Dead by Daylight Killer Tier List: Ranking Every DBD Killer

Dead by Daylight Killer Tier List: Ranking Every DBD Killer

Wondering who reigns supreme in Dead by Daylight? After eight years, the game’s roster is vast, with 40 killers and 48 survivors, making it tough to choose your main. This guide helps you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of perks and abilities.

Dead by Daylight stands out among top horror games, offering the thrilling chance to step into the shoes of a ruthless antagonist. Forget surviving; here, you become the hunter, unleashing unique powers like ranged axe throws, infectious bile, or devastating chainsaw attacks. But with so many terrifying options, which killer truly excels? Dive into our comprehensive tier list to discover the best Dead by Daylight killers.

Dead by Daylight Killer Tier List

Our tier list evaluates each killer based on their difficulty, unique abilities, and how effectively those powers can be wielded. While S-tier killers like The Nurse and The Blight are incredibly potent in expert hands, they pose a significant challenge for newcomers due to their complex mechanics. This ranking primarily focuses on a killer’s inherent power, with individual perks only lightly considered since they can be freely swapped. We’ve also incorporated the newest killer, The Krasue, directly into the A-tier after recent updates.

Here’s our current Dead by Daylight killer tier list:

S-Tier Killers

The Nurse (Very Hard)

Much like The Hag, The Nurse excels at swift map traversal using her “Blink” ability, Spencer’s Last Breath. She can chain multiple Blinks to cover vast distances. However, a significant drawback is the fatigue incurred after blinking. Mastering the precise timing of this skill is crucial, as a mistimed move will reduce your movement speed, granting survivors an escape opportunity. Execute it flawlessly, and you can swiftly secure all four sacrifices.

The Blight (Very Hard)

Similar to The Nurse, The Blight is exceptionally challenging to master but becomes nearly unstoppable once perfected. His “Rush” power grants incredible speed, allowing him to rapidly close distances on survivors. While his initial Rush doesn’t allow attacks, colliding with an obstacle activates “Lethal Rush,” enabling a powerful attack that can quickly down victims. Be cautious: missing an obstacle during the first Rush will briefly fatigue The Blight, giving survivors a window to escape. Early matches with The Blight can be frustrating, but the dedication to mastering his rapid movement pays off immensely.

The Hillbilly (Medium)

Before Leatherface arrived, The Hillbilly was the original chainsaw-wielding terror. Historically, he’s been a niche pick due to his tricky movement controls, but a recent update (7.5.0) significantly improved his standing. The Hillbilly’s “Chainsaw Sprint” is a game-changer, instantly putting healthy survivors into the dying state with a direct hit, making him incredibly efficient for swift sacrifices. While he can be evaded, especially by skilled players, precise aiming and avoiding obstacles can lead to rapid downs. For aggressive players who embrace swift incapacitations, The Hillbilly offers a powerful, fast-paced playstyle that can end matches in minutes with the right opportunities.

A-Tier Killers

The Krasue (Medium)

Drawing from traditional Thai folklore, The Krasue is arguably the most unsettling killer introduced yet. What begins as the beautiful Burong Sukapat transforms into a grotesque, floating head with trailing entrails, perfectly capturing the legend within the Entity’s Realm.

Initially limited to basic attacks, The Krasue’s terrifying secondary form enables her to “Leech” survivors with a projectile. In this faster, stealthier disembodied state, she can then injure and down them. Survivors can counter Leeching by interacting with glowing fungi at Sukapat’s transformation sites. When mastered, The Krasue is exceptionally powerful, almost S-tier, but her challenging projectile attack requires significant practice to overcome skilled survivors.

The Ghoul (Medium)

The Ghoul quickly became a fan-favorite, thanks to his exceptional mobility. Wielding his Kagune, Kaneki can effortlessly traverse the map, closing in on survivors and overwhelming them in tight spaces, leaving them with few options to avoid damage. Surprisingly easy to learn compared to other top-tier killers, The Ghoul nearly reaches S-tier status. His potent abilities make him difficult to outmaneuver as a survivor. The only factors keeping him in high A-tier are his inherent Quick Time Events (QTEs) and cooldowns, which are essential to manage his power effectively. He’s so strong, in fact, that a future nerf wouldn’t be surprising.

