His concepts for the character were drawn from Near Eastern mythology such as One Thousand and One Nights and Shahnameh, with his athleticism inspired by the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The original Prince has been seen as a breakthrough in gameplay design, while his appearances in The Sands of Time have varied, with particular criticism being laid against his darker portrayal in Warrior Within (2004).

The Sands of Time sequence covers the Prince, as the son of Persian king Sharaman, from his early years through events which shape him into a leader.

With Farah, princess of the city, he attempts to contain the Sands before they infect the world, while the treacherous Vizier seeks to use them to achieve immortality.

During his adventure, he reunites with Farah, accepts responsibility for his people after finding Sharaman's body, and eventually kills the Vizier.

In The Lost Crown (2024), the Prince is called Ghassan, reluctant heir to the Persian Empire whose kidnapping to Mount Qaf triggers the game's events.

The Immortals' leader Vahram, revealed to be a displaced heir, orchestrated the plot due to the murder of his father by Thomyris.

Throughout the franchise, the Prince has shared general traits; he has a desire for or is drawn into magical adventures, is skilled in acrobatics and combat, and is either of a royal line or associated with royalty.

[15][16] When speaking about returning repeatedly to the character through different media, Mechner felt he never got bored or frustrated as he considered each incarnation of the Prince to be his own entity.

Mechner described the Prince as he is portrayed during the opening of The Sands of Time as "a daredevil who races ahead of the attacking army in order to gain "honor and glory" by being the first to steal a valuable trophy of war".

[20] Speaking in 2005, Mechner expressed his dislike for how the character had changed in Warrior Within, and that he approved of the shift in The Two Thrones to "returning to a game for kids as well as adults".

[25] The final scene where the Prince walks away from his dark side rather than fighting or accepting it was intended to show the character's maturity.

The known voice actors to have portrayed the Prince are David Boat, Yuri Lowenthal, Robin Atkin Downes and Nolan North.

[26] This change was explained by Ubisoft staff as necessary due to the Prince's more hardened and world-worn portrayal, in addition to the new voice better fitting his redesigned appearance.

Gyllenhaal said that there were several reasons that he chose to accept the role of the Prince, including the character's appeal to him, the fact that the film was based on the video game, and he "[liked] to do things that people have tried their hand at and haven't succeeded".

[36] In a pre-release interview, Mechner called Gyllenhaal right for the role as it fitted in with the Prince's inspiration in classic movie heroes.

[40] Originally a plain figure in white clothing, the Prince was restyled for the game's Japanese release in a turban and baggy pants.

[43] For The Sands of Time, the character was completely redesigned, taking reference purely from the original game rather than Prince of Persia 3D.

[45] Mechner wrote the new story for the Prince purely for newcomers to the series, wanting the character to be memorable so as to provide a good "hook" for players together with the gameplay.

[46] The Prince was designed by Raphael Lacoste, the game's art director, who went through multiple versions from a young boy to a bare-chested older man.

His new armor reflected this change; it is made up of interlaced leather straps, granting him protection while giving him freedom to perform his acrobatic movements.

[6][53] His art design drew inspiration from his appearance in Warrior Within and The Two Thrones, which Jan-Erik Sjovall described as more visually appealing compared to the original Sands of Time.

Additional inspiration was drawn from characters such as Sinbad from One Thousand and One Nights, Han Solo from Star Wars, and Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings.

As a sign of wealth, the Prince wears red and blue cloth as a turban and scarves, contrasting against his protective plain leather leggings.

[56] A version of the Prince was initially considered as protagonist for a next-generation title, but director Patrice Désilet decided a royal character was unsuitable, and the project evolved into the standalone game Assassin's Creed (2007).

For the Prince's most worn outfit, she designed a loose-fitting spiral coat based on a picture of ancient Persian embroidery.

[42] Critics and fans praised the Prince's portrayal in The Sands of Time continuity, and this is generally seen as the most popular version of the character.

[21][18][61] GameSpot's Bob Colayco saw this latest portrayal as an interesting self-reference to the criticism, suggesting that "the internal strife in the schizophrenic prince's mind forms a compelling part of the storyline".

[67] In a review for IGN, Hilary Goldstein enjoyed the interactions in gameplay and story between the Prince and Elika, but disliked his personality due to his acerbic manner and frequent "groan-worthy" lines.

[71] Gyllenhaal's appearance and especially his haircut for the role of the Prince were ridiculed by several sources, but was defended by Ghazzal Dabiri, a lecturer and coordinator of Iranian studies at Columbia University.