Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones on Windows: Dagger Attacks, Speed Kills and Time Powers in the Manual

Dagger Attacks and Free-Form Combos

The manual lists the Prince and the Dark Prince as sharing a set of dagger attacks mapped to the left mouse button. A single press performs a Single Slash, two presses a Double Slash, three a Triple Slash, and four a Furious Slash. Holding the left mouse button produces the Dagger Charge Attack, and with an enemy on the ground that same button triggers Asha's Fury. The left mouse button is elsewhere described as the dagger attack and dagger plant input, so the dagger remains the center of close-range offense while the right mouse button handles blocking when enemies are near.

Free-form fighting lets both princes build custom combo chains during a fight, drawing on the environment and their agility to gain the upper hand on enemies. The manual names ladders, pillars and walls as exploitable surroundings, and its move list mixes dagger presses with the E key: examples include Misery Gale as three E presses, Furious Oblivion Twister as E followed by three left mouse clicks, and Furious Tempest of Agony as two E presses then three left clicks. Players can thereby develop a signature fighting style across each encounter.

The Speed Kill System

The Speed Kill system gives the Prince and the Dark Prince dramatic attacks that can take down one or several enemies in a single shot. Success depends on stealth and timing: enemies detect either prince by sight or sound, and any detection removes the chance for a Speed Kill. A sand gate guard follows the same logic, activating the gate and calling in reinforcements once he spots the prince. When a Speed Kill is available, the corners of the screen turn slightly white and a heartbeat becomes audible, signaling the player to press the E key and trigger the sequence.

Once triggered, the Prince completes the maneuver with the left mouse button, which serves as the Speed Kill finish for him; that same button otherwise handles dagger attacks and dagger plants for both princes. Clearing the enemies around a sand gate opens a reward: standing on the gate and pressing the left mouse button yields Sands of Time, a sand slot, or a new Time Power, depending on the gate. The reward therefore ties the stealth system directly to the time powers rather than to combat alone, since detection both cancels the kill chance and lets the guard summon more foes.

The Powers of Time and Sands of Time Slots

The manual presents the Prince's time control as a set of distinct powers bound to the R key, with the Dark Prince sharing the same abilities. Recall lets him rewind time to cancel a mistake or dodge an attack, then redo the actions he missed; holding R turns time back, and releasing it resumes play once he is safe. Each rewind consumes one sand slot. The power timer shows the rewind window, with a full timer representing eight seconds. Eye of the Storm instead slows time while the Prince keeps his own speed, letting him pass speed-limited traps and strike enemies left slow and helpless; a tap of R triggers it during a fight.

Two offensive powers spend sand slots from the same pool. Sand Winds is a strong ground attack that hurts every enemy surrounding the Prince at once, triggered by pressing R while blocking with the right mouse button, and it empties two sand slots. Sand Storm is stronger, killing all surrounding enemies, but needs more lead time: hold R for a few seconds while blocking, and it empties four sand slots. The Sands of Time Slots display tracks how much sand either prince has collected, and each power use drains one or several slots. Sand is replenished by passing close to sand clouds from dead enemies or breakables, and at certain sand gates.

Weapons of the Prince and the Dark Prince

The manual divides the two playable figures by what they carry into a fight. The Prince's primary weapon is the Dagger of Time, used with the Time Powers, and he adds secondary weapons drawn from four classes: swords, described as well balanced; axes, which deal heavier damage at low speed; maces, which ground enemies on strong attacks; and daggers, powerful for throwing. Every weapon in the game can take only a limited number of hits before it breaks, has its own attack range, and deals its own amount of damage, so choosing a pickup changes reach, durability and the fighting strategy the Prince must follow. Each class also carries a unique special attack. Mapped keys support this arsenal: E gives the Prince a secondary weapon attack or a grab, while C lets him climb down, pick up a weapon, or throw one; the same C key turns into a Daggertail spin for the Dark Prince.

The Dark Prince fights differently because his gear is fixed. He wields the Daggertail, a powerful mid-range, chain-like weapon, alongside the Dagger of Time, and unlike the Prince he cannot collect any other weapons. Where E gives the Prince a secondary weapon attack or a grab, for the Dark Prince it drives Daggertail attacks and the Daggertail swing, plus the Speed Kill finish; C performs the Daggertail spin. The Daggertail also serves his wall-running, according to the manual. Secondary weapons are consumable and differ in strength, speed and combo, so the Prince must replace a broken blade, while the Dark Prince keeps the same chain weapon from start to finish.

Wall Running, Climbing and Chariot Chases

Both princes climb low obstacles automatically, and near a wall either can launch a vertical or horizontal wall run, rebounding off the surface in the opposite direction. Rebounds can be chained to climb between two walls, and diagonal rebounds, marked by an on-screen diagonal rebound sign, let them reach walls that look unreachable. The action key handles jumping, rolling, ejecting and climbing up while hanging, so these traversal moves sit alongside the standard jump on the same input.

At points in the game the Prince drives a chariot to chase enemies or reach distant locations. The movement keys steer the chariot left and right, and the player rams other chariots to push them aside and crash them. If enemies leap onto the Prince's chariot, the left mouse button clears them off. During these sequences the left mouse button is described as the chariot attack input, distinct from its dagger and Speed Kill duties on foot.

Sand Gates, Fountains and Surviving the Dark Prince

A sand gate guard reacts to either prince by sight or sound, and once he detects one he activates the gate and calls in reinforcements, which removes any pending Speed Kill chance for that encounter. The gate itself only pays out after the surrounding enemies are dead: standing on the gate and pressing the left mouse button then yields Sands of Time, one sand slot, or a new Time Power, the reward varying by gate. Because detection both cancels the stealth kill and summons more foes, clearing the area quietly keeps the reward within reach while limiting how many enemies must be fought.

Water fountains serve two roles. At specific fountains the game prompts a save, initiated by holding the right mouse button to drink; the same drinking action restores a wounded prince to health, and the button is held until the life bar is full. Sands of Time also restore the Dark Prince's life, while sand clouds from dead enemies and some breakable objects replenish sand. A game over offers a retry from the last checkpoint or a quit to the main menu, so fountain saves mark the return point after death.

First published Oct 20, 2026.