Dead By Daylight Killer Tier List: 31 DBD Killers Ranked [2023]

You may get confused while trying to choose a killer in Dead by Daylight. Fortunately, in our DBD killer tier list, we are going to rank all the killers from best to worst. This way, you’ll get to know which ones can help you take down the survivors quickly and easily.

Tier List Summarized

The following Dead by Daylight Killer tier list is based on our personal preferences. Therefore, you might find some killers not belonging to a certain tier. That is totally okay, considering the choice varies from player to player.

All DBD Characters

S-Tier

S-Tier killers are the best killers in the game. They offer powerful abilities, and no other killer can come close to them. 

The Spirit

Starting off in our DBD killer tier list is Spirit. There is a tough competition between Spirit and Nurse when it comes to the best killer in Dead by Daylight. However, most players agree that Spirit has the throne. This is because her main ability called Yamaoka’s Haunting grants her the luxury to phase walk, something that no other killer can do.

The Spirit’s main power allows her to go invisible for a certain period of time. During this time, she cannot see any survivors. However, you will be able to move faster in this state. In addition to this, you can still see scratch marks while phasing and also hear sounds from your surroundings, such as breathing and the noise survivors make when they are injured. 

The Nurse

Next up on our Dead By Daylight Tier list is the Nurse. While she might not have the number 1 spot on our list, she is still easily one of the best killers in the entire game. I’m a big fan of her power as it helps her with traveling from one point to another quickly, something that can prove to be extremely useful in a game like Dead by Daylight.

The Nurse’s main ability is called Spencer’s Last Breath and it lets her Blink for up to 20 meters. You can phase forward this way and cover a great distance quickly. The best part about this is that she can even move through objects, and even walls, by using this ability.

As for the downsides, there is one. After every Blink, you will get stunned or enter a state of fatigue for 2-3 seconds. While this may not sound like a lot of time, it is.

The Blight

Blight is yet another character on our DBD killer tier list who is amazing when it comes to traveling from one place to another quickly. He can dash forward at great speed thanks to his main ability called Blighted Corruption, something that can help him reach the survivor he’s chasing quickly.

The Nurse’s main power does the same job as well, but Blight’s power comes with an additional advantage. 

If you use Blight’s Blighted Corruption, then you’ll first activate the Rush ability. As mentioned before, this will allow you to dash forward quickly. During this time, you cannot perform any attacks. However, if you hit any obstacles or walls while rushing, then you’ll be able to perform a Lethal Dash.

The Hag

The Hag is easily one of the most difficult killers to master in the game. This is because of her playstyle. However, this does not mean that you should not use her considering she is the best trap killer in Dead by Daylight. By using her power, she can trap an entire team of survivors. And once she does that, they cannot escape.

The Hag’s main power is called Blackened Catalyst through which she can draw muddy Phantasm Trap signs on the ground. She can place a total of 10 traps at the same time, which is enough to trap an entire team of survivors. The trap gets triggered if a survivor runs through it or near it. Once activated, the trap will block the path of the survivor and will provide the Hag with enough time to use her special ability to teleport toward her target. 

The Nightmare

The Nightmare is considered one of the best killers in Dead by Daylight for new and even old players. Even though the developers nerfed him a lot, he’s still standing strong. His abilities allow him to hunt down survivors quickly and easily. He can teleport from one generator to another quickly, something that further makes him a good pick.

The Nightmare’s main power is called Dream Demon and it prevents awake Survivors from seeing him when he is a little far away. They can only hear his Terror Radius and can only see him if he’s within 16 meters. Furthermore, he can place a Dream Snare on the ground. If a survivor passes through one, their movement is slowed down. This provides The Nightmare with a chance to easily land hits on the target.

The Oni

If we talk about a killer In this Dead By Daylight Tier List who is extremely powerful but is still easy to play with, then there is no one better than The Oni. This is because he easily has one of the best abilities in Dead by Daylight as they focus on letting him hunt down the survivors instantly. In fact, he can take down the entire team of survivors within a minute, if you know how to play with him properly.

The Oni’s main power is called Yamaoka’s Wrath and it allows him to absorb the blood of his targets. After he has absorbed enough Blood Orbs that are dropped after he lands an attack on a survivor, his power gauge gets full, something that allows him to initiate Blood Fury.

In this mode, he has two abilities, Demon Dash and Demon Strike.

• The first ability lets him dash forward quickly and allows him to instantly cover a great distance.
• As for the second ability, it lets him perform a powerful attack in the direction he’s facing. 

