You're running through the Wasteland, the sun is beating down on EVE’s shiny suit, and suddenly you see it. That flickering, translucent glitch in the air. A butterfly. But not the kind that lands on flowers. These are Nano-Butterflies, and if you’ve spent any time in Shift Up’s post-apocalyptic slasher, you know they are the bane of every perfectionist's existence. Tracking down stellar blade all butterfly locations isn't just about checking a box for a trophy; it’s about the loot. We're talking SP Initializers, Nano Elements, and sometimes even those elusive outfits that make the grind worth it.
Most players stumble upon a few by accident. You’ll be mid-dash toward a Naytiba and Oopsy-daisy, a butterfly spawns. Then it disappears. Honestly, it’s frustrating. These things are timed, they’re twitchy, and if you lose them, you have to reset the area just to get another shot at the chest they leave behind.
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It's not just about speed. It’s about knowing where the trail leads before you even start the chase.
The Wasteland: Where the Real Hunt Begins
The Wasteland is huge. Like, annoyingly huge when you're looking for tiny glowing insects. This is where you’ll find the bulk of your early-to-mid-game butterflies. Most of them are tucked away in corners of the map that have absolutely no business being explored unless you’re a loot goblin.
Take the Altess Levoire area, for example. There is a butterfly right near the entrance that basically mocks you. You have to follow it through a series of ruins that look identical. If you don't keep your camera centered, you'll lose the shimmer against the sand.
Then there’s the one near the Solar Tower. You’d think the high ground would make it easier to spot things. Nope. It hides behind a crate, wait for you to jump down, and then starts its little flight path toward a cliff edge. If you aren't quick with your double jumps, you’re looking at a long trek back from the nearest camp.
One thing people get wrong is thinking every butterfly leads to a suit. I wish. A lot of these are basically just resource drops. But in a game where upgrading your Exospine can be the difference between beating a boss in two tries or twenty, those Nano Elements are gold.
Navigating the Great Canyon Shimmer
Deep in the Great Canyon, there's a butterfly that feels like a developer prank. It starts on a narrow beam. EVE isn't exactly a gymnast when it comes to tightrope walking—she’s built for combat. You have to trigger it, dash across, and hope the auto-target doesn't pull you toward a nearby enemy.
- Pro Tip: Clear the enemies first. Seriously. Nothing ruins a butterfly run like a rogue turret or a jumping Naytiba knocking you off a ledge.
- Another one sits near the Forbidden Area. This one is tricky because it blends into the blueish hue of the machinery.
- Don't forget the scrap heaps. Several butterflies are nested inside what look like junk piles.
Matrix 11 and the Urban Labyrinth
Matrix 11 is a vibe, but a stressful one. It’s dark, it’s cramped, and the butterflies here love to lead you into traps. There’s one specifically in the Rail Yard. You’re already dealing with a lot of verticality, and then this glowing jerk decides to fly up a series of broken stairs.
I’ve seen people complain that the butterflies in Matrix 11 "glitch out." They don't. They just have very vertical paths. You need to use your scan (R3) constantly. The scan highlights the butterfly even through walls for a brief second. Use that. It’s your best friend when the lighting gets moody.
The underground segments of Matrix 11 have fewer butterflies than the Wasteland, but the stakes feel higher. One of them leads to a chest containing high-tier upgrade materials that you’ll desperately need before hitting the next major boss wall.
The Eidos 7 Secret Spots
Eidos 7 is where most of us fell in love with the game’s aesthetic. It’s also where the first few "training" butterflies appear. They’re relatively simple, usually just leading you around a fountain or through a shopfront. But don’t get cocky.
The butterfly near the flooded commercial district is a pain. You have to navigate floating platforms. If you fall in the water, the butterfly resets. It’s a test of your platforming patience.
The Great Desert: High Stakes Tracking
If you thought the Wasteland was bad, the Great Desert says "hold my beer." This map is sprawling. The stellar blade all butterfly locations here are often tied to the ruins of old skyscrapers.
