All of Oblivion's Easter Eggs and Hidden References

[@NegativeDumpster]

In the Shivering Isles, there's a Redguard named "Orinthal" living in New Sheoth (Bliss, to be specific). He's obsessed with facts, numbers, and calculations, and one of his greetings has him say this: "Have I mentioned that my left arm, is actually one inch _longer_ than my right? Never know when that might be important..." And on top of all that, his character class is _Assassin._ Why does any of this matter? Because of a man you might've heard of, Orinthal James Simpson. More commonly known as, _O.J. Simpson._ O.J. Simpson had a pretty spectacular career in the NFL, but he's more commonly known for his (alleged) involvement in the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman in June of 1994. Among the pieces of evidence brought up against Simpson was a pair of black gloves, which infamously didn't fit properly. The trial was *VERY* widely-publicized, to the point where it became colloquially known as, "The Trial of the Century." As for whether or not this reference was intentional, I couldn't say. Nobody's confirmed or denied it, so it could go either way. My theory is as follows: Someone at Bethesda was looking up obscure names, found "Orinthal," and named the Redguard guy as such. And after finding out that this character shared a first name with O.J. Simpson, they doubled down on the reference, by giving him the "Assassin" class, and a bunch of shady voicelines. Edit: Fixed a typo in "colloquially."

[@yannickvandorsselaer]

I'm pretty sure he already covered this fact in another video :P

[@uzzi3760]

Thanks for sharing! :)

[@MaskedSausage]

Getting in quick to say thanks a bunch for narrating my childhood nostalgia

[@ABardsBallad]

I appreciate the support! I hope the videos continue to deliver!

[@MaskedSausage]

They do

[@wiwysova]

Oblivions tutorial is well regarded until youve played it twice.

[@TheRealRusDaddy]

It explains stuff well enough for your first play through after that its a slow march through a clunky intro

[@eaglestrike211lel2]

​@@TheRealRusDaddy a Bethesda game and a long intro that everyone wants to skip after the first few playthroughs... Name a more iconic duo

[@qaywsxedcrfvful]

@@eaglestrike211lel2good thing we can save before leaving tutorial area, so each time you can load that and just edit your char before leaving

[@Hawkeyepenny]

A big one i added back in the day not many people know about is a Nightwish reference. In the shivering isles there is a chest called "dark chest of wonders" and inside is the "ring of the oceanborn" Dark chest of wonders is the first song of nightwishes album oceanborn

[@gobbo1917]

Im in my early 30s, thank you for recapturing my teenage years. Long live TES 4 and long live bards ballad! 😊

[@ABardsBallad]

I’m glad to be of service! :) I appreciate the support and long live TES 4!

[@Matt-md5yt]

sweet video my friend. glad you did one on Easter Eggs and hidden stuff in this great game

[@ABardsBallad]

@@Matt-md5yt cheers! :) it’s been on my to do list for so long! Haha finally glad to have gotten around to it!

[@magikbullet5570]

I've discovered your channel recently and I can't get enough. When I run out of podcasts, stand up comedy, and let's plays to watch I turn to Oblivion vids and I'm loving your style.

[@ABardsBallad]

I appreciate the support! I hope the videos continue to deliver! :)

[@Nathan_Coley]

Thank you for your videos Bard. I don't comment often but I've found your channel an escape from the craziness.

[@ABardsBallad]

I really appreciate your support and your comment my friend! :)

[@Matsubusa69]

Just wanted to say thanks for all that you do. Your videos are amazing and I love watching them.

[@ABardsBallad]

I really appreciate it! Thank you for your support! :)

[@balloonedraccoon2503]

Your videos are on point man 👌. I been running around with a new Orc character, I'd never played as an Orc in Oblivion before.

[@ABardsBallad]

I appreciate it my friend! That’s a good choice! I’ve only ever put the effort in with a high elf and a nord so I gotta try an orc one day!

[@Matt-md5yt]

orcs are fun

[@thatguywithamustache6043]

Discovered you some months ago, love your content, keep going m8 you ll be big someday

[@ABardsBallad]

I really appreciate it! :) thank you for your support! :)

[@multigamer856]

He's already big in my eyes 😀

[@billbillson3129]

Top tier! Thank you for making and sharing your videos with us!!

[@ABardsBallad]

I appreciate the support my friend! :)

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Alucard is also a direct anagram that Count Dracula uses in the 1943 film Son of Dracula. The name has since been used in games, movies, TV shows, music and more. The tale of the three goats and the troll even has a direct reference in Skyrim. While travelling the map, the player can see two goats running along the road. The road leads to a bridge, and once the goats reach the end of the bridge, a third goat runs up from under the bridge. Under the bridge is a dead troll.

