History ShoutOut / HonkaiStarRail

** [[Literature/TheWolfOfWallStreet The Wolf of Astral Street]]
** [[WebOriginal/SCPFoundation XK-Class Scenario]] and Class-D Personnel

** [[TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}} Trauma Team Platinum Package]]

* During the fourth day of the "Stellar Shadowseeker" event, the Trailblazer gets hit by a tram in Jarilo-VI while taking a picture of it. When explaining the situation to March 7th while sending the pictures, the Trailblazer mentions that they [[Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense "maxed out my DEF and didn't get hurt".]]

** The sponsor of the Aetherium Wars is one of the Masked Fools named Giovanni di Giorgio da Epsilon, seemingly referencing Music/GiovanniMoroder and his monologue on the Music/DaftPunk song "Giorgio by Moroder", which famously ends "My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio."

** The sponsor of the Aetherium Wars is one of the Masked Fools named Giovanni di Giorgio da Epsilon, and Music/DaftPunk have a song named "Giorgio by Moroder" sung from the perspective of Giorgio who says in the song his first name is Giovanni.

* During the fourth day of the "Stellar Shadowseeker" event, the Traveler gets hit by a tram in Jarilo-VI while taking a picture of it. When explaining the situation to March 7th while sending the pictures, the Traveler mentions that they [[Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense "maxed out my DEF and didn't get hurt".]]

* Some of the achievements' names are also pop-culture references, including TVTropes:

** [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII Let Her Cook]]

* There are two Outworld merchants in Aurum Alley named [[VideoGame/LikeADragon Kiryu and Majima]].

** [[TabletopGames/{{Cyberpunk}} Trauma Team Platinum Package]]

** [[Tabletop/{{Cyberpunk}} Trauma Team Platinum Package]]

* The design on Huohuo's phone case resembles the ''{{Franchise/Ghostbusters}}'' logo.

* The design on Huohuo's phone case resembles the ''{{Franchise/Ghostbusters}}'' logo.

** The sponsor of the Aetherium Wars is one of the Masked Fools named Giovanni di Giorgio da Epsilon, and Music/DaftPunk have a song named "Giorgio by Moroder" sung from the perspective of Giorgio who says in the song his first name is Giovanni.

** ''Manga/TheDangersInMyHeart''

* The entirety of the "Aetherium Wars" event is basically a massive Franchise/{{Pokemon}} reference. Aside from the gameplay being all about capturing {{Mons}}, the setup involves going through various challenges complete with puzzles and battles not unlike gym challenges in-game. The Trailblazer is also regularly accosted by two IPC thugs wanting to capture their Warp Trotter in a vein similar to Jesse and James. [[spoiler:Hook even acts as a {{Superboss}} akin to Red, showing up on a snowy mountain and acting all silent (at least at first)]].

* The entirety of the "Aetherium Wars" event is basically a massive Franchise/{{Pokemon}} reference. Aside from the gameplay being all about capturing {{Mons}}, the setup involves going through various challenges complete with puzzles and battles not unlike gym challenges in-game. The Trailblazer is also regularly accosted by two IPC thugs wanting to capture their Warp Trotter in a vein similar to Jesse and James.

* The name of Luka's Companion Mission, "Mo Cuishle", refers to Frankie's nickname for Maggie in ''Film/MillionDollarBaby'', which fits Luka's BoxingBattler style and reputation as a champion ring fighter. [[spoiler:The end of the mission reveals that he's been fighting for the dreams of a DelicateAndSickly girl named Margie who wanted to be just like him but succumbed to an illness before she could.]]

* The name of Luka's Companion Mission, "Mo Cuishle", refers to Frankie's nickname for Maggie in ''Film/MillionDollarBaby'', which fits Luka's BoxingBattler style and reputation as a champion ring fighter. [[spoiler:The end of the mission reveals that he's been fighting for the dreams of a DelicateAndSickly girl named Maggie who wanted to be just like him but succumbed to an illness before she could.]]

* During an open world quest where you're trying to get a bundle of delinquent, seemingly-sentient cycranes to return to work for the Heron Express, one of them attempts to challenge you and make a bet to avoid doing so. When it tries to challenge you in the form of asking questions, you can respond with making the challenge about [[GunStripping assembling a pistol the fastest,]] referring to Film/NewPoliceStory.

* In the "Aurum Alley's Hustle and Bustle" event, a dock worker A-Feng is found to have taken a bribe from the IPC to sabotage operations at the Aurum Alley docks. When you expose him, you can tell him "Be a man! Do the right thing!", a possible reference to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITwPzduUmCw comedian Russell Peters' story about trying to strike a bargain at a Chinese-owned store.]]

** The Tea Society members in March 7th's "detective show" also have tea-based codenames, referencing the alcoholic drink-based codenames of the [[Characters/CaseClosedTheBlackOrganization bad guys]] in ''Case Closed''.

