The fact that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown players step into the shoes of a warrior named Sargon is but one of many ways that Ubisoft is taking the franchise in a new direction. Indeed, whereas past games have been entirely focused on the unnamed Prince's journey to rescue the princess and protect Persia, he has now become the rescuee. The now-named Prince Ghassan has been kidnapped and taken into Mount Qaf, and it's up to Sargon and the order of Immortals to rescue him. The problem here is two-fold: first, the antagonist wields the powerful Sands of Time (another break for the franchise). Second, Mount Qaf is cursed and no one who has entered it in the past 30 years has returned alive.

It takes bravery and perhaps a little foolhardiness to venture into Mount Qaf, but that is the duty laid before Sargon. Game ZXC recently spoke exclusively with Ubisoft about all things Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, including with narrative director Jacques Exertier about Sargon, the Prince, and the history around The Immortals.

Sargon and The Prince

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Early in development, Ubisoft Montpellier would make a key decision that led to the creation of Sargon and the naming of Prince Ghassan: "the choice not to embody the Prince of Persia but one of the warriors sent to Mount Qaf to save him." Because of the Prince's legacy and how the franchise is named for him, Ubisoft needed to give Sargon and the Prince their own identities, their own journeys, and their own relationships. The path that Ghassan walks and the path Sargon walks are not the same, but that's not to say they don't have anything in common. Sargon would briefly explain the similarities and differences between the two:

Sargon shares with the Prince from previous installments extraordinary physical abilities that grant him exceptional agility and perfect combat mastery. However, he differs significantly in terms of personality, shaped by the warrior education he received, far from the splendors of the palace. His past holds areas of shadow that the player will uncover.

As a result, Sargon is a bit more rough around the edges than the Prince, with Ubisoft designing an origin, a past, and a trajectory for him throughout Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Sargon is not completely aware of his past either. Not only will players uncover these "areas of shadow" as well, but learn what drives him. Sargon received a strict military education from Anahita, his tutor, and became an extremely talented warrior as a result. For whatever reason, Sargon has a very deep, very "violent anger that drives him," and Anahita taught him how to control and channel it. It seems to be tied to something in his past, something he is not aware of, making the anger even too much for Sargon.

His fighting style is reflected in this, where he can be a bit over-the-top and direct, but this comes from more than his strict training. Sargon was orphaned, and from that day, he was shaped to become a deadly weapon for the Persian Empire. That is all his life has ever known, with his skills in battle earning him the moniker of The Rashabar - the Black Wind. He is the youngest of the Immortals, which only proves his worth even more.

The Immortals

Sargon joining the Immortals is an important aspect of his life's journey, his warrior's trajectory, but this poses the question: just who are the Immortals? While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown does not adhere as closely to history or mythology as Assassin's Creed, The Immortals are taken from a real elite force within the Persian army of the same name. They protected the rules of Persia, numbering 10,000 in strength. The name comes from the fact that as soon as one of them died, they were replaced immediately ensuring their strength never faltered. The Immortals of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown are a bit different, with Exertier explaining,

Our Immortals are 7 in number, having already won a thousand victories on countless battlefields, and nothing seems able to defeat them. The player thus embodies Sargon, the latest addition among them. He will find a family among them and develop a unique relationship with each.

Family, of course, is not something Sargon has ever really known, yet among the other members—Vahram, Menolias, Orod, Artaban, Neith, and Radjen—that's what he finds.

Vahram

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Leader of the Immortals, known as The White Lion, who reports directly to Queen Thomyris.

Menolias

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Menolias used to be a sellsword, using his skills as a Thrace bowman for whoever paid him. He would be recruited by Vahram after the two fought for opposing factions on the battlefield.

Orod

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Orod stands as the big Barbarian-like figure of The Immortals. Before joining them, he was a member of the Persian Navy.

Artaban

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Artaban's defining feature as a person and a soldier is his temperament. He is known to always remain calm, yet constantly brood. He is known for being overprepared and for having a rather intellectual approach to life and combat, perhaps not unlike Shikamaru in Naruto given the anime influences on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

Neith

Neith

Neith (as well as her brothers) would join the Persian military after her family moved to Persepolis. This came after fighting between Persia and their kingdom of Kushite broke out, with the former winning the conflict and occupying some of the latter's territory. Neith was recruited to the Immortals after her time in the military academy, where she was deemed the best warrior since Vahram.

Radjen

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Radjen looks a little different compared to every other Immortal and that's because they are an Assassin. They must have had quite the reputation, as despite failing an assassination and being sentenced to death in Persia, Vahram would recruit them instead.

How Sargon Joined The Immortals

While a name like The Immortals might lead players to think they've been around for quite some time, this is not the case. Players are thrust into a world where The Immortals are relatively new defenders of the crown. The organization began about 7 or 8 years prior to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's story when Vahram was an already established and well-respected warrior. He was hailed as the most powerful warrior in Persia, leading Queen Thomyris to ask him to form the Immortals for her protection and for that of the Kingdom.

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For Sargon, he grew up while these warriors made a name for themselves on battlefields the world over. This was especially true of The White Lion, Vahram, and Sargon would challenge him one day. As Exertier explained,

When Sargon was a young warrior, the legend of Vahram, the White Lion of Persepolis, radiated throughout the kingdom and beyond. It fueled the fears or ambitions of warriors from all walks of life. Some saw him as an enemy to be feared, others as a role model to be revered, and still others as a trial to overcome. Young Sargon was among them. With the audacity and fervor that characterized him, he once presented himself among the Immortals to challenge the White Lion.

The rest isn't exactly "history," as fans will learn more about Sargon, the Immortals, and the bonds that unite them come Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's release.