[Top 10] Dead By Daylight Best Licensed Killers (Ranked)

Best Licensed Killers, Dead By Daylight
COURTESY OF BEHAVIOUR INTERACTIVE FEATURING BEST LICENSED KILLERS


In this article, we will discuss the top best-licensed killers, where we will rank the killers from worst to best based on their abilities and powers and where they might have the most significant overall opportunity of winning the game. Licensed killers are killers that come from the original franchises, ranging from the Scream Franchise to Resident Evil. 

Nonetheless, let the fog reveal the best-licensed killers:

10. The Nightmare

The Nightmare Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_wswg_nVE

The Nightmare is a licensed killer from the license "A Nightmare on Elm Street". His main power is where all the survivors slowly fall asleep in the game; therefore, the killer can place snares and imaginary fake pallets to hinder the sleeping survivors. Of course, his main perk is teleporting from the generator to the generator, making it much easier to move around the map and therefore create a large amount of pressure. 

In conclusion, Nightmare is considered to be a killer with weaknesses and strengths at the same time. In contrast, a slow-paced environmental killer can increase the game's progress by teleporting through generators, making it a tremendous pressure-wise killer, which I recommend for every player from beginner to expert.

The Nightmare Strengths:

  • The ability to teleport to generators around the map, creating a vast amount of pressure which would make it very hard for survivors to keep in control with the repair, and incredibly effective for the use of the perk 'pop goes the weasel' allowing the killer to regress the generator massively. 
  • When Survivors fall asleep, it makes it harder for them to concentrate on the game, as they would have to pay much more attention to their surroundings because it's much harder to see the killer through the distance. 
  • The Overall attack range of the killer makes it harder for the survivors to avoid, as the Nightmare is famous for its long-range hitboxes, making it impossible to avoid. 

 

9. Onryō

Onryo Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlETK_A2PC8

Onryo is a killer from the license "Ringu", a Japanese horror media franchise. The killer, also known as Sadako Yamamura, can de-manifest her corporeal form to become stealthy and teleport to TVs around the map. Nonetheless, one of her deadliest abilities is the opportunity to kill a survivor instantly once she teleports to the TV where the survivor is nearby. 

In conclusion, Onryo is a great small-visioned player. In contrast, survivors will have difficulty seeing the killer due to the minor appearance, making it harder to see her in a chase, and the additional glitching effect would cause issues for survivors where the killer looks closer than you think she is, making it a great appearance killer.

Onryo Strengths:

  • The ability to teleport throughout the map with the help of the TVs scattered throughout makes it much easier to travel around the map and puts pressure on the survivors. 
  • As she teleports through the TV, she can kill a survivor immediately after the killer manages to teleport to a TV where the survivor is near its radius, which is incredibly powerful and deadly. 
  • She is a flawless and quick killer, and she is a killer that is very difficult to avoid at the very start because you would see this glitching effect which would look like she is gone; however, she is getting closer and closer every time. 

 

8. The Cannibal 

The Cannibal Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1P4Vt2JylI

The Cannibal is a killer from the license "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", where his power is using his chainsaw where he can down multiple survivors at once, making it a flawless game for the killer if all the survivors are grouped. Nonetheless, one of the most common stereotypes of the Cannibal, also known as Bubba, is the incognito camping in the basement. Once he hooks one of the survivors, he will wait in the basement until other survivors come and try to rescue the hooked survivor, creating what you call a snowball effect, making each kill easier and easier. 

In conclusion, Bubba is one of the most fun killers to play with in this game, especially where you can use the power of the basement to take in as an advantage to snowball survivors, and kill all of them easily one by one, nonetheless making it one of the most potent and effective broad area snowball killers. 

The Cannibal Strengths:

  • The ability to down multiple survivors simultaneously with the chainsaw makes it an extremely powerful killer, especially with a great snowballing effect, making it much easier to down another survivor. 
  • Very powerful in the basement, also known as the "basement bubba" because once a survivor goes in, he will not be able to get out, and the same goes for other survivors who try to save the survivor who has been trapped, a definition of snowballing effect.
  • Very strong when it comes to the movement speed, where with the chainsaw, it is much easier for the killer to move around with, especially in looping spots such as T-walls and killer shack, which is incredibly useful in mind gaming, where mind gaming + speed = increased chance of downing a survivor.

 

7. Michael Myers

Michael Myers Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut_LsSvciHM

Myers is a killer from the license "Halloween", a famous American Slasher Franchise that focuses mainly on Michael Myers, who he started killing from the beginning when he was a kid. One of the powers the killer has is the ability to stalk survivors until the moment the killer has gained enough stalking power to put survivors into a dying state. Nevertheless, with good iridescent add-ons, if the killer has stalked enough, he can stalk through the rest of the game. With Tombstone Myers, he can instantly kill any healthy or injured survivors who might be in his way. 

