Characters
📅 2026-09-03
⏱ 15 min read
Dead by Daylight All Killers Database & Power List
Complete database of every DBD killer, including power descriptions, unique perks, release chapter, difficulty rating, and beginner purchase recommendations.
Killer Character Overview
As of 2026, Dead by Daylight features 39 playable killer characters, each with a unique Power and three unique perks. Killers fall into three categories: Original Killers (available at launch), IP Collaboration Killers (partnered with horror movies/games), and Original Characters (released in subsequent chapters).
💡 How to Choose a Killer: Beginners should start with low-difficulty characters (like Wraith, Cannibal) and try high-difficulty ones (Nurse, Blight) after mastering the basics. Each killer plays very differently — try several to find your playstyle.
Original Killers (Launch Roster)
| Killer | Real Name | Power | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trapper | Evan MacMillan | Place bear traps that catch survivors who step on them | ⭐⭐ |
| The Wraith | Philip Ojomo | Cloak with the Wailing Bell for fast movement, uncloak for speed boost | ⭐ |
| The Hillbilly | Max Thompson Jr. | Chainsaw dash for long-range downs, can cross obstacles | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Nurse | Sally Smithson | Two consecutive blinks ignoring terrain, extremely high ceiling | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Shape | Michael Myers | Stalk survivors to build Evil Within, Tier 3 grants one-hit downs | ⭐⭐⭐ |
IP Collaboration Killers
DBD has partnered with numerous iconic horror IPs to release collaboration killers:
| Killer | Collaboration IP | Power Features | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shape | Halloween | Stalk survivors to build Evil Within, Tier 3 grants one-hit downs | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Cannibal | Leatherface | Wield chainsaw for area attacks, can swing continuously | ⭐⭐ |
| The Nightmare | A Nightmare on Elm Street | Pull survivors into the Dream World, use powers while dreaming | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Pig | Saw | Place reverse bear traps on survivors, must remove within time limit | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Legion | Darkness Among Us | Feral frenzy dash to injure multiple survivors consecutively | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Ghost Face | Ghost Face | Stalk survivors while crouched, exposed survivors can be one-hit downed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Demogorgon | Stranger Things | Place portals, teleport between portal locations | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Executioner | Silent Hill | Draw torment trails on the ground, survivors who step on them get injured | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Nemesis | Resident Evil | Tentacle attacks that can infect survivors, can also summon zombies | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Cenobite | Hellraiser | Summon the Lament Configuration, survivors must find and solve it | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Onryo | Ringu | Teleport through televisions, build up cursed tape stacks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Mastermind | Resident Evil: Project W | Dash charge, can slam survivors into obstacles to cause damage | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Dark Lord | Lord of the Rings | Summon shadows, enhanced power within shadows | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Impostor | Among Us Collaboration | Disguise as a survivor to blend in | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Doom | Doom Collaboration | Powerful melee and ranged attacks | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Original Characters (Subsequent Chapters)
Behaviour Interactive's original killer characters, each with unique backstories and gameplay mechanics:
The Hag
The Hag · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Place mud traps, teleport to trap location when triggered
The Doctor
Spark of Madness · ⭐⭐⭐
Shock survivors to induce madness, triggering hallucinations and failed skill checks
The Huntress
The Huntress · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Throw hunting hatchets for long-range injuries
The Clown
Curtain Call · ⭐⭐
Throw poison bottles creating smoke clouds that slow and blur vision
The Spirit
Shattered Bloodline · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enter the spirit world for fast movement, survivors can't see her spirit form
The Plague
Demise of the Faithful · ⭐⭐⭐
Vomit to infect survivors and objects, infected survivors become sick
The Oni
Cursed Legacy · ⭐⭐⭐
Absorb blood orbs dropped by survivors to build energy, full energy enables dash downs
The Deathslinger
Tools of Torment · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Use a speargun to hook survivors from range and pull them toward you
The Blight
Descend Beyond · ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rapid dash that bounces off surfaces, can chain multiple dashes
The Twins
A Binding of Kin · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Control small conjoined twin Victor to leave the body and attack survivors
The Trickster
All-Kill · ⭐⭐⭐
Rapidly throw throwing knives, build up hits to down survivors
The Artist
Portrait of a Murder · ⭐⭐⭐
Summon flocks of crows for ranged attacks and reconnaissance
The Dredge
Roots of Dread · ⭐⭐⭐
Teleport between lockers, enhanced power in darkness
The Knight
Forgotten Killers · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summon 3 guards to patrol, chase, and guard areas
The Skull Merchant
Tools of Torment · ⭐⭐⭐
Place drones to scan areas, scanned survivors get exposed
The Singularity
Anomaly · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Launch biomechanical pods that attach to survivors, teleport to attached targets
The Xenomorph
Alien · ⭐⭐⭐
Move through underground tunnels, emerge from below to attack
The Good Guy
Child's Play · ⭐⭐⭐
Small stature, can crouch and move quickly
The Unknown
Twisted Possibilities · ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Throw viscous objects, teleport to object location
The Greed
Seven Deadly Sins · ⭐⭐⭐
Place golden traps, survivors get slowed when attracted
Killer Difficulty Ranking
⭐ Easiest (For Pure Beginners)
- The Wraith — cloaking approach, simple mechanics
- The Cannibal — chainsaw area attack, high forgivingness
⭐⭐ Easy (Some Basic Experience)
- The Trapper — place traps, requires prediction
- The Clown — throw poison bottles, intuitive operation
⭐⭐⭐ Medium (Requires Practice)
- The Shape — manage Evil Within tiers
- The Doctor — manage shock range
- The Oni — build energy
- The Executioner — predict trails
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hard (Requires Lots of Practice)
- The Huntress — precise hatchet throwing
- The Spirit — psychological mind games
- The Deathslinger — precise aiming
- The Unknown — master teleport timing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Hard (For Experts)
- The Nurse — blinks require precise prediction and terrain understanding
- The Blight — dash bouncing requires extreme precision
Beginner Killer Recommendations
#1: The Wraith
His cloaking power lets you approach survivors quickly without being detected, and the speed boost after uncloaking gives you a chasing advantage. The simplest mechanics, perfect for practicing the basic flow of tracking, chasing, and hooking.
#2: The Cannibal
His chainsaw can hit all survivors in range in one swing, with strong camping and map control abilities. Although the dash requires charging, alternating normal attacks and chainsaw gives high forgivingness.
#3: The Trapper
A classic area-control killer. Placing traps in key locations effectively limits survivor movement. Great for learning map control and predicting survivor routes.
💡 Unlocking Killers: Some killers require purchasing DLC. Their unique perks can be unlocked for free in the Shrine of Secrets using Iridescent Shards. The killer character itself requires purchasing the corresponding chapter DLC.