Dead By Daylight Survivor Tier List Based on Perks [Best DbD Survivors]

Which Dead by Daylight character is right for you? 

There are a total of 44 different Survivors to choose from. Each Survivor has 3 perks specific to them. There is a wide variety of choices.

Survivors with some of the strongest perks include Kate Denson, Dwight Fairfield and Zarina Kassir. 

On the other end of the scale, some of the Survivors with the worst perks include Ace, Cheryl, Ellen, Elodie and Yoichi. 

Come explore the best and worst of Dead by Daylight’s Survivors based on their perks.

S Tier

Survivors in the S Tier offer a fantastic combination of helpful perks. Their perks do not rely on others to be useful. They can be used whether you are playing in a team or if you prefer to play solo. Each perk is easy to use for any skill level of player. The Survivor’s in S Tier have perks that are geared towards the main mechanics of Dead by Daylight, such as, generator repair, teamwork, and looping the Killer. You can never go wrong picking one of these top tier Survivors.

Dwight Fairfield (S Tier) 1/44

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Dwight Fairfield

• Bond: Unlocks potential in one’s aura reading ability. Allies’ auras are revealed to you when they are within a 20/28/36-meter range.
• Leader: You’re able to organize a team to cooperate more efficiently. Increases other Survivors’ healing, sabotage, unhooking, cleansing, opening exit gates, and chest unlocking speeds by 15/20/25% when they are within an 8-meter range from you. Survivors can only be affected by one Leader effect at a time. This effect persists on other Survivors for 15 seconds after leaving the Leader’s effective perk range.
• Prove Thyself: For every other Survivor working on a generator within a 4-meter range, gain 6/8/10% repair speed bonus. This same bonus is also applied to all other Survivors within range.

Dwight Fairfield was a geeky kid who desperately wanted to be one of the cool kids in High School. Sadly, his grades were distinctly below average, and any sport he tried ended in failure. One fateful night, Dwight’s boss had a team building exercise deep in the woods. The next morning, he woke to being all alone. Dwight tried to hike his way out of the woods. That was the last time anyone heard from him.

All around Dwight Fairfield has fantastic perks. They are focused on teamwork, which is what being a Survivor is all about. There are no downsides to any of his perks. You will also be hard pressed to find alternate perks that are better. From new to experienced players, you can’t go wrong picking Dwight.

What makes Dwight Fairfield S Tier:

• Bond provides a wide spectrum of information with its aura reading ability. You always know when your allies are close, and what they are doing.
• Leader provides a huge speed boost for a multitude of actions. It covers everything except generator repair. Luckily Dwight has a perk for that as well.
• Prove Thyself provides a large repair speed bonus. The more Survivors working together, the faster the generator is repaired.
• Dwight has the knowledge and skill function to lead his team to victory.

Kate Denson (S Tier) 2/44

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Kate Denson

• Boil Over: You are a battler and do everything to escape a foe’s grasp. Your struggling effects on the Killer are increased by 60/70/80%. You obscure the Killer’s ability to see hook auras within 16 meters. You gain a 33% of current wiggling progress when the Killer drops from great heights.
• Dance With Me: When performing a rushed vault or leaving a locker in a sprint, you leave no scratch marks for 3 seconds. Dance With Me has a cooldown of 30/25/20 seconds.
• Windows of Opportunity: Unlocks potential in one’s aura reading ability. Auras of pallets, breakable walls, and vault locations are revealed to you when within a 24/28/32-meter range.

Kate Denson’s earliest memories were singing and playing her guitar for her family. Seeing the joy that it brought them, she dedicated her life to playing music Kate spent many years traveling the country, playing her guitar, meeting new friends, and spreading joy. One day when Kate was visiting her hometown, she stopped in the woods to play her music. Dark spider-like legs descended from the sky and carried her into a dark fog. All that was left was Kate’s acoustic guitar.

Kate Denson’s perks are very handy for looping and eluding the Killer. Each of her perks are extremely useful and can function without needing other perks to assist them. Similar to Dwight’s perk set, Kate Denson’s perks are also easy to use for a wide skill level of players.

What makes Kate Denson S Tier:

• When used efficiently, the perk Boil Over can keep you from becoming hooked. When dropping from a great height, a percent of your wiggle progression will be added to your wiggle bar. This is extremely handy since the Killer can’t currently see hook auras and has to take extra time to search for them. On top of that, your struggle effects are massively increased. You will be able to wiggle out of the Killer’s grasp in no time.
• Dance With Me provides an easy-to-use escape tactic. Quickly leaving a locker removes your scratch marks. This makes you much harder to track. You can safely slip away. The only punishing part of Dance With Me is a short cool down. Essentially, you can continuously “dance with the Killer”.
• Windows of Opportunity provides, well just that, opportunities. Being able to see all the pallets, breakable walls and vault locations can give you the upper hand when looping the Killer. If you are just learning how to loop, or mastering the art of looping, Windows of Opportunity is the perfect perk.
• The synergy of Kate Denson’s perks, their ease of use and her perk’s ability to stand on their own as good perks creates an unquestionable S tier Survivor.

