Fallout 4 cultural references

This page lists cultural references in Fallout 4.

• The content is not described in full detail on this page. For details, please see the respective articles.
• For cultural references in other Fallout games, please see "Cultural reference".
• For an overview of Fallout 4 content, please refer to "Portal:Fallout 4."

Films

Alien (film series)

• The inscription on the back of the flux sensor reads "FLUX SENSOR CM-88B 180924609." This is a reference to the USCSS Nostromo (reg. 180924609), the ship which serves as the setting of Alien.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Ripley," referencing the character Ellen Ripley from the film series.
  • Two other such recognized names are "Weyland" and "Yutani," a reference to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which features prominently in the Alien franchise.
• When first talked to after completing the Freedom Trail, Glory compliments the Sole Survivor by saying their work on the trail was "Not bad, for a human." This is likely a reference to the same compliment the synthetic Bishop gives Ellen Ripley in the movie Aliens.

Apocalypse Now

• When fighting a Gunner Colonel Gutsy, he will sometimes say "I love the smell of plasma in the morning." This is a reference to the quote "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." spoken by the character Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore from Apocalypse Now.

The Aviator

• Newspapers scattered around the Commonwealth display the headline "Way of the Future!" on them, which is the same line Leonardo DiCaprio's character Howard Hughes repeats over and over at the end of the film The Aviator.

Back to the Future (film series)

• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to characters from the Back to the Future film series: "McFly" refers to the McFly family, who serve as series protagonists, while "Biff" refers to antagonist Biff Tannen.

Blade Runner (film series)

• In the middle of the Diamond City there is a robot, Takahashi, who sells noodles. The only line he speaks is "Nani ni shimasho ka?," which means "What’ll you have?" This is the very same phrase (including imperfect grammar) said by the noodle seller in the "Noodle Bar" scene of the film Blade Runner.

"Tears in rain"

• On the southwest corner of the Mass Fusion containment shed rooftop is the body of a man in a random outfit lying supine in front of a kneeling, deactivated synth. The setup alludes to the "Tears in rain" scene at the end of the film.
• The SAFE test is an allusion to Voight-Kampff test in Blade Runner, meant to discern whether someone is a human or replicant.
• The art for the Trophy/Achievement Hunter/Hunted invokes Deckard being stalked by Vault Boy.
• The Courser uniform is designed after Roy Batty's coat from Blade Runner.

The Blues Brothers

• One of the prisoner files in the BADTFL regional office in Charlestown describes a Jake Redds (Resisting Arrest), with a list of personal effects very similar to, but not identical to the effects of Jake Blues in the 1980 movie.

The Chronicles of Riddick (film series)

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Riddick," a reference to Richard B. Riddick from the franchise The Chronicles of Riddick.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (film series)

• The movie being projected in the Starlight Interstellar Theater is the Night of the Fish Men's Revenge, a reference to the trailers for the 1954 film Creature from the Black Lagoon (both use a very similar font and both consist of a series of shots with no logical continuity, with occasional text) and, by it's name, to the 1955 sequel Revenge of the Creature.

Die Hard

• In Sergeant Dave Mallory's terminal at the BADTFL regional office, Log Entry 10/22/27 mentions an officer named Willison, who is noted as causing property damage. This is a reference to Bruce Willis, who played an NYPD detective named John McClane in the Die Hard franchise. McClane tends to cause a great deal of property destruction when stopping the bad guys. See the Lethal Weapon section for a similar reference in the same terminal.
• The fifth bottle message, "Difficult to Kill," directly quotes the first Die Hard film by stating, "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs." This exact line is sarcastically said by John McClane in reference to his situation while climbing through a vent in a skyscraper taken over by terrorists.

District 9

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Wikus," a possible reference to Wikus van de Merwe from District 9.

Dr. Strangelove

• In the intro, there is a short scene of a meeting room with a large circular table with a diorama of a mushroom cloud in the center, and a man with his hand gripped tensely on the nuclear hotline. The set design, lighting and general scenario are a reference to Stanley Kubrick's 1964 comedy Dr. Strangelove.

Django

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Django," a possible reference to the Western film Django or any of the other films inspired by its eponymous protagonist.

Escape from New York/Escape from L.A.

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Plisskin," a possible reference to Snake Plissken from the movies Escape from New York and Escape from L.A..

The Fly

• The Barfly, a pre-War film with posters present in the game, is a reference to the 1958 film The Fly.

Forrest Gump

• When talking to Parker Quinn, he may say "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never get what you want." This is a reference to the phrase "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get," said by Forrest Gump in the movie of the same name.

Full Metal Jacket

• Sometimes, if one attacks a neutral Mister Gutsy, he will say "What is your major malfunction, maggot?", which is a reference to the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket, where the ruthless drill sergeant, Hartman, reprimands Private Pyle, saying "What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?"

Galaxy Quest

• In the Nuka-World add-on, Dr. Hein's terminal in the Safari Adventure Welcome Center references the 1999 science fiction film Galaxy Quest in Journal Entry 06-02-2077, with polar bears coming out of the Nuka-Gen Replicator "inside out and then exploding." This is in reference to the fate of the alien transported using the digital conveyor as a test in the movie.

Ghostbusters (film series)

• If in the Boston Public Library, Robert MacCready may say "Let's be careful. No human being would possibly pile books this way" in reference to the movie's library scene.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Venkman," a reference to Dr. Peter Venkman from the Ghostbusters franchise.

Good Will Hunting

• In the C.I.T. ruins, behind the western entrance there is a chalkboard with a skeleton next to it. On the chalkboard are two "homeomorphic irreducible trees of degree 10." This is a reference to the scene in which Will Hunting is trying to solve the problem on the chalkboard in the hallway.

Gilda

• Gilda Broscoe's first name is possibly a reference to the film Gilda.

I Am Legend

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Neville," possibly referencing Robert Neville, the main character played by Will Smith in the movie I Am Legend.

Indiana Jones (film series)

• The beginning of the quest Kid in a Fridge is a reference to a scene in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where Indiana Jones survives a nuclear blast by hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator.
• Two of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to the series' eponymous character: "Indiana" and "Indy."

