Shout Out / Soul Eater

• Masamune's shadow, as well the one as in Tsubaki's and Masamune's dreamscape, the elongated stick figures seem to be references to the horror short manga The Enigma of Amigara Fault (Drr... Drr...).
• Soul's Black Blood-influenced mindscape is a reference to the Red Room from Twin Peaks, and it even has a little dancing figure in a suit.
• Ox's over-dramatic ripping out his horn-like hair in order to convince Kim that he would forsake Shibusen to be with her is reminiscent of Hellboy.
  • Kim is a healer, which is the opposite of dangerous pyrokinetic Liz. Liz's actress also played a character named Kim .
  • During the same chapter Ox makes a reference to Kim, who he recently learned was a witch, as being an angel. The discovery of the band Angel Witch, and their song of the same name, adds yet another point to the long list of music references Atsushi Okubo makes.
• Capone, the first villain encountered by Black☆Star, ends most his sentences with "...you know?", which is the closest you get for an english translation of "dattebayo". Possibly unintentional.
• Pay close attention to the list of students in episode 14, and you'll spot names such as Selim Pride and Dante Rockbell.
• In episode 17 (Excalibur's second appearance), there is a part where he is speaking to Ox about how he could no longer find any satisfaction. We see him walking through the very same street that is depicted in the cover of David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
  • He also claims to have had an association with Sherlock Holmes in that episode, with an extended sequence featuring Holmes and Watson (with black bars over the eyes, of course.)
  • There's another direct reference to David Lynch in the episode right before the scene with Excalibur talking to a woman on a cliffside, with a shot-by-shot remake of the shadowy swooping shot of the Mulholland Drive street sign, taken directly from the same film.
  • Excalibur itself might be a reference to someone else: A powerful eldritch being (if not the most powerful one) who is as well very egomaniac. The most prominent features are a ridiculously long hat and a cane, besides an unusual shape, and we (with one exception) see only one side and eye of Excalibur. Gives his vast power through a quite literal deal with all the rules he has. Has an unknown real name (if any real name at all; but [1] confirmed it's way older than the myth he has its name from). Minus the evil part, it does sound like a certain triangle

• One chapter has Maka attempting to ride Soul in his scythe form (with a drastically shortened blade) and they try to manifest wings from the back to fly, though, as Maka complains, the wings are anything but angelic.
  • The second attempt is tiny but at least not as spiky as Soul's imagination seemed to be making them initially. The third, powered-up by soul resonance, is much larger and noticably angel-like, as with Maka's soul.
• The manga even seems to have a shout out to the Iconic ending of the anime. Clearly, when Maka punches out her opponent in Chapter 65, her fist is packed with courage!
  • Interestingly, just before Maka kills her, Arachne comments that courage * isn't* enough to win every battle. She then got bisected by Demon Hunter, but even so...
• Episode 43 of the anime features a sort of Theme Park Version expy of Prypiat, complete with the iconic Ferris wheel. However, it swaps the Chernobyl reactors for a MacGuffin guarded by a pair of robotic clown... things.
• Noah looks a lot like a Noah.
• As of chapter 71-2, Death the Kid is Crawling in his skin.
• Watch the 3rd ending at about 1:15 and tell me what you see. I'll give you a hint: Envy
  • Not just her, but the statue/creature below her looks a lot like Gluttony too.
• Incidentally, the Book of Eibon comes from Clark Ashton Smith via H. P. Lovecraft. The curious might be interested to know that, in fact, a purported chapter from the book, written by Mr. Smith, exists...
• Just look at Episode 47, where Black☆Star decides that he's going to face his fears. Now go watch Episode 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion, where Shinji realises that he's not alone. Now tell me that the blue ripples which change the imaginary world both Black☆Star and Shinji Ikari are trapped in, allowing them to return to life (or something, in the case of Neon Genesis Evangelion) are completely unrelated. (The moments I'm talking about are about 11 mins into episode 47 for Soul Eater, and the very last scene for Neon Genesis Evangelion.)
• Chapter 79 has Noah summon a Manticore from his Book by calling "Manticore: I chose you." The very next chapter has him twist his hat backwards before summoning a giant cerberus., which, strangely, has the heads resembling Jason, Freddy, and Leatherface.
• The samurai Mifune is undoubtedly named after legendary Jidaigeki star Toshiro Mifune, most famous for playing the eponymous samurai character in Sanjuro and Yojimbo.
• In chapter 62, Maka and Soul fight a murderer named Frey D. Sadoko, who makes her victims listen to a cursed recording before killing them in their nightmares. She also uses an attack called Nine Inch Nails.
• In the first ending, the giant monster Maka fights looks strikingly similar to Winnie from Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School
• When Crona goes Multi-Armed and Dangerous, Black☆Star comments on hir Three-Sword Style.
• Chapter 70. Metsu... Shoryuken!
• One of Justin Law's attacks goes by the name "Law-Abiding Silvergun". It has a variant named "Law-Abiding Silvergun: Radiant".
• Black☆Star's name and tattoo might be a shout out to The Dragon of the first American Ninja film (who shares both).
• In chapter one, one of Blair's attacks is called "Smashing Pumpkin". One panel also show her hat to be a living creature named Zwan, that is the name of Billy Corgan's other, short-lived band.
• Harvar's visor bears quite a resemblance to Cyclops's.
• To real historical figures:
  • The first Kishin egg we see is serial killer Jack the Ripper.
  • The first time we see Black*Star and Tsubaki, they are hunting Al Capone.
