Guides

Dead By Daylight Killer Tier List (September 2022): Best Killers Ranked

Dead By Daylight Killer Tier List (September 2022): Best Killers Ranked

When not playing as survivors running for their life in this deadly game of hide and seek, players can choose to play as the solo killers doing all the stalking.

Though every Killer in Dead By Daylight is completely unique, ultimately their goals remain the same. Pick Survivors off one-by-one and sacrifice them to The Entity. The thing is, some killers are able to stalk, slash and sacrifice their prey better than others.

That’s why we’ve decided to pull together a tier list, so players know how good each killer is within the current meta, and which killers to potentially opt for when playing. Read on!

September 1 Update: We're waiting to see how Wesker impacts the game following his release earlier this week before committing to his final Dead by Daylight Tier position. Our approimation is that Wesker is around the 'B Tier', following the release of 6.2.0

DBD Killers Ranked From Best To Worst

Just below is our Dead By Daylight Tier List, which is separated in the normal S to F format. Although, in this instance we’ve not labelled any killers as F Tier. There’s no one that bad (yet?).

It’s worth saying as well, that tier lists can be made for a variety of scenarios and with a wide variety of variables. For this tier list though, we’ve kept it fairly broad, with ranks based on purely the ability to win a match, and taking into consideration all maps, perks, and add-ons available to killers. Likewise, this isn’t a tier list for beginners. We’ll assume you’re at least reasonably skilled with a killer and understand how they work. With that in mind, here’s our tier list.

Dead By Daylight Tier List DBD Killers
S – Tier
The Blight, The Nurse, The Spirit
A – Tier
The Artist, The Executioner, The Hag, The Huntress, The Oni, The Plague, The Twins
B – Tier
The Cenobite, The Cannibal (Leatherface), The Deathslinger, The Demogorgon, The Dredge, The Hillbilly, The Nemesis, The Trickster
C – Tier
The Clown, The Doctor, The Ghost Face, The Legion, The Onryo, The Pig, The Wraith
D – Tier
The Nightmare (Freddy Krueger), The Shape (Michael Myers), The Trapper,

This Tier List will be updated as much as possible. Especially when Dead By Daylight undergoes any major changes to killers, or perks.

We would also suggest having a watch of Otz’s Killer Tier List videos (see below). The streamer is one of the foremost experts on the game, and whilst his tier list differs to ours slightly, his opinion is second to none. Keep in mind though, the video is a whopping 1 hour and 43 minutes long if you’re watching from start to finish. Thankfully, he’s got chapters inserted if you want to skip to a specific bit.

Dead By Daylight S-Tier Killers

The Blight – Capable of gaining ground on Survivors in mere moments, The Blight’s lethal efficiency must never be underestimated. With the ability to bounce off surfaces and realign his trajectory, his relentless presence forces Survivors into snap decisions. The learning curve may feel steep, but mastering The Blight is a worthwhile pursuit.

The Nurse – Using her Blink ability, The Nurse can teleport great distances in moments, predicting and cutting off Survivor routes. A powerful process best honed by experience, careless Blinks are punished with a wave of fatigue. The epitome of high risk, high reward, The Nurse can end chases with surgical precision.

The Spirit – While using her Yamaoka’s Haunting Power, both The Spirit and Survivors cannot be seen by one another. Instead, Survivors are revealed by their Scratch Marks, breathing, and interactions with the environment. Each chase becomes a battle of wits, a duel where only the sharpest mind-games prevail.

Dead By Daylight A-Tier Killers

The Artist – No matter the distance, The Artist and her murder of Dire Crows pose a constant threat to Survivors. Position up to three Crows and unleash them on a lethal trajectory, swarming and injuring anyone caught in their path. Use her Power to shut down key areas, predict and punish Survivor pathing, and gain valuable map-wide information.

The Executioner – Merciless and unforgiving, The Executioner brings his own form of twisted justice to The Fog, tormenting Survivors with hazards around the map. Hooks are an effective tool, but nothing punishes quite like a Cage of Torment. All hope will swiftly fade the moment Pyramid Head raises his mighty blade to deliver the Final Judgment.

