The plot follows Dastan (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), a street urchin in the Persian Empire in the sixth century. After showing valor in battle, he is adopted by the king as his heir, so the king's two sons will not fight over the throne.[1] Later on, he teams up with Princess Tamina (played by Gemma Arterton) to stop a common enemy - the villainous nobleman Nizam (Ben Kingsley)[2] and to take from him an ancient dagger known as "The Dagger of Time" (a valuable dagger which gives to its owner the ability to go back in time for short periods and change the past) and keep him from generating a sandstorm which could destroy the world.