The Spirit (Hard)

The Spirit frequently appears in S or A-tier rankings, and we firmly place her at the top of A-tier for her incredible potential when fully mastered. Rin Yamaoka presents a steep learning curve, particularly because her power temporarily blinds her. However, with practice and a good headset, this apparent weakness becomes her greatest strength.

In her spirit form, The Spirit becomes nearly invisible, phasing rapidly across the map. While survivors also become invisible to her in this state, she can still detect environmental disturbances like rustling grass or moving generators, hinting at survivor locations. The true mastery lies in utilizing audio cues to launch surprise attacks. Timing your re-emergence from spirit form can catch survivors completely off guard. Compared to other teleporting killers, The Spirit is slightly easier for a beginner to master as the camera tracks her movement, offering a less disorienting experience.

The Wraith (Easy)

The Wraith is a standout “easy” killer, yet he remains a favorite among competitive and veteran players alike. He’s a versatile menace, consistently popular for his straightforward but effective kit. With his “Wailing Bell” power, The Wraith can become almost entirely invisible to survivors. While keen-eyed players might spot a faint blur, he can effortlessly ambush unsuspecting victims focused on objectives. Cloaked, The Wraith gains a movement speed boost, allowing him to quickly close distances. The catch: he cannot attack while invisible. You must uncloak first, which briefly reduces his movement speed.

Mastering The Wraith means perfecting the art of cloaking and uncloaking. Be mindful not to release the action button too soon during uncloaking, or you’ll reveal your position without being able to attack, giving survivors a clear advantage.

The Lich (Medium)

After a rocky start in the Public Test Build, The Lich received crucial buffs, solidifying his position as a top-tier killer. Voiced by Matthew Mercer, this character introduces an entirely new “spell wheel” mechanic, requiring a brief learning period to master. However, once you grasp his four distinct spells, The Lich grants unparalleled map control.

This Dungeons & Dragons-inspired killer can phase through obstacles like The Nurse, manipulate pallets similar to The Knight, launch damaging projectiles akin to The Unknown or The Artist, and reveal survivor auras with a special sphere. With such a diverse arsenal, The Lich becomes incredibly challenging for survivors to counter once you’ve learned to effectively combine his potent abilities.

The Dark Lord (Hard)

Inspired by Dracula, The Dark Lord boasts a versatile blend of powers, many echoing those of other formidable killers. As the game’s first shape-shifting killer, he can transform into a swift wolf, a stealthy bat, or his fearsome original vampire form to hunt down survivors.

His bat form offers Spirit-like stealth, blinding him to survivors but boosting his speed and tracking. In this form, Dracula can also teleport. As a wolf, meanwhile, Drac can also travel fast and perform a lunge attack reminiscent of The Demogorgon’s Shred attack. In his true vampire form, The Dark Lord unleashes devastating pillars of fire, much like The Executioner. Though mastering the transitions between these forms requires practice, commanding such a diverse set of abilities undeniably makes The Dark Lord one of the strongest killers currently available.

The Huntress (Moderate)

While many A-tier killers possess ranged capabilities, The Huntress pioneered this playstyle with her iconic Hunting Hatchets. This makes her a top-tier threat, as a keen eye and precise aim can incapacitate survivors incredibly quickly. While two hits are still needed to down a player, the brief cooldown between throws allows for relentless pressure. An initial hatchet hit slows survivors, making it easier to follow up with a basic melee attack.

The key advantage of her ranged attack is the ability to strike survivors even when separated by pallets or windows. However, hatchet management is crucial; The Huntress can only carry five at a time, so frequent trips to lockers for restocking are essential.

The Xenomorph (Medium)

The Xenomorph has maintained its formidable A-tier position since its debut in August 2023. While we assess killers primarily on their base kit, factoring in perks and add-ons would likely elevate this iconic creature even further into S-tier.

Even without specific enhancements, The Xenomorph is exceptionally powerful due to its inherent aura-reading capabilities. While navigating underground tunnels, it can detect survivor footsteps above ground and pinpoint active generators, enabling remarkably easy and rapid player location from the start of a trial. Emerging from a tunnel near survivors can also trigger “Killer Instinct,” further amplifying its already potent tracking. The only thing holding this killer back from being too good is its slightly lower base speed and pesky flame turrets, used by survivors to counter this killer. Despite these, The Xenomorph remains a consistently strong and terrifying attacker.