Zarina Kassir (S Tier) 3/44

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Zarina Kassir

• For the People: You risk life and injury for others. For the People is only active while at full health. Press the active button while healing another Survivor without a med-kit to instantly heal them from dying to injured or from injured to healthy. You become injured and receive the Broken status effect for 80/70/60 seconds. You become the Obsession. Equipping this perk decreases your chance of being the Killer’s obsession at the start of the trial. The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.
• Off the Record: You’ve learned that a quiet approach is sometimes best. Once you are unhooked or escape from the hook., Off the Record activates for 60/70/80 seconds. This perk and its effects are disabled once the Exit Gates are powered. While Off the Record is active: Your aura will not be shown to the Killer, grunts of pain caused by injuries are reduced by 100% and you gain the Endurance status effect.
• Red Herring: You’ve noticed that people pay attention to whatever makes the loudest noise. After repairing a generator for at least 3 seconds, it will be highlighted to you with a yellow aura. The generator stays highlighted until it is fully repaired, you repair a new generator or enter a locker. Entering any locker will trigger a loud noise indicator for the Killer at the highlighted generator’s location. Red Herring can only be triggered once every 60/50/40 seconds.

Zarina Kassir grew up with a passion for stories. She often interviewed members of her community and posted their stories online. Zarina’s years of interviews brought her to the Hellshire Penitentiary. Many inmates contacted her with hopes their story would be shared. One specific story however, caught Zarina Kassir’s eye. The Mad Mick Massacre, where an entire wing in Hellshire Penitentiary was sealed off. Zarina snuck into Mad Mick’s cell. As she investigated the cell, a loose brick fell to reveal an old, rusty wrench. Zarina became paralyzed as black fog filled the cell.

Each perk Zarina Kassir possesses has importance. She can not only protect herself, but she can protect others as well. She has one of, if not arguably the best, perk in the game. Each of her perks have a bounty of rewards that require a small sacrifice.

What makes Zarina Kassir S tier:

• Zarina can take care of herself with the fantastic perk, Off the Record. With the Killer unable to read your aura, a massive noise reduction and the bonus of Endurance, this perk is the perfect getaway to survive another day. There is no downside to this perk, and it may be used multiple times in game.
• The perk Red Herring is one of Zarina’s less profitable perks. This perk pulls her to the bottom of S Tier. While you will be able to cause a distraction for the Killer, having that distraction be a generator isn’t the most beneficial. In certain situations, this perk can be tactical if you need to sacrifice a generator to save yourself or a fellow Survivor. Another situation this perk could come in handy is using your generator as a dud to distract the Killer, while your teammates are finishing an alternate one.
• For the People is one of Zarina’s riskiest but most beneficial perks for her teammates. By instantly swapping health states, you can save your fellow Survivors from being hooked or even death. While you do receive a penalty for your bravery, if you escape as the Obsession you are rewarded with extra Bloodpoints.
• All of Zarina’s perks contribute greatly to your team and the game. They do not have to be paired with other perks to be useful, and any level of player will be able to utilize her perks with a little practice.

A Tier

Next, we have our A tier Survivors in Dead by Daylight. These Survivors generally offer two fantastic skill perks and one good perk. While their perks are still incredibly useful, they can’t compete with the top tier characters. This tier allows for a more personalized style of game play while still being confident in your perk choices.

Jill Valentine (A Tier) 4/44

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Jill Valentine

• Blast Mine: When direct combat isn’t an option, you still find ways to strike back. Blast Mine activates after completing a total of 40% worth of repair progress on generators. When standing next to a generator, press the active ability button to install a blast mine which stays active for 100/110/120 seconds. Affected generators will be revealed to all Survivors by a yellow aura. Only one Blast Mine can be active on a generator at a time. When the Killer damages the generator, the Blast Mine explodes, stunning them and blinding anyone nearby. Blast Mine deactivates when the generator is damaged by the Killer or when the timer expires.
• Counterforce: You know how to withstand an enemy stronger than you, and it starts with hunting down and knocking out their support. You cleanse totems 20% faster. After cleansing a totem, you see the aura of the furthest totem form you for 2/3/4 seconds and you gain an additional 20% stackable speed bonus to cleansing totems for the remainder of the trial.
• Resurgence: You’ve come back from near impossible odds…and you’ll do it again. Gain 50/60/70% healing progress instantly after being unhooked or unhooking yourself.

Jill Valentine was a Special Tactics and Rescue Service. She bravely went to save survivors left behind in Racoon City during a devastating biohazard event. She tussled with a super-soldier named Nemesis. After landing a few blows, Jill rushed to the basement to pick the lock of a cold room. Once inside however, her body turned numb as a black fog engulfed her.

The three perks Jill Valentine possesses are terrific perks. While they don’t synergize like the S tier Survivor perks, they are great in their own little niches. Two of her perks provide decent game progression. The last is still good but is directed towards a specific playstyle involving totems. Totems may not always be an important part of your game.

What makes Jill Valentine A Tier:

• Counterforce revolves around totems, which may not always be an important part of your game. They are very situational. This is why Jill ranks in the A Tier instead of the S Tier.
• The perk Resurgence is great for saving time on healing. You can do a quick underhook heal since your progression bar is already partially filled. This leaves more time for generator repair and is a great perk for game progression.
• Blast Mine is a unique perk that allows you to complete basic game mechanics and slip in an extra bit of spice. You should already be repairing generators to power the Exit Gates. Without having to complete any extra steps, you can easily install a Blast Mine to stun, blind and waste the Killer’s time.
• Jill’s perks are easy for a new player to use, and useful for experienced players.

