Best Survivors In Dead By Daylight

Highlights

• Over 36 Survivors feature in Dead By Daylight, and each of them bring a unique set of perks and personality to the game.
• There are many collab characters in Dead By Daylight from different horror franchises in both TV, games, and movies.
• The latest collab character is the famous actor, Nicolas Cage.

The asymmetrical multiplayer game Dead by Daylight from Behaviour Interactive is an absolute treat for horror fans. Pitting four Survivors against a ruthless Killer, Dead by Daylight forces players to work together to survive their very own slasher movie.

With all DLCs combined with the base game of Dead by Daylight, there are currently 36 Survivors and counting for players to choose from, and for Killers to get their hands on. Featuring a wide variety of gameplay features and tricks, as well as a unique combination of original and famous horror characters, it can be daunting for players to decide who to play.

Updated December 5th 2023, by Mara Cowley: Dead by Daylight is a game still alive and well, constantly churning out new chapters and paragraphs that expand their list of Survivors, bringing even more playable figures and perks into rotation. Though no new Dead by Daylight Survivors have been released yet, the game is always shifting and changing with a new meta for each release. As there have been a few tweaks to certain characters and perks, and a new Killer in the form of Chucky, it is time to reflect on this list of the best DbD Survivors to ensure this article accurately reflects the current state of the game.

40 Quentin Smith

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Quentin Smith seems to not offer as much as other characters. The “Wake Up!” perk is only useful in the final moments of the game, and only within a specific range of the Exit Gates. “Pharmacy” guarantees a Med-Kit but doesn’t really offer anything else. The perk that seems to be the most helpful is “Vigil,” which offers a boost to each Survivor’s recovery.

Quentin Smith’s Perks

• Wake Up!: This perk only unlocks once all generators are completed. The auras of exit gate switches within 128 meters are revealed. The player also opens gates 15, 20, or 25% faster.
• Pharmacy: Chests unlock 40, 60, or 80% faster. The first unlocked chest also guarantees a Med-Kit. This perk reduces the audible range of chest unlocking by 8 meters.
• Vigil: The player and others within 8 meters recover 20, 25, or 30% faster from Blindness, Exhaustion, Hemorrhage, and Hindered effects. This perk lasts for 15 seconds.

39 Laurie Strode

The Halloween Chapter

From Halloween, Laurie can use “Sole Survivor,” so her aura can’t be read by the Killer within a certain range. “Decisive Strike” can be used to easily escape the Killer’s grasp, while “Object of Obsession” can provide a unique challenge of having Laurie’s and the Killer’s auras visible to each other.

Laurie Strode’s Perks

• Sole Survivor: The player gains a token each time a Survivor is killed or sacrificed. Each token grants a stackable radius of 20, 22, or 24 meters where the Killer can’t read the player’s aura. Being the Last Survivor increases repair speed by 75%, and Gate and Hatch opening by 50%.
• Object of Obsession: When the Killer reads the player’s aura, the player can also see the Killer’s aura. Action speeds are increased by 2%, 4,% or 6%.
• Decisive Strike: This perk activates after being unhooked. Players can perform a skill check to escape the Killer when grabbed. The perk deactivates after 40, 50, or 60 seconds of being unhooked, or once the Exit Gates are powered.

38 Ace Visconti

Of Flesh and Mud

Most of Ace’s perks aren’t very useful. Both he and other Survivors can gain stackable Luck bonuses for up to 9%, which isn’t very helpful for the game. “Ace in the Hole” allows him to retrieve an add-on with a Very Rare rating or lower, which can be nice, but doesn’t help with the game’s overall goal of survival. “Open-Handed” is perhaps the most useful of Ace’s abilities, allowing him to increase the range of his Aura readings.

Ace Visconti’s Perks

• Open-Handed: This perk increases all aura-reading ranges by 8, 12, or 16 meters.
• Up the Ante: The player gains 1 token for each Survivor still in the game. Each token applies to a stack-able 1, 2, or 3% Luck bonus to all Survivors, for a maximum of 3, 6, or 9%
• Ace in the Hole: There is a chance that an add-on will be attached to an item retrieved from a chest. Add-ons can have any rarity level up to Very Rare.

