Best Killers and Survivors to buy in Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight features slasher horror mascots from across the genre. From movies to video games, DBD is the horror fan’s Pokémon. But with so many options it can be challenging to figure out what works at any given moment, so here are the best killers and survivors in DBD.

Best killers in Dead by Daylight

Killers in DBD vary greatly. Some are straightforward and basic and have no complex abilities, making them suitable for beginners. Others, however, are very complex and take numerous hours to tackle fully. Here are our best picks for purchasable killers in Dead by Daylight for all skill levels, and one free option to get you started on your killing spree.

The Nurse

The Nurse is an exceptional killer in DBD but is mostly reserved for the most skilled players. She is among the slowest of all killers and requires constant use of her special abilities to maneuver and tackle escaping survivors. She can pass through pallets and windows and blink around the map to chase survivors effectively, but all that takes a lot of good muscle memory and skill to pull off correctly. She’s among the most popular choices for killer players in DBD and for a good reason. The Nurse is part of the first free DLC and can be easily unlocked.

The Huntress

The Huntress is one of the most beloved killers in the game and one with a ton of charm, whether you play as or against her. She specializes in taking survivors down from range by throwing her hatchets, which, when mastered, can be a perfect sniping tool. They are somewhat difficult to get the hang of, but not too bad. Once you overcome their design and the Huntress’ inherent slowness, you’ll be having fun like with no other killer. Her incessant lullaby is also quite iconic and makes every trial with the Huntress that much better. The Huntress is part of the free The Last Breath DLC pack and is available to everyone.

The Cenobite

The Cenobite, more commonly known as Pinhead from the iconic Hellraiser franchise, is a fantastic killer and highly unique. He employs the use of chains and his cube to lock down generators with the most progress as well as prevent survivors from escaping. From keeping them stunned and unable to move to locking down escape gates, the Cenobite can literally be unbeatable if you play your moves correctly. However, highly skilled and communicative survivors can sometimes manage to maneuver, and quite easily, around the Cenobite’s spells, and escape successfully. The Cenobite can be obtained with 500 Auric Cells or as part of the Hellraiser DLC Chapter.

The Mastermind

All right, there’s good killers and bad killers, and then there’s Albert Wesker, The Mastermind. With high mobility and damage potential, the Mastermind is a top-tier killer second to none. He can slam survivors into obstacles and tackle them with ease, spread an infectious disease and apply debuffs, and even go straight over windows and pallets like they aren’t even there. Once you play him for a bit and learn his abilities, he becomes an unstoppable force. The Mastermind can be purchased for 500 Auric Cells or as part of the Resident Evil: Project W DLC Chapter.

The Doctor

The Doctor is a great balance between difficulty and power; he has a ton of special, fantastic abilities that aren’t too challenging to learn. He also has a debuff unique to him, Madness, which can range from a minor hindrance to an absolutely gutting effect. The Doctor can also do solid damage from range and inflict survivors with lots of good damage, and when his Terror Radius is upgraded, he becomes even more of a power house. It can take some time to master him, though, so prepare accordingly. The Doctor can be unlocked with 250 Auric Cells, 4,500 Iridescent Shards, or as part of the Maddening Darkness Pack DLC.

Best free killer in Dead by Daylight: The Trapper

Probably the best free killer option in DBD, though some may disagree, is the Trapper. He’s immediately available when you start the game and can be a fantastic way to get the hang of all the unique killer mechanics. His traps can be a deadly tool against survivors, especially if you activate them all, and his lack of complexity means straightforward gameplay of hacking and slashing your way to victory. Unfortunately for players, the lack of complexity also makes his gameplay somewhat bland compared to others, but that’s what free gets you in DBD. The Trapper is free and available to all players.

Best survivors in Dead by Daylight

As opposed to the killers, Survivors in Dead by Daylight don’t differ much from one another and basically any survivor can turn into any other through the Bloodweb and prestiging. However, some start with more powerful perks than others and are part of influential horror franchises that can enhance gameplay and aesthetics. Here are our picks for the best survivors in DBD.

Ada Wong

Ada Wong is a fantastic survivor in Dead by Daylight, primarily due to the unique perks she starts with. Once you prestige them up, they become shareable with other survivors (the key reason to do it). One in particular, Low Profile, allows Ada to go near-totally silent and suppress her grunting, panting, footsteps, and more when all other survivors are either dead, hooked up, or dying. Essentially giving her that “last (wo)man standing” push, Low Profile can help Ada pass the finish line and escape the killer’s grasp. She’s available for 500 Aurelic Cells or in the Resident Evil: Project W DLC Chapter.

Leon S. Kennedy

Resident Evil characters feature greatly in this list, and many others, and it makes sense. Who else can survive all of these ordeals but the finest RPD officers, such as Leon Kennedy, whose many skills range from crafting flashbangs to keeping a low profile. Leon’s perk Bite the Bullet lets him and whoever he’s healing stay silent and stop grunting and making other injured or healing noises. Flashbang allows him to craft, well, a flashbang, which he can throw the killer’s way to either distract or blind them. The Resident Evil character is a formidable force with just his starting perks, which can be shared with other characters once you reach Prestige 3 with him.

Leon is available for 500 Auric Cells or in the Resident Evil DLC Chapter.

Sable Ward

Sable Ward has some of the most interesting perks we’ve ever seen in Dead by Daylight. Her gameplay revolves around spending time in the basements of maps, allowing her and her fellow survivors to perform strange rites granting easier generators. While down there, Ward can also heal without a med kit and nearly twice as fast, and she can even unhook 100 percent of the time in the basement and reveal the killer after doing so. Though she is very case-specific, I included her here due to how interesting and different her gameplay is, and how prestiging her can unlock this unique fun for your other characters.

Sable Ward can be purchased for 500 Auric Cells, 9,000 Iridescent Shards, or as part of the All Things Wicked DLC Chapter.

Best free survivor in Dead by Daylight: Meg Thomas

Before you venture into all the other survivors, many players, myself included, recommend you start with Meg Thomas. Her unique perks, Sprint Burst and Adrenaline, are almost must-haves and fantastic to pin to any given survivor out there. Sprint Burst particularly can help you run away from killers with little to no effort while active, though it has its own caveats such as a short duration and a long cooldown. Nevertheless, Meg Thomas is a top priority survivor to level up and prestige so your other characters can be that much better. She is available at the start of the game.