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There’s a legendary one near the Buried Ruins. It’s not just a "run and follow" situation. It involves some light environmental puzzles where you have to move a yellow box to reach the starting point. Most people miss this one because they don't realize the butterfly is triggered by proximity to a specific rubble pile.
The reward? Often a collectible or a highly sought-after polymer.
- Head to the Oasis first. It’s a good landmark.
- Move North toward the collapsed bridge.
- Look for the shimmer near the rusted bus.
- Follow it into the alcove under the bridge.
The wind in the desert can make the audio cues hard to hear. Listen for that high-pitched chiming sound. It’s distinct. Once you hear it, stop running and look around. The butterfly is there somewhere, waiting for you to ruin its day.
Why Some Butterflies Won't Spawn
This is the big one. "I went to the spot on the map and it's not there!"
I get it. It’s annoying. But Stellar Blade has some internal logic you have to follow. Some butterflies are locked behind quest progression. If you haven't talked to certain NPCs in Xion or reached a specific point in the main story, the world state might not trigger certain spawns.
Also, check your difficulty. While it shouldn't affect spawns, some players have reported that "Story Mode" makes the butterflies stay visible longer, whereas "Normal" or "Hard" gives you a tighter window to catch them.
And for the love of everything, check your inventory. If you've already opened the chest associated with that butterfly in a previous run or by sheer luck, it won't spawn again. They aren't infinite resource farms. They're one-and-done deals.
The Mystery of the Missing 100%
If you’re sitting at 98% exploration and can’t find that last shimmer, it’s probably in the Spire 4 region. Spire 4 is basically a point of no return for a lot of content, and the butterflies there are hidden in the maintenance shafts.
The problem with Spire 4 is the speed. The level moves fast. You're on elevators, you’re sliding down tubes. If you miss the butterfly on the way down, you can’t just walk back up. You have to reload a save or get it on New Game Plus.
Maximizing Your Butterfly Gains
To make this easier, you need to spec EVE correctly.
- Focus on Speed: Any gear that increases your sprint speed or dash distance is a godsend.
- Double Jump is Non-Negotiable: If you haven't unlocked the double jump yet, don't even bother hunting the harder butterflies. You'll just frustrate yourself.
- The Scanner Upgrade: There’s an upgrade for your drone that increases the range and duration of your scan. Get it. It makes the butterflies glow like a neon sign in a dark alley.
Honestly, the butterfly hunt is one of the more relaxing parts of the game once you clear the area of Naytibas. It turns the game into a platforming scavenger hunt. It breaks up the tension of the parry-heavy combat and lets you actually look at the world Shift Up built.
Final Steps for the Completionist
Once you’ve tracked down the majority of the stellar blade all butterfly locations, your next move should be heading back to Xion. Check with Roxanne. Sometimes collecting these items triggers new shop inventories or dialogue.
Check your "Data Bank" in the menu. It won't list the butterflies specifically, but it will show you the chests you’ve opened. If you see a gap in your "Cans" collection or your "Outfits," chances are a butterfly you missed is holding the key.
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The best way to tackle this is region by region. Don't jump back and forth. Start in Eidos 7, clear it. Move to the Wasteland, clear it. By the time you hit the Great Desert, you'll have the rhythm down. You'll start seeing the patterns in where the developers hide them—usually just out of sight, behind a piece of corrugated metal or at the top of a climbable yellow ledge.
Go get those Nano-suits. You've earned them.
Actionable Next Steps:
Start your hunt in the Wasteland near the Solar Tower. It has the highest density of butterflies and will help you get used to their flight patterns before you move on to the more vertical challenges in Matrix 11 or the vastness of the Great Desert. Make sure your Drone Scanner is fully upgraded to its maximum range to ensure you don't walk right past a shimmer hidden behind environmental clutter.