The Lost Crown Embraces Persian Mythology

Highlights

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown brings back the beloved franchise with a focus on Persian mythology and history.
The game showcases various mythological figures such as the Manticore, Azhdaha, and Apaush, giving long-overdue representation to Persian myths.
The trailer highlights combat, platforming, parkour, and storytelling, staying true to the series’ origins as a 2D sidescroller.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will arrive in January 2024, bringing back the once-beloved franchise after over a decade of absence. The Prince of Persia games are considered by many to be the progenitor of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and the two series share many similarities. The most apparent is their connection to history and myth. Prince of Persia may not have featured the elaborately crafted historical cities that have helped make AC famous, but it was always grounded in medieval Persian history and myth. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be no different; its reveal trailer alone showcases a plethora of beasts from Persian myth.

Various mythologies have served as settings for video games. In recent years, God of War has pulled from Norse mythology, Hades from Greek mythology, and Nioh from Japanese mythology and folklore. Pulling from legends and ancient religions packed with epic stories only makes sense, and these games are but a small handful of modern titles doing so. Persian myth and religion were highly influential but have been largely ignored in the gaming space. Ancient Persian myths affected the Egyptian and Greek pantheons, and Zoroastrianism later influenced the beliefs behind Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will shine an overdue light on some prominent Persian myths.

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The Lost Crown is Filled With Persian Mythological Figures

The Manticore

The first beast shown off in the trailer is the Manticore, which finds its origins in Persian mythology but also appears in Greek writings because of the intermingling of the empires. The Manticore is said to be a red-furred beast with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion. The monster is said to be highly dangerous and uses a mix of its massive claws and poisonous tail to take down its prey. It can be seen using all of these abilities in The Lost Crown‘s reveal trailer. The Manticore also appears in God of War: Ascension.

Azhdaha

Azhdaha is sometimes described as a dragon, and it is said to be able to live in the air, in the sea, and on land. Persian mythology often depicts the beast as a giant winged snake. It seems that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s depiction of mythology is embracing creative liberty since its wings are not visible, at least in the trailer. Unlike the Manticore, whose abilities are shown off in the trailer and fall in line with mythology, Azhdaha’s abilities in the game and the extent of their faithfulness to real-life lore are still a mystery.

Apaush

Apaush is another one of the figures that appears in The Lost Crown‘s trailer. Unlike the mythical monsters showcased previously, Apaush is a humanoid demon. He is depicted as riding a dark horse. In Persian myth, Apaush is the demon of famine and counterpart to Tishtyra, a benevolent deity that brings fertility and rainfall. Prince of Persia depicts Apaush and his stallion as heavily armored, and those unfamiliar with the figure may mistake him for an ordinary soldier. It is possible that his attacks could lean into mythological aspects, but very little is shown of him in the trailer.

On top of these mythological figures, the trailer showcases some other fantastical beasts and formidable foes. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown pays homage to the series’ origin as a 2D sidescroller and gives Persian mythology some long-overdue representation in the gaming space. While The Lost Crown is the first Prince of Persia game in over a decade, it is not the only one in the pipeline. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is getting a remake, and if the two games do well, it is possible that the series could be back for good.