Sekiro Shadows Die Twice contains items called Treasure Carp Scales. This guide shows all Sekiro Treasure Carp Scale Locations. These scales are acquired by killing treasure carp and can be used at a vendor in Hirata Estate. He also sells a skill needed to acquire all skills for the Height of Technique trophy or achievement. In total the items he offers cost 15 treasure carp scales combined, but there are more than that.
Only Treasure Carp Scales #39-#42 of these collectibles are missable. Everything else isn’t missable as you can still return to all areas later on. This guide lists them in chronological order. Most come from killing the treasure carp fish, but some are found as collectibles in the world. The treasure carp do not respawn once killed.
Where to find Treasure Carp Scale Vendor: In Hirata Estate region at the first idol called “Dragonspring”, jump down the cliff and swim through the big lake on the right side. There on a small island is a guy in a barrel who calls for you and asks for treasure scales. After getting enough scales return to him.
Items sold:
- Divine Grass (fully restores Vitality) – 1 Scale
- Withered Red Gourd (increases Burn resistance) – 2 Scales
- Mask Fragment: Right (a piece of a mask) – 7 Scales
- Floating Passage Text (a new combat art skill) – 5 Scales
How to kill Treasure Carp: The carp are all found in water (thus easy to locate) and will swim away very quickly when they spot you but they respawn within a few seconds when you swim away to another area. To target them press the right stick 
so you can lock on to them even while they’re underwater. There are basically two methods. Swim to them head-on and let them spot you, just spam sword attacks and hope to get lucky to land a hit. The alternative is to swim slowly behind them and follow them until they get closer to the surface. Later on you unlock the diving ability by killing the Corrupted Monk boss in Ashina Depths. This is an unmissable main boss. Once he is defeated you can dive down by pressing 
/ 
which makes it easier to hunt the carp.
Hirata Estate
Treasure Carp Scale #1, #2, #3, #4: Dragonspring – Hirata Estate
The first 4 carp are swimming in the lake where you find the vendor. In Hirata Estate region, at the first idol called “Dragonspring” jump down the cliff and you’ll find a big lake on the right side. The treasure carp swim away quickly when they spot you, but can be killed with sword attacks when timed correctly. See the above section on how to kill them.
Treasure Carp Scale #5: Dragonspring – Hirata Estate
In the pond where you found the 4 treasure carps, under a wooden bridge by the water is a golden glowing item pickup. This is a collectable treasure carp scale.
Treasure Carp Scale #6: Bamboo Thicket Slope
After killing the spear miniboss that wears a white robe, you will come to the Bamboo Thicket Slope idol. After this idol, grapple on to the tree stump on the left side and drop down into the river. Swim upriver and at the end you find one single treasure carp.
Treasure Carp Scale #7: Bamboo Thicket Slope [Requires Diving]
In the same river where our last carp was, but this one is downriver. It’s deep underwater and can only be reached with the diving ability. You get the diving ability by defeating the Corrupted Monk in Ashina Depths way later in the story. It’s not possible on the first visit, you have to come back for it later.
Senpou Temple, Mt. Kongo
Treasure Carp Scale #8, #9: Temple Grounds
Two more carp are found in a little pond just below the third idol in Mt. Kongo region. The idol is called “Temple Grounds”. There’s a path with 4 hostile wolves attacking you and to the left of this is a waterfall that flows into the pond where the carp are.
Ashina Depths
Treasure Carp Scale #10, #11: Mibu Village
Right next to the Mibu Village idol sits a merchant in a tent. He sells you two treasure carp scales for 500 coins a piece (1000 coins for both).
Treasure Carp Scale #12: Mibu Village
Where we bought the last two scales from the merchant, walk down the river, it’s at the very end of the river as a normal item pickup (not a fish this time).
Treasure Carp Scale #13: Water Mill [Requires Diving]
Jump in the river left of the Water Mill idol. Swim to the end of the river and dive down to find this fish. If you don’t have the diving ability yet, you get it from the main boss “Corrupted Monk” just after the Water Mill idol, he’s only a minute away.
Sunken Valley
Treasure Carp Scale #14, #15: Riven Cave [Requires Diving]
In the lake between the Gun Fort idol and Riven Cave idol. You will drop down into this lake as part of the story. After finishing the Corrupted Monk boss in Ashina Depths you will have received the diving ability. You can swim on the surface to get behind the carp, then dive down to attack them from behind. Two of them are in this lake. Press R2 / RT to dive down and L2 / LT to swim up.
Treasure Carp Scale #16: Riven Cave [Requires Diving]
In the same lake as the above two carp, but this one is collected from the floor of the lake. It’s a normal item pickup. You must dive down to get it.
Ashina Castle 2nd Visit
Treasure Carp Scale #17: Ashina Castle [Requires Diving]
After defeating the Corrupted Monk & Guardian Ape and getting the 2 ingredients from the caves they were guarding, you need to return to Ashina Castle. The idols will be locked, but you can get back there through the Abandoned Dungeon area. Now you can dive in the water below the bridge where the Ashina Castle idol was (diving ability unlocked by defeating Corrupted Monk). There’s 1 single Treasure Carp in the water here.
Treasure Carp Scale #18: Ashina Castle [Requires Diving]
Collected as an underwater item pickup in the same water where the last carp was. In one of the corners.