Detective David Tapp (A Tier) 5/44

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Detective David Tapp

• Detective’s Hunch: Unlocks potential in one’s aura reading ability. When a generator is completed, the auras of generators, chests and totems within 32/48/64-meters are revealed to you for 10 seconds. If you are holding a map that can track objectives, generators, chests and totems revealed by Detective’s Hunch are added to the map.
• Stake Out: Getting close to the Killer fills you with determination. For each 15 seconds you are standing within the Killer’s terror radius and not in a chase, you gain a token up to a maximum of 2/3/4 tokens. When Stake Out has at least 1 token, good skill checks are considered great skill checks, consume 1 token, and grant an additional 1% bonus to generator repair progress.
• Tenacity: There is nothing stopping you. Your ferocious tenacity in dire situations allows you to crawl 30/40/50% faster and recover at the same time. Grunts of pain while in the dying state are reduced by 75%.

Detective David Tapp was a man of justice. He fought alongside his partner to avenge victims, and always did things by the book. On one occasion, Detective Tapp broke the golden rule and failed to go by the book. He entered a Killer’s lair without a warrant. This decision ended in his partner's death. Tapp was discharged from the force. His guilt turned into an obsession for revenge. He hunted down the Killer. They fought, ending in Tapp being shot in the chest. His rage and guilt consumed him as he closed his eyes for the final time, or was it? Detective Tapp awoke in a new strange forest where screams echoed. Victims needed to be avenged. Killers needed to be thwarted. Determination filled him, he had a job to do!

Players who want to live on the edge of danger will excel with Detective David Tapp. Two of his perks provide rewarding game play when you are within the Killer’s range. Being so close to danger takes careful planning. This is where Tapp’s third perk comes into play. Altogether, his perks provide a great benefit for game mechanics and are decently easy for the average player to use.

What makes Detective David Tapp A Tier:

• Stake Out allows you to turn a good skill check into a great. Even if you are a new player and can’t hit the great skill checks yet, using this perk allows you to perform as if you were. This is perfect to quickly repair generators to power the Exit Gates.
• Sometimes being so close to the Killer has its consequences and you may be put into the dying state. This is where the perk Tenacity comes in handy. You can crawl away from danger and recover at the same time. While you cannot get yourself out of the dying state, like Unbreakable, you still have double the recovery rate at this perk’s top tier.
• With two of Tapp’s perks keeping you close to danger, it is important to plan out your moves carefully. Detective’s Hunch is perfect for this. It allows you to plan your next generator route, find a totem if needed or a chest to pick up a quick item.
• Overall, each of Detective David Tapp’s perks are user friendly so even new players can excel with him.

Adam Francis (A Tier) 6/44

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Adam Francis

• Autodidact: You start the trial with a -15% progress penalty for skill checks to heal other Survivors. For every successful skill check while healing another Survivor, you receive a token up to a maximum of 3/4/5 tokens. Each token grants you a +15% progress bonus. Great skill checks cannot be performed while using Autodidact. Autodidact is not active when using a med-kit to heal.
• Deliverance: After performing a safe hook rescue on another Survivor, Deliverance activates. You now have a 100% chance of unhooking yourself during the escape attempt. A successful Deliverance from the hook triggers the Broken status effect for 110/80/60 seconds.
• Diversion: Being within the Killer’s terror radius while not in a chase for 30/25/20 seconds activates Diversion. Once Diversion is activated, press the active ability button while crouched and motionless to throw a pebble, which creates a distraction for the Killer at a distance of 20-meters. The perk timer resets once the ability has been activated. The distraction consists of a loud noise notification and scratch marks.

Adam Francis was raised to value education. He was often found in his college years with his nose in a book. Adam accepted a job as a teacher abroad in Kagoshima, Japan. At first it was a struggle, but Adam soon found his rhythm. One fateful day while he was riding the train to work it crashed. During the crash Adam sacrificed himself to save a girl who would have been crushed by an unhinged door. In his last moments he felt nothing. He opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness in a heavy fog. No one truly knew what happened to Adam Francis that day.

Adam Francis has a collection of perks that benefit not only himself, but his teammates as well. He is equipped with quick healing, distraction and time saving perks. While one of his perks is solely for his use, he must help a fellow Survivor before being able to activate it.

What makes Adam Francis A Tier:

• Diversion is a highly debated perk. It provides a multitude of uses that may or may not benefit your playstyle. Overall, Diversion will waste the Killer’s time. While the Killer is looking for a ghost that doesn’t exist, your team can repair generators. Diversion can also be used to give the Killer the slip if you need to get away and find somewhere to heal.
• The perk Autodidact has a small drawback at first. However, the progression bonus it grants can be massive. You also do not have to hit great skill checks to gain tokens for this perk. Any skill level player can easily use it.
• Lastly, Deliverance is great for a guaranteed unhook. This perk is far better to use than certain similar perks such as Slipper Meat, which only increases the chance that you may unhook yourself. This perk also promotes teamwork. It cannot be activated without you first rescuing a fellow Survivor with a safe unhook.

Yui Kimura (A Tier) 7/44

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Yui Kimura

• Any Means Necessary: You stand up for yourself, using whatever’s on hand to gain an advantage. You see the auras of dropped pallets. Press and hold the active ability button for 6/5/4 seconds while standing beside a dropped pallet to reset it to its upright position.
• Breakout: You kick into high gear when someone’s in trouble, inspiring them to overcome any obstacle. When within 5-meters of a carried Survivor, you gain the Haste status effect, moving at 5/6/7% increased speed. The carried Survivor’s wiggle speed is increased by 25%.
• Lucky Break: You’ve had your share of scrapes and bruises, but luck’s always on your side. Lucky Break activates any time you are injured. While Lucky Break is active, you won’t leave trails of blood or scratch marks for a total of 40/50/60 seconds. While healthy, for each 1 second spent healing another Survivor, increase Lucky Break’s duration by 1 second. Luck Break’s duration cannot increase beyond its starting value.