In conclusion, Myers is a representation of a powerful omnipotent stalker that allows stalking all the survivors at the same time, and with powerful add-ons, will allow him to keep the tier-3 for the rest of the game, making it one of the most pressured killers in the game. Of course, one of the most fun ones, especially in enclosed maps and scratched mirror add-on, where you can see the aura of the survivors.

Michael Myers Strengths:

  • The ability of undetectability in tier-1 can be an advantage at the start of the game, as it will help you to catch any survivors off guard and therefore get some successful attacks or even grabs which is a very popular choice as the survivors would be confused, and the next moment, they will be grabbed off the generator. 
  • Very powerful killer with add-ons, especially with add-ons such as 'scratched mirror', which allows the killer to see any survivors within a specific radius (32-metres) undetectable, making it a pretty good jump scare killer, which can help grab survivors off guard.
  • The ability of stalking will leave survivors vulnerable once Myers is in the tier-3 phase, making it a great snowball killer where he can down multiple survivors simultaneously, especially great if there is more than one survivor in one area. 

 

6. Ghost Face

Ghost Face Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vxXMadr8PI&t=184s

Ghost Face is a killer from the "Scream" Franchise, a franchise that mainly depicts this killer regardless of who is behind the mask because there are many characters that take the role of Ghostface. Nevertheless, in the game, Ghost Face can enter into his night shroud to hide his terror radius and stalk Survivors, making it one of the stealthiest killers in the game. Compared to Michael Myers, he doesn't need a lot of stalking, and Ghost Face is only required to stalk one of the survivors, which would take 4 to 10 seconds, depending on the distance, and therefore thoroughly stalked survivors can be put into a dying state instantly. 

In conclusion, Ghostface can be seen as one of the funniest killers to play with as a survivor due to the survivor-like appearance where Ghostface can tee-bag and make the game more of a comedy rather than a horror. Nonetheless, with the ability to 99% each survivor very fast, with a good map and hiding positions, he is considered one of the best incognito stalking killers in the game.

Ghost Face Strengths:

  • Ghost Face's crouching ability will leave survivors bamboozled. It can be confusing and very good for mind gaming in almost every area on the map, even the most miniature loops possible.
  • There is a short time requirement to stalk the survivor, where you can stalk a survivor thoroughly within seconds and then down them instantly; especially great with the ability to 99% survivors, where when in close range, you can 1% the survivor, and go for the instant down.
  • With the ability to stalk in different postures, unlike any other killer, Ghost Face can bend its position when stalking from trees or any objects that will allow him to stalk through a 45-degree angle, which makes stalking much faster, and more difficult for the survivors to spot the killer.

 

5. The Pig

The Pig Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMotBXaeH4w

The Pig is a killer from the license "Saw", an Australian horror franchise which primarily revolves around the fictional serial killer John "Jigsaw" Kramer. Nonetheless, regarding dead by daylight, the Pig can crouch and walk, similar to how the Ghost Face would crouch, which would hide its terror radius, and therefore be able to activate its surprise attack, which the Pig can run nearly twice the speed for around 3 seconds, making it a great power/tactic for anti-looping. However, as shown in the film franchise, the Pig's leading power is the ability to place reverse bear traps on Survivors, which will instantly kill them after some time if not removed. 

In conclusion, Pig is a great, time-persuasive killer where when playing against her, the main problem would be going against her bear traps, which you would need to take off after some time, or sooner or later, you will eventually die in the game. Nevertheless, a pig might be challenging to go against as no terror radius is shown when crouching; however, easy to avoid if there are suitable objects around you, making it as effective as possible to escape. 

The Pig Strengths:

  • The crouching ability makes it much harder for the survivors to spot the killer, especially in areas with tall grass or dark environments, which makes it harder for the survivors to see. 
  • Placing reverse bear traps on survivors takes the leading role in her powers, where survivors have a limited time to take off the traps from the allocated trap removals on the map (usually 5-6). Of course, if the timer runs out and the survivor does not remove the trap, the survivor dies, making it a very powerful perk. 
  • The Pig can use the crouch attack, which in other words, once the Pig is in the crouch position, she can use her attack to run faster with an attack motion for around 3 seconds, which is very useful in places such as small looping spots, making it easier to mind-game the survivor.

 

4. The Demogorgon 

The Demogorgon Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo2U7G7XJcQ

The Demogorgon is a killer from a famous license, "stranger things", which unfortunately has been removed from Dead By Daylight because BeHaviour Interactive's license to use the Netflix IP expired. However, the killer itself hasn't been removed from the game, but you cannot personally get him anymore, so it is a rarity to see someone playing this killer. One of Demogorgon's central powers is the ability to use his extended lunge attack, which can be very useful, especially in looping areas, where you can close off any survivors, for example in the killer shack, where you can use the lunge attack to hit the survivor just before he vaults the window inside.

In conclusion, Demogorgon is one of the favourite killers to go against due to the unavailability of the killer, where fewer people play the killer because of the ending license with behaviour and Netflix, and therefore playing against Demogorgon would be like a winning lottery.

