"Dead By Daylight: Top 15 Killers for New Players - Guide"

Summary

• Dead by Daylight features a roster of 26 killers and maintains a strong player base, averaging 62 thousand monthly players as of July 2021.
• Key killers like The Demogorgon, The Clown, and Albert Wesker offer unique strategies and perks, enhancing gameplay.
• New players are encouraged to start with simpler killers such as The Trapper, The Nightmare, and The Wraith before exploring more complex characters.

Since its release in 2016, Dead by Daylight has evolved from a simple hide-and-seek concept into a sprawling horror game, often dubbed the "Super Smash Bros. of horror." Initially launched with just three killers and four survivors, the game has grown significantly, now boasting 26 killers and a dedicated community of players.

As of July 2021, the game continues to attract an average of 62 thousand players each month, showcasing its enduring popularity. While the tutorial covers the basics, mastering the intricacies of each killer can be challenging, especially without friends to practice against, as the game lacks bot matches. Choosing from a diverse pool of 26 characters can be daunting, but some killers are more beginner-friendly.

Updated on January 15, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam, fans eagerly await the arrival of new Licensed Killer and Original Survivor slated for March and April 2025, respectively. As speculation swirls around the identity of the upcoming Killer, new players have ample time to experiment with various killers, including iconic figures from D&D and Stranger Things, a crazed clown, and Resident Evil's Albert Wesker.

15. The Beast - The Demogorgon

Cover Distance With Portals

Hailing from the sci-fi horror series Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons, the Demogorgon entered Dead by Daylight in Chapter 13: Stranger Things. This interdimensional being, known for its terrifying appearance and gaping maw, excels at outsmarting Survivors. The Demogorgon can vanish and reappear unexpectedly, leveraging its ability to surprise Survivors at a distance.

How To Play The Demogorgon

The Demogorgon's strength lies in its surprise attacks facilitated by its Of the Abyss Power, which allows it to open Portals to cover large distances quickly. When Survivors approach these Portals, the Demogorgon can sense their presence and launch a powerful leaping attack. Players can set up to six Portals across the map to enhance their chase capabilities, though Survivors can seal visible Portals.

The Demogorgon's unique Perks further enhance its gameplay, such as Cruel Limits blocking Vault locations upon Generator repair, Mindbreaker inflicting Blindness and Exhausted on Survivors repairing Generators, and Surge causing Generator regression when a Survivor enters the Dying State. To maximize effectiveness, players should strategically place Portals near Generators and employ deceptive tactics like fake Portal-hopping to catch Survivors off guard.

14. The Clown - Kenneth Chase, Jeffrey Hawk

A Killer Clown With An Infectious Laugh

Before becoming a part of the Fog, Kenneth Chase, known later as Jeffrey Hawk, led a life of solitude that spiraled into a fascination with living beings. His early experiments with anesthetics on animals evolved into a darker pursuit using a traveling circus as a cover to collect human "keepsakes." In Dead by Daylight, the Clown uses noxious gas to hinder Survivors, making them easy targets.

How To Play The Clown

The Clown excels in chases, utilizing the Afterpiece Tonic to release clouds of noxious gas that impair Survivors' vision and movement. His Perks enhance his chasing prowess, with Bamboozle blocking Windows after vaulting, Coulrophobia reducing Healing speed and increasing Skill Check difficulty within his Terror Radius, and Pop Goes The Weasel causing Generator regression after hooking a Survivor.

To effectively play the Clown, players must develop map knowledge and anticipate Survivor movements. The Purple Gas Cloud is ideal for zoning chokepoints, while Yellow Antidote Bottles prepare the Clown for chases. Balancing these tools is crucial for success.

13. The Mastermind - Albert Wesker

Never Get Caught In His Attacks

Introduced in Chapter 25: Resident Evil: PROJECT W, Albert Wesker, known as the Mastermind, brings his superior genetics and mutated biology to the Fog. Bypassing his confrontation with Chris Redfield, Wesker uses the Uroboros Virus to eliminate weaklings.