Yui Kimura raced scooters in her youth. She always wore her grandfather’s lucky hachimaki. After having a falling out with her father, Yui moved to Nagoya. She struggled to scrape by until she started entering illegal street races. Word of Yui Kimura spread and soon she had her own gang following. They all wore a pink hachimaki as a symbol of unity and support for women. Everything would change the day Yui entered the Tokyo Kick 3000. She was leading the race whenshe entered an unnatural fog that appeared out of nowhere. Soon she realized she wasn’t in Tokyo anymore.

The Survivor Yui Kimura is all about providing your team more time. She can swoop in when a Survivor is being carried by the Killer. She can extend the use of a looping area. If used efficiently, she can also provide helpful healing. All of Yui’s perks are user friendly and do not require assisting perks to be good.

What makes Yui Kimura A Tier:

• Her perk Lucky Break can be used efficiently to provide healing for your teammates and protection for yourself. There is no better trade off than helping others to help yourself. The more Survivors you heal, the more you can recharge this perk so you won’t leave trails of blood or scratch marks.
• Breakout is a great perk to assist with a fellow Survivor’s wiggle progress. It can pair with other wiggle progression perks to enhance their ability. This can save your teammate from a hook and extend precious time in game.
• Any Means Necessary is a great perk to extend the use of a looping area. If the Killer hasn’t kicked a pallet, Yui can reset it. Your team now has a second chance to use that pallet at its full potential.
• All of Yui Kimura’s perks are easy to use for all Survivor skill levels.

Rebecca Chambers (A Tier) 8/44

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Rebecca Chambers

• Better Than New: You are an expert in combat medicine. Patients leave your care reinvigorated. Upon completing a healing action on another Survivor, the targeted Survivor gets a 12/14/16% speed boost to healing, opening chests, cleansing and blessing totems.
• Hyperfocus: You throw yourself entirely into your tasks and find ways to be more efficient than anyone else. After hitting a great skill check while repairing or healing, this perk gains 1 token, up to 6 tokens. Each token increases the chance of skill check triggering by 4%, the skill check cursor speed by 4% the skill check cursor and the bonus progression for great skill checks by 10/20/30% of its base value. The perk loses all tokens in case of normal skill check successes, skill check fails or if the action is stopped by any means.
• Reassurance: Your presence helps allies focus, assuaging the panic associated with extreme conditions. When within a 6-meter radius around a hooked Survivor, use the active ability button to pause their struggle progression for 20/25/30 seconds. If they are in the struggle phase, it also pauses struggle skill checks. Reassurance can only be triggered once per Survivor per hook instance.

Rebecca Chambers was a child prodigy that graduated high school at age 18. She joined the Special Tactics and Rescue Service as a field medic. Her squad was investigating some murders at Arklay Research Facility. A mysterious black fog appeared. An unknown monster with a guttural roar and a massive club-like weapon tried to attack her. Rebecca rushed towards a flickering light in the darkness to evade her unknown enemy.

Rebecca Chambers has a colorful range of perks. Two of them focus on her teammates, while the third focuses on progression in the game. Some of her perks act similarly to those of other Survivors, and one of her perks is not user friendly. Altogether, her perks can provide decent benefits for the team. Being a Survivor is all about teamwork.

What makes Rebecca Chambers A Tier:

• Better Than New is a good perk that provides speed boost benefits for your team. Having a healing boost allows for more time to repair generators. While having a boost for unlocking chests and cleansing or blessing a totem is more situational, it is still handy in case there is a hex in play, your teammate has brought a boon perk, or a teammate enjoys digging in chests to find an item. This perk is comparable to a baby version of Leader.
• The perk Reassurance is basically a better version of Camaraderie. Camaraderie only affects you for 34 seconds at top tier. Rebecca’s perk Reassurance will affect all your teammates for 30 seconds at top tier. Providing protection for your teammates outweighs the 4 extra seconds you receive with a selfish perk.
• Hyperfocus is a fantastic perk. However, it does require you to get a succession of great skill checks. The perk itself secures Rebecca an A tier slot. The user friendliness of the perk pulls her down towards the B Tier. If the perk was to be paired with Stake Out, you would not have to worry about hitting the great skill checks.

Feng Min (A Tier) 9/44

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Feng Min

• Alert: Your acute senses are on high alert. When the Killer performs a break action, the Killer is revealed to you for 3/4/5 seconds.
• Lithe: After performing a rushed vault, break into a sprint at 150% of your normal running speed for a maximum of 3 seconds. Causes the Exhausted status effect for 60/50/40 seconds. Lithe cannot be used while Exhausted.
• Technician: You are apt at handling machinery with the greatest care and precision. The noises caused by your repairs and their hearing distance is reduced by 8-meters. On a failed repair skill check, the generator explosion will be prevented, the generator loses progress as usual and an additional 5/4/3% progress is lost.