[@The-Plaguefellow]

The Easter Egg that is Aluc Cardius being a reference to the name "Alucard" isn't named after Alucard of _Hellsing_ fame, rather both are named after the character *Count Alucard* from Universal's 1943 film _The Son of Dracula_ which is the third film in their _Dracula_ series, and from which every single "Alucard" in fiction hence draws his name from.

[@emmawills4112]

Yes!! So excited to see a new upload. Your videos on oblivion are the best!!

[@ABardsBallad]

I’m really glad you like them! :) I really appreciate the support! :)

[@frenscape]

Finally I'm early!!! 🤩 thanks for the vid!!

[@ABardsBallad]

I hope you enjoyed it my friend!

[@aza8800]

Nursing a particularly bad migraine tonight and listening to this while I'm in bed. Another great vid, thank you bard!

[@Dimensionalize]

Wake up babe, a new Bard's Ballad video just dropped.

[@ABardsBallad]

Haha hope you enjoy it my friend! :)

[@annacovia9207]

( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ oh man, you gotmeall pondery over here.. veritably inflicted with nonconsensual melancholic daydreaming about one day mayhapsby somehow 'hearthfirin' up & settlin down w/ some darlin lorebeard or lorebride, witha likewise love of the Scrolls-elder and all it's lovely lore.. -¡orshit!, maybe they're hardcore into pottery making as much as I, or some other fairytalesque aspect future.. Ya know, fkin (high)fanTAseeee.. all over one lil comment..😂 ⚰️🪦

[@grantrowland1998]

​@@annacovia9207what?

[@cheapgreaser]

love your videos bro

[@ABardsBallad]

I really appreciate it!

[@LivTheCosmicHorror]

Jalbert is also a reference~! 16:56 I don't know if it's brought up later, but is a reference to Les Mis~! Love this video~!! Thanks for all the hard work!!!

[@ABardsBallad]

Interesting I didn’t know that! That’s really neat! I appreciate the support! :)

[@SOGAUAG2]

The pale lady who's a vampire who lives in the basement or skingrad castle is another Dracula reference. There's dialogue where a guard calls her "mina" a reference to the character mina harker who's turned into a vampire by Dracula.

[@Raevnard]

26:00 I am literally Danish and I never saw this connection until now! But now that it is mentioned, I now cannot *unsee* it 😂

[@ABardsBallad]

😂 that’s awesome! It’s a cool little Easter egg

[@Raevnard]

@@ABardsBallad Yes it indeed is! Thank you for all your videos 😁

[@Rubbly]

I like how you credit the UESP right off the bat! Their work is appreciated!

[@ytj17thjuggalo12]

Oh fuck yeah man, sitting at work sub-ohm vaping my brain out watching this.

[@ABardsBallad]

Haha I hear that! I hope this makes the day go by faster!

[@i.m.g.infamousmusicgroup9575]

I believe it. Sound like a kid

[@ytj17thjuggalo12]

@@i.m.g.infamousmusicgroup9575 Sorry buddy, I work at a Glass and vape shop. Suck some more sick today! 😃🖕

[@sa-amirel-hayeed699]

No one knows what sub-ohm is dude, just say vaping, who rebuilds their coils anymore anyways 😂

[@ytj17thjuggalo12]

@@sa-amirel-hayeed699 Damn if you don't know what Sub-Ohm vaping is then you're fucking stupid. It's anything under 1 Ohm..Sub-Ohm!..Also rebuilding isn't my thing, I use a HorizonTech Sakerz with a 0.17Ω @60watts.

[@nicklaus9003]

Awesome new content format/video style. Really loving it. Do you anticipate ever delving into Morrowind, Skyrim or any other game? I could see your style translating well to BG3 content too.

[@ABardsBallad]

I really appreciate the support my friend! Definitely going to delve into one of the 2! Been thinking about a let’s play on one and storytelling analyses on the other! BG3 could be lots of fun! I’ve never played but it could be great!

[@pipermiller3752]

In the very first Oblivion gate in Kvatch, if you walk to the left and go directly towards the lava, you will see a charred corpse that looks like it is trying to climb out of the lava. I have always thought this was a reference to Revenge of the Sith when Anakin is burning alive after dueling Obi-Wan. I was surprised to not see this included in the video.

[@HockeyStatsMetrics]

Great video!