37 Ash J. Williams

As Vs Evil Dead

It’s quite unfortunate that Ash from the Evil Dead series isn’t very engaging. The most useful perk is likely “Man of Mettle,” but more so for the other Survivors than Ash himself

“Flip-Flop” is also somewhat useful, depending on whether players prefer recovery or wiggle progression. “Buckle Up” is essentially useless, simply allowing players to read the recovery progress of others.

Ash J. William’s Perks

• Flip-Flop: While players are in the Dying state, 50% of the recovery progression is converted into wiggle progression for 40, 45, or 50% after being picked up by the Killer.
• Buckle Up: When healing another Survivor from the Dying state, the Aura of the Killer is revealed, and both players gain Endurance for 4, 5, or 6 seconds.
• Man of Mettle: After the third protection hit, players are protected by the Endurance effect. Any damage that puts players into the Dying state is blocked. After being healed, the player’s aura is revealed to the Killer when the player is 12, 14, or 16 meters away.

36 Yoichi Asakawa

Sadako Rising

While fans of the 1998 Japanese horror film The Ring may remember Yoichi as a young boy, in the events of Dead by Daylight he’s now full-grown and ready to take on the vengeful spirit Sadako. His skills range from niche to semi-useful. “Parental Guidance” allows players to have their scratch marks, grunts of pain, and pools of blood suppressed for 5, 6, or 7 seconds after stunning the Killer. It’s a fine perk, but useful only in the specific circumstance of being able to stun the Killer.

“Empathetic Connection” is Yoichi’s most useful perk, as injured Survivors within a 32, 64, or 96-meter radius will see Yoichi’s aura. Yoichi will also heal Survivors 10% faster, making this perk useful for anyone playing medic. His boon, “Dark Theory,” which gives players a 2% Haste status effect that lingers for 2, 3, or 4 seconds after leaving the boon radius, is nice in theory but overall not very useful.

Yoichi Asakawa’s Perks

• Parental Guidance: After stunning the Killer, players will have their scratch marks, grunts of pain, and pools of blood suppressed for 5, 6, or 7 seconds.
• Empathetic Connection: Injured Survivors within 32, 64, or 96 meters of the player will see the player’s aura; the player heals Survivors 10% faster.
• Boon: Dark Theory: Survivors have a 2% Haste status effect which lingers for 2, 3, or 4 seconds after leaving the totem radius.

35 Cheryl Mason

Silent Hill

Appearing in Silent Hill 3, Cheryl Mason is a simple yet cunning character to play. “Blood Pact” allows Cheryl to see the aura of the Killer if she becomes the Obsession, and gains the haste status effect upon being healed.

Cheryl can also use “Repressed Alliance” to briefly block newly-repaired generators from being destroyed by the Killer, which is always useful.

Cheryl Mason’s Perks

• Soul Guard: Players get the Endurance effect for 4, 6, or 8 seconds after being healed from the Dying state. Players also can recover completely from the Dying state while cursed.
• Blood Pact: After being healed from being the Obsession, players gain the Haste effect, moving at an increased speed of 5, 6, or 7% as long as they remain within 16 meters of one another.
• Repressed Alliance: This perk activates after repairing generators for 55, 50, or 45 seconds. Pressing the ability button summons the Entity to block the generator the player is currently repairing.

34 Adam Francis

Shattered Bloodline

Adam Francis has a bunch of interesting abilities, but none of them are particularly useful. “Diversion” is a nice idea but requires Adam to be in a pretty specific scenario, so it can’t be used often. “Autodidact” grants Adam an easier time healing other Survivors, with only receiving a few tokens. “Deliverance” is perhaps the most pointless, simply guaranteeing that Adam can unhook himself.

Adam Francis’s Perks

• Diversion: Stand in the Killer’s terror radius for 40, 35, or 30 seconds to activate this perk. While crouching, press the ability button to throw a pebble, creating a distraction for the Killer 20 meters away.
• Deliverance: After unhooking another Survivor, self-unhook attempts are 100% successful. It causes the Broken effect for 100, 80, or 60 seconds.
• Autodidact: Players start the game with a -25% Progression penalty for skill checks to heal Survivors. With every successful skill check, players receive 3, 4, or 5 tokens. Tokens give the player a +15% bonus Progression.

33 Haddie Kaur

Roots of Dread

For the most part, Haddie Kaur is a Survivor that most players can skip over since she doesn’t offer many uses for her perks. “Inner Focus” allows her to see the Scratch Marks of other players and to briefly see the aura of the Killer if a nearby Survivor loses a Health State, though these seem not to add much to the overall game and are relatively weak compared to other perks that reveal the Killer’s aura. “Overzealous” is also too random in how it affects the player’s Repair speed.