As a young girl Feng Min dived into computer games. Her parents pushed Feng to put more effort into her studies. Feeling smothered, she left her home and started a new life. A life filled with internet cafes, LAN parties, e-sport teams and streaming. She became known as the “Shining Lion.” Feng Min pushed herself to the limits to become the best. However, she pushed too hard, and her performance began to slip. Feng Min soon spiraled into a pattern of self-destruction; often visiting bars and waking up in places she didn’t remember. One day she woke up somewhere completely different.

Feng Min has great perks for a Survivor that has a solo playstyle. She will often know where the Killer is, has a fast get away and can hide her mistakes. While she may not be a team-based survivor, her ability to elude the Killer makes her ideal for getting main game tasks done.

What makes Feng Min A Tier:

• Feng’s perk Alert will reveal the aura of the Killer whenever they break something. Killers are constantly kicking generators, downed pallets and breakable walls. You can keep an eye on how close or far the Killer is. This perk is fantastic and secures Feng’s spot as an A Tier Survivor.
• If the Killer happens to get to close, you are equipped with Lithe for a fast getaway. Maybe looping isn’t your strong point. Lithe is perfect for this playstyle. It provides you the opportunity to create distance between you and the Killer.
• Mistakes happen, especially in high stress situations. Technician provides a little saving grace. While there is an extra generator regression, the Killer will not be alerted. This provides extra time for you to repair your generator. Technician can also be a helpful tool for newer players to practice achieving great skill checks.
• Feng Min’s perk set is easy to use for all skill level of players.

B Tier

Survivors in the B tier range from a decent perk set to a so-so perk set. Some characters will have two useful perks with multiple benefits. Some will have one amazing perk but two lacking ones. It’s a mixed bag of fun!

William “Bill” Overbeck (B Tier) 10/44

With the changes made to unhooking, Bill’s perk Borrowed Time has become less useful. Where he could have been an A Tier Survivor, the game already has a built in “Borrowed Time”, leaving Bill to sit in B Tier. Another one of Bill’s perks, Left Behind, is also limited in its usefulness. You must make it to the end game and be the last Survivor to find the hatch. Unbreakable on the other hand, is fantastic and could change the tide of the game. You can recover unaided from the dying state. This could be extremely handy in situations such as slugging, hook camping or an epic escape from death.

Leon S. Kennedy (B Tier) 11/44

Leon S. Kennedy has a nice range of useful perks. He can see any generators regressing with Rookie Spirit. When healing another Survivor, both you and the Survivor make no noise. This is extremely handy if the Killer is nearby. Leon can also use Flashbang to save a Survivor from being hooked. Using the perk Flashbang will take some practice, so it isn’t necessarily beginner friendly. Overall, Leon’s perks are all beneficial for the team.

Jake Park (B Tier) 12/44

Over the years, Calm Spirit has become more useful. Killers are often bringing perks that cause Survivors to scream. Calm Spirit can easily counter this. Iron Will is another useful perk to have. It allows you to perform important game actions like generator repair while being injured. With its great noise suppression, you will be harder for the Killer to hear. Jake Park’s perk Saboteur is also great, giving you the ability to sabotage hooks without a toolbox. His perks are easy to use for all skill level of players.

Meg Thomas (B Tier) 13/44

Meg Thomas has a good perk set if you have the skills to use them. Quick and Quiet can be used as an amazing get away if used efficiently. The perk Sprint Burst is also useful in evading the Killer. The trick is to know when to use this skill. Adrenaline is also great. However, you do have to make it to the end game, and it is also semi situational. If you are not injured or downed when the Exit Gates are powered, the perk is useless. While Meg’s perks could arguably be a higher Tier, the knowledge of how to efficiently use them makes Meg less user friendly.

Haddie Kaur (B Tier) 14/44

Haddie Kaur has a set of perks that can benefit game play based on your playstyle. Overzealous is a decent perk if you have totem spawn knowledge. Residual Manifest is good if you plan to blind the Killer to cause a distraction while your teammates complete the main objectives of the game. Lastly, Inner Focus can be used to tactically find your fellow Survivors, and occasionally see the Killer’s aura. How you use this skill will depend on its usefulness in game. All of these factors rank Haddie as a B Tier Survivor.

Mikaela Reid (B Tier) 15/44

The synergy of Mikaela Reid’s perks are fantastic. There is much debate on the usefulness of Boon perks. While Boon Circle of Healing and Boon Shadow Step are great perks, the time needed to find a totem and then to bless it is debatably costly. The Killer can snuff out a boon in seconds. Regardless, Circle of Healing is one of the best healing perks in the game, and Shadow Step is a great counter for Killer aura reading perks as well as hiding your scratch marks. Mikaela’s last perk Clairvoyance is convenient since you are already on the hunt for totems. You acquire an aura reading ability that you can control. To save some of your aura-reading for a later use, just release the ability button.

Jane Romero (B Tier) 16/44

Jane Romero has a good set of perks. She possesses the ability to heal herself for a percent that she heals another Survivor with the perk Solidarity. This saves a ton of time on healing. Her perk Poised is ok. In certain situations, it may be good. For example, if the Killer is headed right for the generator you are about to finish, Poised could allow you to get away. If the Killer is nowhere near, having the ability to hide your scratch marks when a generator is finished is a bit of a waste. Head On is another good perk of Jane’s that can help with looping. Once the Killer knows you have this perk though, they may be hesitant to fall for this a second time.

