A guide to all the killers in Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight is one of the few horror games where you can experience being not only the victim but also the killer. The killer’s task is simple: prevent the survivors from completing their mission and escaping. Unique abilities, which give killers an advantage, help them in this difficult task. Currently, the game offers 40 different killers to choose from, from Freddy Krueger to Scream. And our goal is to tell you about each of them.

Each killer has its own difficulty level, set by the developers and testers. The higher the difficulty level, the more challenging it is to master their abilities. This means catching their prey won’t always be easy. Killers are categorized into four difficulty levels: low, medium, high, and ultimate.

Hunter

A melee maniac with an interesting ability that, in the right hands, becomes a true murder weapon. You spawn with six bear traps randomly placed around the map, plus two more in hand. Once the victim is injured, they will scream and reveal their location. The victim can escape on their own or with the help of an ally.

When using the Honing Stone ability, when the player frees themselves, a near-death state effect is applied to them: it will prevent the victim from using any items and their movement speed will be significantly reduced.

Doctor

The Doctor is an excellent character for spotting and slowing down survivors. His ability, Carter’s Spark, shocks enemies and inflicts them with a frenzy, especially useful when repairing, healing, or cleansing totems. While the victim is in this state, any action they are performing is interrupted until the effect wears off.

The third phase of the skill causes the victim to hallucinate and occasionally scream. Under this effect, they are unable to heal, repair, break, or perform other actions until they regain consciousness.

Nurse

An extremely difficult maniac to master, the nurse can teleport around the map using her “Blink” ability, which is unimpeded by anything. However, overusing this ability can lead to severe fatigue. She excels at chasing prey, but skilled players can exploit your weaknesses against you.

We don’t recommend chasing your prey without blinking—any player will be faster than you. Unfortunately, due to her powerful ability, the developers decided to make the Nurse’s movement speed significantly slower than others.

A redneck

This maniac is easily recognized by his enormous chainsaw. He can quickly cover distances and kill victims with its sharp blades. The hero’s only drawback is that the saw can overheat—if you get carried away, you could lose your main weapon.

Lightborn allows the Hillbilly to avoid being blinded by light and quickly catch up with a victim who will definitely not be expecting a trick.

Ghost

The Ghost has a telling name—it can sneak up on its victims and strike without warning. After ringing the bell, the victim will only have a few seconds to avoid the consequences. We advise against ringing the bell too loudly or getting too close to the victims, otherwise you’ll be spotted and your character’s disguise will be lost.

The Bloodhound skill allows you to detect survivors’ tracks and their blood, thereby tracking your prey. Another advantage is the Shadowborn skill, which expands your field of view and allows you to see even more.

Shadow – Michael Myers

The next killer is Michael Myers. Yes, in Dead by Daylight you can play as the iconic killer from the Halloween film series. His ability grows stronger as you stalk a victim: the longer you do this, the more powerful he becomes. Upon reaching level three, you can kill an enemy with a single blow, but this effect is temporary. If you’re lucky, you’ll end up killing multiple players.

Your main goal is to reach level two as quickly as possible. At level one, you’re at your most vulnerable: movement speed is reduced, and your abilities are useless. At level two, your movement speed returns to normal, making it easier to keep track of your prey.

Witch

Another “imbalanced” maniac on par with the Nurse. In the hands of the right player, the Witch can be a living hell for survivors. Despite her high difficulty rating, she’s slightly easier to control than her sister.

She can place mud traps throughout the area. If survivors fall into them, the Witch can instantly teleport to the trap. Up to 10 of these traps can be placed. It’s best to leave signs on the floor in unexpected places, as they can be destroyed with a flashlight.

Huntress

A maniac with an emphasis on long-range attacks. Throwing axes allows you to reach targets at long range, but it’s not that simple. There’s a cooldown between each throw, and aiming accurately is essential to hitting the target. You’ll have five attempts to do so.

To enter the “near-death” state, a survivor must be hit twice with axes. The first hit wounds the victim, and the second knocks them out. Axes are restocked in cabinets.

Cannibal – Leatherface

You probably immediately recognized another iconic horror movie maniac: Leatherface. In DBD, he was dubbed the Cannibal, but retained his signature chainsaw.

The Maniac is designed for sweeping melee attacks. If you time it right, you can hit multiple targets at once. However, the saw itself takes some time to activate, so it’s worth speeding up its startup time. When the Maniac puts victims in a dying state, they become invisible to allies, meaning you can safely hunt others while the character agonizes over their death throes.