A-Tier 

Next up in our DBD killer tier list are A-Tier killers. These ones might not be in the top tier, but they are still extremely powerful and can help you push the survivors into the corner. 

The Artist

The Artist’s real name is Carmina Mora and she is one of the latest additions to Dead By Daylight. Her ability is a very interesting one especially so for veteran players. The ability revolves around controlling crows.

Moreover, if the killer has “Spies From The Shadows” perk equipped they can straight up get a notification similar to the one they get if they miss a skill check. Now what is great about The Artist is that she doesn’t need this perk.

She can send the crows she has in any direction. When they hit a survivor it instantly gives away their location.  Similar to how The Plague uses her vomit, The Artist can use her crows on a generator to slow down the progression. She can also inflict any survivor who uses that generator with crows.

Albert Wesker The Mastermind

Next up we have one of gaming’s most iconic villains, Albert Wesker. It is no surprise that Dead By Daylight decided to do another Resident Evil crossover chapter after the unparalleled success of the first one. We are happy to inform you that the killer in this chapter is not only stronger than The Nemesis but is also way more fun to play.

Albert Wesker excels in Dead By Daylight due to his exceptional mobility, allowing multiple powerful dashes during chases and swift vaulting over obstacles. The boost in vaulting speed, though not as pronounced as some, remains useful for mind games. Additionally, infecting survivors with the Uroboros enhances takedown efficiency.

The Executioner

Now, before you say it, I know The Executioner does not offer great mobility. However, this does not mean that you should avoid picking him up as he offers some of the best map-controlling abilities. Thanks to them, he can track down his targets quickly and can even use a long-range attack against them. This is something that makes up for his slow speed.

The Executioner’s main power is called Rites of Judgement. When this power is used, the killer will leave behind a Torment Trail into the ground as he moves forward. If walked upon by a survivor, the Torment Trail will torment them and will also reveal their location thanks to the Killer Instinct that will get triggered. 

The Hillbilly

The Hillbilly once used to be an S-Tier killer because of how powerful he was. But the developers then decided to nerf him and he has since then been in the A-Tier category. Despite this, he is still extremely powerful and if played right, he can help you take down the entire team of survivors instantly.

The Hilbility’s main power revolves around a chainsaw he carries around, something that he uses to take down his targets. His main power is called The Chainsaw and when used, it allows Hillbilly to move at twice his regular movement speed. If the killer attacks a survivor while he is using his main power, they are instantly put into the Dying State no matter how healthy they are. 

The Huntress

The Huntress is yet another killer on our DBD killer tier list who is simple to play with. There aren’t a lot of things that you need to learn about her in order to play with her effectively. In fact, many players consider her as the best-ranged killer in Dead by Daylight. This is something enough for you to give her a try.

The Huntress’ main power is called Hunting Hatchets and it allows her to throw Hatchets towards her target. Her entire playstyle revolves around these Hatchets. And if you’re someone who wants to use this killer, then you must learn how to throw them properly.

The killer starts with a total of 5 Hunting Hatchets at the start of the game and you can refill them through lockers. Overall, The Huntress is a powerful killer who is not difficult to master. Once you learn how to throw her Hatchets properly, no one will be able to stop you.

The Wraith 

Just like The Spirit, Wraith is also a killer who can make himself invisible thanks to his main power. Because of it, he can sneak behind his enemies without being seen. Although this sounds like something fun and all, you will need to spend some time practicing with it in order to get the best results out of it.

Wraith’s main power is called Wailing Bell and it gives him the luxury to cloak. In order to cloak, all you need to do is press and hold the power button. And to uncloak, you need to press and hold it again. While in cloak, Wraith’s movement speed gets increased to a great extent, something that allows him to reach his target’s location quickly.

The Skull Merchant

The recent addition Adriana Imai a.k.a The Skull Merchant is an excellent Killer since there’s a horde of interesting attacking tools you will be served with, along with a robust array of perks. From reducing Survivors’ healing potentials to being able to see their Auras, the kit is unexpectedly helpful. 

Skill Merchant manifests the Eyes in the Sky as her main power, which covers the sky with protective drones. Beginning with four drones, a detection zone is initiated to grant Lock On to all players within, whereas the Skull Merchant herself remains undetectable for 2 seconds. Activation of Killer Instinct will then render an Exposed status effect on everyone inside the detection zone.

B-Tier

B-Tier killers in our DBD killer tier list are neither too powerful nor too weak. They reside somewhere in the middle. They offer decent abilities but have various weak spots. 

