You’ve probably been there. You are staring at the "You Died" screen for the tenth time in a row, clutching a controller with sweaty palms, wondering why on earth the High Wall of Lothric feels like an impenetrable fortress. Most of the time, it isn't a "skill issue" in the way elitist forum posts make it out to be. It is a resource issue. If you are trying to navigate the early game with only three or four sips of Estus, you’re basically playing on "Extra Hard" mode without meaning to.
Finding DS3 estus shard locations is the single most important thing you can do to actually enjoy your first playthrough. Honestly, the game doesn't hold your hand here. It hides these glowing yellow shards in rafters, behind illusions, and right under the noses of terrifying enemies. If you miss them, you’re just making life harder for yourself. Let's get into where they actually are, from the obvious ones to the ones that require a literal leap of faith.
The Firelink Shrine "Tree Jump" or the 20,000 Soul Tax
Most people think you have to wait until mid-game to get the shard hidden in Firelink Shrine. That’s because the Shrine Handmaid sells the Tower Key for a staggering 20,000 souls. Early on, that is a fortune. You could buy a whole set of armor or level up five times for that price.
But there is a trick.
Outside the upper exit of the shrine, there is a gnarled tree near a crumbling wall. If you strip off your armor (to move faster) and run at the tree at a specific angle, you can jump off the trunk and land on the roof. It takes practice. You’ll probably fall ten times. But once you’re up there, you can walk onto the rafters inside the shrine roof.
The shard is sitting right there on a corpse in the middle of the wooden beams. If you can’t nail the jump, just pay the "soul tax" later. But getting this shard before you even fight Vordt? That’s a game-changer. It gives you that fifth sip that usually makes the difference between winning a boss fight and dying when the boss has 5% health left.
High Wall of Lothric: The Anvil in the Room
This is usually the "first" shard most players find, but it's tucked away in a spot that is easy to sprint past when you’re being chased by a Lothric Knight with a spear. From the Tower on the Wall bonfire, you need to head down through the building, past the roof with the "Pus of Man" (that oily black snake monster that erupts out of a hollow), and down a ladder.
Inside the large rafters-heavy room filled with hollows and a few pesky dogs, there is a stone anvil. The shard is sitting right on top of it. This room also contains the Cell Key for Greirat, so most people find it eventually. Just don't get greedy; the hollows in this room love to gang up on you while you're picking up the loot.
Undead Settlement: The Burning Tree Crowd
You really can't miss this one visually, but getting to it is a nightmare. As you enter the main settlement area, you’ll see a massive burning pile of bodies with a crowd of peasants and one of those "Evangelist" ladies (the ones who hug you to death while laughing) hanging out around it.
Basically, the shard is right at the base of that burning tree.
The mistake most people make is trying to run in, grab it, and run out. The Evangelist will hit you with a fire hug or a bleeding mace before you can even turn around. Clear the smaller enemies first. Or, if you’re feeling spicy, lure them away and then loop back. You’ve got to be fast.
Road of Sacrifices: The Lycanthrope Ambush
Once you hit the Crucifixion Woods bonfire, the game starts getting weird. To find this shard, you need to look for a path that leads away from the water, back toward the structures near the Crystal Sage boss.
There’s a small ledge where two Lycanthropes (the guys with giant wooden crosses on their backs) are hanging out near a fire. The shard is tucked into a corner near a dead end. Honestly, these enemies are some of the most annoying in the game because they move so fast. If you see them start to scream, just keep rolling.
Farron Keep: The Slug Tower
The swamp. Everyone hates the swamp. It’s poisonous, it slows you down, and the giant goat-men (Ghru) are terrifying. However, the shard here is actually quite easy to find if you know where to look.
From the very first bonfire in Farron Keep, walk straight out into the muck. Look for a collapsed bridge/stone structure. There is a small island with a bunch of slugs huddled around a shard. Since you're likely already poisoned at this point, just wade in, kill the slugs, and take it. It’s roughly in the middle-left of the swamp if you're facing toward the big giant door you have to open.
Cathedral of the Deep: The Praying Hollows
This one is right outside the Cleansing Chapel bonfire. It’s probably the "kindest" placement in the whole game. Exit the chapel, head up the path toward the graveyard, and you’ll see four hollows praying at a small stone monument (obelisk).
They won't even attack you unless you hit them first. Just walk up, take the shard, and maybe put them out of their misery if you’re feeling productive. It’s a freebie.
Catacombs of Carthus and the Smouldering Lake
Technically, there isn't an Estus Shard in the main Catacombs—those are mostly for Undead Bone Shards—but there is one hidden in the Smouldering Lake area (the secret zone beneath the bridge).
In the Old King’s Antechamber, there is an illusory wall in the corner of the room. Hit it, head down the corridor filled with those floating fire-orb things, and you’ll find a shard on a corpse near a hole in the floor. Be careful of the "slimes" that drop from the ceiling. They don't do much damage, but they’re gross and they slow you down.
Irithyll Dungeon: The Mimic Trap
By the time you reach the Dungeon, the game assumes you know how Mimics work. If you see a chest sitting alone in a room, you should probably hit it.
From the Irithyll Dungeon bonfire, go across the bridge, through the cells, and find the room that leads outside toward the Profaned Capital. Before you exit, there is a chest on the right side. It is a Mimic. Kill it (or use a Lloyd’s Talisman) to get the shard. Honestly, at this stage of the game, that Mimic can one-shot you if you aren't careful.
Anor Londo: The Nostalgia Chest
If you played Dark Souls 1, this location will look familiar. Inside the main cathedral of Anor Londo (where the giant guards used to be), there is a chest on the ground floor. It’s tucked away in a corner near the massive revolving elevator.
It’s not hidden behind any crazy puzzles, but the room is usually filled with "Deacons" who will spam fireballs at you while you're trying to open it. Clear the room first, then grab your prize.
Lothric Castle: The Garden Jump
After you kill the Dancer of the Boreal Valley, you gain access to the back half of the castle. If you take the elevator down toward the Consumed King’s Garden, you can actually jump off the elevator halfway down.
There is a ledge with a shard sitting right there. If you miss the jump, you’ll end up in a toxic pit with those "Pus of Man" monsters, which is... less than ideal. Just time your roll as the elevator passes the wooden platform.
Grand Archives: The Final Roof
The very last shard is at the literal top of the world. Once you reach the roof of the Grand Archives—the area with the three Golden Winged Knights (the fat ones with axes and halberds)—keep exploring the outer ledges.
The shard is sitting on a corpse on the far end of the roof, overlooking the bridge to the Twin Princes fight. Once you have this, you’ve found them all.
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What to do after finding them
Finding the shards is only half the battle. You have to actually use them.
- Visit Andre: Go back to Firelink Shrine and talk to Andre the Blacksmith. Select "Reinforce Estus Flask."
- Allot Estus: This is the part most people forget. If you find a shard but your health flask count doesn't go up, it’s because the game might have put that extra charge into your Ashen Estus (the blue one).
- The Ratio: If you aren't a mage, you should probably have a 14:1 or 15:0 ratio of Orange to Blue flasks. Talk to Andre and choose "Allot Estus" to move the charges around.
Finding all 11 shards brings your total flask count to 15. Combined with the 10 Undead Bone Shards (which you burn at the Firelink bonfire to make each sip heal more), you become significantly harder to kill.
The next step is to head back to Andre and ensure your current shards are allocated correctly for your build. If you're heading into a boss fight and find yourself running out of mana but having five health flasks left over, or vice versa, that's a sign your allotment needs a quick tweak.