What does Xerxes do in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown?

Xerxes is one of many mysterious resources in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and if you want to know what Xerxes is sooner rather than later, this guide has the answer.

Time Crystals are used to upgrade your gear, buy new tools, and give Sargon new levels of strength to utilize in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. But what about Xerxes? They’re shiny gold coins that are few and far between, and their purpose isn’t entirely clear.

As a Metroidvania, The Lost Crown hides a lot of secrets, and the true nature of Xerxes is also concealed behind a curtain of ambiguity. Luckily for you, I’m here to help.

What do you do with Xerxes in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown?

Xerxes has one purpose in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: to buy advanced upgrades for Sargon’s gear, as well as buy rare Amulets.

Kaheva’s Forge

On your path to completing Prince of Persia, I’d hazard a guess that Kaheva’s Forge, later unlocked in The Haven, is the first instance you’ll be able to spend any Xerxes you have. The legendary forger can upgrade your Amulets, weapons, and the quality of your items.

Initially, you’ll just need Time Crystals, but for secondary and tertiary upgrades, you will also need to throw one or two Xerxes into the mix to sweeten the pot.

The Scrapper

Once you descend into The Depths, you’ll eventually come face-to-face with The Scrapper. This character makes it very clear that they only take one form of currency—Xerxes. The Scrapper offers limited items, mainly super-rare Amulets that can alter how you approach combat.

How to get Xerxes in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

The main shop in The Haven has a single Xerxes you can buy, as does Kaheva’s Forge. From then on, you’ll need to keep a watchful eye out. Xerxes are largely found out in the open, but you’ll usually need to overcome a complicated series of platforming maneuvers to reach them.

But you can easily view the map in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and find any Memory Shards you’ve saved to keep track of Xerxes out in the open—don’t forget to use fast travel!

Xerxes also tend to be stashed inside treasure chests—another reason to put your detective hat on. Certain The Lost Crown trophies and achievements are tied to upgrading gear, which requires more Xerxes, so make sure you find as many as you can.