The Knight

The Knight is the most interesting and concerning killer we have had in the game after years. His gameplay design is stellar. It is literally something we have never seen before in DBD.

What holds The Knight back the most as of now is his buggy AI. His ability has him summon his guards which he can utilize in multiple ways. You can send one to kick a generator or to chase a survivor. It is here when the bugs can kick in. Sometimes the guards just stop moving or get stuck in place.

Dead By Daylight is no stranger to bugs but we are sure Behavior will fix them sooner than later. As of now, he is undoubtedly among the best in B-Tier or even arguably A-Tier.

The Cenobite

Starting up in the B-Tier category of our tier list is the Cenobite. He is yet another killer who can use his abilities to slow down the movement of his targets and eliminate them. The thing that I like about his abilities is that they can push the survivors into the corner.

Cenobite’s main power is called Summons of Pain and as its name suggests, he can create a gateway anywhere he likes. Through this gateway, he can send out a chain toward his target, and anyone who gets caught by the chain is affected by the Incapacitated Status Effect, and cannot leave through the Exit Gate.

The killer also has another ability called Lament Configuration. This is a small box that is capable of initiating a Chain Hunt on the survivors. The only way for a survivor to end the Chain Hunt is by picking up the Lament Configuration.

The Cannibal

The Cannibal is yet another killer on our list who relies on a chainsaw to take down his targets. If you’re someone who has already played with Hillbilly, then you won’t face any difficulties while playing with the Cannibal. In fact, his chainsaw is much easier to use as compared to Hillbilly’s.

The Cannibal’s main power is called Bubba’s Chainsaw and it lets him perform a powerful Chainsaw Dash for two seconds. Its power can be seen from the fact that if a survivor gets hit by this attack, then they are instantly put into the Dying State.

The best part about the Chainsaw Dash is that it can hit multiple targets in a single dash. Therefore, this attack can prove to be really useful against a group of survivors. However, keep in mind that you will need to learn how to control the movement of the Cannibal if he ends up hitting an obstacle while using the chainsaw, you’ll need to wait for a few seconds before he can start running after his targets again.

The Plague

The Plague is one of those killers in our DBD killer tier list who has a simple yet powerful ability. She can make the survivors go through a really difficult time and also make them infect each other.

The Plague’s main power is called Vile Purge and she can use it to hit her opponents with a stream of infectious vomit. If a survivor gets hit by the vomit, they become infected. Once they have been hit enough times by the Vile Purge, the survivors are instantly put into the Injured State and receive the Broken Status Effect.

To make things even worse, survivors who get sick with the Vile Purge vomit from time to time, something through which they can infect nearby objects and other survivors.

The Deathslinger

Just like the Plague, Deathslinger also has a simple and easy-to-use ability. As he uses a gun for his main power, FPS players will have no difficult time playing with him. By using this gun, he can target survivors that are a little far away.

The Deathslinger’s main power is called The Redeemer and through it, he can use his gun to fire a spear towards his target. If he manages to hit a survivor, he can then reel them in towards himself. However, the survivors do get the luxury of using some methods to break the chain.

Furthermore, the Survivor will get put into the Injured State and they will also receive the Deep Wound status effect. While the Deathslinger seems like an easy-to-use killer, keep in mind that he can be slow at times. Furthermore, you’ll need to reload a gun after firing each spear.

The Doctor

The Doctor may not be one of the top-picked killers in our DBD killer tier list, but he is still extremely powerful if played by the right hands. When it comes to tracking down survivors, only a few can match the skills of the Doctor.

The Doctor’s main power is called Carter’s Spark and it kind of enhances his other two special abilities. The first ability is called Shock Therapy and it lets the Doctor send out a powerful shockwave in front of him. If a survivor gets hit by it, then they are unable to perform any actions.

If they were performing an action, then it would get canceled. As for the second ability, it’s called Static Blast. This one makes all the survivors within the Doctor’s Terror Radius scream, something that allows the killer to know their exact location. Overall, the Doctor is a great killer who can turn the tables around if used right.

The Demogorgon

The Demogorgon’s abilities help him with hunting down survivors quickly. He is also amazing when it comes to map control. However, for new players, Demogorgon can prove to be a little difficult at first. But once you get the hang of him, you won’t regret your decision to invest time in him.