* When Herta muses about why Aeons exist, the Trailblazer can respond with with the number [[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy 42]]. Similarly, in the "Punklorde Mentality" sidequest, you can ask Screwllum "What is the ultimate meaning of the existence of the Universe?", to which he will end his speech with "Of course, I've also heard that the answer is nothing more than a two-digit number".

* An unmarked quest in Rivet Town references the story of Gascoigne's daughers from [[VideoGame/BloodBorne Bloodborne]]

* The Blaze/Ice Out of Space enemies are named after the H.P. Lovecraft Story ''Literature/TheColourOutOfSpace''.

** ''Foolish Little Brother'', is a reference to a quote uttered by Itachi Uchiha from ''{{Manga/Naruto}}''

* When giving a review of the Goethe grand hotel, you can elect to leave your name as [[Series/BreakingBad Heisenberg]].

* A young boy in the Exalting Sanctum brags about his pilot dad making the "Grey Sky route [[Film/ANewHope in 12 parsecs]]."

* Investigating each of the doors in the Overworld version of the Goethe Hotel will have the Trailblazer overhear scenes that are references to ''Film/TheShining''. Listening to enough of these causes the Trailblazer to freeze, realizing some one is watching them. They turn to find [[SignatureScene two identical twin girls watching them at the end of the hallway, who want the player to play with them forever...]], and then they wake up.

** The conclusion to this is added in 1.2, and completing the quest earns you the achievement "[[Film/DrStrangelove How I learned to stop worrying]]."

** Welt says that [[spoiler: Tingyun]] was "replaced by the impostor" to "sow seeds of doubt [[VideoGame/AmongUs among us]]" during the Trailblaze Mission "Desolate Depths of Despair".

** The Debating sections from the "Aurum Alley's Hustle and Bustle" event are very similar to the testimony and cross-examination mechanics from the VideoGame/AceAttorney series.
* Luocha's Companion Mission, "A Knight Stranger," extensively mentions an in-universe series called 'The Angler Mystery', where a healer from the Alchemy Commission got on the wrong side of a mysterious Tea Society and was forced to consume poison — only for it to de-age him. The healer continues to pursue the Tea Society while solving various cases as a detective. [[Manga/CaseClosed Sound familiar?]]
** FThe Tea Society members in March 7th's "detective show" also have tea-based codenames, referencing the alcoholic drink-based codenames of the [[Characters/CaseClosedTheBlackOrganization bad guys]] in 'Case Closed'.

* The Blaze/Frost Out Of Space enemies are named after the H.P Lovecraft Story ''Literature/TheColourOutOfSpace''.

** Another one is a robot named [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Master and his disciple Domon]]

* A genre shift to a turn-based RPG won't stop [=MiHoYo=] from continuing to pay homage to their favorite action games, in the climax of the Jarilo-VI storyline, [[spoiler:the Trailblazer gets run through by the Mother of Deception's lance which triggers an awakening of a new power, much like how the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series has its protagonists routinely impaled before unlocking some form of the series' signature Devil Trigger. The Trailblazer's Preservation form's basic attack is Dante's Stinger, while the Skill preparation animation has them twist their wrist to ignite the lance, like Nero's Red Queen. Even more, their GatheringSteam mechanic to enhance their basic attack can just as well be considered a reference to Nero's Exceed mechanic, with the animation looking similar to EX-Split.]]

* The name of the first Supreme Guardian of Belobog, Alisa Rand, might be a reference to Creator/AynRand, whose real name was Alisa.

* In the Central Starskiff Haven section of Xianzhou Luofu, if you try to access the southern portion of the map prior to completing "Devising Stratagems", one of the guards will say "How about we explore the area ahea...", before immediately correcting himself and formally says the area is closed, almost reciting a line from [[VideoGame/GenshinImpact a certain fairy companion in another Mihoyo game]] when attempting access to out of bound areas.
* When the Trailblazer and Leonard discover that Silver Wolf gained access to the Herta Space Station by impersonating Leonard's credentials, one of the possible dialogue options is "Aha! You're the imposter! VideoGame/AmongUs!". Another response is "I knew you were sus from the beginning."
** Welt says that [[spoiler: Tingyun]] was "replaced by the impostor" to "sow seeds of doubt [[VideoGame/AmongUs among us]]" during the main quest "Desolate Depths of Despair".
* Title of quest "Stars are Cold Toys," refers to the [[Literature/TheStarsareColdToys space opera of the same name]].

* During Bailu's companion quest, you can find a Golden Badge on an NPC that you have to knock unconscious. The flavor text is as follows:

* The Debating sections from the Aurum alley event are very similar to Testominies and cross examinations from the VideoGame/AceAttorney series.