“Residual Manifest” is the one standout perk for Haddie. It allows her to blind the Killer for up to 30 seconds, and rummaging through a chest will always guarantee a flashlight.

Haddie Kaur’s Perks

• Inner Focus: Players can see the Scratch Marks of other Survivors. When a Survivor within 32 meters of the player loses a Health State, the Killer’s aura is revealed for 3, 4, or 5 seconds.
• Residual Manifest: Players can rummage through an opened chest once per trial and are guaranteed a basic flashlight. Players can successfully blind the Killer for 20, 25, or 30 seconds.
• Overzealous: Increases the player’s Repair speed after cleansing a totem; Repair speed is increased by 8, 9, or 10% if a dull totem, or 16, 18, or 20% if a hex totem. This deactivates if the player loses a Health State.

32 Steve Harrington

Stranger Things

From the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Steve can be useful for helping out other teammates. “Babysitter” is the most useful of Steve’s perks, making it so that other Survivors don’t leave any trace after they’re unhooked. “Camaraderie” doesn’t do too much, but can be helpful if Steve needs to unhook himself. “Second Wind” is pretty useless, simply allowing healing to be a bit easier.

Steve Harrington’s Perks

• Babysitter: After rescuing a Survivor, they won’t leave scratch marks or pools of blood for 4, 6, or 8 seconds. Steve and the Killer see each other’s aura for 8 seconds.
• Camaraderie: If another Survivor is within 16 meters while the player is hooked, the Struggle Phase timer is paused for 26, 30, or 34 seconds.
• Second Wind: After healing another Survivor 1 health state, this perk activates. After being unhooked, the player is automatically healed 1 health state for 28, 24, or 20 seconds. The Broken effect remains until the perk is deactivated, which happens when healed or put into the Dying state.

31 Jonah Vasquez

Portrait of a Murder

From the Portrait of a Murder DLC, Jonah has a mixed bag of relatively useful and useless perks. “Overcome” is arguably his best perk, which allows the player to keep their Movement Speed burst for a few more seconds than normal when injured. However, it should be noted that this perk causes “Exhausted” for the longest out of all the Survivors in the game.

“Corrective Action” is great for new players, or experienced players introducing new players to Dead by Daylight. The perk has Jonah earning tokens whenever he succeeds in a Great Skill Check. He can then use those tokens so that whenever other players cooperating with him fail a Skill Check, they instead succeed. Veteran players may find this perk less useful, however. His boon, “Exponential”, allows a much quicker recovery for him and other Survivors, and while it can be rewarding, it’s often tricky to pull off.

Jonah Vasquez’s Perks

• Overcome: When the player becomes injured, they retain the Movement Speed Burst for two more seconds. This causes the Exhaustion effect for 60, 50, or 40 seconds.
• Corrective Action: Players gain 1, 2, or 3 tokens, for a total of 5, whenever they succeed in a Great Skill Check. For any cooperating Survivors who fail a Skill Check, 1 token will be consumed and transformed into a successful Skill Check.
• Boon: Exponential: Survivors within the range of the boon totem will have a 90, 95, or 100% bonus to their Recovery Speeds. Players will also be able to fully recover from the Dying State and gain the Self-Recovery ability.

30 Jeffrey “Jeff” Johansen

Darkness Among Us

Jeff has some pretty decent perks, making him a bit more useful than the preceding Survivors. “Breakdown” allows him to briefly see the Killer’s aura after being unhooked. “Distortion” is similarly advantageous, with Jeff not leaving any Scratch Marks if the Killer reads his aura. “Aftercare” only allows Jeff to see the auras of other Survivors who helped throughout the game but offers no other uses. Jeff is the also loudest character in Dead by Daylight.

Jeffery “Jeff” Johansen’s Perks

• Breakdown: After being unhooked, the hook breaks and the player sees the Killer’s aura for 4, 5, or 6 seconds.
• Aftercare: Players see the auras of the last 1, 2, or 3 Survivors they have rescued and healed or who have rescued and healed the player.
• Distortion: Players start the game with 3 tokens. Each time the Killer reads the player’s aura, a token is consumed. The player’s aura is then not shown to the Killer and the player won’t leave any scratch marks for 6, 8, or 10 seconds.