To begin with, Demogorgon’s main power is called Of the Abyss. This power grants him a special attack and a special ability. As for the special attack, it’s called Shred and it lets him dive forward and attack his target with a powerful slash. His attack speed is increased by 460% during the dive, which is a lot. As for his special ability, it’s called Portals.

As the name suggests, this ability lets Demogorgon place a total of six portals on the ground. He can use these portals to quickly travel from one place to another. The best part is that the portals can not be seen by the survivors, so you won’t have to worry about them getting sealed.

C-Tier

C-Tier killers are some of the weakest ones to use in the game. You should choose them only when you have no other option available. 

Dredge

The Dredge is possibly the least exciting addition we have had to the game in recent years. His powers are mostly basic as they mainly are useful in certain maps. An experienced player can still do an excellent job with him. That is why we have placed him in C-Tier.

He is good during chases as he can lock down loops during a chase. If you are a veteran player you can already tell that this can be a game-changer very easily depending on your positioning. Pallets can get rarer to find as a match goes on. So, if you lock the loops of a survivor they won’t have many defense options left.

His pressure game is the main thing that makes him useful and even deadly. Most of his other attributes are useless or just weaker alternatives. We recommend you use this killer only if you like his gameplay otherwise there are better options in C-Tier.

The Ghost Face

Without any doubt, Ghost Face is the best stealth killer in DBD. In fact, no other killer in our DBD killer tier list can come close to him in terms of stealth. However, because of his poor toolkit, he is somewhat weak. If he had a better and more powerful set of abilities, then he would have easily earned a spot in the top tier.

Ghost Face’s main power is called Night Shroud. When this power is activated, Ghost Face receives the Undetectable Status effect. However, if a survivor manages to look in his direction for 1.5 seconds, then his location is revealed. As for his special abilities, Ghost Face has two of them.

• The first one is called Stalk and it lets him stalk survivors when Night Shroud is active. If he manages to stalk his target for a long period of time, then they get marked with the Exposed Status Effect which lasts for 45 seconds.
• As for his second ability, it provides him with the luxury to crouch, something that adds up to his stealth.

The Legion

The Legion was once regarded as one of the best killers in Dead by Daylight. However, after the developers nerfed him, he fell down to this tier. For skilled players, sure, the Legion is still a wonderful killer. But for new players, he’s a total waste.

The Legion’s main power is called Feral Frenzy and it increases his movement speed to a great extent. By using it, he can reach the location of his targets quickly and easily. He has an attack called Feral Slash that lets him attack the survivor with a powerful slash, something that instantly puts them into the Injured State.

Furthermore, after the Legion hits a survivor, he can instantly see the location of his nearby targets thanks to Killer Instinct. However, one thing to keep in mind here is that the Legion’s powers are only effective if the group of survivors aren’t smart and like to hang out together.

The Nemesis

The Nemesis has some of the most unique abilities in Dead by Daylight. His power gets increased as his mutation rate goes up, something that can be done by attacking survivors. Furthermore, he can get some extra help by summoning zombies on the map.

Nemesis’ primary power, T-Virus, enhances with Mutation Rate. The main attack, Tentacle Strike, inflicts Contamination on survivors, making them louder for easier tracking. His special attack, Zombies, spawns two aggressive zombies that attack and Contaminate survivors.

However, Nemesis faces challenges as Tentacle Strike often struggles to land accurately and cannot penetrate walls. Consequently, he heavily relies on his zombies for effectiveness.

The Shape

The Shape is yet another character on our DBD killer tier list whose power depends on the tier he is in. He has a total of three tiers, with each one offering a better set of abilities.

The Shape’s main power is called Evil Within and it lets him see the survivors clearly. His special ability is called Stalk and through this, he can increase his power. The more you stalk the survivors, the more you progress through the tiers. 

In the third and final tier, your movement speed is increased and your Terror Radius also increases to 32 meters. Overall, the Shape isn’t someone you can trust to quickly take down survivors. His map control is also awful and you’ll only get frustrated while using him.

The Clown

The Clown is easily one of the most boring killers in Dead by Daylight. This is because his powers aren’t that unique and they don’t have much to offer. His abilities revolve around two of his bottles, and that’s about it.

The Clown’s main power is called Afterpiece Tonic and it lets him switch between two bottles; the Afterpiece Tonic and the Afterpiece Antidote. The first one releases a purple Gas Cloud after breaking, something that can intoxicate the survivors.

This Gas Cloud can increase the movement speed of the survivors and the clown as well for a total of 5 seconds. In any case, there isn’t much that you can do with the Clown. His abilities are basic and can be counted easily by skilled players.