Nightmare – Freddy Krueger

Perhaps the most famous maniac in cinematic history is Freddy Krueger. Freddy’s power automatically places survivors into the “Dream World” every 60 seconds, and basic attack attacks send them there even sooner.

In the Dream World, enemies’ movement speed is slowed, and the only way to escape is to obtain a clock, which must be obtained to wake up. While the player is asleep, they are easy prey for Freddy. However, many consider this to be ineffective, as it takes time to put enemies to sleep.

Pig – Amanda Young

The parade of iconic killers continues. Pig from the Saw franchise is another interesting maniac who, when used correctly, can lead to victory. Otherwise, this character will cause headaches not only for you but also for your team.

When a tonic hits a target, it affects the victim’s vision and movement speed, while an antidote makes you significantly faster. But this is where things get tricky, as you need to not only aim accurately but also throw the right potion. Hitting a survivor with an antidote will increase their speed and cure them of the intoxication effect.

Spirit

A difficult maniac to master, but extremely effective due to her ability to teleport. The spirit can move as a ghost, making her invisible to survivors. However, humans also become invisible to the monster.

Victims can be found by markings, shouts, footsteps, and running generators. After depleting his power, the Spirit retains a speed boost for a short time, allowing him to catch survivors off guard. The Maniac is a better choice for beginners than other teleporting assassins due to his fixed camera.

Legion

An easy-to-learn maniac, but difficult to win a match with. Legion is ideal for prolonging the game and slowing down opponents’ progress.

The Legion’s main problem lies in its power. It increases movement speed, but is difficult to control. And its special attack requires hitting a survivor five times instead of two to kill them.

Plague

A maniac for long-range attackers. The Plague’s power is “vomit,” which infects everyone it touches. Those infected are temporarily subjected to the vomiting effect, which can be removed by purifying themselves in the Font of Devotion. The Plague can corrupt it during the game.

Another useful vomit tactic is the ability to infect generators and other environmental objects. Players will also become infected when interacting with them. Like the Legion, the Plague is adept at slowing down survivors, but hooking all its victims is a more difficult task.

Ghost Face

One of the most recognizable characters in the DBD series, thanks to the hit horror franchise “Scream.” Unfortunately, he doesn’t learn how to make calls in the game, but Ghostface is practically the only serial killer, besides Pig, who can crouch to sneak up on unsuspecting survivors from behind.

Thanks to his power, he becomes invisible (can be detected by lingering gaze) and can kill victims like a ghost. Ghost Face also possesses powers of possession and acute hearing, allowing him to hear survivors from afar.

Demogorgon

Playing as the monster from Netflix’s Stranger Things can be fun and even quite effective with practice. Just like in the show, the Demogorgon navigates the map using portals in the Upside Down.

Its power is similar to that of the Nurse and the Witch, but Demogorgon’s teleportation is slower and more difficult to navigate. However, it can be useful towards the end of a match for moving between exits to grab survivors. Just remember to place portals there.

They

A very powerful maniac. Capable of covering great distances at speed with his dash and poisoning survivors with a blade strike.

However, both techniques require consuming blood orbs left by wounded victims. This means you’ll need to land multiple hits on your victim before activating your abilities.

Shooter

The Brute Marksman wields a rifle with a harpoon that attaches to survivors. The projectile deals no damage, but allows the player to close the distance and launch further attacks. While impaled, the victim is afflicted with the Deep Wound effect.

Try to hunt in open areas, as survivors can break free from their chains and even stun the Strelok, giving them precious seconds to escape.

The Executioner – Pyramid Head

Silent Hill fans will immediately recognize him as Pyramid Head. The maniac is very challenging for beginners and extremely effective in the hands of advanced players. He can plow a furrow in the ground: if a survivor steps into it, they are afflicted with the Torment status effect.

It’s best to place furrows near generators or doorways. Additionally, if an enemy reaches the resistance phase on a hook or in a cage, they can be executed.

Pestilence

Another maniac that requires good hands. He’s similar to the Nurse and the Witch in difficulty, but similar to the Hillbilly in strength. His main ability is a dash, which allows him to quickly run forward. It’s best to slam into a wall or other obstacle.

During Lethal Rush, you can attack. If you miss a wall or obstacle during the throw, Mor will be briefly stunned, giving the survivor a chance to escape. Your first matches with this maniac will be painful, but it’s worth it.