The Executioner (Very Hard)

Known to Silent Hill fans as Pyramid Head, The Executioner is a highly complex killer with multiple abilities, but in skilled hands, he transforms into an absolute force of nature. His core mechanics revolve around “Torment” and “Final Judgment.” By utilizing his “Rites of Judgement” power, Pyramid Head can carve trenches into the ground, strategically placing them near hooked survivors, generators, or doorways. Survivors who cross these trenches become afflicted with Torment.

Tormented survivors who reach the struggle phase on a hook or are placed in a cage can be instantly executed with “Final Judgment.” This unique mechanic encourages a playstyle focused on hooking survivors twice before delivering the decisive Final Judgment, making him a truly formidable opponent.

The Mastermind (Medium)

Wesker, known as The Mastermind from Project W, has rapidly become a fan-favorite, surpassing even The Trapper and Trickster in popularity. Beyond his charisma, he’s also a profoundly powerful killer. When mastered, he offers a devastating combination of ranged attacks and the ability to instantly pick up survivors, creating a truly oppressive presence.

While Wesker has a standard melee attack, his “Virulent Bound” power allows him to lunge at survivors. A direct hit against a wall causes immediate damage, and even colliding with an obstacle still injures the survivor. Critically, Virulent Bound also infects survivors with the Urobros Virus. This infection gradually worsens, leading to an instant pickup after another successful attack if fully infected. Using a First Aid Spray to cure the infection, however, reveals the survivor’s location, creating a lose-lose scenario for them.

The Nightmare (Medium)

We’ve repositioned the often-debated Freddy Krueger into the high A-tier following significant reworks in January 2025 that addressed years of player dissatisfaction. Freddy’s core power still traps survivors in the Dream World, which they enter automatically over time or instantly with a basic attack hit. Now, he can also conjure Dream Pallets and Dream Snares. Sleeping survivors are immune to his Terror Radius and suffer harsher effects from these Dream traps.

Freddy can make Dream Pallets explode, damaging sleeping survivors in the blast radius and hastening the dream timer for awake survivors. This remote injury capability is one of his most potent new tools. Dream Snares accelerate the sleep timer for awake survivors and significantly hinder sleeping ones. While survivors can awaken by failing skill checks or using alarm clocks, Freddy gains a substantial advantage over them while they slumber.

The Animatronic (Hard)

The arrival of Springtrap, The Animatronic, in Chapter 36 marked a pivotal moment for Dead by Daylight, fulfilling a long-standing community request. He immediately established himself as a dominant A-tier killer.

His primary limitations are a slow base movement speed and a fire axe with a distinct projectile arc, which can be challenging to master, especially for players accustomed to killers like The Huntress. Despite this, The Animatronic excels in mobility, rapidly traversing the map through security room doors. However, his slower base speed can be felt acutely during direct chases. While add-ons are excluded from this ranking, the “Help Wanted Ad” add-on, which displays the axe’s trajectory, can significantly enhance his performance.

B-Tier Killers

The Good Guy (Medium)

Chucky burst onto the scene as an instant success, proving effective for both novice and seasoned players. Even after minor post-release nerfs to his “Slice and Dice” power’s maneuverability, The Good Guy remains a brutal force. Despite his Slice and Dice action being a little hard to control for those who aren’t used to playing killer, Chucky’s other power, Hidey-Ho Mode, and his slight size mean he is still a phenomenally strong killer. Hidey-Ho Mode makes Chucky undetectable, and, since he is shorter than most windows, it’s incredibly easy to sneak up on unsuspecting victims, even as a new player to the killer side.

The Houndmaster (Medium)

The formidable Houndmaster, Portia Maye, and her loyal companion Snug debuted in Chapter 34, “Doomed Course.” Initially, her ranking was uncertain due to early bugs, but she has since solidified her position as a high B-tier killer.

Her strength lies primarily with Snug. Though controlling him can be challenging initially, his power becomes devastating once mastered. When Snug catches a survivor, he latches onto their arm, immobilizing them. This not only stops survivors in their tracks, making them easy to catch up to, but can also be used as crown control, similarly to The Knight’s Guards. By directing Snug one way around an obstacle while you go the other, survivors find themselves cornered with no escape.

The Unknown (Medium)

Alongside The Dredge, The Unknown stands out as Behaviour’s most terrifying and innovative original killer. This enigmatic entity offers incredibly engaging gameplay for both roles, characterized by eerie voice lines, the potent UVX power, and mechanics reminiscent of several existing killers.