D-Tier

These are the worst killers to use in Dead by Daylight. They don’t have powerful abilities, are weak, and will only add to your stress. Therefore, we have ranked them under D on our Dead By Daylight Tier.

Onryo

The Onryo is the nickname of classic horror movie legend Sadako Yamamura. She is from the original Japanese version of The Ring. Most people know her American remake version Samara but we are happy to see that Dead By Daylight went with the origins.

Onryo, unfortunately, falls short against even moderately skilled survivor teams. The killer’s main drawback is her ability to move through TVs and teleport, akin to the Demogorgon’s travel. The catch is that the most useful TVs for teleporting are often turned off, limiting her effectiveness.

Teleporting to distant TVs due to nearby ones being off leaves little room for counterplay, especially with her already slow speed. Lacking an alternative attack further hampers her viability, making Onryo an inefficient choice.

The Pig

The Pig is the kind of killer who is just not meant for those who are new to the game. Even those who have been playing the game for some time might find her confusing at some point. Her abilities focus on trapping enemies, but they are just not that great compared to the abilities of other killers.

The Pig’s main power is Jigsaw’s Baptism and it allows the killer to carry around 4 Reverse Bear Traps with her. At first, the traps are inactive. She can place these traps on a survivor who is in a Dying State. When the trap is inactive, survivors can try to free themselves from it, something they can achieve by searching for Jigsaw Boxes that are scattered across the map. They can also use the Exit Gate while the trap is inactive.

However, after a generator is completed, all the inactive traps become active. After that, a death timer of 150 seconds appears on the Survivor’s Status icon. After the timer ends, the trap kills the survivor. Furthermore, the survivor can not leave through the Exit Gate when the trap is active.

The Trapper

The Trapper used to be a good choice, but only during the first few months of the game. After that, the developers introduced much better killers than him, something that prevented players from picking him up. Furthermore, the developers haven’t paid any serious attention to him in terms of buffs, something that has kept him in a weak state.

The Trapper’s main power is called Bear Trap. He can use these traps to slow down the movements of his enemies. However, the killer starts the game with only 2 Bear Traps. There are a total of 6 other Bear Traps but he needs to find them on the Trial Grounds. Furthermore, he can only carry around 2 Bear Traps at the same time.

If a survivor gets caught in a trap, they are sent into the Injured State if they are healthy. Overall, there isn’t anything that I personally like about the Trapper. Considering the Bear Traps that you rely on are scattered around the map and you need to spend time finding them, he just isn’t worth picking.

The Twins

The Twins, Victor and Charlotte, are easily one of the least picked killers in our DBD killer tier list. They are a duo of killers who like to work together to take down survivors. However, while the idea of switching from one killer to another during the middle of the game sounds fun, it isn’t. In fact, it can get a lot confusing at times, especially for new players.

Charlotte is the slower one out of the two but she has the luxury to pick up the survivors. Victor, on the other hand, is much faster and can do a lot more stuff than the other twin. For instance, by using an attack called Pounce, Victor can charge a Pounce and attack his target. Furthermore, Victor can also search his surroundings at a great speed, thus allowing him to track down his targets quickly.

Overall, it can get quite difficult to master both of the twins. You will need to spend a lot of time trying to learn how to use both of them effectively. In my opinion, you should avoid choosing them as there are much better options available in the game. 

The Trickster

Finally, we have the Trickster. He is, without any doubt, the worst killer to use in Dead by Daylight. The reason behind this is his slow movement speed and his weak power. We all know how easy it is to trick a killer who moves around slowly.

As for the Trickster’s main power, it’s called Showstopper and it allows him to throw blades towards his targets. He starts the game with a total of 44 blades, and he can pick up more of them during the match. Overall, there isn’t anything worth mentioning about the Trickster and there isn’t any reason for you to choose him considering all killers are better than him.

Best Killers In Dead By Daylight 

Following are some of the best and most horrifying killers in Dead by Daylight. Getting past them is no joke and they are the hardest to defeat. 

• Spirit  
• The Blight
• Nightmare 
• Executioner 
• HillyBilly 
• Huntress  
• Cenobite 
• Plague  

The powerful abilities of these characters set them apart from the rest of the killers in our tier list Dead by Daylight. Surviving in a fight against them is very difficult as their attacks are highly damaging.

We hope that you enjoyed reading our DBD killer tier list. Before you leave, make sure to check out our guide on how prestige works in Dead by Daylight.