In Dead by Daylight, not all killers are made equal. Some killers are extremely strong and overpowered, while others are very weak and have powers that have become outdated. This tier list is based on research and what the best players in the world are saying.
There are 4 tiers I will be using to rank each killer. The killers in S Tier are overpowered and far and away the best. The killers in A Tier are just shy of being considered overpowered, but they are still considered top-tier. The killers in B Tier are still strong but not quite at the top of the list. The killers in C Tier are serviceable but are a bit more on the average side. Lastly, the killers in D Tier are the weakest, and some have kits that are simply outdated. These killers feel worse to play than League of Legends with a bad Jungler.
I will not be including Chucky on this list since he has not hit live servers at the time of writing this. If you are wondering where he is headed, he is looking like an A Tier. I don’t think we can properly rank killers until survivors get a chance to play against them for a while.
S Tier
These killers give you the absolute best chance to win games. They have the strongest powers and can compete with any team of survivors.
The Nurse (S Tier) Killer Rating: 100/100
The Nurse has far and away the strongest power in all of Dead by Daylight.
She can blink over any loop or obstacle in her way. This killer breaks the game's rules and can basically ignore looping. Her ability to down survivors and essentially ignore the core gameplay is overpowered. While The Nurse is not an easy killer, once mastered, she is simply unstoppable.
Players using this killer need to hone in on tracking survivors; this way, they can blink over and cause mayhem. Getting used to her blink timing is all muscle memory that takes tons of practice as well.
Why The Nurse is powerful:
- Ignores Core Gameplay
The Nurse can use her power to blink to any given area, allowing her to legitimately bypass looping.
- Dominates Chases
There is very little survivors can do when a player good at The Nurse is on top of them. She is the most dominant killer, and she has been since she was released.
- Great Mobility
Her blinks can allow her to traverse the map insanely fast, allowing her to find survivors in seconds. Despite her having the slowest base move speed in the game, her blinks allow for very fast traversal of the map.
- Perk Synergy
The Nurse can utilize information perks to their maximum potential. Being able to see auras of survivors allows for essentially no counterplay from the survivors.
The Nurse Ownage Video
What an 826 Win Streak Nurse looks like..
The Blight (S Tier) Killer Rating: 98/100
The Blight is right behind The Nurse in terms of strength.
Much like The Nurse, this killer dominates chases. His ability to almost instantly catch up to survivors and hit them is insane. His add-ons are disgustingly overpowered as well, having even better add-ons than The Nurse. The Blight still has to respect loops and terrain, but he can work around almost any obstacle in his way and dominate games. This killer is one of the hardest in the game to play, but he is also extremely hard to counter when played well.
Players using The Blight will need to take the time to learn his power, as it is very hard to control. There are many advanced techniques that players have created over the years that require practice to master.
Why The Blight is powerful:
- Great Mobility
The Blight is one of the fastest killers in the game. His power allows him to traverse the map at will with his power. His base move speed is 115%, which is fast for a killer.
- Dominates Chases
The Blight has the second best chase power in the game only behind The Nurse. He is perfect for dominating teams of survivors.
- Strong Add-ons
The Blight has some of the best Add-ons in the entire game. Many are surprised they do not receive nerfs.
The Blight Ownage Video
This Perk is INSANE on Blight
A Tier
The killers in this tier are very strong. These killers are considered top tier, however they are not quite as overpowered as the killers in the S Tier.
The Spirit (A Tier) Killer Rating: 94/100
The Spirit’s power allows her to phase and become invisible. She moves extremely fast and relies on seeing scratch marks, blood, and hearing survivor sounds to track players down.
Despite receiving nerfs, The Spirit is still an amazing killer. Her power allows you to punish survivors with ease. When playing against The Spirit, survivors often have to rely on guessing. She can punish players for running away in a straight line with minimal effort.
Before her nerfs, The Spirit would have absolutely been an S Tier killer. They added an audio queue that helps survivors play around her power. Regardless, if you have a good pair of headphones, you will have no problem killing survivors with The Spirit.
Why The Spirit is powerful:
- Strong Add-ons
Much like The Blight, The Spirit has some of the best Add-ons in the game.
- Dominates Chases
Similarly to the S Tier killers, The Spirit also excels at winning chases against survivors.
- Great Mobility
Killers who have high mobility and efficiency in chase are the strongest killers in Dead by Daylight. The Spirit is another case of a speedy killer who can pick teams of survivors apart.
The Spirit Ownage Video
1 hour of Spirit Gameplay! - Dead By Daylight
The Artist (A Tier) Killer Rating: 92/100
The Artist has arguably the most versatile powers in all of Dead by Daylight.
This killer sends out crows, and you can use them in a multitude of different ways. Her power allows her to gather information, shut down loops, get ranged injures/downs, and slow the game down.
On top of all of this, The Artist has a base move speed of 115%, so she can function like an M1 killer if needed.
The Artist being so good at everything allows her to excel in nearly any given situation. Her mains know how strong she can be. I would consider The Artist one of the most underrated killers in the game.
Why The Artist is powerful:
- Versatility
The Artist can do so many things with her power. Being able to cover many areas of gameplay with her power makes her very strong.
- Perk Synergy
The Artist makes great use of information perks and slowdown perks. Perks that can play off of her birds and the repel mechanic are great options for this killer.
- Ranged Power
The Artist can down players through any obstacle or terrain from anywhere on the map. There are some cool techniques you can use, such as the “slingshot”, which takes a bit of practice.
The Artist Ownage Video
1 HOUR OF S-TIER ARTIST GAMEPLAY! | Dead by Daylight
The Plague (A Tier) Killer Rating: 88/100
The Plague is a unique case. Her power is ranged, but it is short ranged. She cannot snipe survivors like The Artist or The Huntress, but she has one of the strongest powers in the game. She has a ranged attack that can injure/down players and the ability to stop all healing.
This killer can use her power on generators and players, spreading her sickness across all players. The Plague completely renders Med-Kits, one of Dead by Daylight's strongest items, entirely useless. Her power stops players from being able to heal unless they use one of the fountains on the map. When survivors use one of these fountains, they give you the opportunity to change your ranged power to an instantly damaging version of itself.
The Plague forces survivors into a lose-lose situation, making her one of the best killers in the game.
Why The Plague is powerful:
- Counters Healing
The Plague’s power completely counters healing. This is amazing since Med-Kits are extremely strong.
- Good Against Solo Players
Since The Plague forces survivors into lose-lose situations, it is very hard to deal with her power when players cannot communicate with teammates.
- Ranged Power
The Plague’s ranged power is still great, even if the range is not super far. You can hit players over pallets and still use your range to your advantage.
The Plague Ownage Video
RANK 1 PLAGUE DESTROYS SWEATY SWFs!! | Dead by Daylight
B Tier
The Huntress
The Mastermind
The Oni
The Executioner
The Xenomorph
The Hag
The Singularity
The Cenobite
The Knight
The Onryō
The Cannibal
The Hillbilly
The Dredge
The Demogorgon
The Twins
The Skull Merchant
The Nemesis
C Tier
The Ghostface
The Trickster
The Clown
The Wraith
The Legion
The Doctor
The Pig
D Tier
The Shape
The Nightmare
The Trapper