Twins

One of the game’s most unusual maniacs. Technically, there are two characters—Charlotte and Victor. You initially control the older sister, and after activating her power, you can take control of the screaming baby.

While controlling Victor, Charlotte remains in place. This is a good ability, as you use Victor’s increased movement speed to track down survivors. Victor can then pounce on the player, briefly incapacitating them, after which Charlotte can finish them off. However, it’s recommended to keep the two killers a short distance apart, otherwise they’ll become useless.

Stuntman

The Stuntman is a former Hallyu star who hurls sharp blades at his enemies. They even work through pallets and windows. Each successful throw charges the Maniac meter—once full, the hero will begin throwing even more deadly knives.

The Trickster’s power slows him down so much that without targeted attacks, the killer is useless. If you want to play as him, it’s worth trying to sabotage generator repairs or preemptively reveal the location of survivors.

Nemesis

Another crossover with the well-known horror universe is Resident Evil. Many probably shied away from Nemesis in the third game, but now he’ll be scaring you. True, it will take a lot of practice to play effectively.

Nemesis’s T-virus allows him to infect survivors with a ranged attack, which can be used through pallets and windows. The more successful T-virus infections he infects, the more powerful his abilities become. Level 2 adds the ability to break pallets and some walls, while level 3 adds zombies and increases movement speed.

Artist

An assassin with a unique attack—a flock of crows that will do some of the work for you. The artist can send one to three birds. They fly in front of her, damaging any survivors in their path. They can be used for both their intended purpose and for scouting.

If the crows fly outside the designated area, they won’t be able to attack, but they will highlight survivors. This combination makes it easy to eliminate multiple enemies at once.

Onre – Sadako

Players haven’t exactly taken a liking to Onre, but she’s still worth mentioning. Her abilities are undoubtedly cool: when she becomes corporeal, televisions appear across the map. These are sources for Onre’s materialization. And while the animations are truly stunning, the killer is slow and obvious; her victims can spot her from a mile away.

After “respawning” from the TV, it turns off. All survivors within 16 meters of the TV experience a heightened sense of doom. They can turn it off beforehand for a while, but that will only intensify the effect. The system is quite complex.

Dirt

Mud’s main ability is the ability to leave his shell, which gives you two options: teleport to the locker or press the attack button and return to the shell.

He can also activate night on the map. During this time, survivors will have to navigate in complete darkness, and Mud will be able to teleport faster and more frequently. He doesn’t have any special attacks that would deal significant damage to survivors, so be prepared for a unique gameplay experience.

Knight

Some call him the most challenging killer in Dead by Daylight. Like the Twins, the Knight can summon a companion and issue commands, such as hunting survivors and destroying generators and pallets. However, he will be controlled by an AI.

Essentially, the survivors will be playing against two killers at once. If you manage the Guardian correctly, victory will be easy. The easiest way is to order your partner to strike the survivor, and then finish them off with the Knight himself.

Puppeteer

Another famous character from the Resident Evil universe has appeared in Dead by Daylight. Wesker is considered one of the game’s best maniacs. He lunges at enemies, infects them, and can even push them into obstacles, dealing damage.

The Ouroboros virus infects the player over time, inflicting a slowing effect. If a Survivor is infected, Wesker can grab them with the same dash.

Skull trader

The Merchant has become a cutting-edge killer thanks to her horde of drones. She starts with four drones, which make the killer invisible while in range, and accumulate tracking charges on survivors.

Interacting with drones is difficult and requires practice. However, once mastered, they can disable generators and reveal the location of survivors.

Singularity

Singularity is one of the most challenging killers in the game, and success with him depends directly on your skills. His power lies in the bio-cocoons you create throughout the map and control remotely. These cocoons, like cameras, can mark a survivor and leave an air trail on them. You can then teleport to such a player and enter boost mode.

Improper placement of cocoons can cause them to deactivate, which survivors can use to render your abilities useless.

Xenomorph

A familiar monster from the Alien franchise, who once scared the crap out of everyone, has now come to have fun with you. A special power allows him to navigate tunnels and spot nearby survivors.

When the Quenomorph goes into a crawling stance, its presence becomes less noticeable. In this stance, you can also perform a tail slash, which can hit walls, pallets, and other obstacles.

Good guy – Chucky

Another notorious killer, Chucky appears in Dead by Light doing his favorite thing. Just like in the film, Chucky is capable of deceiving survivors and murdering them in cold blood.

Chucky is the first character to feature third-person play. He uses a special ability to confuse survivors and lead them astray. His “Slash” ability allows him to dash and stab his victim.

