For "Warrior Within", a decision was taken by the development team from the outset to make the game's atmosphere darker. They also wanted to flesh the Prince out as a character, as they had felt something was lacking in "The Sands of Time". With these concepts in mind, they decided the Prince would "grow up", with the story being more focused on his character than him saving a person or place. The two people most involved with the Prince's redesigned were art director Mikael Labat and illustrator Nicolas Bouvier. During the early stages, some hybrid designs with his appearance in "The Sands of Time" were created, but it was soon decided that the team was not being radical enough with the redesign. His "charisma" needed to be new, yet consistent with the events of "The Sands of Time". 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. His design and portrayal in "The Two Thrones" was intended to be a balance of elements from both "The Sands of Time" and "The Warrior Within". In "The Forgotten Sands", the story was written around the Prince still being a developing character, learning what it takes to be a ruler and to take responsibility for his actions. His representation was a cross between his portrayals in "The Sands of Time" and "Warrior Within".