How To Play

Wesker's Virulent Bond allows him to perform a Bound Attack, lunging to auto-Vault over Pallets and Windows or interact with Survivors through lashing or grabbing. These interactions infect Survivors with the Uroboros Virus, leading to a Hindered Status Effect. His Perks, such as Awakened Awareness revealing nearby Survivor Auras while carrying one, Superior Anatomy boosting Vaulting speed after a Rushed Vault, and Terminus inflicting Broken on injured Survivors until an Exit Gate opens, reflect his advanced genetic makeup.

Wesker players should leverage his Power to finish chases efficiently, using knife attacks against Survivors adept at evading his more aggressive moves. Mastering map knowledge and control is essential for dominating with Wesker.

12. The Trapper — Evan MacMillan

The Trapper, one of the original killers from Dead by Daylight's 2016 launch, remains a solid choice for beginners. His straightforward kit, centered around bear traps, allows new players to familiarize themselves with the game's mechanics.

How To Play The Trapper

Despite the intimidating name, The Trapper's abilities are simple. Evan MacMillan uses bear traps to immobilize Survivors, who can then be easily picked up and hooked. The Agitation perk grants him a movement speed bonus while carrying a Survivor.

The Trapper excels as an Area Denial Killer, strategically placing traps to steer Survivors away from objectives. While learning optimal trap placement is essential, the straightforward nature of his traps makes him ideal for beginners. The Trapper can also break through pallets and walls more easily, causing increased damage to generators and complicating skill checks for Survivors.

11. The Nightmare — Freddy Krueger

Dead by Daylight has successfully integrated iconic Hollywood monsters, including Freddy Krueger, introduced in 2017 as a DLC character. His dream-stalking persona and auto-stealth ability make him an excellent choice for beginners.

How To Play The Nightmare

Freddy's Dream Demon power allows him to remain visually invisible to Survivors beyond a certain distance, becoming intermittently visible as he closes in and fully visible within 16 meters. This ability helps beginners surprise inexperienced Survivors.

As generators are repaired, Freddy grows stronger through the Fire Up perk, increasing his action speed. He can also become obsessed with one Survivor at a time, extending the time required to open Exit Gates with each basic attack. Additionally, he can temporarily block exits after hooking a Survivor. These features make Freddy a formidable choice for those learning to play as a Killer.

10. The Cannibal — Leatherface

Players who purchase the "Leatherface" DLC gain access to The Cannibal, a relatively easy killer to learn. His Barbeque & Chili perk is highly versatile across the game's roster. While effective against new Survivors, he may struggle against more experienced players.

How To Play Leatherface

Leatherface's ability involves a sweeping dash attack with his chainsaw, starting with three charges per match. A 2-second chainsaw sprint significantly boosts his movement speed, instantly downing any Survivor it hits. However, using this ability also builds a "tantrum" meter, which, once full, causes Leatherface to stop moving and swing wildly, downing nearby Survivors but halting his movement.

Balancing the use of his chainsaw with the risk of tantrums is key, especially against Survivors skilled at looping.

9. The Deathslinger

Introduced in the 2020 Chains of Hate DLC, The Deathslinger stands out with his unique ranged ability, reminiscent of FPS games. His weapon requires aiming down sights, making him a great choice for players who enjoy first-person shooters.

How To Play Deathslinger

While his perks may not be top-tier, they are suitable for new player lobbies. His harpoon gun allows for one shot before needing to reload, making misses costly. Successful hits enable the Deathslinger to reel in Survivors, who can then be hit and afflicted with Deep Wounds, potentially downing them if not mended in time.

Controller users may find his controls challenging, as Dead by Daylight lacks the detailed sensitivity and dead zone options typical in FPS games on consoles.

8. The Trickster

Initially considered one of the weakest killers, The Trickster received a significant buff on July 27, 2021, enhancing his viability. His Showstopper ability allows him to throw multiple blades at Survivors, building their laceration meter and causing damage upon reaching full capacity.

