews!" - A reference to the 1976 book and 1994 film Interview with a Vampire, where the main character recounts his long life as a vampire.
"Evil is a point of view." - A line spoken by the character Lestat de Lioncourt, in Interview With A Vampire
"I'm going to give you the choice I never had." - A second line spoken by the character Lestat de Lioncourt, in Interview With A Vampire
"Listen to them, the children of the night." - A line said by Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula
"Denn die Todten reiten Schnell" - A line from the poem Lenore, written by German poet Gottfried August Bürger in 1773 which has been influental on vampire literature. The line translates to "For the dead ride fast".
"We, vampires don't sparkle in the sun." - A reference to the book and film series Twilight, where vampire skin sparkles in direct sunlight instead of burning as it does in traditional lore.
"Fushta!" - A word said by Van Helsing in the 1995 spoof film Dracula: Dead and Loving It whilst arguing with Count Dracula
"Oh, it's night-time. I was having... a daymare." - A line said by Count Dracula in Dracula: Dead and Loving It!

God King

The God King's appearance and attitude is based on the character Xerxes from the graphic novel and film 300, who himself is based on Xerxes I (Persian: خشایارشا), the fourth Shahanshah of the Achaemenid Empire, whose invasion of Greece is the basis for the story. The name 'Xerxes' means 'ruling over heroes'.

"For glory's sake, WAR!" - Spoken by Xerxes in the trailer for the 2014 film 300: Rise of an Empire. This is spoken only in the trailer and not in the film.
"Aren't we always sometimes monsters?" - Always Sometimes Monsters is an RPG made by Devolver Digital about the journey of modern human experience. As this game is available on Steam and through Humble, it is possibly added via a friendship or exchange of ideas between both Devolver Digital and Ironhide Game Studio.
"Nothing will stop the march of my Empire!" - Spoken by Xerxes in the trailer for the 2014 film 300: Rise of an Empire. Again, this line does not appear in the film.
"I like you begging! Do it again!" - A line spoken by the villain Maleficent in the 2014 film of the same name.
"One world, one master. Kneel before me!" - The first part of the quote is spoken by Xerxes in the 1962 film The 300 Spartans. The second is likely part of the continuing use of "Kneel before Zod!" from Superman II, which has been said by several other bosses. It!

(Unknown)

Following the defeat of Umbra, in a post-credit sequence, a green and scaly hand is shown picking up the Tear of Elynie jewel; presumably, this creature will become the primary antagonist in an upcoming sequel game.

"Mine... Mine!" (spoken in word balloons) - The code in which these words are written is the Alienese substitution cipher (AL1) from Futurama.

Achievements

Kingdom Rush

ARMAGGEDON - Armageddon is a 1998 science fiction disaster movie featuring a meteor that is on a collision course with Earth. The achievement name is misspelt as Armaggedon in the game.
HOME IMPROVEMENT - Home Improvement is an American sitcom where the main character has a tv show (a show within a show) called Tool Time where he offers DIY advice.
SUPERMARIO - Stars are one of the key items collected by Mario in the Super Mario game series by Nintendo. Stars were originally an item that granted temporary invincibility, but in more recent games they have become the basis for treasured items that are part of a collection.
TERMINATOR - The name (and image) is taken from the Terminator series that began in 1984, and featured a cyborg sent through time to change future events by killing and/or saving key people. One of the Terminator's catch phrases is spoken by the hero Bolin Farslayer, whilst another is spoken by the Frontiers hero Cronan.
DIE HARD - The name (and image) is taken from the Die Hard series beginning in 1988, featuring a protagonist played by Bruce Willis as a LA detective who faces terrorists. His catch phrase is used by the dwarves on the Big Bertha tower.
G.I. JOE - G.I. Joe is a line of action figures based on members of the armed forces, created by Hasbro. Two films were released based on the toys and the success of other films based on Hasbro toys (namely Transformers).
LIKE A HENDERSON - The Hendersons are a family that accidently injure and then take into their family a Sasquatch (Bigfoot) in the 1987 film Harry and the Hendersons.
MEDIC! - The common phrase of TF2 when somebody is almost dying.
DUST TO DUST - "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" is a phrase from the burial service. 'Ashes to ashes' is quoted by the wizards on the Sorcerer tower.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY - A misquote from the original Star Trek series. The line is famously associated with the show, but equally famous for never being said.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? - A line spoken by the main protagonist Maximus from the 2000 film Gladiator, when he first faces the baying audience in the gladiatorial arena.
ROCKETEER - The Rocketeer is a superhero from a comic of the same name.
AC/DC - AC/DC stand for 'alternating current' and 'direct current', respectively, the two types of current used in mains power.
OVINOPHOBIA - Ovinophobia means 'fear of sheep', derived from Latin ovis, meaning sheep, and Greek phobos (φόβος) meaning fear.
FREE FREDO - The achievement is unlocked by freeing Fredo from Sarelgaz's web, based on a scene from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King where lead character Frodo is caught in web by the giant spider queen Shelob.
ARACHNOPHOBIA - Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders, derived from Greek arachne (ἀράχνη), meaning spider, and phobos (φόβος) meaning fear.
I AM THE LAW - The catch phrase of the character Judge Dredd from the comic series of the same name.
COOLRUNNING - Cool Runnings is a 1993 film about a group of Jamaican athletes that form a bobsled team. The icon for this achievement is coloured the same way as the Jamaican flag.
SCRAT'S MEAL - Scrat is the name of a diminutive squirrel in the Ice Age series of films. Scrat spends the majority of each film in a desperate attempt to reclaim a lone acorn, but inevitably gets injured or separated from it.
PLANTS VS TROLLS - Based on the game Plants vs Zombies a tower defence game where plants are used in place of towers to attack an invading horde of zombies.
WE DINE IN HELL - A line spoken by King Leonidas in the graphic novel/film 300.
ARMY OF ONE - A recruiting slogan for the US Army that ran from 2001 to 2006.
HELL-O - The title of the 1988 debut album for the American thrash metal band Gwar.
SPORE - Spore is the name of a 2008 video game that simulates the evolution of a species. The icon for the achievement is the same one from the game.
STILL COUNTS AS ONE - A line spoken by the character Gimli in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and also a line spoken by the dwarves in the Dwarf Hall tower. In the film by Peter Jackson, the line is: 'That still only counts as one!'
SUPER MUSHROOM - A key item and icon in the Super Mario games.

