The "Buddha Head" item might be a reference to the 2003 Thai martial arts film "Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior". In the movie, the head of the eponymous buddha statue is stolen from the temple of the village Nong Pradu. The villagers then send their strongest fighter, Ting (played by Tony Jaa), to retrieve it.

The sword "Kosugi" is a reference to Japanese actor and martial artist Sho Kosugi, who became famous for his roles as a ninja in several American martial arts movies throughout the 1980's and whose characters often used a similar sword.