Jaws

• In boats all around the Commonwealth there is a man with the same blue jacket and the blue bandana as Robert Shaw's character in the film Jaws, along with a machete and a mutant dolphin. A cage similar to the one in the film will also be under the boat. One such boat can be found in the bay north of the Museum of Witchcraft.

Kingpin

• In the leftmost ball return chute of Back Alley Bowling, between lanes 1 and 2, there are left hand bones, referring to the character Roy Munson losing his hand when it is pushed inside a chute, although in the film it was his right hand.

Lethal Weapon

• In Sergeant Dave Mallory's terminal at the BADTFL regional office, Log Entry 10/22/27 mentions an officer named Gibbs, described as a maniac needlessly putting his life on the line. This is a reference to Mel Gibson, who played LAPD officer Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon franchise. In the beginning of the series Riggs often puts himself in danger, as he is distraught after the death of his wife. See the Die Hard section for a similar reference in the same terminal.

The Lord of the Rings (film series)

• One super mutant combat taunt line, "Human time is done! This is the age of the Super-Mutant!", is possibly a reference to the line "The Age of Men is over. The time of the Orc has come!" said by Gothmog in The Return of the King.

The Lost Patrol

• The name of the quest The Lost Patrol is a reference to the 1934 film The Lost Patrol, where a small British patrol led by a sergeant retreats north after a failed mission. One after another the members of the patrol are killed until only the sergeant remains. When a second British patrol finally finds the sergeant, he is heavily traumatized after surviving for so long on his own.

Mad Max (film series)

• Many of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to Mad Max characters.

Name	Reference
Capable	Mad Max: Fury Road
Dag	Mad Max: Fury Road
Erectus	Mad Max: Fury Road
Fragile	Mad Max: Fury Road
Furiosa	Mad Max: Fury Road
Goose	Mad Max (Jim "Goose" Rains)
Humungous, Humungus	Mad Max 2
Imperator	Mad Max: Fury Road
Mudguts	Mad Max
Rictus	Mad Max: Fury Road
Rockatansky	Mad Max
Slit	Mad Max: Fury Road
Toast	Mad Max: Fury Road
Toecutter	Mad Max
Wez	Mad Max 2

The Matrix (film series)

• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to characters from The Matrix series: "Trinity," "Morpheus" and "Neo."

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

• When swapping X6-88 with Cait, Cait remarks "Yeah, what are you gonna do, leak oil all over me?" This is a reference to the black knight scene, where King Arthur asks "What are you gonna do, bleed on me?"
• When hit, Codsworth occasionally says "Tis but a scratch!", which is a famous line said by the black knight.
• When Deacon is fighting a turret, he may taunt it, stating "Your mother was a peashooter?", a reference to the French knight in the same movie.

Orgasmo

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Orgasmo," possibly referencing the 1969 giallo movie of the same name.

Psycho

• In the Nuka-World add-on, one of the rooms accessible from the spinning room of the Fun House in Kiddie Kingdom contains a mannequin wielding a combat knife and a skeleton standing in the shower and shielding itself. This scene is a reference to the movie Psycho.

RoboCop

• At the RobCo Sales & Service Center, the "RB-2851 SECURITY PROTOCOL 087 / Epsilon-VI Security Alert" is a hidden reference to the original RoboCop movie.

Sanjuro

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Sanjuro," probably a reference to the movie's eponymous Sanjuro Tsubaki.

The Shining

• A tricycle can be found on a red carpet in the center of a corridor inside Parsons State Insane Asylum's administration. It alludes to the famous scene from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining in which Danny Torrance rides his tricycle through the corridors of the Overlook Hotel.

Star Wars

• The title of the fourth U.S. Covert Operations Manual is called "Not the Soldiers You're Looking For" which refers to the Jedi mind trick Obi-Wan uses on Stormtroopers in A New Hope.
• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names are "Han" and "Solo" (taken together), referencing Han Solo.

Terminator 2

• The PIN "9003" given by Father for full access to his terminal is the one John Connor uses to fraudulently withdraw cash from an ATM in Terminator 2.

The Thing

The "head spider"

• In the Fens Street sewer, behind an alcove with a stretcher and a flamer in the final room with the glowing one, there is a hidden area only accessible via console commands (found behind the wall with a radio and an office chair). This area contains a upside down disembodied head with bones coming out to form legs. Together with the flamer, this is a reference to the 1982 film The Thing; the head specifically references the "head spider" seen in the film.

Titanic

• In the middle of the lake just north of The Nucleus, there are two skeletons hanging on a floating door. This setting is a reference to one of the most well-known scenes of the 1997 film Titanic, where the two main characters are using a broken wood panel as a fortune buoy, the skeletons exactly reproducing the setup.

The Truman Show

• Vault 118's amenities include an artificial beach, with a large painting of a sailboat sailing on the ocean above it. This references the scene at the end of the film The Truman Show, in which Truman crashes a similar-looking sailboat into the wall of the artificial world in which he lives.

Yojimbo

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Yojimbo" (may also refer to the Usagi Yojimbo comic books which got its name from this movie).

Zombieland

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Tallahassee," a reference to the Zombieland character nicknamed as such.

Television broadcast

The Andy Griffith Show

• In the terminal in the Nahant Sherrif's Department building, a Sheriff Taylor is referenced, which is the name of the character Andy Griffith played on The Andy Griffith Show.

Batman (1960s television series)

• In the Silver Shroud radio plays, when the Silver Shroud infiltrates the mobsters' hideout, one of the mobsters says "holy cannoli," a catchphrase of Robin in the 1960s Batman TV series.

Breaking Bad

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Heisenberg," probably as a reference to Walter White, who uses Heisenberg as his alias (in reference to German physicist Werner Heisenberg).
• Developer script notes compare the character Paul Pembroke to Walter White, and the script variable "PaulBreakingBadLevel" is used to track how ruthless Paul has become.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Buffy," a reference to the eponymous Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Captain Planet

• The name of the mission With Our Powers Combined is a reference to the cartoon Captain Planet and the Planeteers. It is said as the Planeteers combine their powers to form Captain Planet.

Castle

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Castle," possibly as a reference to the show Castle and its eponymous Richard Castle.