Kingdom Rush: Frontiers

AND SO IT BEGINS - A line spoken by King Théoden of Rohan in the Peter Jackson film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at the beginning of the battle for Helm's Deep.
ARMAGEDDON - Based on the 1998 film Armageddon, where a meteorite threatens the earth.
HOME IMPROVEMENT - The title of an American comedy series.
SUPERMARIO - A game in which you can collect stars that make you invincible. In Kingdom Rush Frontiers, you can also collect stars.
KONGICIDE - Based on the film King Kong, but here you have to kill Quincon.
TERMINATOR - The film Terminator is about a cyborg that kills many people. He has mechanical eyes, which look like the symbol for the achievement.
DIE HARD - Based on the film series Die Hard.
G.I. JOE- This is the nickname of an American soldier (just any American soldier, not a specific one).
DIVIDE AND CONQUER - The name of a novel by Tom Clancy.
YOU SHALL NOT PASS - A line spoken by Gandalf in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
ORGANIC IMPULSE - You have to move a Desert Bantah to get this achievement. The Desert Bantah is very similar to the Desert Bantha in the film series Star Wars.
MUA'DIB - Probably based on Frank Herbert's novel Dune, where a Muad'dib is a sort of desert mouse. The main protagonist of the novel is also named after such a mouse.
MONEY TALKS - The name of an American comedy film.
THE BLACK PEARL - The Black Pearl is a very important ship in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
MUMMY AT THE GATES - Probably based on the film Enemy at the Gates, which is about the battle for Stalingrad.
TWIST AND SHOUT - The title of a Beatles song.
SOS TO THE WORLD - A line from the song Message in a Bottle by The Police.
FEED ME SEYMOUR - A line from a scene in Little Shop of Horrors.
SAVE THE PRINCESS - What you have to do in the game Supermario.
ONE *UGLY* $%@# - The hidden alien hunters are likely of the Predator species, featured in the 1987 film series of the same name. The quote "You're one ugly motherf*****" is said by Arnold Schwarzenegger upon meeting them in the first installment of the franchise.
THE WALKING DEAD - The name of a television series.
IS THAT WILHELM - A Wilhelm scream is a prerecorded sound for a scream, used in many films and commercials. When the Saurians fall down, they scream and that is a Wilhelm scream.
DR HENRY WALTON - Indiana Jones's real name is Henry Walton Jones, so it is a reference to that, as you have to help someone who looks like Indiana Jones in order to get the achievement.
ALI BABA - There is a fairy tale about Ali Baba and forty robbers. Ali Baba gets revenge on the robbers by stealing their gold.
BLOT OUT THE SUN - A quote from the film 300.
FUJITA #5 - There is a scale of Fujita for measuring hurricanes (F1, F2 etc.).
HIGHLANDER - The name of the 1986 film Highlander, in which there is a group of immortals that are destined to kill each other (they can be killed only by complete decapitation) until one remains.
LET IT BLEED - The name of an album by The Rolling Stones.
CULL THE WEAK - This achievement could be a reference to a skill in Diablo III.
NECROPOLIS - Necropolis means 'City of the dead' in Greek.
GRIM REAPER - The Grim Reaper is death itself.
MECHWARRIOR - Mechwarrior could be a reference to a series of games.
OPTIMUS PRIME - The leader of the Autobots (the 'good' robots) in the film series Transformers.
HERO OF THE DAY - A song by Metallica.
LEGEN (WAIT FOR IT) DARY - A quote from the film How I Met Your Mother.
TARZAN BOY - A song by Baltimora.
IN THE NAVY - A song by The Village People.
PERFECT STORM - The Perfect Storm is a film from 2000
JAWS - A reference to the 1975 film Jaws.
WATERWORLD - Most likely based on the 1995 film Water'world.
MOONWALKER - Probably a reference to Michael Jackson's Moonwalk.
ZOMBIE WALK - A zombie walk is a public activity in which a large group of people dressed up as zombies walk around.
GHOSTBUSTERS - Based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters.
I SEE DEAD PEOPLE - A quote from the film The Sixth Sense.
DEAD AND LOVING IT - A reference to the 1995 film Dracula: Dead and Loving It.
YOU'VE FOUND ME - Probably based on the song You've Found Me' by The Fray. The hidden combatant is Reptile, who originated as a secret fighter in the first Mortal Kombat game. He is known for his excellent camouflaging, explaining how he's rather difficult to discover.
OAKENSHIELD - A reference to J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit, in which there is a dwarf prince named Thorin Oakenshield.
I'M THE LIZARD KING - Possibly based on a line from the song Celebration of the Lizard by The Doors.
COME ON YOU APES! - A quote from the 1997 film Starship Troopers.
WANT A PIECE OF ME? - A quote from the 2004 film Alien Vs Predator.