[@ABardsBallad]

Really appreciate it! :)

[@Marduk99-1]

Thanks for the video, great work. I only knew a few of those easter eggs prior to watching the video. I always come back to watching Oblivion content and playing the game every few years. I can never get sick of this game.

[@marshallxyandz]

You’ve easily become one of my favorite channels! I love all things Elder Scrolls and you helped me get to know and appreciate Oblivion! Thank you for the upload and keep up the amazing work 🫶

[@aaronamaphone5865]

Poor Alucard's cannon...

[@Rick_Dixon]

"Alucard from the Hellsing magna series" bruh the name first appeared in the movie son of dracula (1943)

[@Visage171]

Banger

[@ABardsBallad]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@AtticusJacksonASMR]

Great video, dude!

[@emmawills4112]

Amazing!!! A lot of these I didn’t know

[@redblows42k]

Thanks!

[@ABardsBallad]

I really appreciate the support! Thank you very much my friend! :)

[@burge117]

Thanks, man. Fantastic video, as always. You should definitely do the unverified video. ❤

[@k0st34ka]

Ayoooo 🎉🎉🎉🎉 new bard's ballad vid ❤

[@ABardsBallad]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@definitelynotjasonmomoa]

"tolk-een"?

[@MephistonCalistarius]

I'm late but definitely gonna watch this to fall asleep❤ I'm gonna binge your videos while I'm back in hospital for treatment❤ they always relax me❤ thanks for all the work you put in❤

[@king300h4]

Great Video.

[@jacobturner6495]

alucard is just dracula backwards lol. great video though

[@ABardsBallad]

Yes sir it is!

[@annacovia9207]

bocaj, it's just jacob bkwrds, but my names anna so I don't rel⁸ m⁸ 🥁🥁🪇

[@tsengmichael9910]

Thank you bard

[@ABardsBallad]

You’re welcome! I hope you enjoyed it!

[@tsengmichael9910]

@@ABardsBallad I really love your oblivion videos

[@jamesbarron3882]

Props for properly crediting blue suede shoes, and including other artists other than Elvis that covered it 👊🏾

[@grey_man8281]

I CANT ESCAPE BALDURS GATE GAJHHHHGGJ

[@AugustusRuck]

Honestly I'm mostly just commenting to give the algorithm a nudge, but I really enjoyed this video. I hadn't even caught a THIRD of these, and I look forward to noticing them next time I play through

[@Shadow.Darkraven]

so i was watching your other video on hidden quests and the one with casta scribonia she mentions "woman gone wild" which since she's a romance novelist i wonder if that's a reference to girls gone wild

[@C21H30O2]

UESP is an amazing project.

[@RandomizerGio]

very nice

[@abraxas9340]

Spring Heeled Jack was actually seen multiple times. There were credible accounts of his existence

[@James-dk7id]

Day 587 of waiting for a new Bard's Sleep video

[@ABardsBallad]

😂😂😂 if it’s any consolation, I picked out a story the other day to read! It’s coming!

[@James-dk7id]

@@ABardsBallad that is some exciting news!

[@thestranger1164]

Hey been loving your content lately. I do have a recommendation though... It'd be cool if you went over quest mods people have made. While not cannon it would be good content, all the people that have done something close are from like 10 years ago lol. There's a couple good horror ones. Just something to think about if you run out of content.

[@nicoliony]

Great vid! It would be so interesting to see what npcs names translate to. Just an idea

[@liamgamedev2733]

You should do a "Mastery" series, where you do the Master Trainer quest for each skill! And maybe show off some good leveling strategies for the skill in each video?

[@chewygad7899]

Land drough

[@artemisia457]

Aluc Cardius might also be referencing Castlevania's Alucard

[@ABardsBallad]

Very true! It could be!

[@MocaDK]

Late to the party and possibly pedantic, but I just have to point out that "The Mutiny on the Bounty" was a historical event, not just a movie. It have actually inspired several films. Though I do agree that the names do reference the 1935 film 🙂 It's actually a pretty crazy story and quite well-known - definitely worth looking up in my opinion ⛵ Though do note that the historical accounts are somewhat conflicting 🤓 Also, Spring-Heeled Jack terrorised London, not the English countryside.

[@N_0_I_Z_E]

You and Dark Lore Dash make hands down the best oblivion content on youtube

[@Akatsukimember6]

If nobody said it yet: Alucard is draculA backwards so it’s an anagram for both.

[@Laughingjedi]

In reference to oblivion “ Todd Howard saw the lord of the rings and mistakes were made”I can’t remember who said that.

[@SneedFeedAndSeed]

"Lord of the Rings" No, really?