The Hag – The Hag specializes in creating a dangerous web of Phantasm Traps, to be triggered by unsuspecting Survivors. She can instantly teleport to a triggered Trap, striking the Survivor that sprung it. Lock down key areas, make rescues a deadly gamble, and end chases quickly with strategic Phantasm Trap placement.

The Huntress – Armed with throwable hatchets, The Huntress is a constant threat to Survivors, even those at a great distance. With patience and precision, chases can end as quickly as they begin. Predict Survivor movement and let your hatchet fly – there’s nothing quite like the rewarding sound of a target struck.

Key art for The Oni killer in dead by daylight

The Oni – Redefine wrath with The Oni, a truly formidable force. Injured Survivors leave a trail of Blood Orbs, fuelling The Oni’s rage and sending him into a state of fury. Upon unleashing a bloodcurdling roar, The Oni gains the ability to charge with vengeful purpose, instantly cutting down anyone in his way.

The Plague – Traditional healing methods are ineffective against The Plague’s vile Purge, which can infect generators and Survivors. Pools of Devotion are the only respite from the spreading pestilence. The more Survivors heal, the stronger The Plague’s power becomes, transforming her Purge into a sickening projectile of pain.

The Cenobite – The Cenobite, also known as Pinhead, specializes in inflicting map-wide suffering. Survivors must find the Lament Configuration lest a Chain Hunt begin, debilitating their movement with a relentless barrage of otherworldly shackles. The Cenobite can also summon a chain to bind Survivors, allowing him to gain ground and inflict punishment.

The Cannibal (Leatherface) – Leatherface knows a thing or two about chainsaw massacres. Any Survivor in his path will be instantly cut down, and his presence alone is enough to instill sheer panic. Capable of hitting multiple targets with a single swing, Leatherface is an unstoppable force with an insatiable appetite.

The Deathslinger – Upon catching prey unaware, the Deathslinger uses his handmade gun – The Redeemer – to skewer fleeing Survivors with a long-distance harpoon. Accurate aim, patient tracking, and sharp predictions are crucial to landing successful shots, but the reward of a Survivor’s scream as they’re reeled in will never sound so sweet.

Key art for leatherface killer in dead by daylight

The Demogorgan – A blooming mouth full of needle-like teeth for a face, large, curved, razor-sharp claws, and powerful legs to pounce on victims, make The Demogorgon a frightening monster to face in any dimension. It is a nightmare of unrestrained, feral rage as it hunts down its prey and rips it to pieces, devouring every last morsel of flesh and gore, leaving nothing for scavengers.

The Hillbilly – The sound of a revving motor, followed by a bloodthirsty scream of rage. The Hillbilly isn’t exactly subtle, but he makes up for it in brutal efficiency. Capable of traversing great distances at a rapid pace, those in his path will be rudely introduced to one-hundred gnashing chainsaw blades.

The Nemesis – An unstoppable force relentless in his pursuit, nothing can stop The Nemesis from achieving his goal. His sweeping Tentacle infects Survivors with the T-Virus, further enhancing his destructive power in the process. Easily smash through pallets and breakable walls while two A.I-controlled Zombies patrol the map, applying additional pressure.

The Trickster – Armed with an arsenal of throwing knives, The Trickster overwhelms fleeing Survivors with a relentless barrage of blades. Seemingly safe actions like vaulting windows and dropping Pallets turn into target practice for this twisted K-Pop Idol, whose stylish showmanship is rivalled only by his gleeful bloodlust.

Key art for The Trickster killer in dead by daylight

Dead By Daylight C-Tier Killers

The Clown – Using his Afterpiece concoctions, The Clown can steer Survivors into dangerous areas and shorten chases. His purple bottle emits a cloud of noxious gas that disorients, slows down, and hinders Survivors. Throwing the yellow bottle requires foresight, as anyone who passes through the gas experiences a speed burst.

