Even with the new "observe mode" giving you hints, finding all the butterfly locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows will take a while. There are ten of them to find in The Butterfly Collector quest, well-hidden around Osaka.
I'll admit that it took me a good half hour to track down every butterfly location, and that's just scratching the surface of The Butterfly Collector quest. These origami butterflies are actually messages from a smuggling ring, which leads to an elaborate assassination quest to rescue missing children. I'll go over that here, too.
How to start The Butterfly Collector quest in Assassin's Creed Shadows
You can start The Butterfly Collector by speaking to the strange woman next to the ornament vendor in Katano, Izumi Settsu. She'll ask you to collect the ten butterflies across Osaka in what she claims to be a children's game.
While you can start this quest without a tip, I actually came across it after saving a civilian in need. These occasionally pop up when you're exploring and give you the option of either a world rumour or intel for your scouts after you help them.
All origami butterfly locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows
To complete The Butterfly Collector quest, you'll need to find and collect ten origami butterflies hidden on trees across Osaka. You can find Osaka in southwestern Izumi Settsu.
This is a pretty big town so you've got a lot of ground to cover. It doesn't help that the description of the butterflies made me assume they would be hidden in the branches of trees, and that I'd need to do some parkour. Weirdly, these are actually all just slapped on the trunk. In other words, keep your eyes ahead. Bear in mind that the butterflies are marked in the new "observe mode" when you're nearby, though they'll be hard to see if you're in winter since they blend in. I recommend changing Assassin's Creed Shadows seasons if so.
Below are all ten origami butterfly locations and how to find them. You can collect them in any order:
Origami butterfly 1
The first butterfly is on a tree hidden in reeds behind a fence along the river to the east of the town. This is directly down the street to the southeast of the kakurega.
Origami butterfly 2
The second origami butterfly is on a large tree in a grassy patch just north of the Temple of Osaka. The temple is in the centre of Osaka, east of the kakurega.
Origami butterfly 3
The third butterfly is on a tree behind a small, fenced shrine west of the Temple of Osaka. You can just about see it from the second origami butterfly location.
Origami butterfly 4
The next origami butterfly is on a lone tree between houses by the river to the southeast of Osaka. It's a short work from the previous location if you're being careful to avoid the Fishermen's District camp.
Origami butterfly 5
Another butterfly is on a tree next to a bamboo shelter just north of the gear merchant by the kakurega. This is to the northeast of Osaka, near the river.
Origami butterfly 6
The sixth origami butterfly is on a tree on the riverbank to the northeast of Osaka, right next to the middle bridge. Heading from the kakurega, you'll need to cross the short bridge into the other half of Osaka.
Origami butterfly 7
The next butterfly is placed on a tree in a garden behind a house to the east of Osaka. From the kakurega, head northeast across the bridge (like the previous origami butterfly) and then turn up the street to your left.
Origami butterfly 8
You can find another butterfly on a tree in a bush along the river to the northwest of Osaka. There's a lamp next to the tree and you'll see a bridge leading to another island in the distance.
Origami butterfly 9
The penultimate butterfly is hidden on a tree inside a bush opposite burned houses to the east of the central island. You'll see the Kojo Ruins across the water ahead of you.
Origami butterfly 10
The final origami butterfly is located on another tree covered by a bush along the river in the southwest corner of the central island, near the Fishermen's District camp.
Once you've collected all ten paper butterflies, you're supposed to return to the gamemaker in Katano. However, this final spot is also where you'll find the One That Got Away quest, the first in The Butterfly Collector's assassination missions. Speaking to the child sitting on the floor will automatically progress you to the next stage of The Butterfly Collector investigation.
The Butterfly Collector assassination targets
Now that you've uncovered the truth behind the origami butterflies, it's time to put an end to the kidnapping. You'll need to follow the various quests on the investigation board to hunt down:
- Kacho - Chrysalis quest
- Richo - All Will Be Well quest
- Mucho - Find the Child quest
- Shucho - One That Got Away quest
Completing the entire investigation gives you 5,000 XP, on top of the rewards you get for hunting each target, including four skill points, Mon, and an assortment of generic gear.
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