The Unknown

A rather controversial maniac who received a lot of hate in his time. Unknown is an axe-wielding killer, but his primary ability isn’t his weapon, but his special UVX power. The key to this ability is hitting the target not with the projectile itself, but with the explosion that occurs immediately after it hits the ground.

The explosion will inflict a weakening effect on the survivor, and a second hit will reduce some of the enemy’s HP.

Lich – Vecna

If you thought of Vecna ​​from Stranger Things, we have bad news – this “maniac” came to us from the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

Unlike previous Maniacs, Vecna’s special ability allows you to cast one of four spells of your choice. “Magic Rune” is useful for blocking a victim’s path, while “Cursed Souls” can be used to inflict some damage. “Sphere” locates victims and prevents them from using magical items, while “Flight” allows you to quickly cover large distances.

Dark Lord

This time, we are faced not with a horror killer, but with the antagonist of a famous retro game called Castlevania.

The Dark Lord is a rather complex character to master. His special power consists of three transformations: wolf, bat, and vampire. These are situational, but not particularly difficult to understand. The wolf allows you to stalk your prey, the vampire summons pillars of fire, and the bat helps you track the player. Note that you cannot attack in this form.

huntsman

• Difficulty : medium
• Strength : the smell of blood
• Availability : Paid DLC “The Cursed Course”

This time we will see two characters, but you won’t need to control the second one: the AI ​​will do it for you.

You use a special force to send the dog on the trail. Once it catches the prey, it begins to drag it toward the Huntsman—of course, you’d better not let it go too far, so you don’t have to run headlong after the captured “rabbit.” The dog can be temporarily stunned.

Ghoul

• Difficulty : medium
• Strength : One-Eyed Terror
• Availability : Paid add-on “Tokyo Ghoul”

The first character from the Tokyo Ghoul anime universe. Here he is, at your service, Ken Kaneki. One of the strongest and most popular maniacs of the moment.

It possesses high mobility and quickly covers the distance to its prey using its tentacles. A second hit from this skill will inflict a deep wound and a kagune mark on the victim.

Even the recent developer changes (they increased the ability’s recharge speed) couldn’t balance the maniac.

 

Animatronic

• Difficulty : difficult
• Power : Fazbear’s Fear
• Availability : Paid DLC “Five Nights at Freddy’s”

The penultimate maniac on the list is the unrivaled animatronic from Five Nights at Freddy’s. Freddy wasn’t brought to us, but Bonnie is playable.

Like Chucky, he throws axes at survivors. Unlike him, however, the Animatronic returns the weapon to his hand and attacks again within seconds. Another unique feature of the maniac is direct access to the security system, where he can also trap his victims.

Beauty

• Difficulty : medium
• Strength : Incorporeal Flesh
• Availability : Paid DLC “Sinister Grace”

The popularity of Asian mythology hasn’t passed by the Dead by Daylight universe. Therefore, the latest killer to appear at the time of this article’s publication is Krasu, a girl straight out of the pages of yokai and kitsune tales.

But don’t be fooled by her beautiful appearance, for Krasu is a true monster. She can shift from her head to her body, altering her appearance beyond recognition. While pursuing her prey, she can strike them with her intestinal whip. If she hits, your movement speed is increased, and the survivor is weakened (provided your wither meter is full).

 

Vecna

The main antagonist and villain of Stranger Things has finally arrived in the Dead by Daylight universe. At the time of publication, he’s only available on the test server, so it’s impossible to say much about his performance. However, it’s quite possible to describe his abilities.

The maniac will appear in the game only on January 27, 2026.

• Difficulty : Medium (presumably)
• Strength : Vine Attack, The Upside Down & Undergate
• Availability : Paid DLC “Stranger Things: Chapter 2”

Vecna ​​has two unique abilities: Vine Attack, which creates a special zone on the ground, and The Upside Down & Undergate, which allows him to quickly move around the map using his Upside Down. This allows Vecna ​​to stealthily stalk his target and corner them. The Maniac will also receive three new abilities: Turn Back the Clock, Secret Project, and Hex: Hive Mind.

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Dead by Daylight features a wide variety of maniacs. From Animatronics to Ghostface and Chucky, the game truly manages to surprise with a multitude of unique gameplay mechanics. While some of these mechanics are inspired by the universes these characters hail from, they’re not exactly replicas. On the contrary, each one complements the game in its own unique way and adds variety to its overall atmosphere and color palette.