The Doctor – Even the simplest tasks become exceedingly difficult in the clutches of madness. The Doctor’s disturbing methods drive Survivors deep into insanity, filling the air with their deranged screams and revealing their locations. Nothing stops a window vault in its tracks like a healthy dose of Shock Therapy.

Key art for The Doctor killer in dead by daylight

The Ghost Face – A stealth-focused Killer capable of approaching unseen, The Ghost Face is adept at stalking his prey. Keep tabs on each individual Survivor, patiently marking them for death – provided you can remain hidden. Lie in wait until the perfect time to strike, and down Survivors before they know what hit them.

The Legion – The Legion are a close-knit group of murderous Killers, linked by the desire to dole out pain in equal measure. Keep the injuries coming with Feral Frenzy, a high-intensity sprint that can set off a devastating chain reaction. Survivors will be constantly tending to their wounds, leaving them vulnerable to be picked off one by one.

The Onryo – Capable of condemning Survivors to death through a powerful cursed videotape, Sadako’s wrath is inevitable. Her presence conjures several televisions, through which she can teleport and emerge with malevolent purpose. The fleeting glimpse of her approach ensures that a chilling fate is not far behind.

The Pig – Creep up and ambush Survivors with The Pig, the stealthy successor to the legendary Jigsaw. But simply hooking them isn’t enough. Survivors can first be punished with a Reverse Bear Trap, which they must race to remove at Jigsaw Boxes across the map. Suddenly, repairing generators isn’t quite so pressing…

The Wraith – Using his Wailing Bell to render himself invisible, The Wraith tracks his prey and strikes with little warning. Upon hearing the Bell’s fateful chime, Survivors must think fast or suffer the consequences. A hit-and-run specialist, The Wraith is adept at keeping everybody injured.

Key art for The Wraith killer in dead by daylight

Dead By Daylight D-Tier Killers

The Nightmare (Freddy Krueger) – Over time, The Nightmare forces Survivors into the Dream World. Once inside, Survivors will quickly realize the absence of a Terror Radius. With the ability to slow Survivors with Dream Snares, deceive with fake Dream Pallets, and pressure the map by teleporting directly to generators, The Nightmare lives up to his name.

The Shape (Michael Myers) – The Shape lurks in the distance, patiently biding his time. His evil builds while stalking Survivors, fueling him with malevolent power. As the trial progresses, The Shape evolves from a quiet menace to an unstoppable juggernaut capable of shredding through even the most resilient teams.

The Trapper – Armed with a bag of Bear Traps, The Trapper specializes in catching unsuspecting Survivors. By placing traps in high-traffic areas and thick patches of grass, he creates a deadly area that forces Survivors to move with caution. When dealing with The Trapper, a simple misstep can prove fatal.

Key art for The shape killer in dead by daylight


That’s everything you need to know about our Dead By Daylight Tier List. However, if you’re looking for more DBD guides then follow the links below for more helpful tips, tricks and explainers.

Dead By Daylight Killers Tier List | Dead By Daylight Survivors Tier List | Dead By Daylight CodesShrine of Secrets Perks This Week | Best Dead By Daylight Survivor Perks | Dead By Daylight Rank Reset | How To Get Bloodpoints Fast | How To Get Bloody Clothes | DBD Split-Screen | Are Bots Coming To DBD | DBD Tome 11 | DBD Chapter 24 | DBD Chapter 25 | DBD Chapter 26 | DBD 6th Anniversary |

Killer Build Guides – The Artist | The Blight | The Cannibal | The Cenobite | The Clown | The Deathslinger | The Demogorgon | The Doctor | The Dredge | The Executioner | The Ghost Face | The Hag | The Hillbilly | The Huntress | The Legion | The Nemesis | The Nightmare | The Nurse | The Oni | The Onryō | The Pig | The Plague | The Shape | The Spirit | The Trapper | The Trickster | The Twins | The Wraith |