Duskfade blends fast-paced action with tight platforming, making exploration feel rewarding and necessary. One of the trickiest yet most impactful challenges is hunting down the elusive Star Core Fragments. These rare collectibles enhance your magic meter, letting you spam powerful skills that can turn the tide of combat. Finding them early can drastically change how you face each fight and keep you durable in the whirlwind of enemies.
All Star Core Fragment Locations in Duskfade
There are twelve Star Core Fragments hidden throughout Duskfade, each increasing your maximum health bar once you collect three fragments. No single stage has more than one fragment, so you'll want to explore over half the game's levels carefully. Below, you’ll find the exact locations in the order you encounter them, making it easier to plan your route.
Scorched Grove Star Core Fragment Right after the first checkpoint, you’ll face a cluster of enemies near some exploding plants. Once they’re cleared, a bouncy plant sprouts. Use it to jump up and reach a hidden treasure chest containing your first Star Core Fragment.
Starstone Mines Star Core Fragment
This fragment won’t be accessible until after you gain the Wings ability from the Clockmaker’s Rest stage. At the end of Starstone Mines, within a vast cavern, you'll grapple across multiple platforms. After the fifth grapple, stand on the second stone pillar, then turn around toward the glowing light in the cave. Fly over to this light to find a hidden platform with a treasure chest housing a Star Core Fragment.
Starstone Mines Star Core Fragment
Mount Cinder Star Core Fragment
Soon after passing the first checkpoint, angle your camera downward to spot a platform perched near the lava flow. Drop down carefully and open the chest there to claim another Star Core Fragment.
Lantern Port Star Core Fragment Near the stage’s end, you’ll traverse an island featuring two windmills. Use the grapple points on the windmills to ascend the taller one. At its summit, a treasure chest awaits, holding your next Star Core Fragment.
Apprentice’s Wing Star Core Fragment
Before the fast travel point where you encounter the Thieving Cat, hop onto the two boxes located at the room’s north side. This leads into a narrow hall packed with enemies. Defeat all of them to unlock a treasure chest hiding a Star Core Fragment.
Great Library Star Core Fragment In the library section near the end of this stage, after triggering the gear that opens the final door, turn around to spot a series of platforms ascending to a ledge on the right. Jump up, then use the Stopwatch ability on the purple door you find there. Inside awaits a combat challenge, rewarding you with a Star Core Fragment upon victory.
Celestial Kingdom Star Core Fragment
Right after the second grind rail segment, veer left and use a bounce pad to reach multiple grapple points and wooden planks. Make your way to the end and defeat all waiting enemies to get a treasure chest containing a Star Core Fragment.
Royal Highroads Star Core Fragment Upon reaching the large sundial near the fast travel point, position it southeast and launch yourself off using a grind jump. Follow the main path until it ends, then look down to spot a platform with a chest you can drop down to. Claim your Star Core Fragment there.
Auric Palace Star Core Fragment
Close to the start, find a multi-staircase platform. Jump toward a ledge featuring a bouncy plant and use it to access a hidden path that leads to a chest holding the Star Core Fragment.
Stonetusk Canyon Star Core Fragment Near the stage’s grind rail section end, you’ll need to hit a lever to open a door. While riding the rail near this lever, turn around and press your controller’s left shoulder button to jump off onto an adjacent hidden rail. This secret rail guides you to a purple door accessible via the Stopwatch ability, leading into a combat trial that rewards a Star Core Fragment.
Clockmaker’s Rest Star Core Fragment
While chasing Cuckoo, you will encounter invisible moving platforms needed to gain your wings ability. Some platforms shift back to an earlier part of the stage. Carefully traverse these to reach a pillar with a treasure chest containing a Star Core Fragment.
Chronos Aeternum Star Core Fragment This one is straightforward — right in front of the fast travel point, a chest containing a Star Core Fragment awaits. You can’t miss it, so be sure to grab it as soon as you arrive.
After the second grind rail section, go to the left on the platform you land on and you’ll find a bounce pad that leads to several grapple points and wooden planks. Reach the end of this section and defeat all the enemies waiting for you there and you’ll earn a treasure chest with a Star Core Fragment within it.
Royal Highroads Star Core Fragment
When you reach the large sundial next to the fast travel point, point it toward the southeast, grind jump off of it, and continue down the main intended path. However, when you reach the end turn your camera down and you’ll see a platform with a treasure chest that you can jump down to. Go down there and you’ll be rewarded with a Star Core Fragment.
Auric Palace Star Core Fragment
Near the start of the stage there will be a platform with multiple sets of stairs. While here, jump toward the ledge with a bouncy plant and it will lead you along a path that ends with a treasure chest containing this Star Core Fragment.
Stonetusk Canyon Star Core Fragment
During the large grind rail segment at the end of the stage there will be a part where you need to hit a lever in order to open the door. While riding on the rail which has the lever, turn around and press the left shoulder button on your controller to jump off the rail and land on another nearby one. This hidden rail will lead you directly to a purple door that you can pass through with your Stopwatch ability. This purple door has a combat section which will reward you with a Star Core Fragment.
Clockmaker’s Rest Star Core Fragment
During the segment where you’re chasing Cuckoo, you’ll need to cross some invisible platforms to gain the wings ability. When you first activate the platforms, you’ll notice that several of them move to the right to an early part of the stage. Platform on these invisible blocks and you’ll reach a pillar with a treasure chest which contains a Star Core Fragment.
Chronos Aeternum Star Core Fragment
This Star Core fragment is located in a chest directly in front of the fast travel point, you can’t miss it.