[@elevenmoo]

there's a burnt man in one of the oblivion gates' lava, referencing anakin skywalker

[@leafwhite6376]

2:31 Deceased AND Lifeless!? Woah, what a bad run that guy had. Hope all that being dead and lifeless at the same time doesn't get him killed. 😂

[@ABardsBallad]

Imagine if he wasn’t alive anymore?! That would be bad

[@IreneSmith]

Actually, Caractacus was the first name of the character played by Dick Van Dyke in the children's movie, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" which was based on a story written by Ian Fleming. It was one of my favorite movies when I was a little girl.

[@breadslayer7442]

It's always "woah Alucard must be that anime yayaya" and never "Ah yes, Alucard from the Castlevania games, excellent"

[@ABardsBallad]

😂 definitely could be! I tried to stick to literature so I didn’t mention the castlevania games!

[@breadslayer7442]

@@ABardsBallad You've thought of everything, that's pretty impressive!

[@cjobin2001]

We need “The order of the Virtuous Blood” quest next🙏

[@cjobin2001]

He already did it. I’m jus blind😂

[@jakemcnamee9417]

I used a glitch to get my strength up as much as I liked. I kept the camps as my onterage and didn't become overencombered. Was tedious exploring the glitch though.

[@piggymaster3209]

More oblivion is always a W 🔥

[@KitsuneYojimbo]

Interesting enough, when you tied Alucard to Hellsing, my mind went to Alucard from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. There's also a female Argonian in the Shivering Isles named Runs-in-Circles that will run in circles screaming "Ni, ni, ni, ni, ni, ni!" She's a reference to Monty Python. Particularly the Knights Who Say "Ni."

[@k3iss3rroll]

I feel like the mermaid statue in 26:01 was inspired by The Little Mermaid.

[@ABardsBallad]

Definitely could be!

[@WeNeverHadForever]

Alucard is also a character from the Castlevania games / tv series!

[@Zeropointill]

Kud-Ei is pronounced Kud-EYE, not Kuday.

[@ABardsBallad]

Honestly, none of the other voice actors in the game pronounce anything right either so I stopped caring lol

[@Zeropointill]

@@ABardsBallad That's fair, I brought it up because it's the only name I remember from Oblivion for some reason.

[@ABardsBallad]

@@Zeropointill I hear ya! Yeah I know I should do better on my pronunciation regardless though!

[@Didymus20X6]

What doe you mean Alucard was "LIKELY" named after Dracula? That's who Alucard turns out to be at the end of the series. It's even more obvious in the Hellsing Ultimate series, when he actually takes the form of the Wallachian warlord. He isn't named after Dracula; he IS Dracula. There's also the character Alucard from the Castlevania series, who is actually the son of Dracula. Again, the connection there is pretty obvious; he probably spells his name that way in symbolic opposition to his father.

[@skylerridgeway4270]

first parts outdoors made up

[@danielgodfrey4415]

The community wants a remastered Oblivion, not skyrim

[@eviljoe9548]

Too bad they'd ruin it

[@theroman886]

Has anyone ever gone back to summer mist manor after whodunit is completed

[@ABardsBallad]

Thats a great question! I personally haven’t!

[@conquer535]

I went on a killing spree one time and got the spingheel boots, I thought I couldn't remember who i killed later on so I went around killing everyone again and never got them but I'm pretty sure i checked his house 10 times

[@kakketekek8500]

Gonna go out on a limb and say that the alucard reference is probably a castlevania reference, and not taken from the hellsing manga. Also, the statue isnt a mermaid, its a selkie

[@Justanobody8472]

We did not deserve Patrick as uriel septim...

[@KrasseOdaVonBayern]

Buddy, Alucard from Hellsing IS Dracula.

[@prillimanrydal894]

Firrrrrstsies

[@ABardsBallad]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@jmcmillan23]

there's a star wars easter egg in one of the oblivion gates.

[@michaelsmith2619]

Did oblivion have any quests that weren't easter eggs?

[@Gametuber94]

Alucard turned out to be a persona of Dracula. (Also, the clue is in the name, duh)

[@mcjibbo6100]

There is nothing more narcistic than putting yourself or a reference of you in game as a dev.

[@her0n722]

Alucard is also the son of Dracula in the Castlvania series... Helsing sucks ass.

[@NathanMilton-r9n]

Love the vide bro a! Not a praying man but Can you send love to ma car she Had 6: kittens died today bro and anyone who gets cheeky for this kid know you all have to saying to my facew

[@Immopimmo]

Your car had kittens? Must've been a Jaguar. Jk. My condolences.