Jeffrey “Jeff” Johansen (B Tier) 17/44

Distortion is a decent perk used to counter Killer aura reading. This perk is also handy based on your knowledge of Killer perks. Distortion can be used to guess which aura reading perks the Killer has and rule out others. Breakdown is an ok perk. While the hook you are rescued off of takes an extra chunk of time to respawn and the Killer’s aura is revealed to you for a few seconds, there are other perks you could bring to benefit your team. Lastly, the perk Aftercare is a great aura perk. The downside is it resets if you are hooked. All that time and effort put into unlocking your teammates' auras is wasted. You might as well bring Bond instead.

Nancy Wheeler (B Tier) 18/44

Nancy Wheeler has two useful perks and one so-so perk. Inner Strength is great for solo healing. This saves your team time and is much more efficient than Self-Care. It does require knowledge of totem spawns which makes this perk not as user friendly. Fixated is a good learning perk to see where your scratch marks are. However, this isn’t very beneficial to progress in the game and provides no team benefit. Her last perk, Better Together, is a decent aura perk. You help your teammates locate generators that you are working on, and when a Survivor is downed you can see all other Survivor auras.

Claudette Morel (B Tier) 19/44

Any player interested in a healing playstyle will excel with Claudette. Empathy is one of her decent perks that allows you to quickly locate dying or injured Survivors. Botany Knowledge is also decently useful as it increases your healing speed without a med-kit. Self-Care however, has to be paired with another perk. Even combining Botany Knowledge and Self-Care still isn’t as efficient as the perk We’ll Make It. There are better healing perks to choose from. With all her skills revolving around healing, Claudette has a very limited playstyle.

Thalita Lyra (B Tier) 20/44

Thalita has some good perks that can be useful. There are a lot of requirements you must meet to gain any use from your perks. Teamwork: Power of Two provides a nice little running buff, but you may not always be able to stay within range of the other Survivor for this perk to be effective. Friendly Competition is a nice perk for generator repair. However, you waste a lot of the repair buff time getting to another generator, and there may not always be a teammate around to gain the benefit of this perk. Cut Loose is the perk that secures Thalita Lyra’s spot as a B Tier Survivor. Used efficiently this perk is great for looping.

Steve Harrington (B Tier) 21/44

Steve Harrington is equipped with good perks. His most team-oriented perk is Babysitter. This perk removes the pools of blood and scratch marks of the Survivor you unhooked. They also receive a Haste status effect. Steve’s other two perks are more selfish, but still useful for the team. Camaraderie pauses your hook timer if you are in the struggle phase and another Survivor is nearby. This could be considered a baby version of Reassurance. Second Wind is a good perk if you are not Broken. You have to wait out the timer once you are unhooked or you unhook yourself in order to fully heal. This can save your team valuable time.

Nicolas Cage (B Tier) 22/44

Most of Nicolas Cage’s perks have little use. His one saving grace is Plot Twist. While most players use it as a meme perk, it is a useful perk if you manage to pull it off. Unlike Unbreakable, you can use Plot Twist multiple times to recover from the dying state. The perk Dramaturgy is a flip of the coin. Initially you are granted Haste, but there is a random chance you will become Exposed, scream, acquire a random rare item or an extension of your Haste status effect. Only fate can decide. Scene Partner is like playing Marco Polo with the Killer. While it can be used as a distraction, there isn’t much benefit unless you pair it with an assisting perk.

Yun-Jin Lee (B Tier) 23/44

Yun-Jin Lee has an ok perk set. Self-Preservation is very situational. You must be injured to gain any benefit. Fast Track, while decent for a little generator progression buff, isn’t beginner friendly and requires your teammates to be hooked. The heavy requirements for this perk outweigh the benefits. Smash Hit is a great perk if you possess the skills to stun the Killer. While Yun-Jin Lee’s perks can be useful, their ease of use and situational requirements place her in B Tier.

Nea Karlsson (B Tier) 24/44

Nea Karlsson’s perk Streetwise is great for reducing the consumption of item charges for all Survivors. Alternatively, you could bring the skill Built To Last to recharge your item charges. Balanced Landing is fantastic but is very situational. Most maps will have a building to fall from a great height. However, if you get unlucky and are sent to a map that doesn’t your perk is useless. Lastly, you have Urban Evasion. This perk is also very situational and geared towards a specific playstyle. Players who do not know how to efficiently use this perk can often be seen crouching around the map wasting time.

Ada Wong (B Tier) 25/44

In theory, the perk Wiretap would be a good perk. Being able to see the Killer’s aura is always a plus. Most Killers, however, will go to kick a generator making this perk null and void. It may be useful in specific situations. For example, if another Survivor is looping within the Wiretap’s range, you can activate this perk to help your teammate out and continue to repair the generator. Reactive Healing is another situational perk of Ada’s. While its healing progression is nice, you must be near a Survivor who just lost a health state. Low Profile is, yet again, another situational perk. You may as well bring Iron Will instead.

Ashley J. Williams (B Tier) 26/44

Buckle up and Flip-Flop are two of Ashley’s useful perks. However, they require time, and you may not get that time in game. Flip-Flop grants a percent of your recovery progress into wiggle progression. While this is extremely useful, Killers will often pick up a Survivor immediately. Buckle Up is the same way. You need time to heal a fellow Survivor from the dying state to get any benefit out of this perk. Mettle of Man is Ashley’s worst perk. It can be extremely useful in very specific situations. The prerequisites to activate this perk, specific situational requirements, and difficulty to use for new players makes this perk not worth bringing.

