All Butterfly Collector targets and walkthrough in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

“The Butterfly Collector” is a quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that you can pick up once you reach Osaka in central Settsu.

You’ll meet a woman who has hidden origami butterflies around Osaka in Settsu as a game for children. As you collect those butterflies, you’ll unlock a conspiracy and a whole new board of assassinations on your Objectives menu, also called The Butterfly Collector.

Our Assassin’s Creed Shadows guide will tell you how to find all Butterfly Collector targets and complete all of their quests.

How to start ‘The Butterfly Collector’ in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The unnamed woman who starts you on “The Butterfly Collector” quest is in Katano to the west of Katano Castle and right next the ornament vendor.

When you speak with her, she’ll explain that she hid the 10 origami butterflies around Osaka. You’ll learn her name is the Gamemaker.

While you’re out looking, remember to use the left trigger to focus and look around. As long as you have “The Butterfly Collector” active and tracked, the butterflies will show up as blue dots on your HUD. And activating Eagle Vision will make them stand out a little more easily.

Or you could just see our guide on where to find all origami butterflies.

All Butterfly Collector targets in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Turns out, the Butterfly Collector wasn’t really talking about origami. When you collect certain butterflies, you’ll find secret letters hidden inside pointing to a ring of kidnappers operating in and around Osaka. These will start you on several new quests and populate a new Objectives board — also named The Butterfly Collector.

The assassinations that you’ll get are all for people around Osaka. Use your scouts to, er, scout for any waypoints you’re having trouble finding. You’re looking for four kidnappers:

• Richo
• Mucho
• Shucho
• Kacho

The map above shows the locations for each kidnapper and the various associated objectives you’ll need to complete to reach them, which we’ll get into detail about below.

Where to find Richo

The first is Richo for the “All Will be Well” and “Forest Fugitive” quests.

Your first clues are that the ransom location is in southwestern Settsu, north of the Temple of Osaka, at a burnt well. There, you’ll hear a couple workers talking about a woman at a bamboo grove — which is in southwestern Settsu, north of Osaka Castle, near Noda Village.

After the stabbing, you’ll get the Dog-Ear tanto and some mon. Walk the (annoying) child home. When you get her there, she’ll give you the Trinket of Childlike Bravery trinket.

Where to find Mucho

Next is Mucho for the “Find the Child” and “Paper Trail” quests.

The targeted child (and the kidnapper) are in southwestern Settsu, on an island west of Osaka, in Kojo Ruins. Once the stabbing is done, you’ll get the Hidden Pleat tanto and some mon.

Follow the boy home where his father will point you to a paper merchant in southwestern Settsu, north of the Temple of Osaka, and near a big tree. The merchant will point you to the kidnappers’ leader in Nishinomaru Garden (we’ll get to her in a second).

Where to find Shucho

Your last target before the ringleader is Shucho as part of the “One That Got Away” and “Safe as Sandals” quests.

The escaped child is in southwestern Settsu, west of the Fisherman’s District, and near horses. After you talk to her, you’ll be looking for Shucho nearby — she’s in southwestern Settsu, was seen southwest of the Temple of Osaka, and is running around the Fishermen’s District.

What that ultimately means is that she’ll be along the southern coast of the island, about a block to the east. Killing her gets you the Ink Spiller tanto and some more mon.

Where to find Kacho

The leader of the kidnappers, Kacho, is part of the “Chrysalis” quest.

The kidnappers hideout is in southwestern Settsu, northwest of the Fishermen’s District, and surrounded by carved stones.

In the hideout (a shed), you’ll find Monshiro’s Diary Page that will point you to her location in southwestern Settsu, near Nishinomaru Garden, in a garden with butterflies. The gardens are part of Osaka Castle and hostile, so you’ll have to do some sneaking.

With her dying breath, she’ll point you back to the Gamemaker.

Should you forgive the Gamemaker?

Now you can return to the Gamemaker in Katano and confront her. The first thing she’ll ask you to do is name her since she never really had one of her own. After that, you’ll have to decide if you should make her pay for what she did or forgive her. Either way, you’ll get the Ebisu’s Gamble box, some mon, and a mastery point.

If you forgive her, though, and tell her to start a new life, you’ll also get the Butterfly of Benevolence trinket that… improves your origami skills? Yeah, we’re not sure what that means either.

For more Assassin’s Creed Shadows guides, see our running lists of Lost Pages, Kuji-kiri, and armor locations. Or see our full Assassin’s Creed Shadows walkthrough, and our guides on how to get all companions and romance options.