Fountainhead Palace
Treasure Carp Scale #19-#21: Mibu Manor
After the Mibu Manor idol you come to a courtyard filled with flute-playing squid enemies. At the end of that courtyard in the top left corner is a little water hole. Dive through it and on the other side you find 3 carp scale as a normal item pickups. Also be sure to open the big chest here. This chest contains the quest item “Water of the Palace” which we need for our next carp scale.
Treasure Carp Scale #22-#26: Mibu Manor / Ashina Depths – Water Mill
After getting the “Water of the Palace” (see last 4 scales above), head back to Ashina Depths – Water Mill. On the way to where you fought the Corrupted Monk is a house with a mob of enemies gathered in front of it. You can crouch under the right side of the house and enter through a floorboard underneath the house. Inside there’s a man who wants the “Water of the Palace”. Give it to him, rest at an idol, then return to defeat him for 5 Treasure Carp Scales.
Treasure Carp Scale #27-#38: Great Sakura
After defeating the Okami Leader Shizu miniboss you can jump in the big lake. There are 7 Treasure Carp Fishes swimming in there. Dive down to kill them. Another 5 scales are found as underwater item pickups so make sure you pick up everything in the lake. That’s a total of 12 scales right there in the same lake.
Treasure Carp Scale #39-42: Feeding Ground
From the Palace Grounds idol, enter the next building (very dark with squid enemies crawling around) and take a right turn. This leads behind the building. From there grapple up to the roof and from there to a tree branch on the left, a temple roof, and lastly to the area on the far left. This brings you to the Feeding Ground. There’s one character here and a bell. Ring the bell to summon the Great Colored Carp and feed it 2 x Precious Bait to get 4 Scales from it! The precious bait is also found as item pickups in the same lake where the last 12 scales were, so you probably found this in the process already.
That’s all the Treasure Carp Scales in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice. You can find another Scale Merchant in Fountainhead Palace to spend your remaining scales. After the Palace Grounds idol, exit the next building to the left, then turn right to see a waterfall. There’s a tunnel in the mountain not far from the waterfall that you can grapple to, and this leads you to the second Scale merchant.
Barry White says
There seems to be a second carp in the bamboo thicket area. I got the one by the waterfall, but there’s another that swims around deep underwater on the other side of the bridge. I’ve been target-locking and following this carp around for a half hour and in never bloody comes close enough to the surface to attack, and it’s suuuper skittish.
PowerPyx says
Later on you unlock an ability that lets you dive down. I think this may be how we can reach this carp, I should have this by tomorrow (maybe later today).
Gediminas says
there is 19 treasure carp scales.
these scales you will to unlock a mask. first one cost 7 scales, second one cost 5000 money and third cost 12 scales.
Vikos says
I have spended 23 scales in shops so there are more than 19 per run OwO
Danny says
from where do you get the third one that cost 12 scales ?
the dude i bought the 7 scale one does not have it
evil says
Whats the best way to spend carp scale in your opinion?
Vikos says
There are 2 more scales in the lake diving, where you hide from the snake at thesecond time. One scale killing a cute carp, the other one in a shiny item in the floor of the lake.
Jin Hao Yu says
Just Fountain headplace alone there are 7 treasure carps swimming in the giant lake area (3 pairs of 2 and 1 single) and 5 treasure carp scales area around (3 near each other with 2 treasure carps and 2 near a chest with a headless around)
Amapesto says
Giving some ordinary bait to the Great Carp also ropes in some scales, I’ve gotten 4 from the giant blue dude next to the feeding area.
ol chris says
You get a whopping FIVE scales from a guy in the Ashina Depths village; go to the house by the Monk fight and there’s a shinobi door under his floor. Give him the Water of the Palace that you can find near the Mibu Manor idol in Fountainhead Palace and reload the area and he turns into an enemy that drops 5 scales.
maus says
Thanks for this! Was wondering where to use that item…
Dragontechnique says
Nice one, thanks!!
James says
Their seems to be a number of time you can try to kill a fish before it doesn’t respawn again cause I was only able to get 3 scales at estate the fourth isn’t coming back
PowerPyx says
They are all different carp. They don’t respawn. There are just multiple in the same lake, but they spawn at slightly different points in the lake.
JL says
PowerPyx! If you give the Great White Whisker you get from the Great Coloured Carp to the NPC at the Feeding Grounds, he’ll give you a Divine Grass and if you rest at the Idol, his daughter will be there and you can loot his dead body which will give you 3 treasure carp scales. So actually theres about 45 scales in one playthrough.
James says
Pot noble is dead “2nd one”. No idea why. Loaded a older save still dead.
Fred says
Same for me. I think it happens when you kill the great carp because at the same time the first merchant changes into a fish with a new set of items to sell.
Bailey Miller says
I’m not sure if it stacks on the scales you get from feeding the carp but I killed the guy that gives you scales before feeding the great carp and he gave me 3 scales
Jobatain maxx says
There are 35 scales in the game. Only 34 are needed to get everything from the pot nobles.
Corey Visseau says
This should also be updated as 39-42 are NOT miss able as if you kill the great carp before feeding you can simply take the great white whisker it drops and bring it to the NPC at feeding grounds. Doing so will result in him saying his duties have been filled and you can now rest at the nearby idol and collect those 4 scales.