29 Élodie Rakoto

A Binding of Kin

Élodie proves to be an incredibly effective character against the Killer. “Deception” can be used to lead the Killer in the player’s direction, while also not leaving any scratch marks. While being carried by the Killer, Élodie can also drop a nearby pallet to stun the Killer and escape.

Élodie Rakoto’s Perks

• Appraisal: Players begin the game with 3 tokens. Players can consume a token to rummage through an opened chest to find an item 40, 60, or 80% faster.
• Deception: Interacting with a locker while holding the sprint button triggered a loud noise notification without entering the locker. The player doesn’t leave any scratch marks or pools of blood for 3 seconds.
• Power Struggle: Players can drop a pallet while being carried if they reach 25, 20, or 15% Wiggle Progress, stunning the Killer.

28 Thalita Lyra

Tools of Torment

Thalita’s perks put an emphasis on teamwork and cooperation with the other Survivors, which may be useful if players can coordinate together. “Friendly Competition” only activates if players playing as Thalita complete a generator with at least one other Survivor, which will increase the repair speed for all Survivors involved. As the name implies, “Power of Two” will benefit both Thalita and another player, but only if they both stay within 12 meters of each other.

“Cut Loose” is the one perk that only benefits the player currently playing Thalita, which simply reduces noise triggered by rushing to a vault. Thalita is useful if players can coordinate and work together throughout the whole match, but for matches where players split up, most of Thalita’s perks may or may not be used.

Thalita Lyra’s Perks

• Friendly Competition: Activates after completing a generator with at least one other player. The repair speed of all Survivors involved will be increased by 5% for the next 45, 60, or 75 seconds.
• Teamwork: Power of Two: Activates after healing another Survivor. Both players are given a 5% Haste status effect, which deactivates if players are no longer within 12 meters of each other or one player takes damage. This perk has a cooldown time of 180, 160, or 140 seconds.
• Cut Loose: After rushing a vault during a chase, the loud noise notification and any noise triggered by rushing to vault will be suppressed for the next 4, 5, or 6 seconds.

27 Nancy Wheeler

Stranger Things

Also from Stranger Things, Nancy can use “Better Together” to allow other players to see the generator she’s working on. “Fixated” also allows Nancy to see her own Scratch Marks, and “Inner Strength” allows her to heal while hiding inside a locker.

Nancy Wheeler’s Perks

• Better Together: The aura of the generator the player is currently repairing is revealed to other Survivors within 32 meters. The player also sees the auras of downed Survivors for 8, 9 or 10 seconds while repairing the generator.
• Fixated: Players walk 10, 15, or 20% faster and can see their own scratch marks.
• Inner Strength: Players are automatically healed 1 health state while inside a locker for 10, 9, or 8 seconds after they cleanse a totem.

26 Detective David Tapp

Saw

From the Saw franchise, David Tapp can prove useful for surviving the game. “Tenacity” allows the player to recover health while also crawling at an increased speed. “Detective’s Hunch” is also pretty helpful, showing the auras of generators, chests, and totems within a certain area. If David is holding a map, generators will also be added to it.

Detective David Tapp’s Perks

• Tenacity: Players crawl 30, 40, or 50% faster while also recovering. Reduces grunts of pain by 75%.
• Detective’s Hunch: Generators, chests, and totems within 32, 48, or 64 meters are revealed to players for 10 seconds after completing a generator.
• Stake Out: Players gain 1 token every 15 seconds spent within the Killer’s terror radius while not in a chase, for up to 2, 3, or 4 tokens.

25 Vittorio Toscano

Forged in Fog

Vittorio Toscano is a fine update to the Dead by Daylight Survivor roster, offering a mixed bag of perks for players to experiment with. “Fogwise” is likely his most useful perk, allowing the player to see the aura of the Killer after succeeding in a Great Skill Check on a generator. “Potential Energy” is an interesting concept, though overall a complicated and somewhat convoluted way of increasing progression on a generator. “Quick Gambit” is a skill that’s more useful to other Survivors, as it allows them to see the aura of the Killer while Vittorio is being chased, though the circumstances are both risky and very specific.