Charging The Unknown’s UVX allows him to launch an explosive projectile at survivors, much like The Singularity’s biopods. A direct hit hinders the survivor, while a blast hit weakens them. Weakened survivors can then be injured by a subsequent hit, similar to The Artist’s “Birds of Torment,” requiring two hits for damage. Adding to the challenge for The Unknown, survivors can temporarily remove the weakened effect by staring at him, drawing parallels to The Ghost Face’s reveal mechanic.

Despite these complexities, The Unknown’s power extends beyond direct hits. UVX can be strategically deployed to control survivor movement, forcing them into your basic attack range even if they dodge the projectile. This makes looping The Unknown particularly difficult, as a well-placed UVX pod can compel survivors to stop or turn back into your path.

Furthermore, The Unknown’s Hallucinations appear throughout the map, and while survivors can dispel them, any remaining hallucinations serve as swift teleportation points for the killer. This grants exceptional map mobility, escalating pressure on survivors working on generators.

The Trickster (Medium)

Despite his charismatic appearance making him a fan favorite, The Trickster hasn’t found widespread popularity as a main killer. His ranged power, “Showstopper,” enables him to hurl a rapid succession of sharp blades at survivors, even over pallets and through windows. Against him, survivors often feel his “Laceration Meter” fills impossibly fast. Each successful hit also charges his “Event Meter,” which, when full, unleashes an even more lethal barrage of throwing knives. However, Showstopper significantly reduces The Trickster’s movement speed, negating its advantage without precise aim. Although a recent nerf reduced the hits needed for “Main Event” to eight, it didn’t substantially boost his desirability as a killer. Players looking to main The Trickster might benefit from builds that complement his ranged attacks with generator sabotage or survivor tracking.

The Knight (Medium)

The Knight presents a unique challenge to rank due to the complexity of his three distinct Guards. While his power demands significant practice, a mastered Knight can be utterly devastating. His ability to summon Guards effectively turns a match into a 2v4, allowing him to break pallets, damage generators, and hunt survivors simultaneously while he continues his patrol. This dual threat enables him to swiftly down survivors with a combined hit from a Guard and himself, or to dedicate a Guard to a chase while he pursues another target. The strategic deployment of his Guards is key to unlocking his immense potential.

The Doctor (Hard)

Though The Doctor relies on basic attacks, his special abilities make him exceptional at finding survivors and disrupting their objectives. His power, “Carter’s Spark,” inflicts Madness on nearby survivors, a condition that escalates with each hit. As their Madness deepens, skill checks become increasingly difficult, with failures revealing their location and impeding generator repairs. Each strike from Carter’s Spark also causes survivors to scream, pinpointing their position, and at Madness levels II and III, illusions of The Doctor appear, further aiding in approximate location tracking. Mastering the precision of Carter’s Spark allows you to consistently delay survivor progress while maintaining constant awareness of their whereabouts, giving you a significant advantage.

The Nemesis (Hard)

Dead by Daylight’s Resident Evil crossovers are always a hit, and the original chapter introduced Nemesis – a killer with challenging but highly rewarding abilities. The Nemesis’ “T-Virus” power infects survivors, effectively giving them an extra health state before they become injured on a second hit. This infection is delivered via his tentacle, a versatile ranged attack that can bypass pallets and windows.

As you accumulate successful T-Virus infections, Nemesis’s power evolves, eventually granting him the ability to break pallets faster and increasing his movement speed. Additionally, his persistent zombies not only infect survivors who get too close, forcing them off generators, but also provide crucial location intel if you monitor their movements. Mastering these intricate abilities makes Nemesis a truly enjoyable and powerful force.

The Artist (Medium)

The Artist commands a unique form of ranged attack: a formidable swarm of crows that can significantly assist in hunting. By deploying one to three crows with her “Birds of Torment” power, they fly forward, damaging any survivors directly in their path. For more distant targets, the crows instead form a persistent swarm around the survivor’s head, constantly revealing their location. This dual function makes it relatively simple to pressure multiple survivors consecutively. However, you still need to close the distance for a basic melee attack, and poorly aimed crow attacks will not only be ineffective but also inadvertently reveal your position.