Cheers

• The Prost bar near Boston Common is a reference to the 1980s American sitcom Cheers, which was set at the titular bar in Boston. The word "prost" is German for "cheers" and is often used as a toast. The bar's interior has many references to the show:
  • The bar's layout is a replica of the one in the television show.
  • There are several baseball posters and other memorabilia around the bar. This is a reference to Ted Danson's character, the bar owner and head bartender Sam Malone, who was a former pro baseball player.
  • Behind the bar there are two skeletons on the floor holding hands. This is a reference to Sam Malone and his on-again, off-again lover Diane Chambers.
  • The other female skeleton behind the bar may be a reference to the bar's waitress Carla Tortelli.
  • A the northwest corner of the bar, a solitary skeleton is wearing a tattered formal shirt and pants. This is a reference to Frasier Crane, who became the star of his own spin-off show, Frasier.
  • At the southwest corner of the bar, one of the two skeletons is wearing a mailman's outfit. This is a reference to Cliff Clavin, who was a mailman. The other skeleton is a reference to Norm Peterson, who was good friends with Clavin and often sat with him at the bar.

Doctor Who

• Professor Goodfeels produces the Daleks' famous refrain "Exterminate" when set to guard mode.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "River," potentially as a reference to River Song from Doctor Who.

G.I Joe

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Cobra," probably referencing Cobra Commander from G.I Joe.

Inspector Gadget

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Claw," possibly referencing Dr. Claw from the Inspector Gadget cartoon.

Lost

• The random encounter The Hatch is a reference to "Exodus, Part 2," an episode of the TV series Lost.

Firefly

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Mal," referencing Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds from Firefly. "River" is also potentially a reference to River Tam from the show.

Futurama

• The star of the motion picture Invaders from Beyond Our Galaxy, Blast Hannigan, is a reference to the Futurama character Zapp Brannigan.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Fry," probably refering to Futurama protagonist J. Fry.

Mad Men

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Draper" (taken together with Hamm), a reference to the character Don Draper played by Jon Hamm in the series Mad Men.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

• Arlen Glass' office in the Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ, contains two terminals which hold references to the television show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Three consecutive logs make nods to three episodes: "The Last Roundup," "Too Many Pinkie Pies" and "Lesson Zero."
• A second terminal mentions Arlen's surprise at a lack of interest in the line of toys in comparison to how it used to be, wondering if he should instead start creating a boy-centric line of collectible, limited edition variants. This could be referencing the primarily male fanbase that cropped up over the show, and the subsequent increase of collectibles licensed to others by Hasbro, whose main reason for rebooting the show was to sell toys.
• Another entry mentions Arlen's ideas, some of which include different color coats and identifying marks to distinguish between multiple types, as well as a line of pegasi and unicorn variants. Also mentioned is the possibility of crystal-coated variants, which could be in reference to the crystal ponies of the show and their real-world toy counterparts.

Mystery Science Theater 3000

• The doors within doors in the Mechanist's lair that require Ada's assistance to unlock share a striking similarity to the doors on the Satellite of Love in the cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. These doors would open during interludes between the movie shown in each episode. They also resemble and may reference the doors from the opening of the 1960s show Get Smart.
• J. Hodgson was an engineer working for the Vault-Tec Corporation at Nuka-World before the Great War, who was stationed at the Vault-Tec: Among the Stars exhibit. This is likely a reference to Joel Hodgson, the show's creator.

Peter Pan

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Hook," a reference to Captain Hook.

The Quatermass Experiment

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Quatermass," referencing Bernard Quatermass, the eponymous character of the serial broadcast The Quatermass Experiment.

The Simpsons

• The TV brand Radiation King, which has appeared throughout the Fallout series, is a reference to Homer Simpson's childhood television set, as seen in episode 10 of season 6, "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy."
• At Beaver Creek Lanes, there is a terminal entry that lists the 2078 Far Harbor Bowling League standings. The team in third place is the Holy Rollers, Ned Flanders' bowling team on The Simpsons.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Bort," a reference to the 107th episode of The Simpsons, "Itchy & Scratchy Land."

Sons of Anarchy

• In the BADTFL regional office, which is slightly northwest of Bunker Hill there is a Novice-locked terminal. The "Prisoner 4CA8712" entry features a prisoner named Opie Hurst. This is a combination between Sons of Anarchy character Opie Winston and his actor Ryan Hurst.

True Detective

• The name of mentioned-only Brotherhood knight R. Cohle is a nod to Rust Cohle, a central character in the anthology crime series True Detective, who also suffered from issues with addiction and alcoholism. This reference was implemented by quest designer Alan Nanes.

Star Trek / StarCraft

• Knight Captain Cade will sometimes say, "Please state the nature of your medical emergency," a reference to the Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager, who uses a very similar greeting when activated in the show, upon which he'll say "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." However, in the video game StarCraft, the medic is quoted as "Please state the nature of your medical emergency." StarCraft is possibly making a reference to Star Trek here, but the wording more implies that Fallout is referencing StarCraft.
• The name of the companion perk Shield Harmonics is named for the concept of the same name from the Star Trek series.
• Several of Ada's dialogue lines are references to Star Trek. For example, "resistance is futile" is a reference to the Borg. After using a terminal, Ada may say "Using a keyboard. How quaint," a reference to a similar line from Mr. Scott in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to Star Trek characters "Kirk" refers to Captain James Kirk while "Picard" refers to Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

The Walking Dead

• Inside Union's Hope Cathedral, there is a hostile ghoul by the name of Father Gabe, wearing preacher vestments and fighting several feral ghouls. This is a reference to the character Father Gabriel from The Walking Dead, who survives the zombie apocalypse by hiding inside his church until the main characters find and rescue him.

• Halfway between Covenant and the Wildwood Cemetery, a rusty tractor can be found crashed into a fence, with a ghoul lying at the front end of the tractor, near a dead settler who is trapped under it. This is a reference to a scene from the first episode of the first season of Telltale Games's The Walking Dead.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Michonne," a possible reference to Michonne Hawthorne from The Walking Dead.