The Demogorgon Strengths:

  • He can use his shredding attack, which can be predominantly functional in looping areas, or areas you can just reach in time with the shredding just before the survivor vaults the window. 
  • Placing portals around the map makes it much easier for the Demogorgon to move around it. Of course, it is a great way to create pressure around the survivors, such as placing portals near generators., or even during the end-game, where placing portals next to gate switches would take the main role.  
  • The ability to use shredding to destroy breakable objects or pallets from a far distance makes it much quicker to gain distance from the survivor who might have pre-dropped the objects.

 

3. The Executioner

The Executioner Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeUR6idHDM4

The Executioner is a licensed killer from the horror media franchise "silent hill", mainly centred around a series of horror survival games similar to Dead by Daylight but in a more classical tone. With Executioner's gigantic sword, he can shoot down his victims using a long trail attack that can go through objects; very effective to counter any survivor loops such as the killer shack, where the killer can shoot down from the other side of the shack if he can predict where the survivor is going.

Nonetheless, one of his other powers is the ability to leave the trail torment. Therefore, any survivor who crosses the torment is automatically tormented, allowing the killer to send the survivor straight to the cage once downed rather than hooking the survivor.

In conclusion, the Executioner is considered to be one of the most bulked licensed killers in the game because of its size and power of attack; where he can attack through objects and allow the survivors to go through torment, which then would save the killer time on the hooking of the survivors, because he could immediately just send them to the cages of torment, and progress through the game much faster, making it one of the most potent killers.

The Executioner Strengths:

  • With the trail of torment ability, he can leave a trail around the map and, at the same, be able to use game tactics to locate the survivor who has walked through the torment and, once downed, automatically send them through the cage of torment, without having to hook them physically. 
  • The ability to send them to the cage of torment rather than hooking them can avoid many risks, such as potential decisive strikes that one of the survivors could have, therefore stunning the killer and losing one of the survivors.
  • The long-range attack could be helpful in many areas, especially in looping spots like the killer shack or the T-walls, which would make attacking much easier if the survivors' movements were successfully predicted. 

 

2. The Nemesis

Nemesis Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95e8M06DUy8

Nemesis is a licensed killer and the second most potent killer shown in the Resident Evil franchise, a Japanese Horror game series. One of the killer's abilities is the power to use his tentacles to infect survivors of a T-virus. With every hit, Nemesis' power grows, where he can max out on tier 3 on the tentacles, therefore using his power for longer distance shots and the ability to break objects and injure survivors in the range of attack. 

Also, Nemesis holds another power that can be useful: the zombies roaming the map. They can also injure and attack survivors who might stand in their way and, of course, help block any areas of potential looping spaces, which can help the killer a lot. In conclusion, Nemesis is identified as one of the scariest killers in the game because of its size and ability to use zombies on the killer's side, so he could trap survivors and therefore down them with less effort, which is particularly effective in 

Nemesis Strengths:

  • He can use the tentacle power and cut off any survivors who might be using short loops and can be quite effective when the survivor drops the pallet, managing to get the hit on the survivor either way. 
  • The number of zombies on the map allows the killer to go for more accessible hits. The zombies would create a vast amount of pressure on the survivors, making it harder for them to concentrate on repairing generators. 
  • With the ability to power up his tentacle power, once maxed out, Nemesis can destroy pallets and hit survivors much faster, making it insanely harder for the survivor to avoid. 

 

1. The Mastermind

Mastermind Licensed Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDbsz1P1Cig

The Mastermind is a killer, one of the most potent licensed killers in the game, who also comes from the Resident Evil Franchise, a Japanese Horror game series. Mastermind uses power from a Uroborus virus, where he can quickly lunge a short distance, vaulting over obstacles and infecting any Survivors he hits. Nonetheless, whilst in the lunge state, any survivor that the killer comes in contact with can grab the survivor and injure them if they are healthy or instantly grab and carry the survivor without picking them up if they are injured. 

In conclusion, Mastermind is a deserved number one killer on this licensed-killer list because of its extreme power advantage; when fully trained and expert, it can be difficult to avoid the killer because of its speed and ability to do survivor-like actions such as vaulting pallets. Overall, making it one of the most powerful killers in the game.

The Mastermind Strengths:

  • The ability of Mastermind's dash power, where he can use the power to catch up on the survivors over huge distances, can be quite effective during looping environments, as he can easily mind game survivors, causing them to make a mistake and therefore injure them. 
  • He is a very fast killer that can catch up on survivors easily, especially with his lunge power; where he does not need to use his main attack, but the lunge will allow him to grab survivors or throw them in a specific place, making it easier for the killer to continue with the chase.
  • He can vault through obstacles and pallets just as any normal survivor making him a very powerful killer to go against. It is the same as being chased by another survivor but much faster, which is incredibly powerful. 

 

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A game can be played with millions of possibilities and results; I have committed to those factors, either by fighting through or flowing towards it, and it can go wrong in both ways.
Gamer Since: 2011
Favorite Genre: RPG
Currently Playing: Dead by Daylight & VHS
Top 3 Favorite Games:Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Fallout 4, Need for Speed


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