The Singularity (Hard)

Hux-A7-13, known as The Singularity, introduced a thrilling sci-fi horror element to Dead by Daylight. Affectionately nicknamed “Singu” or “Larry,” this killer is remarkably powerful; his only barrier to S-tier is the player’s map knowledge and skill. While effective as a basic attack (M1) killer, maximizing Hux’s potential means mastering his biopod power.

His “Quantum Instantiation” power enables him to deploy biopods (cameras) across the map, allowing him to observe, locate, and inflict the “Slipstream” effect on survivors. Similar to The Twins, The Singularity will leave his physical body stationary while switching between biopod views – but you need to remember where they are in relation to one another and your position to use them effectively or it can be a bit discombobulating.

One of the best uses of The Singularity’s power is the ability to teleport to survivors who are slipstreamed. By targeting a slipstreamed survivor with a biopod, he can rapidly close distances and even break pallets that might be at your destination. Survivors, however, can counter biopods and the slipstream effect by using EMP devices found around the map.

The Dredge (Medium)

Debuting in the “Roots of Dread” chapter, The Dredge possesses truly unique abilities that, when expertly wielded, can make him an unstoppable force.

His primary power, “The Gloaming,” allows The Dredge to leave a Remnant and teleport into any visible locker. This instantly reveals survivors within a short radius of the locker, providing immediate location intel. If no survivors are nearby, he can choose to exit or teleport up to two additional times. This power becomes even more potent during “Nightfall,” which plunges survivors into oppressive darkness and temporarily removes The Dredge’s Terror Radius for 60 seconds. The Dredge’s teleportation offers immense versatility—whether ambushing survivors in a chase, disrupting generator progress, or simply pinpointing locations. However, his slow movement speed in direct pursuit and noticeable noise level mean experienced survivors can often anticipate his approach, even during Nightfall.

C-Tier Killers

The Legion (Easy)

Survivors frequently encounter The Legion, and while they might often fall prey to them, this doesn’t automatically signify a top-tier killer. The Legion excels at severely impeding survivor progress and extending the game, but actually securing downs and hooks can be challenging, leading to prolonged matches with uncertain outcomes.

The core issue with The Legion lies in their “Feral Frenzy” power. While it boosts movement speed, it can be difficult to control. Furthermore, their “Feral Slash” special attack requires five hits to down a survivor, unlike the standard two. Getting stunned or missing an attack immediately ends Feral Frenzy, stunning The Legion and allowing survivors to escape and heal. The most effective strategy with The Legion is to land one Feral Slash, inflict “Deep Wound,” and then pursue another target. Deep Wound is an additional injured state with a timer, compelling survivors to heal or risk entering the dying state, thereby diverting crucial time from generator repairs.

The Plague (Hard)

Despite her protective origins, Adiris, The High Priestess of Babylon, weaponizes an infectious plague to inflict harm upon survivors. As another ranged attacker, The Plague can appeal to new killers who prefer avoiding close-quarters melee. However, her special ability can prolong chases, potentially making it difficult to secure four sacrifices. Her “Vile Purge” infects survivors, causing injury only after a delay, and survivors can cleanse themselves. A clever tactic is to infect generators and environmental objects, spreading the plague to interacting survivors. While survivors can heal at a Pool of Devotion, these pools can then be used by The Plague to activate “Corrupt Purge”—transforming her attacks from infecting to directly injuring, offering a powerful late-game advantage.

The Hag (Very Hard)

Once an S-tier menace, The Hag has unfortunately fallen from grace. This decline isn’t due to changes in her own abilities, but rather to shifts in meta perks—both her own and survivor perks that now more effectively counter her playstyle.

Lisa Sherwood, The Hag, wields the power to “shape mud to her will,” manifesting “Phantasm Traps” on the ground. When a player stands on one of these traps, The Hag can instantly teleport to their location if within 40 meters. Strategically placed traps near generators, hooks, and looping areas can catch survivors off guard. However, easily visible traps are often bypassed, and survivors can simply wipe them away. Like The Trapper, The Hag requires substantial setup for a payoff that often feels insufficient against coordinated teams.

The Deathslinger (Hard)

Straight from the Wild West, The Deathslinger offers a uniquely aggressive playstyle. His signature power allows him to reel in survivors with a harpoon from his modified rifle. While the harpoon itself doesn’t cause injury, it pulls victims close enough for a devastating follow-up attack. Striking a speared survivor also inflicts “Deep Wound.” Precision is key: aim for clear lines of sight, as survivors can easily break free by positioning obstacles between you and pulling back. While this inflicts Deep Wound, it also stuns The Deathslinger, giving them an opportunity to escape. Mastering his harpoon requires practice, but a skilled Deathslinger can be a relentless hunter.