Warehouse 13

• Robert MacCready mentions a warehouse in South Dakota while searching warehouses in Goodneighbor, saying "Some strange things turn up in these places, ever hear about that warehouse in South Dakota? Yeesh." This is a reference to the warehouse in the series Warehouse 13, which was a remote warehouse in South Dakota used to store supernatural artifacts collected by the show's main characters.

The X-Files

• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to The X-Files characters: "Mulder" refers to Fox Mulder while "Scully" refers to Dana Scully.

Yogi Bear

• Rocky Narrows Park features a yao guai at a picnic, with a sign reading "don't feed the bears!" nearby. The in-game sign is similar to the real-world "don't feed the bears!" sign, featuring the character Yogi Bear. The two signs have exactly the same message written on them, as well.

Video games

The Bard's Tale

• The Pip-Boy game Grognak & the Ruby Ruins is a reference to the video game The Bard's Tale and its adaptations.

Dark Souls

• In the southern areas of Bradberton in the Nuka-World add-on, there is a small house with a Chinese officer sword sticking into a mound of ash in a corner. This mound can be kindled into a fire, upon which stimpaks fall from the air, similar to the bonfires of the Dark Souls series.

Deus Ex (Video games series)

• NPCs may occasionally say "Rip 'em to shreds!", which is a reference to a line in the game Deus Ex: Invisible War repeated (quite often) by spectators to the caged greasel matches. Mark Lampert worked on Invisible War, handling all voice recording and editing before moving on to work as the audio director for Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Denton," most probably referencing the player character of Deus Ex, JC Denton.

Dishonored

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Corvo," most probably referencing the character Corvo Attano from Dishonored.

Donkey Kong

• The game Red Menace is a reference to the 1981 Nintendo game Donkey Kong.

The Elder Scrolls (series)

• The appearance and designation of Experiment NRT-0001 are a reference to the consumable plant nirnroot from The Elder Scrolls, Bethesda Softworks' other flagship RPG franchise, set in a fantasy universe known as "Mundus" on the planet "Nirn."

The Elder Scrolls: Arena

• A telephone pole just east of Sanctuary outside of the robotics disposal ground reads TES 01 PPL 364946. In March 1994, TES1 was released.
• Sweet rolls can be found throughout the game, such as in the East Boston police station on the desk of a detective. This is a play off of the situation given for character creation in Arena and subsequent Elder Scrolls games.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

• The cover of one Taboo Tattoos magazine has the iron helmet from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The iron helmet is an armor piece from the game that was made famous by being featured heavily in the marketing of the game as being the chosen headgear of the "Dragonborn."
• Crippling a raider's leg may cause them to groan about a "bullet in the knee." The specificity and wording of "the knee" instead of "my knee" makes it similar to the often-repeated Skyrim town guard dialogue and subsequent meme: "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee..."
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Shinji," possibly as a reference to Blademaster Gaiden Shinji.

Fallout

• The title of the publication Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor is a reference to Fallout, specifically the unmarked quest Blackmail Iguana Bob. The quest starts with Doc Morbid in Junktown, goes through Iguana Bob Frazier in the Hub and ends with the aforementioned blackmail back in Junktown, wherein the Vault Dweller discovers that Doc Morbid had been supplying pieces of human meat that were being sold as iguana bits.

Fallout 3

• In the game's prologue, the newscaster on the TV will read a segment on local baseball news, and begins by saying "And now for something unquestionable, inescapably... American," which John Henry Eden also says on Enclave Radio in Fallout 3.
• Fallout 4 features a pre-War motorcycle model called the "Lone Wanderer" (every motorcycle found in the game has "Lone Wanderer" on their side), as well as billboards displaying the name of the motorcycle. There is also a perk called "Lone Wanderer," as well as a hair style option with the name. These are all references to the name of the player character in Fallout 3.
• Robert MacCready, met at The Third Rail, is the former mayor of Little Lamplight from Fallout 3. If one decides to hire him, he will occasionally say "Tunnel Snakes rule!," a reference to the Tunnel Snakes from Vault 101. He may also make reference to other areas, such as Little Lamplight or Vault 87.
• In various locations (such as Wicked Shipping Fleet Lockup) there are sets of wooden blocks with the letters "G," "A," "R" and "Y," usually present with one or more other children's toys. This is a reference to the Gary clones that populated Vault 108.
• The SAFE test used at Covenant is the same as the G.O.A.T., with exception to the overseer question.
• The list of Codsworth's recognized player character names includes references to Fallout 3, such as "Autumn" (Colonel Augustus Autumn) and possibly "Burke" (Mister Burke).
• The name and the role of the unique weapon Le Fusil Terribles is likely a reference to the unique weapon The Terrible Shotgun from Fallout 3.

Fallout Shelter

• Vault dwellers in the add-on Vault-Tec Workshop will say lines that also appeared in the mobile game Fallout Shelter, such as, "Who do you think would win in a fight, a lumberjack with tentacle arms or a shark riding a unicycle?"

Grand Theft Auto (Video games series)

• In the South Boston Police Department, there is an entry on the evidence terminal pertaining to a suspect named Nicole Connelly, who is accused of the crime of grand theft auto. Her name is shortened to "NiCo" in the evidence log entries. Niko Bellic is the name of the protagonist in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

Half-Life

Half-Life 3 confirmed

• Scribbles on Virgil's notepad reference "Gaben," the president of Valve, "Xen," which is an alien dimension from the video game series Half-Life, with the phrase "HL3 Confirmed" at the bottom.
• The toy alien junk item shares a resemblance with headcrabs from the Half-Life series when crouched.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Freeman," potentially as a reference to the main protagonist of the Half-Life series, Gordon Freeman.

Mega Man

• In the Pip-Boy image of the quest Nuclear Family, the depiction of Father bears an almost identical appearance to Dr. Thomas Light from the original Mega Man series.

Metal Gear

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Snake," potentially as a reference to Solid Snake from the Metal Gear franchise.

Missile Command

• The game Atomic Command is a reference to the 1980 Atari game Missile Command.

Pitfall!

• The Pip-Boy game Pipfall is a reference to the 1982 Activision game for the Atari 2600 Pitfall!.

Robotron : 2084

• The Pip-Boy game Automatron is a reference to the arcade game Robotron : 2084.