Kingdom Rush: Origins

SHENZI, BANZAI & ED - The three hyenas from Disney's animated film The Lion King.
BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR - An 1938 animated film made by Disney.
GEORGE FALL - George of the Jungle, an animated TV series from 1967.
GATHERING THE MAGIC - Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game.
WHY SO SERIOUS? - One of the Joker's well-known lines from the 2008 film The Dark Knight.
ROBIN OF ELFWOOD - Robin of Sherwood was a TV series from the 1980s.
CANDY RUSH - Could be Candy Crush, a popular match-three game, or a play on Kingdom Rush.
FEE-FI-FO-FUM - Spoken by a giant in the fairy tail Jack and the Beanstalk.
JURASSIC LAKE - Jurassic Park, a 1993 film.
GARGAMEL - The Smurfs franchise, where the villain, Gargamel, usually tries to catch Smurfs.
SHROOM SAYS - Simon Says is a game, usually played by children.
KILLER TOMATOES! - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is a 1978 film.
GARDEN SONG - Garden Song is a popular children's song from 1975.
VORPAL BLADE - Likely the Vorpal Sword from the 1871 poem Jabberwocky.
PIXIEBELL - Tinker Bell from the Peter Pan play/animated film.
GAME OF THRONES - A television series from the 2010s.
I LIKE TO MOVE IT! - A song featured throughout the Madagascar animated films.
CALL ME MR. PIG - Based on "They call me Mr. Pig!", said by Pumbaa from Disney's animated film Lion King.
D&D - Dungeons & Dragons, a popular tabletop RPG often abbreviated as D&D.
THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE - Likely the 1797 poem The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
IT'S A TRAP - Said by Admiral Ackbar in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
WINTER IS COMING - Said by Eddard Stark from Game of Thrones, a 2010s television series.
THE BIGGER THEY ARE... - A phrase; "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."
CITY OF SPLENDORS - Possibly the City of Splendors: Waterdeep supplement to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - A 1977 song by Queen.
STARCRAFT - A 1998 computer game.
THE ART OF WAR - A Chinese military treatise.
SIMCITY - The Sim City franchise.
GREEN ARROW - A superhero from the DC Comics.
WAR NEVER CHANGES - Said in the intro to Fallout, a 1997 computer game.
THE BONE COLLECTOR - A 1997 book/1999 film.
ONLY COUNTS AS ONE - Said by Gimli from the 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
1.21 GIGAWATTS! - The amount of power needed for the DeLorean time machine from the Back to the Future franchise.
FOOTLOOSE - A 1984 film.
RED FIVE - The callsign for one of the X-Wing pilots from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
VALAR MLORGHULIS - From the 2010s television series Game of Thrones.
KILLTACULAR! - Possibly the medal from the Halo franchise.
BEORNINGS - A race from The Lord of the Rings franchise.
NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS - Said by Han Solo in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
COME AND GET THEM! - Said by Leonidas I in the 2006 film 300.
MITCHELL-HEDGES - F. A. Mitchell-Hedges claimed to have found a crystal skull in 1924.
WILE E. - Wile E. Coyote is one of the characters from various Looney Tunes cartoon episodes.
WITH YOUR SHIELD OR ON IT - Part of a phrase said by the Greeks. Could also be from the 2006 film 300.
NIMLOTH THE FAIR - The name of the White Tree from J. R. R. Tolkien's stories.
MY LORD BAG OF RICE - A fairy tale from 1711.

Trivia

Barracks

Artillery Tower

(Unknown)

Fan Feed