The Oni (Very Hard)

Kazan Yamaoka, The Oni, (ancestor to The Spirit) is an immensely powerful killer capable of rapid map traversal with his “Demon Dash” and instantly downing healthy survivors with his “Demon Strike.” However, both these devastating powers rely on absorbing “Blood Orbs” dropped by injured survivors. This means you must land multiple basic attacks to fuel his abilities, making initial pressure crucial for activating his full potential.

The Twins (Very Hard)

Charlotte and Victor, The Twins, are a uniquely terrifying original killer. Victor, who didn’t fully develop, protrudes from his sister’s chest, a horrifying visual that translates into a distinctive gameplay mechanic.

Charlotte can unleash a screeching Victor, who scurries across the map to hunt down victims. All the while, Charlotte will remain in place, as you control her brother. This power is effective for tracking, as Victor’s increased speed helps locate targets. He can then pounce, briefly incapacitating a survivor, allowing Charlotte to move in for the final strike. The main drawback is that survivors can counter Victor’s pounce with a well-timed kick, enabling their escape. If Charlotte is too far away on a large map, this renders Victor’s efforts futile, demanding careful coordination between the siblings.

The Pig (Hard)

The Pig, from the Saw franchise, offers a unique gameplay dynamic where success hinges on strategic execution; misuse her power, and you might prolong your own frustration more than the survivors’.

The optimal strategy involves swiftly applying “Reverse Bear Traps” to all survivors. These deadly devices activate upon generator completion, initiating a countdown to instant death. Removing them consumes valuable time at a limited number of “Jigsaw Boxes,” diverting survivors from objective repairs. When multiple survivors are trapped, they may need to traverse further for a free box, exacerbating the time crunch. If the countdown expires before removal, the survivor is instantly sacrificed, regardless of hooks. While incredibly potent, these traps are limited to four per match and can be removed relatively quickly depending on survivor luck, requiring careful timing and placement.

The Clown (Medium)

The Clown’s power revolves around concocting and tossing specialized potions: a purple tonic to impair survivor vision and movement, and a yellow antidote to boost his own speed. The challenge lies in precision aiming and avoiding accidental potion swaps. Striking a survivor with the antidote not only speeds them up but also cures any intoxication. His recent buffs, increasing the number of potions he can carry, have made his power more manageable. Once you master the “Afterpiece Tonic” to slow survivors in a chase, The Clown transforms into a truly devastating force.

The Ghost Face (Hard)

The Ghost Face is among Dead by Daylight’s most iconic figures, even without being an officially licensed chapter. Heavily inspired by classic horror villains, he stands out as one of the game’s premier stealth killers.

As one of the few killers capable of crouching, The Ghost Face can effortlessly ambush unsuspecting survivors, particularly those engrossed in generator repairs. Activating his “Night Shroud” power renders him “Undetectable,” eliminating his Terror Radius and making it incredibly difficult for survivors to detect his presence. While hidden and crouched, Ghost Face can “Stalk” survivors, and a successful Stalk action will mark them, leaving them “Exposed” for a period. Given that his only attack method is a basic melee, mastery of his stealthy Stalk ability is paramount for success with this killer.

D-Tier Killers

The Cannibal (Medium)

While the official Leatherface killer, The Cannibal, doesn’t quite match the potency of Dead by Daylight’s original Hillbilly, his “Chainsaw Sweep” offers a wide attack arc, a notable contrast to Hillbilly’s lunge. This can be beneficial for players who find traditional melee attacks challenging. His sweeping attack covers the area directly in front of him, and his special attack extends to a full circumference, capable of hitting multiple victims. However, the drawbacks often outweigh the advantages: survivors can easily spot his attacks and evade, his movement speed is impaired, and there is a heavy cooldown. Overall, The Cannibal presents more challenges than rewards.

The Shape (Medium)

Michael Myers, or The Shape, is a killer designed for the long game. If you struggle with early game survivor tracking, he might not be your ideal pick. However, for players patient enough to embrace his stealthy stalking, he can transform from a lurking shadow into an unstoppable force in the match’s climactic moments.

