Dead by Daylight's heart-pounding action is always high, but it peaks when you're playing against specific killers. Of course, there are plenty of different killers to choose from to satisfy any horror fan, but there are some clear picks that are simply better than others right now.
The thing is, being a killer also depends on who plays them. Put the right player with a killer and they can give me an absolute nightmare, sometimes literally (looking at you, Freddy Krueger).
So, in order for us to be able to rank the killers, we decided to divide them into levels rather than ranking them each one by one. Here's an overview of how levels work:
1 level
Killers will always pose the greatest threat. No matter who plays with them, they can do damage.
2 level
These killers are really good but will depend on a bit more skill to use. They can get the job done when you play them the right way.
3 level
These killers are just average; they won't be much of a challenge for survivors and it will take a very skilled player to make them such. Nonetheless, there are killers that are fun for the novelty of this one.
4 level
These killers are the ones Survivors will gladly come up against. Although you can kill or two with these killers, your chances of winning are very low.
So, with the tier breakdown out of the way, let's get to the rankings:
1 level
The Nightmare (Freddy Krueger)
The Dream Killer himself is an absolute pain for survivors. His ability to force survivors into a "sleep" state allows him to track them easily, as well as his ability to teleport to unfinished generators. Not to mention his Dream Snares which will cause a Survivor to scream when stepped on and slow them down for several moments.
Le Hag
The Hag can use an unlimited amount of traps which, when they catch a survivor, allow them to teleport to them. Its small size can also be beneficial for sneaking up on survivors.
The only problem with The Hag is that his trap can be easily destroyed with flashlights. But if you know how to place them and where, The Hag can be deadly.
The nurse
The Nurse is one of the hardest killers to master, but once you do, she becomes one of the best. Like Freddy, she can teleport around the map with the only downside being that if you use the teleport's maximum range, you'll have to wait several seconds before using it again. A nice little inconvenience to deal with, though.
The mind
This killer can vanish and move quickly around the map for a short time. When she's in this state, her terror ray becomes a "hissing" sound, but other than that, it's unclear where she'll end up. Her mobility is what makes her deadly and a terror to any survivor.
2 level
Le cannibal (Leatherface)
Bubba himself received a buff that places him as one of the top killers, thanks to his Chainsaw now having three charges. You can flip it three times on survivors before you need to reload it. He also moves faster when using his chainsaw, which can pose a threat to survivors if they're not careful.
The biggest problem, however, is that if you fail to hit someone or come across something stopping you, you throw yourself into a temper tantrum that makes it easy for survivors to run away.
Le Deathslinger
Much like The Huntress, The Deathslinger relies on ranged attacks that can prevent a survivor from looping and jumping. He also has a smaller terror radius despite his size, which means he can sneak up on survivors quite easily.
However, her range isn't as long as The Huntress and lining up a shot can be quite difficult.
The Executioner (Pyramid Head)
While slow, Pyramid Head is excellent at slowing Survivors with its ability to dig trenches and inflict the “Torment” status effect. He can also attack through most objects and can see any Survivors who cross their trenches.
He can also hook survivors without picking them up thanks to his cages. But its slow motion can be a real drag that makes navigation a real pain.
Le Ghostface
The real power behind Ghostface is the fact that his terror ray can be completely removed if he's crouched and stalking survivors. And when he stalks, he gains power. However, he's not the fastest killer on the list and relies too heavily on perks that slow or block generators.
The Hillbilly
Even with the character nerfed, The Hillbilly is excellent for quickly traversing the map. On larger maps this is a huge advantage to have. Combine that with the right perks and he can see all survivors at once.
His chainsaw charge can take someone down in one shot, but overheating the chainsaw is a real danger. Survivors can also land this attack quite easily, so you need to aim properly.
the huntress
The Huntress relies on her axes, which she can throw at survivors, negating almost any window, pallet, or vault. She comes with five and can replenish at her discretion.
However, if used incorrectly, its slow speed and inability to deny generators can make it a difficult killer to use. Plus, her buzzing sound is pretty easy to hear when she arrives.
L'Oni
With The Oni, it's all about hitting survivors to collect their blood, allowing you to dash around the map quickly. Due to his speed, he can catch up to survivors quite easily and take them down.
However, his power depends on his build, which means The Oni's early stages aren't very powerful. But that doesn't mean it can't be a good option.
3 level
The scourge
The latest killer in the game, The Blight is perhaps the fastest of them all. He is able to fly around the map, bounce off objects, and run in an erratic pattern. This makes it easy to juke but otherwise it can do damage.
But mastering this speed is quite difficult and will take a lot of practice to descend. Even then, the Survivors have a decently easy time extricating themselves.
The demogorgon
If survivors approach the Demogorgon's portals, the monster can use their power to teleport to them to kill them or prevent them from closing the portal.
However, it's this closure that's the problem with this killer because it's incredibly easy to do. While it sounds good in theory to use the portals to the Upside-Down, the easy nature of sealing them is a real problem.
Dr.
If you know where the Survivors are, the Doctor's shock ability can easily trap the Survivors long enough to catch up to them. And once he inflicts the Madness effect, his abilities snowball and make him a force.
Its downside is that it's not as good at downing enemies as the main killers on this list. He is not very sneaky and he can take time to master his abilities.
Plague
The build-up and on-the-fly gameplay of The Plague is a weird kind of fun, with its vomit capable of slowing down survivors and stopping their ability to heal. With her add-ons, she becomes even stronger and allows the aura of any survivor she vomits to be sen.
But that makes her incredibly dependent on add-ons rather than making her a solid choice from the get-go.
The Form (Michael Myers)
We all love playing as one of the most iconic killers, but Michael Myers is a lot like The Oni in that he needs time to recharge his powers. It can be a long process if you don't know how to hunt down survivors easily, but once you do, he's a killer monster. But it is this preparation that can be a real problem.
4 level
The clown
Honestly, The Clown is one of the worst killers in the game. His playstyle uses gas grenades to slow survivors and, with the right perk, take them down in one hit. But that addiction to perks is what keeps it so low on this list.
He just doesn't have much to help him stop the survivors from escaping and fixing the generators.
The Legion
Legion can be annoying for many Survivors due to their power that allows them to run faster and see other Survivors when hitting one. Survivors will have to spend a lot of time repairing themselves when playing against The Legion.
However, their power also removes scratches and forces them to rely on sight to track survivors. Their burnout period also causes screen dimming, which means they're just not much fun to use.
The pig
This stealthy killer can set reverse bear traps on survivors, forcing them to find a puzzle box to bring them down within a set amount of time. This can slow down the game but relies too much on luck and hope that the survivor can't find a box in time.
Its stealth is very good, but it's not enough to compensate for this reliance on randomness.
the trapper
The Trapper has a number of ways it can be used effectively. He relies heavily on trapping enemies in his bear traps, meaning half your time will be spent setting them up rather than chasing survivors.
Some cards work well with his abilities, but overall he's a lower level killer to pick.
Spectrum
The Wraith's ability to transform invisible sounds is a great way to sneak up on survivors, and it does, but its wailing bell gives it away quite easily. This can cause survivors to easily walk away from him. Another extra killer, The Wraith lacks the abilities of Ghostface and Michael Myers to take down survivors in one shot.