  • Death the Kid is probably inspired by Billy the Kid, cowboy theme and all.
  • Sid Barret is not-so-subtlely named after Pink Floyd's former front man, Syd Barret.
  • Similarly, Kim Diehl is named after the (former) Pixies bassist, Kim Deal.
  • Liz and Patty used to be known as the Brooklyn Devils, the name of an actual gang in the 1950's.
  • Feodor, a meister stationed in Eastern Europe is named after Tsar Feodor I, son of Ivan the Terrible.
  • Heming may be named after Ernest Hemingway, author of The Old Man and the Sea. It makes more sense when you pair that with the origin of Ahab's name and the fact that they live in the Sea Shepherd's Village.
  • Eruka uses the words René Descartes in a calculation spell. Fitting for a world where souls and bodies are seen as completely different entities.
  • Justin Law's attack, Schmidt shouts out Franz Schmidt, a German excecutioner from the XVI century.
• To literary characters:
  • Dr. Franken Stein is a deranged scientist. I think that sounds slightly familiar.
  • Lupin's name is borrowed from Arséne Lupin, the thief from Maurie Leblanc's novels.
  • Ahab, the old meister, is named after Captain Ahab from Moby-Dick. He also lives in a village with sky whales.
  • Zubaidah, the meister stationed in West Asia is named after Zubaidah Ja'far, a princess that appears prominently in A Thousand and One Nights.
  • Kaguya borrows the name and the Fire Rat pelt from the The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
  • The Book of Eibon contains extracts from Alice in Wonderland.
• To movies:
  • Maybe Maka and Soul thought Blair was a witch because of a certain found footage movie.
  • Jonson J is a blatant reference to the killer in the Friday The 13 Th saga.
  • Kill Bell, a videogame only character might as well have worn a yellow jumpsuit.
  • The Runaway Express probably owes its English name to the 1926 film.
  • The Fisher King, an Arachnophobia assasin and that 1991 release.
• Norse Mythology:
  • Ragnarok may not be a final battle between gods, but he's got the name.
  • Nidhogg may be phantom ship and not a dragon, it's eating land instead of the Yggdrasil, but it gets destroyed by Ragnarok all the same.
  • Marie Mjolnir is heavily associated with lightning and her weapon form is a warhammer. It can't get any more obvious.
• Greek Mythology:
  • The Gorgons are three monster sisters. Or witches, in this case.
  • Medusa is named after one of the three Greek Gorgones, and one of her most prominent features is having snakes instead of hair. Wonder where Medusa's animal theme came from.
  • The witch Arachne is named after the mother of all spiders, who becomes one after defeating the goddess Athena in a weaving contest.
  • Cyclops, a demon in the Book of Eibon is named after the giants with one eye.
  • Orthrus, another demon from the Book of Eibon owes his name to the two-headed dog that guarded Geryon's red cattle.
  • The Spartoi, an elite group of Meisters and Weapons in-series, were a race of warriors that rose from planted dragon teeth.
• Monotheist Tradition:
  • The golems are borrowed from the Jewish legendary animated artificial creations.
  • The Grigori were a group of fallen angels that lived amongst humans. Grigori souls in this universe, however, are winged and that can translate to the physical realm.
  • The Book of Eibon and Noah's conscience are divided into the Seven Deadly Sins. You could even argue that the Book is partially based in some visions of Hell, like the one in Dante's The Divine Comedy.
  • Jin Galland's attack, "The Tower" seems to be based on the Tower of Babel.
  • Beelzebub, Kid's skate is the name that was first given by Hebrews to the Canaanite god, Baal. This evolved until Beelzebub became known as a Demon Prince.
• Popular folklore:
  • Baba Yaga's castle is the base of the witch-lead organization Arachnophobia, while in Slavic tradition, Baba Yaga is a witch that kidnaps children and lives in a moving house.
  • Excalibur, the legendary sword in a stone that will bring glory to whoever wields it is not only a nod, but actually THE sword from Arthurian Legend.
  • Succubus, the Demon that resides in the Lust chapter of the Book of Eibon is based in the seductress demons from Medieval Europe.
  • Chupa❤Cabra's, the bar, got its name after the legendary Latin American beast that feasts of goats and other farm animals.
  • The Select Gremlins that live in the Book of Eibon are small, mischievous creatures, much like their English folklore counterpart.
  • The Curse of the Pharaoh is based in the popular belief that a curse befalls anyone who enters a tomb of a former Egyptian ruler.
• Tezca Tlipoca, the meister with a teddy bear (although it's also hinted to be jaguar) head is named after the Aztec god of the same name, who also has mirrors and mist as an important part of his mythos.^note He's in charge of South America, though, where Tezcatlipoca was never worshipped–the Aztecs were in Central America.
• The Pyramid of Anubis uses the name of the Egyptian god of death and the afterlife.
• Asura is named after the Hindu deities. In popular tradition, they are power hungry and borderline demonic, much like a Kishin. They are also low-class deities in Buddhist cosmology, but the evil nature of the Hindu ones fits better with the character.
  • Vajna, Asura's Weapon uses the name of a ritualistic weapon used in Buddhism, Hinduism and Janism.
• Shaula Gorgon receives her name after the Arabic name of the tail from the Scorpio constelation. Obviouly, her animal motiff follows.
• Ox Ford and his weapon partner Harvar D. Éclair have names of famous universities, probably because of the academic competitiveness of the former.
• The Manticore is based in the Persian fantastic beast of the same name.