Renato Lyra (B Tier) 27/44

Renato Lyra’s perk set is not the greatest. There are a multitude of requirements for very little gain, and you will often need to pair his perks with others to improve their usefulness. Background Player could be used for a quick hook sabotage or pallet save if you are in the right place at the right time. This perk causes Exhaustion which ties into Renato’s other perk Blood Rush. Blood Rush requires an Exhaustion perk to even activate. This along with all the other stipulations makes this perk not great. An experienced player may gain value from this perk. Overall, it is not worth the trouble. Lastly is Teamwork: Collective Stealth. Again, this perk can be useful, but only in specific situations. If you or your teammate don’t follow the requirements of this perk, it becomes useless.

C Tier

Next, we have our below average tier. Survivors in C tier have some good perks to offer. On the downside, most of their perks need to be paired with others to have any meaningful benefit, or there is an alternate perk that does the exact same thing just better. These Survivors can be fun to experiment with. You may find a unique niche in them.

Felix Richter (C Tier) 28/44

Desperate Measures is probably the only Felix perk worth taking. In dire situations a speed boost to healing can help save a game. Built to Last would also be useful if you didn’t have to waste 12 seconds in a locker to replenish an item’s charges. That is precious time paid for minimal reward. As for his last perk, Visionary, there are just so many better aura reading perks you could choose from to help you find generators.

Jonah Vasquez (C Tier) 29/44

Jonah Vasquez’s perk Corrective Action is decent if you have acquired this perk at its highest tier and are playing with a new Survivor. Turning missed skill checks into good skill checks helps keep the generator repair moving forward. His perk Overcome might as well live in the garbage. Two extra seconds of increased movement speed isn’t worth wasting a perk slot. The perk Boon: Exponential is Jonah’s saving grace. This perk is an everlasting Unbreakable with a massive recovery rate increase. The downside, time. It takes time to locate a totem, time to bless the totem and the Killer can snuff the boon out in seconds.

Vittorio Toscano (C Tier) 30/44

The perk Potential Energy is, well just that, potentially good. Taking the time to gather a decent chunk of tokens, then making it unscathed to an alternate generator is a rare occasion. You will waste most of your time gathering tokens just to lose them when the Killer comes sniffing around. Quick Gambit is another perk that can be good, but in realistic game play is not. You must loop the Killer dangerously close to other Survivors for a minimal payout. You might as well bring a perk like Prove Thyself instead. Fogwise is about the only decent perk Vittorio has but isn’t user friendly. You must be able to hit great skill checks to get any benefit out of this perk to see the Killer’s aura.

Aestri Yazar (C Tier) 31/44

This Survivor is for those players that like to joke around. Mirrored Illusion is an ok perk that could distract the Killer for a few moments before they realize it’s just an illusion. Once discovered, there is very little chance the Killer will fall for this trick again. Bardic Inspiration in theory is a good perk. In reality, there are very few times where you can actually complete your performance to activate the perk. Not to mention you need to roll a decent number for the buff to even be worth it. Mostly this perk is used as a meme. Aestri’s saving grace is Still Sight. Standing still is never ideal in Dead by Daylight. Although, it is a small price to pay to see the Killer’s aura as well as generators within range.

Laurie Strode (C Tier) 32/44

Laurie Strode’s perk Sole Survivor is an aura blocking perk that could easily be swapped out for Distortion. There is also zero reason to have generator repair speed when you are the last Survivor unless you are going for the in game achievement. The action speed boost to opening an Exit Gate or the Hatch is decent. Decisive Strike is a very situational perk. If you miss your skill check, the perk becomes useless. Unless you are an experienced Survivor, there is very little benefit to bringing this perk. Lastly, Laurie’s perk Object of Obsession is like playing Peek-a-boo with the Killer. There are better aura reading perks such as Alert that don’t reveal your aura to the Killer.

Alan Wake (C Tier) 33/44

Let there be Illumination! Alan Wake’s Boon: Illumination is a good perk that allows all the Survivors to see the auras of chests and generators in range. Like all boon perks, this one takes time and knowledge of totem spawns. The perk Champion of Light is a good perk if your playstyle revolves around flashlight saves. This perk is situational, and new players may not have the skills to gain any benefit. Deadline is a perk you want to bring if you want to punish yourself for no reason. Your skill checks will appear more frequently and in random places on your screen. It is comparable to constantly being in a game against a Doctor as the Killer. You get a reduced penalty for any missing skill checks. The question is, why on earth would you put yourself through all this? Normal skill checks are not hard to hit.

David King (C Tier) 34/44

After having Dead Hard nerfed into the ground, this perk is less than ideal. If you manage to successfully activate Dead Hard great! However, most newer players won’t gain any benefit as you have to perfectly time pressing the active ability button. No Mither is also less than ideal. Being a one hit wonder for the entire game with little or no benefit gained just makes this a bad perk. David King’s last perk We’re Gonna Live Forever saves him from being a D Tier Survivor. You can prevent a Survivor from dying or being hooked if given just enough time to heal them from the dying state.

Sable Ward (C Tier) 35/44

If you love the basement, this Survivor is the pick for you! All of Sable’s perks require use of the basement. The most dangerous place on the entire map. Invocation: Weaving Spiders has a hefty price and long activation time for such little reward on generators. You become permanently Broken for the rest of the game. Strength in Shadows has a great healing speed, but if the Killer chooses to look for you in the basement you are basically toast. Wicked is probably Sable’s best perk. You can successfully unhook yourself just like Deliverance. The downside is you can only do this in the basement. Having to constantly rely on the basement and Sable’s perks geared towards more experienced players gets her stuck as a lower tier Survivor.