Activating his power, “Evil Within,” allows you to observe and stalk your prey from afar. Simply watching your victims as they go about their business will empower your abilities, progressing through three levels. Evil Within I grants the Undetectable Status, but decreases basic attack lunge and movement speed. Evil Within II reduces your terror radius while increasing movement speed and attack lunge. The true payoff comes at Evil Within III: all survivors become “Exposed,” meaning a single hit will instantly down them. This powerful state lasts 60 seconds before reverting to level two. Survivors receive an audio cue each time Evil Within levels up. With perfect timing, downing all four exposed survivors can end the game in a flash.

The Demogorgon (Hard)

The Demogorgon offers an enjoyable, albeit challenging, experience that can become competitive with substantial practice, though it may not be as consistently rewarding as other killers. Its power, “Of The Abyss,” transports you to the Upside Down, allowing you to place and traverse portals. While this offers map mobility similar to The Hag or The Nurse, it’s neither as quick nor as intuitive, making it less impactful. However, it can be strategically useful in the endgame to move between exit gates if portals are pre-placed.

The Demogorgon’s most potent ability is its “Shred” special attack. Much like The Hillbilly’s or The Blight’s lunges, Shred rapidly closes the distance, and a successful hit instantly injures or downs a survivor. Combining portal usage with precise Shred attacks can create a powerful killer, but achieving true mastery requires dedication.

The Onryo (Hard)

Sadly, despite Sadako’s high anticipation for her arrival, The Ring villain hasn’t quite resonated with Dead by Daylight players, often overshadowed by The Spirit. Sadako’s abilities are conceptually cool, allowing her to teleport to TV sets scattered across the map. However, this teleportation is slow and highly visible, giving survivors ample warning of her approach. Moreover, it’s far less impactful than, for example, The Dredge’s similar power. If a survivor removes the tape from a TV, that teleportation point becomes unusable. Sadako faced challenges even before The Dredge’s release, and unfortunately, her limited effectiveness means she often finds herself metaphorically “left in her well.”

The Cenobite (Very Hard)

Regrettably, Hellraiser’s iconic Pinhead, The Cenobite, often falls short of his terrifying potential. While the chains from his “Summons of Pain” power can momentarily frustrate survivors, they rarely significantly slow them down, offering only minor disruption during repairs or healing. Crucially, as soon as a survivor picks up and solves the “Lament Configuration” box—a relatively quick task—the chains vanish. Although The Cenobite can teleport to a survivor during the puzzle, clever players can complete it while he’s distracted, such as carrying another survivor. Ultimately, The Cenobite’s appeal often boils down to playing for fun and enjoying his infamous voice lines, rather than consistent competitive success.

The Trapper (Easy)

Evan MacMillan, The Trapper, is a melee killer with a fascinating ability that can be devastating when utilized strategically. True to his name, The Trapper excels at ensnaring his foes.

By deploying bear traps across the map, he can incapacitate survivors, and when a survivor steps into one, visual and audio cues instantly alert you to their position. Trapped survivors must then struggle to free themselves, often taking multiple attempts, leaving them vulnerable and exposed. This makes The Trapper a seemingly straightforward and potent killer, provided you place traps effectively near windows, pallets, and strong looping areas.

However, The Trapper’s effectiveness has waned over time. Starting with only two traps, a limited carry capacity of two (without add-ons), and the remaining traps scattered unset across the map, his gameplay requires extensive setup. In today’s meta, with a broader array of survivor items and perks, a game can easily be lost before The Trapper even establishes his presence.

The Skull Merchant (Hard)

The Skull Merchant is frequently adjusted due to widespread community disapproval. Her most recent nerfs, likely aimed at reducing player disconnections against her, have, in our view, rendered her the weakest killer in the game. Her drones now pose significantly less threat to survivors, and while their directional rotation can be adjusted, this mechanic is challenging to manage effectively, particularly during a chase. In an environment where many killers demand tough counter-play, The Skull Merchant unfortunately offers the opposite, being easily outmaneuvered.

If you find yourself drawn to these formidable executioners, you might enjoy seeing them in a completely different light in “Hooked on You: a Dead by Daylight dating sim,” an unexpected but entertaining experience. For those returning to the main game, remember to redeem the latest Dead by Daylight codes for bonus Bloodpoints and Rift Fragments to enhance your gameplay.