Space Invaders

• The Pip-Boy game Zeta Invaders is a reference to the arcade game Space Invaders

Thief

• The antagonist in the Grognak The Barbarian comic "Cometh The Trickster" is a direct reference to The Trickster from the Thief series. Moreover, the comic is found at the Bus and apartment wreckage, which is a recreation of the childhood home of Emil Pagliarulo, who also worked on the series early in his career.

Wasteland

• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names reference Wasteland: "Deth" refers to Angela Deth and "Snake" may reference Snake Vargas.

Literature

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• The River of Quantum found in the Nuka-World World of Refreshment ride references the river of chocolate featured in the children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and the two films based on it). This reference is reinforced on a terminal entry inside the ride that encourages drinking right out of the river, as the chemical makeup of Quantum kills germs and resists contamination. In the book, a character is scolded for drinking from the chocolate river and potentially contaminating the chocolate.

Divine Comedy

• Brian Virgil takes his name from the roman poet Virgil, author of the Aeneid - however, it seems that he was given his name specifically in reference to the depiction of Virgil in Dante's Divine Comedy as the guide of Dante through hell. Indeed, Brian Virgil is found in the Glowing Sea, an area with an hellish landscape, and is the one to guide the player to The Institute, which is underground (just like the netherworld is).

Edgar Allan Poe's corpus

• General McGann's body in the Castle tunnels is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. McGann is lying next to a wine crate containing some bottles of Amontillado wine. Opposite him is a skeleton behind a half-built brick wall. In addition, the name "Montressor" is on the label of the Amontillado bottles. Montressor is one of the main characters in "The Cask of Amontillado." The name "P. Edgar" in smaller print on the bottom of the label is another reference to Edgar Allen Poe. Poe was inspired to write the story during his time serving at Fort Independence, also known as the Castle.
• At the end of the quest Reunions, Nick Valentine may quote part of The Raven in response to the Prydwen entering the Commonwealth upon exiting Fort Hagen. The line he quotes is "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing..."
• The Red Death is a reference to Poe's short story The Masque of the Red Death. However, while the Red Death is a creature in Fallout 4, it's a personified disease in Poe's story (and specifically which disease it's supposed to represent - and if it's even supposed to represent a disease - is subject to debate).

H.P Lovecraft's corpus

• Northeast of Goodneighbor, there is a place called "Pickman Gallery." It is the main site of a quest called "Pickman's Gift" and it is a reference to one of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories, "Pickman's Model." There are several little references to the story throughout both the quest and inside the building.
• Dunwich Borers is also a direct reference to "The Dunwich Horror," and also to the Dunwich Building of Fallout 3. The giant face deep inside Dunwich Borers is also a reference to the story "The Shunned House."
• The Children of Atom also refer to radiation as the glow on occasion. This references H.P Lovecraft's personal favorites of his work; The Color Out of Space. In this story a farm is inhabited by a color (out of space) referred to as the glow, which mutates the body and destroys the brain much like radiation.
• The Cabot House quest line has numerous references to Lovecraft. For one, the city of Ubar in the Rub' al Khali is a reference to The Nameless City. Furthermore, the SS Wakeful in Lorenzo Cabot's journal is a reference to the SS Alert from The Call of Cthulhu. Lorenzo Cabot's journal also generally mirrors several different Lovecraft stories, such as The Rats in the Walls, The Moon Bog, and the aforementioned Call of Cthulhu.
• The Kingsport Lighthouse is another reference. Kingsport was the earliest fictional town in what became known as Lovecraft Country, and is featured in The Festival, where a group of cloaked cultists perform pre-human rites. In Fallout 4, cloaked Children of Atom worship a glowing one in the lighthouse.

H. Rider Haggard's corpus

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Quartermain," referencing Allan Quatermain, a character present in many of H. Rider Haggard's works.

James Bond (book series)

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Bond," referencing the fictional spy James Bond.

Juvenal

• In Zoe's diary the title of an entry is "Who Protects the Protectron?" This is a reference to Juvenal's "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", a phrase popularized as "Who Watches the Watchmen?" in the comic series of the same name.

Les Enfants terribles

• The name of the unique weapon Le Fusil Terribles is most likely a reference to the title of Jean Cocteau's book Les Enfants terribles (with "terribles" being pluralized just like in the book's title, despite the rest of the sentence being in singular).

Ozymandias

• If brought to the General Atomics Galleria, Nick Valentine will rephrase the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley to mock the large Mister Handy statue.

Stephen King's corpus

• The fog crawlers could be an allusion to the arachni-lobster creature from Stephen King's novella The Mist. The similarities include a mysterious crustacean, which dwells in an unnatural fog.
• Some of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to characters in Stephen King's novels, such as "Flagg," which refers to Randall Flagg from The Stand and "Deschain" which refers to Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series.

The Adams Family

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Morticia," a reference to Morticia Addams.

The Book of Abramelin

• The "Abremalin field" imprisoning Lorenzo Cabot refers to historical occult work The Book of Abramelin.

Flowers for Algernon

• Swan's backstory shares many similarities with the character Charlie in Flowers for Algernon, who is a mentally disabled janitor that is given a serum which increases his I.Q. However, he eventually starts regressing, and once again becoming mentally disabled.

The Chronicles of Amber (novel series)

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Corwin," probably a reference to Prince Corwin from the novel series The Chronicles of Amber.

The Hunger Games (novel series)

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Katniss," a reference to Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games franchise.

The Lord of the Rings (book series)

• As confirmed in the art book and mentioned by Deacon (if you take him into a tunnel area and ask for his thoughts. Claims that you're safe underground because you're far from the Watchers' 'uh... watching eyes'), "the Watchers" are the ravens. This may be a reference to the ravens who were spies for Sauron in The Lord of the Rings.

To Kill a Mockingbird

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Atticus," a reference to Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

• Tin Man, a Protectron found at Easy City Downs, is a reference to The Wizard of Oz.
• In the Nuka-World add-on, if the player character is wearing power armor when they enter Kiddie Kingdom during A Magical Kingdom, Oswald the Outrageous will mockingly say over the P.A., "What's wrong, Tin Man? Having trouble finding the Wizard? Personally, I would have figured you for the Scarecrow." This line is a reference to three characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Xanadu

• In the General Atomics factory in the baby's room, wood blocks can be found saying "Xanadu." The name Xanadu was popularized by the poem "Kubla Khan." In this case, the name may be a reference to the name of Charles Foster Kane's mansion in the 1941 film Citizen Kane.