Lara Croft (C Tier) 36/44

The best thing about Lara Croft’s perk set is her Finesse animation. While Finesse is sort of useful to counter the recent vaulting speed nerf, there are much more handy perks you could use. Hardened is another perk that may be more useful now than before, as Killers are increasingly bringing perks, like Face the Darkness, causing the Survivor to scream. However, it is still very situational. You also must waste time unlocking a chest and cleansing a totem. Specialist is another of Lara’s perks that you must spend time on irrelevant tasks just to be able to activate. On top of that you must possess the ability to hit a great skill check. Lara’s perks waste a lot of precious time for little reward and are not beginner friendly.

Quentin Smith (C Tier) 37/44

Simply put, Quentin Smith has one good perk to offer. Wake up allows you to see the Exit Gates, open the Exit Gates faster and reveals your aura to your fellow Survivors. You must make it to the end game to get any use out of this perk. The perk Pharmacy is only good if you need a med-kit out of a chest. There are many other healing perks that will provide not only you, but your teammates as well, better benefits. Lastly, Quentin has the perk Vigil. This can be a useful perk. Essentially you should pair this with another perk that causes a negative status effect to get any use out of it. Otherwise, it’s the luck of the draw if Vigil will have any effect in your game.

Gabriel Soma (C Tier) 38/44

One of Gabriel Soma’s most useful perks is Troubleshooter. If you plan to loop the Killer, this perk may be for you. Being able to see the Killer’s aura when you drop a pallet can come in handy. Made For This allows you to take a second hit in the injured state if you have finished healing another Survivor. Getting use out of this perk is extremely situational. You might as well bring a perk such as Solidarity. Gabriel’s perk Scavenger has the potential to be good. Newer Survivors may not possess the ability to hit all 5 great skill checks. On top of that, your generator repair speed is drastically decreased.

Trevor Belmont (C Tier) 39/44

The collection of Trevor Belmont’s perks are not great. Eyes of Belmont can easily be replaced by a better aura reading perk like Alert if you want to see the Killer’s aura. His Moment of Glory perk has you wasting time digging through chests to activate it. The perk Exultation is as close to a goodperk as you are going to get. This perk isn’t beginner friendly. You must stun the Killer with a pallet to acquire a rarer item that only has partial charges. This perk just isn’t worth the hassle. Especially since a lot of Killers bring Franklin’s Demise.

D Tier

Lastly, our D Tier Survivors. Some of these Survivor perks may be useful in specific situations. Overall, however, these Survivors are like middle school hot lunches. They are just not that great.

Elodie Rakoto (D Tier) 40/44

Two of Elodie’s perks are decent. What pulls her down to D Tier, is the amount of times those perks can be considered decent. Deception is a great tool to trick the Killer into thinking you’ve entered a locker. Once they know you have this perk, it is highly unlikely they will fall for it again. Power Struggle is similar. Most Killers will not intentionally walk by a pallet while carrying a Survivor. In the event that they do, and you activate Power Struggle, they will never walk through a pallet carrying you again. Elodie’s third perk Appraisal is literally only good for searching for an item in an already open chest. Very situational. Not a good use of time.

Yoichi Asakawa (D Tier) 41/44

Boon: Dark Theory provides a small Haste buff. While this can be beneficial for a specific looping build, the time and effort it takes to set up the boon is not worth a perk slot. Yoichi’s perk Empathic Connection is only useful for Survivors that are injured. You will benefit your team by bringing a more useful aura reading perk such as Bond. Parental Guidance could be useful if it is paired with other looping perks. However, you have to be able to stun the Killer to gain any benefit from this perk. Overall, there are so many better perks to choose from than Yoichi’s.

Ellen Ripley (D Tier) 42/44

Starting with Ellen’s worst perk, we have Light-Footed. This perk could be beneficial if it was added to a sneak build. Other than that, there is very little benefit from silent footsteps. Lucky Star is good for finding other Survivors and the closest generator. Having to get in a locker to activate this perk isn’t ideal, and you must be injured. There are better perks to accomplish the same goals. The perk Chemical Trap is one of the more fun perks in the game. Most Killers will see you installing the pallet trap and just wait out the timer. This perk is mostly used for memes.

Cheryl Mason (D Tier) 43/44

Soul Guard could be a decent perk in very specific situations. If you are cursed by a hex you can recover from the dying state. Other than this effect you might as well bring an alternate perk. Blood Pact is about the same. There are better perk choices you can use, there is no reason to use this one. Repressed Alliance is half good. Being able to block the generator from the Killer is great. However, you are also blocking it from being able to be repaired for a lengthy amount of time.

Ace Visconti (D Tier) 44/44

Pull out your trash can. Unless you are in a SWF team running a Slippery Meat build and you all run Ace’s perk Up the Ante, there is no use for this skill. Open-Handed has the same concept. Unless you or your teammates are running aura reading perks, there is no reason to bring Open-Handed. Lastly, we have Ace In The Hole. Taking the time to dig in a chest for an item with fancy add-ons is a complete waste of time.

You may also be interested in:

• Dead By Daylight: 12 Best Survivors To Prestige (Ranked)
• [Top 15] DbD Best Survivors Builds That Are Excellent
• [Top 5] DbD Best Gen Rush Builds That Are Excellent

*All image credit goes to the creators*