The Scimitar

Lore & Background

The scimitar carries no single mythic origin across the franchise; rather, it is presented as the Prince's inherited or acquired weapon, a tool of his training and his duty as a guardian of the realm. In the original 1989 game, the Prince simply wields it as he moves through the palace, using it to dispatch guards and navigate deadly sequences. There is no forging ceremony or named blacksmith—only the practical reality of a young prince who fights with a curved blade.

In the Ubisoft-era titles, the scimitar gains a slightly more defined visual identity: a broad, gently curved blade with a decorated hilt and a pommel that reads as ornamental rather than purely functional. It sits in a hip sheath during exploration and is drawn for combat, its arc of a slash being the core of the Prince's attack animations. The weapon's design language—sleek, slightly exaggerated curve, metallic sheen—has been refined across engines but has never strayed far from that Persian silhouette.

Narratively, the scimitar is a constant. Unlike the Dagger of Time or the Hourglass, it does not grant powers or drive the plot. Its significance is thematic: it represents the Prince's agency, his readiness to act, and the physical cost of his choices. Every scratch on its edge is a story the player has already lived.

In Their Own Story

The corridor smelled of old incense and wet stone. The Prince drew the scimitar in one fluid motion, the curved blade catching the amber glow of a dying oil lamp. Somewhere ahead, the guard shifted his weight, boots scraping tile. The Prince did not run. He stepped forward, blade low, and let the scimitar speak where words had failed him a thousand times before. The arc was short, clean, final. He sheathed the weapon, turned, and pressed deeper into the palace—because the Prince does not stop at the first victory. He never does.

Reader's Guide

In the original Prince of Persia (1989), the scimitar is the Prince's sole weapon, used to defeat guards and enemies in real-time combat. It is always equipped; there is no pickup or upgrade. Its narrative role is purely functional—survival and progression through the palace.

In Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003), the scimitar is the Prince's primary melee weapon, paired with a dagger for secondary attacks. It is always in the Prince's possession and cannot be lost. Combat revolves around the scimitar's slashing arc, with the dagger used for lighter, faster strikes. The scimitar is a purely functional weapon here; no story beats hinge on it specifically.

In Warrior Within (2005) and The Two Thrones (2008), the scimitar retains its role as the main sword. Visual design becomes slightly more ornate, with a more pronounced curve and decorative hilt, but mechanically it remains the default heavy-attack tool.

In Prince of Persia (2008), the scimitar is again the primary blade, integrated into a more cinematic combat system with combos and finishing moves.

In The Lost Crown (2024), the scimitar is the Prince's core melee weapon in a Metroidvania-style action-adventure. It is always equipped, used for standard attacks, and its visual design continues the franchise's Persian-curved silhouette. No upgrade tree or rarity system applies; it is a fixed, character-defining tool rather than a collectible artifact.

Across all titles, the scimitar is never a story-critical artifact. It does not unlock abilities, advance the plot, or change form. It is the Prince's hands made visible.

Did You Know?

• The scimitar has been the Prince's primary weapon in every major Prince of Persia title since the 1989 original, making it one of the most consistently present weapons in any long-running action franchise.
• In the original 1989 game, the scimitar is the Prince's only weapon; there is no secondary blade, no magic, and no upgrade system—just a curved sword and a very dangerous palace.
• The scimitar's visual design has evolved from a simple sprite in 1989 to a fully 3D model with animated draw-and-sheath sequences in modern Ubisoft titles, but its fundamental curved, single-edged silhouette has remained
• Unlike the Dagger of Time, which is a plot-critical artifact in the Sands of Time trilogy, the scimitar never drives the narrative—it is purely the Prince's means of self-defense and combat.