Comics & other illustrated written works

AKIRA

• Two of Codsworth's recognized player character names are "Akira" and "Kaneda," references to the characters Akira and Shotaro Kaneda of the AKIRA manga, respectively.

Conan the Barbarian

• Grognak the Barbarian is a reference to Conan the Barbarian, both characters sharing the same cognomens and similar outfits & general appearence.
  • One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Grognak."

Detective Story Magazine

• The Silver Shroud is a reference to The Shadow, originally the narrator of the radio show Detective Story Hour which later became a literary character of its own in the Detective Story Magazine. They have identical outfits and the Shroud's silver submachine gun is very similar to the signature weapon of The Shadow in a few depictions.

The Punisher

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Castle," possibly a reference to Frank Castle, an anti-hero by the title of the Punisher in the Marvel Comics franchise.

Rurouni Kenshin

• Two of Codsworth's recognized player character names are "Battosai" and "Kenshin," references to the characters Hitokiri Battosai and Himura Kenshin of the Rurouni Kenshin manga.

Transmetropolitan

• Two of Codsworth's recognized player character names are "Spider" and "Jerusalem," probably a reference to Spider Jerusalem from Transmetropolitan.

Trigun

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Vash," a reference to Vash the Stampede from the manga series Trigun.

Others

• The "American Comics Code" stamp found on the Unstoppables is a reimagining of the stamp used by the Comics Code Authority. Its stated goal was to inform parents of the content of comics, though critics of the organization claimed that it functioned more as a censorship bureau.
• In The Art of Fallout 4, a page displaying a large and varied collection of Institute uniform sketches includes one individual wearing a red-and-white-striped shirt, bobble hat and glasses. This is a reference to the illustrated puzzle book series Where's Wally? or Where's Waldo? in North America. The books consist of detailed double-page spread illustrations depicting dozens of people, containing red herrings involving the deceptive use of red-and-white striped objects. Readers are challenged to find a character named Waldo/Wally hidden in the group.

Music

Katatonia

• Inside Listening Post Bravo there is a terminal with the Listening Post Bravo terminal entries written by Sergeant J.P. Renkse, which is a reference to Swedish metal band vocalist Jonas Renkse of Katatonia. Also several lines from the terminal like "D-E-K" is a reference from their album Dead End Kings and lines like "internal void," "dreams are getting darker" and "blood runs so still" are lyrics from one of the album's songs Dead Letters. This reference was implemented by quest designer Alan Nanes, who also included a Katatonia reference in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Pink Floyd

• In school locations, Ada may say, "If you don't eat your meat, how can you have any pudding?" This is a reference to Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 by Pink Floyd.

"Poetry in Motion"

• During Restoring Order, one of Ada's dialogue lines is "It feels like: Poetry in motion," referring to the song of the same name popularized by Johnny Tillotson in 1960.

Real-life personalities

Bethesda staff

• Several paintings found throughout the game feature the likeness of Bethesda employees, such as Todd Howard in the place of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• The words "Todd Howard is amazing in everything his hands touch - no kidding" appears to be written in the lower two lines of the text in the top middle of the Periodic Table of Elements poster, though the word "is" does not appear as clearly as the surrounding text and may not be the correct word.
• Many of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to Bethesda/Fallout 4 staff.
  