How To Play The Trickster

The Trickster can throw blades one at a time or continuously, the latter slowing him down. Successfully hitting Survivors with blades builds the Main Event special, allowing rapid blade throws that can down nearby Survivors. Blades must be restocked from lockers around the map.

Like the Deathslinger and Huntress, the Trickster relies on good aim, which can be challenging with controllers due to limited sensitivity options.

7. The Huntress

Available to all Dead by Daylight players, The Huntress is identifiable by her haunting hum. While challenging to master, her power is straightforward, making her a good choice for new players.

How To Play The Huntress

The Huntress can prime and throw hatchets by holding down the power button. Without a crosshair or the ability to aim down sights, hitting Survivors can be tricky, especially on cluttered maps. Her hatchets can catch Survivors off guard, but they must be restocked at lockers.

Her intuitive power and decent lunging attack make her suitable for beginners, despite the challenge of mastering her.

6. Legion

Legion is one of the most mobile killers in Dead by Daylight, known for their speed on foot. While easy to learn, their power can be frustrating at higher skill levels.

How To Play Legion

Legion's Feral Frenzy allows them to sprint and chain attacks, losing sight of Survivor trails but gaining the ability to vault and slide like Survivors. Survivors hit during Feral Frenzy become injured and afflicted with Deep Wounds, with others in the Terror Radius temporarily marked for Legion to pursue.

However, Legion cannot down Survivors during Feral Frenzy, requiring players to finish them off without the power. This makes Legion easy to pick up but challenging to excel with at higher levels.

5. The Doctor

The Doctor is notorious for being tough on new Survivors, with a powerful ability that can dominate lobbies if used effectively. Despite being classified as "Hard" in-game, his power is straightforward but requires understanding its effects.

How To Play The Doctor

The Doctor can induce Madness in Survivors using Static Blast within his Terror Radius, causing them to scream and reveal their positions, or Shock Therapy during Static Blast's cooldown, affecting a smaller area. Madness has three tiers, each imposing increasingly severe effects on Survivors, such as backward skill checks, hallucinated pallets, and fake terror radius notifications.

4. The Pig — Amanda Young

Recognized by fans of the SAW franchise, Amanda Young, known as The Pig, offers a stealthy playstyle. Her ability to crouch and become Undetectable allows her to surprise Survivors.

How To Play The Pig

From the crouched state, The Pig can perform an Ambush Dash, sprinting forward to injure or down Survivors. After downing a Survivor, she can place a reverse bear trap on their head, which activates after a generator is completed and kills the Survivor unless they find the right key in a Jigsaw box. While more complex than some killers, her ability and traps are straightforward to understand.

3. The Hillbilly

Inspired by Leatherface but with a unique twist, The Hillbilly's chainsaw rush allows him to zoom forward at double speed in a hard-to-control line, instantly downing Survivors he hits.

How To Play The Hillbilly

The Hillbilly's power is simple to learn but challenging to control, especially for controller users due to limited sensitivity options. Mastering turning and maneuvering during the Chainsaw Rush is essential, making him less suitable for beginners but rewarding for those who can handle his complexity.

2. The Shape — Michael Myers

As the first licensed killer in Dead by Daylight, Michael Myers is instantly recognizable and easy for new players to learn. His stalking mechanic builds his power over time, making him a late-game threat.

How To Play The Shape

Myers builds his meter by stalking Survivors, moving slower while doing so. At tier three, he can down Survivors in one hit until his meter depletes. The skill in playing Myers lies in knowing when to activate tier three and how to move effectively.

1. The Wraith

As one of the original killers, The Wraith is highly forgiving and ideal for new players learning the game. His ability to cloak and uncloak with a speed boost makes him a versatile choice.

How To Play The Wraith

The Wraith can cloak using his Wailing Bell, becoming nearly invisible and Undetectable. He must uncloak to attack, receiving a significant speed boost upon doing so. The Wraith's power is easy to learn and fun to play, making him an excellent starting point for beginners.