Vittorio Toscano’s Perks

• Potential Energy: After repairing a generator continuously for 12, 10, or 8 seconds, players can press Activate Ability to activate “Potential Energy”. From that point onward, repairing the generator will charge “Potential Energy” rather than progressing the generator. Then, when repairing any generator, pressing the Activate Ability button will immediately progress the generator by 1% per token, for a maximum of 20%. Missing Skill Checks will result in the player losing some tokens, whereas losing a Health State will result in the player losing all tokens and “Potential Energy” being deactivated.
• Fogwise: The Killer’s aura is revealed for 4, 5, or 6 seconds after succeeding in a Great Skill Check.
• Quick Gambit: When the player is being chased within 24 meters of a generator being repaired, the repair speed of Survivors repairing that generator will increase by 6, 7, or 8%.

24 Jane Romero

Demise of the Faithful

Jane doesn’t really offer much, but her perks can prove valuable in specific situations. “Head On,” which stuns the Killer while escaping from a locker, is something players may be thankful to have. The “Solidarity” perk heals both her and another Survivor, which can be useful in dire times. “Poised” also avoids leaving Scratch Marks after fixing a Generator.

Jane Romero’s Perks

• Solidarity: While injured, players healing another Survivor without using a Med-Kit also heal themselves with a conversion rate of 40, 45, or 50%.
• Poised: The player doesn’t leave any scratch marks for 6, 8, or 10 seconds after completing a generator.
• Head On: Standing in a locker for 3 seconds activates this perk. Players stun the Killer for 3 seconds when using a rushed action to leave the locker. It causes the Exhausted effect for 60, 50, or 40 seconds.

23 Kate Denson

Curtain Call

Kate’s perks focus on fleeing the Killer more than anything, which can be good or bad depending on the player. “Dance With Me” allows Kate to not leave any scratch marks after vaulting or fleeing a locker.

“Windows of Opportunity” can help reveal auras of useful items, such as pallets or breakable walls. Her final perk, “Boil Over,” increases her struggle against the Killer and obstructs the Killer’s aura reading of hooks.

Kate Denson’s Perks

• Dance With Me: Players don’t leave scratch marks for 3 seconds after using a rushed action to vault a window or leave a locker.
• Windows of Opportunity: The auras of breakable walls, pallets, and windows are revealed for 20 seconds. It cools down for 30, 25, or 20 seconds after vaulting or dropping a pallet during a chase.
• Boil Over: Struggle effects from wiggling are increased by 60%, 70%, or 80%. Players also obscure the Killer’s ability to read the auras of hooks within 16 meters of the player’s pick-up location.

22 David King

A Lullaby for the Dark

David is a particularly useful character for players looking to protect others throughout the game. David can heal other Survivors faster, take a Protection Hit for other Survivors, and briefly stun the Killer to rescue a Survivor. David can also use “Dead Hard” to dash and avoid damage, and “No Mither” to diminish pools of blood and grunts of pain.

David King’s Perks

• We’re Gonna Live Forever: Healing speed is increased by 100% when healing an injured Survivor.
• Dead Hard: When injured, players can use the ability button to gain Endurance for 0.5 seconds.
• No Mither: Players suffer from the Broken effect for the game. Bleeding is suppressed and grunts of pain are reduced. Players can completely recover from the dying state.

21 Renato Lyra

Tools of Torment

Renato plays somewhat similarly to his sister, though has enough variety to differentiate him from Thalita. “Collective Stealth” essentially works the same as Thalita’s “Power of Two” perk, but in reverse. “Background Player” can help players run much faster than normal.

While both of these are fine perks, “Blood Rush” doesn’t seem to offer much use to players, as it forces players to sacrifice health when they’re one hook away from instant death and causes the Broken status effect, with the only benefit being a quick recovery of Exhaustion. It’s a highly risky move that requires specific parameters and can only be used once per game, making it Renato’s most useless perk.

Renato Lyra’s Perks

• Blood Rush: Activates when the player is one hook away from instant death. Players can press the Activate Ability button to lose a Health State, and in turn, they will recover instantly Exhaustion. This will cause the Broken status effect for 28, 24, or 20 seconds, where players are automatically healed. The healing effect cancels if the player is injured.
• Teamwork: Collective Stealth: Activates if the player is healed by another player. The scratch marks of both players are suppressed, which continues until players are no longer within 12 meters of each other or one player takes damage. This perk has a cooldown of 180, 160, or 140 seconds.
• Background Player: Activates when another player is picked up. For the next 10 seconds, players can run at 200% of their normal Running Movement for the next 4 seconds. Afterward, the player has the Exhausted status effect for the next 60, 50, or 40 seconds.