Name	Reference
Andonov	Vlatko Andonov, Bethesda president (taken together with Vlatko)
Baudoin	Ferret Baudoin, Bethesda quest designer (formerly of Black Isle)
Bilodeau	Jonathan Bilodeau, Bethesda programmer
Brigner	Daryl and Bryan Brigner, Bethesda level designers
Browder	Angela Browder, Bethesda producer
Bogdanove	Kal-El Bogdanove, Bethesda voice director (taken together with Kal-El)
Burgess	Joel Burgess, Bethesda level designer
Burke	Possibly Jon Burke, Bethesda programmer
Carnow	Ben Carnow, Bethesda animator and artist
Carofano	Matthew Carofano, Bethesda world artist
Carver	Guy Carver, Bethesda lead programmer
Cha	Jangjoon Cha, Bethesda animator (taken together with Jangjoon)
Chapin, Chappy	Brian "Chappy" Chapin, Bethesda quest designer
Christiane	Christiane Meister, Bethesda artist (taken together with Meister)
Cockerham	Ken Cockerham, Bethesda programmer
Cornett	Steve Cornett, Bethesda level designer
Corrie	Corrie Treadway, Bethesda quest designer (taken together with Treadway)
Courtenay	Courtenay Taylor, voice actress of the female Sole Survivor
Cubbison	Timothy Cubbison, casting director
Cullen	Cullen Pagliarulo, son of Emil Pagliarulo and voice actor
Cummings	Possibly voice actor Jim Cummings or developer Chris Cummings
Deitrick	Erik Deitrick, Bethesda programmer
Delaney	Brian T. Delaney, voice actor of the male Sole Survivor
DiAngelo	David and Joseph DiAngelo, Bethesda programmers
DiMaggio	Possibly voice actor John DiMaggio
DongJun	DongJun Kim, Bethesda animator
Dulany	Michael Dulany, Bethesda programmer
Duvall	Jon Paul Duvall, Bethesda designer (taken together with JonPaul)
Emil	Emil Pagliarulo, Bethesda lead designer and writer (taken together with Pagliarulo)
Finster	Jessica Finster, Bethesda community manager
Franke	Scott Franke, Bethesda lead graphics programmer
Gardiner	Jeff Gardiner, Bethesda producer
Graber	Paul Graber, Bethesda programmer
Gravato	John Gravato, Bethesda artist
Greco	Tony Greco, Bethesda artist
Hammett	Jason Hammett, Bethesda systems programmer
Hamrick	Josh Hamrick, Bethesda systems designer
Hardi	Lucas Hardi, Bethesda artist
Hasenbuhler	Jason Hasenbuhler, Bethesda systems programmer
Henning	Henning Seljenes, Bethesda systems programmer (taken together with Seljenes)
Hines	Pete Hines, Bethesda vice president
Hopgood	Ahn Hopgood, Bethesda programmer
Ilya	Ilya Nazarov, Bethesda artist (taken together with Nazarov)
Jangjoon	Jangjoon Cha, Bethesda animator (taken together with Cha)
JonPaul	Jon Paul Duvall, Bethesda designer (taken together with Duvall)
Kal-El, KalEl	Kal-El Bogdanove, Bethesda voice director, himself named after Superman (taken together with Bogdanove)
Kauffman	Kevin Kauffman, Bethesda producer and QA
Krietz	Christopher Krietz, Bethesda QA lead
Kuhlmann, Kurt	Kurt Kuhlmann, Bethesda designer
Lafferty	Craig Lafferty, Bethesda producer
Langlois	Drew Langlois, Bethesda level designer
Lederer	Ray Lederer, Bethesda artist
Liesegang	Shane Liesegang, Bethesda quest designer
Lipari	Mike Lipari, Bethesda programmer
Losi	Erin Losi, Bethesda public relations
Lynda	Lynda Carter, voice actress, actress and wife of Robert A. Altman
Markiepoo	Mark Teare, Bethesda visual effects artist
McDyer	Nathan X. McDyer, Bethesda producer
Means	Michael Means, Bethesda artist
Meister	Christiane Meister, Bethesda artist (taken together with Christiane)
Mejillones	Dennis Mejillones, Bethesda artist
Muck	Jason Muck, Bethesda artist
Nanes	Alan Nanes, Bethesda quest designer
Nardone	Barry Nardone, Bethesda animator
Nazarov	Ilya Nazarov, Bethesda artist (taken together with Ilya)
Nesmith	Bruce Nesmith, Bethesda designer
Nogueira	Felipe Nogueira, Bethesda technical artist
Nourmohammadi	Paris Nourmohammadi, Bethesda brand manager
Olds	Dane Olds, Bethesda artist
Orin	Orin Tresnjak, Bethesda programmer (taken together with Tresnjak)
Pagliarulo	Emil Pagliarulo, Bethesda lead designer and writer (taken together with Emil)
Pely	Istvan Pely, Bethesda artist (taken together with Istvan)
Purkeypile	Nathan Purkeypile, Bethesda world artist
Rabil	Madeleine Rabil, Bethesda artist
Rapp	Liz Rapp, Bethesda special effects artist
River	Possibly River, the dog which voiced many of dogs of Fallout 4 (Dogmeat included), and after which Dogmeat was modelled.
Scharf	Andrew Scharf, Bethesda producer
Schram	Justin Schram, Bethesda level designer
Schreiber	Dave Schreiber, Bethesda sound designer
Seljenes	Henning Seljenes, Bethesda systems programmer (taken together with Henning)
Smirova	Natalia Smirnova, Bethesda artist
Struthers	Grant and Clara Struthers, Bethesda artists
Teare	Mark Teare, Bethesda visual effects artist
Teitel	Dan Teitel, Bethesda programmer
Treadway	Corrie Treadway, Bethesda quest designer (taken together with Corrie)
Tresnjak	Orin Tresnjak, Bethesda programmer (taken together with Orin)
Utting	Alex Utting, Bethesda animator
Valenti	John Valenti, Bethesda artist
Vicens	Rick Vicens, Bethesda lead animator
Vlatko	Vlatko Andonov, Bethesda president (taken together with Andonov)
Wisnewski	Robert Wisnewski, Bethesda artist
Woodward	Jay Woodward, Bethesda programmer
Yan	Yan Town, Bethesda artist
Zdana	Christopher Zdana, Bethesda world artist

Other personalities

• Many of Codsworth's recognized player character names are references to real-life personalities:

Name	Reference
Altman	Robert A. Altman, ZeniMax CEO
Asimov	Isaac Asimov, science fiction author
Bruckheimer	Jerry Bruckheimer, film producer
Cormac	Cormac McCarthy, author
DiMaggio	Possibly baseball player Joe DiMaggio
Hamm	Jon Hamm, actor (taken together with Draper)
Marsden	Ernest Marsden, atomic physicist
Mikami	Shinji Mikami, game director and cameo voice-actor of Takahashi (taken together with Shinji)
Moonves	Les Moonves, media executive
Ripken	Ripken baseball dynasty
Shinji	Possibly game director Shinji Mikami (taken together with Mikami)
Springsteen	Bruce Springsteen, musician
Tesla	Nikola Tesla, scientist best known as the creator of alternating current and the Tesla coil
Trump	Possibly then-businessman Donald Trump or Robert Trump, Donald's brother and ZeniMax board member

• The Vault-Tec lunchbox has two drawings of childrens' faces on it: they are drawings of Ziggy and Simon, the two children of Bethesda Game Studios artist Mark Teare, made by his wife Donna.
  • The names that can be found in colored letters on some of the Vault-Tec lunchboxes (Acadia, Adriana, Anna, Becky, Cole, Connor, Dona, Greesha, Jack, Jade, June, Nic, Sage, Simon, Stan, Zane and Ziggy) are all the names of developers' children.

Others

• One of Codsworth's jokes ("Comic Sans, Arial and Papyrus walk into a bar...") is a reference to commonly misused and overused fonts.
• The name of the quest Here There Be Monsters is a reference to a term for a dangerous place on the map. Taken from early maps where unknown or dangerous regions would include drawings of dragons, scorpions or mermaids. See also: Here Be Dragons.
• The position of a male and female mannequin at Wixon's Shovel Museum resembles Grant Wood's painting American Gothic, but with the male holding a shovel instead of a pitchfork.
• The Prydwen shares its name with King Arthur's ship from the Welsh poems "Preiddeu Annwfn" and "Culhwch ac Olwen." Furthermore, Elder Maxson shares his first name with King Arthur.
• In the Atom Cats questline, once the Sole Survivor hands in the first part to Rowdy and talks to Zeke, he will mention "...maybe we should really rustle his/her jimmies." This phrase originates from an image macro on the internet that inspired a thread on 4chan sometime later which imitated 50's slang, much like the rest of Atom Cats. The meme has since spread across the rest of the internet.
• The monkey character tattoo from the cut Taboo Tattoos issue #3 is a reference to the infamous "Aloha Monkey," one of the signatures of famed tattoo artist "Sailor Jerry" Collins.
• At the top of KL-E-0's terminal, it reads "Have a Plan to Kill Everyone you Meet," which is one of the "standards" upheld by the United States Marine Corps, and was said by the U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
• The name of the unique weapon Death From Above is the motto of the United States Air Force's 7th Bomb Wing (Mors Ab Alto) and of the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division. It may also reference (one of the latter or a combination of) the Fallout 3 Broken Steel quest of the same name, the motto painted on Kilgore's helicopter in the movie Apocalypse Now, a wide variety of entities within the realm of music, or more.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Ares," as in Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Southie," a nickname for residents of South Boston.
• The salvaged Assaultron head, in its function (inner logic) and appearance, mirror the head of the Greek mythological monster Medusa, which was used by Perseus as a weapon after he beheaded her.

Radio shows

• The plays heard on Silver Shroud Radio are a reference to the radio show Detective Story Hour.

Real-life brands & goods

• One of the new flavors of Nuka-Cola added in the Nuka-World add-on is "Newka-Cola." This is a reference to "New Coke", the unofficial title of a reformulated version of Coca-Cola released in 1985. In response to Pepsi outselling Coca-Cola, the Coca-Cola company changed the flavor of Coca-Cola slightly in an attempt to boost sales. Public backlash soon forced them to revert to the old formula, which ironically resulted in Coca-Cola outselling Pepsi by more than double in the first six months of the reversal.
• The Vim soft drink brand is inspired by Moxie, Maine's official beverage. Their logos are similar, and the slogan on Vim Captain Blend's is the same as Moxie's ("The Taste of Maine in a Bottle"). Vim is also said to have originated as a health tonic, like Moxie.
  • The soft drink's name might be inspired by the Vim brand of cleaning products; indeed, the labels on Vim bottles are very similar to the labels on modern Vim cleaning products (similar font, same layout; but the Vim soft drink's label is italicized).
• The Gwinnett beer brand is a reference to the real-world Samuel Adams beer brand, produced by the Boston Beer Company. Both brands' producers are headquartered in Boston, and they are both named after a Founding Father of the U.S. (Button Gwinnett and Samuel Adams, respectively).
  • Gwinnett may further be a reference to the real-world Guinness Irish beer brand, on account of the phonetic similarities between their names.
• The television cameras seen in Gunners plaza, Fort Hagen Command Center and Hubris Comics are identical to the RCA TK11, a monochrome television camera produced by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in 1954.
• The model of the Thirst Zapper is inspired from real-life "atomic guns" toys that were popular in the 1940s - it bears a striking ressemblance to the Flash Gordon signal pistol, specifically.
• Food paste and its related lore is a reference to real-life pink slime, the pejorative name for an additive often added to beef products made from treated, very finely ground beef trimmings, looking by itself like pink, lean pellets or blocks. There was controversy over its widespread use in a wide range of context (such as by fast food, and especially for school lunches) in the early 2000s and 2010s, althought it was never proven to have negative effects on one's health.

Real-life location & landmarks

• Carhenge, a reproduction of Stonehenge with destroyed cars, can be found south of Walden Pond.
• The Rockville Slugger weapon is named after the city of Rockville, Maryland, the current location of Bethesda Game Studios.
• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Boston," the capital of Massachusetts and the setting of Fallout 4.
• Sanctuary Hills may be based off of the real world Minute Man National Historical Park.

Historical

• The hairstyle "Wendy the Welder" is a reference to a nickname given to female welders during WWII, similar to the better known "Rosie the Riveter."
• Eddie Winter is based on notorious Boston mob boss Howard "Howie" Winter, the second boss of The Winter Hill Gang. Howie Winter was famously put away by (then anonymous) FBI informant James "Whitey" Bulger.
  • Two of Codsworth's recognized player character names are "Whitey" and "Bulger" (taken together), as a reference to James "Whitey" Bulger.
• Iron Maiden, an Assaultron racing at Easy City Downs, shares its name with the iron maiden, a supposed medieval torture device. The device is likely fictional, with legends only dating back to the 18th century and no known devices built before the 19th century. It may also be a reference to the famous band of the same name, who also took their name from the device.
• Ada Lovelace was a mathematician and pioneer in computing who is credited for being the first person to devise an algorithm intended to be run on a machine. Lady Lovelace is a robot programmed for racing. Ada, another Assaultron, likely also derives her name from Ada Lovelace.
• The Gwinnett beer brand's name (and its founder's name) reference the real-life founding father Button Gwinnett.

The American Revolution

• The standard minuteman weapon is a laser musket, just as the musket was during the American Revolutionary War.
• The ghoul John Hancock shares his name with the historical John Hancock, who was one of the first men to sign the Declaration of Independence, and it is implied that the ghoul Hancock's red frock coat once belonged to the historical Hancock.
• The quest The Battle of Bunker Hill is also named after one of the opening battles of the American Revolution.

Underground Railroad

• The Railroad is an allusion to the Underground Railroad, which was known for moving escaped slaves across the United States using a series of safe houses and stations.

Religious

• The Lifegiver perk depicts a Vault Boy in robes, a beard and a halo, much like common depictions of Jesus.
• Ahab, a customized robot found alongside Jezebel in the Headhunting quest of the Automatron add-on. This is a reference to Ahab, king of Israel, and his wife Jezebel.

Theatrical works

• One of Codsworth's recognized player character names is "Yorick," the name of a character mentioned or represented (depending on the portrayal) in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
• One of the plays listed in the employees terminal at The Parlor is "The Phantom of the Nuka," a reference to The Phantom of the Opera.
• One of the plays listed in the employees terminal at The Parlor is "The Best Little Nuka-House in Boston," a reference to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
• One of the plays listed in the employees terminal at The Parlor is "A Soft Drink Named Desire," a reference to A Streetcar Named Desire.
• One of the plays listed in the employees terminal at The Parlor is "Fizzy Robb, The Quantum-Maker of Sweet-Street," a reference to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.