Last updated: 17 October 2026
This is the ultimate DBD tier list 2026 to understand which killers and survivors sit where on the ranking. If you play Dead by Daylight a lot and keep wondering which characters could up your game, these DBD killers and survivors are just what you need. Let’s explore the complete DBD tier list killers and survivors, along with the best killer and survivor perks.
DBD Tier List Killers
This Dead by Daylight tier list consists of all 44 killers in the game, ranked according to how strong they are. Scan this killer tier list DBD to understand which killers to pick to get an advantage.
| Tier | Killer | Reason |
| S | The Nurse | Blinks bypass most obstacles and loops |
| S | The Blight | Exceptional mobility and chase pressure |
| S | The Hillbilly | High speed and instant-down potential |
| S | The Spirit | Powerful mind games and fast phasing |
| S | The Ghoul | Excellent mobility and aggressive chase |
| S | The Mastermind | Strong dashes and reliable chase power |
| A | The Huntress | Powerful ranged hatchet attacks |
| A | The Xenomorph | Strong tail attacks and map mobility |
| A | The Executioner | Ranged attacks and powerful anti-loop tools |
| A | The Lich | Versatile spells for different situations |
| A | The Dark Lord | Multiple forms and flexible chase options |
| A | The Artist | Strong ranged pressure and loop control |
| A | The Animatronic | Strong chase pressure and map control |
| A | The Slasher | Effective mobility and strong chase potential |
| A | The First | Teleportation and powerful area control |
| A | The Krasue | Strong chase tools and pressure |
| B | The Judgment | Promising power with matchup-dependent strengths |
| B | The Houndmaster | Tracking and chase support from her dog |
| B | The Unknown | Ranged explosions and strong mind games |
| B | The Singularity | Excellent mobility with high skill requirements |
| B | The Oni | Devastating snowball potential with his power |
| B | The Plague | Infection pressure and powerful endgame potential |
| B | The Knight | Guards provide useful loop and area control |
| B | The Nemesis | Strong tentacle attacks and zombie support |
| B | The Dredge | Teleportation and nighttime pressure |
| B | The Good Guy | Small stature and strong ambush potential |
| B | The Wraith | Fast movement and effective hit-and-run tactics |
| B | The Nightmare | Dream abilities and teleportation create pressure |
| B | The Trickster | Rapid ranged attacks punish exposed survivors |
| B | The Cenobite | Chains and passive objectives disrupt survivors |
| B | The Doctor | Tracking and shocks disrupt looping |
| C | The Legion | Excellent injury spread but weaker finishing power |
| C | The Deathslinger | Accurate shots are strong but require precision |
| C | The Hag | Powerful traps but limited mobility |
| C | The Twins | Strong snowball potential with demanding controls |
| C | The Pig | Traps waste time but chase is less reliable |
| C | The Clown | Useful slowdown and chase support |
| C | The Ghost Face | Stealth and exposed hits, but limited map pressure |
| C | The Demogorgon | Balanced chase tools and portal mobility |
| C | The Onryō | Teleportation and Condemned pressure are situational |
| C | The Cannibal | Powerful close-range chainsaw downs |
| D | The Trapper | Setup time limits early-game pressure |
| D | The Shape | Needs time to build power and apply pressure |
| D | The Skull Merchant | Weaker overall pressure compared with top killers |
DBD Tier List Survivors
This DBD tier list survivors consists of all 53 survivors. Laurie Strode is not included in this Dead by Daylight Tier List as she is no longer available for purchase. Her former unique perks have been made available as general perks in the horror game. This survivor tier list DBD will tell you all about the best survivors.
| Tier | Survivor | Reason |
| S | Kate Denson | Windows of Opportunity offers excellent map awareness |
| S | Meg Thomas | Sprint Burst and Adrenaline are powerful perks |
| S | Zarina Kassir | Off the Record helps counter tunneling |
| S | Jeff Johansen | Distortion provides valuable aura-reading protection |
| S | Mikaela Reid | Strong boon perks for healing and stealth |
| A | Feng Min | Lithe is excellent for chase |
| A | Dwight Fairfield | Prove Thyself supports generator efficiency |
| A | Bill Overbeck | Unbreakable offers powerful recovery |
| A | Jake Park | Iron Will helps with stealth |
| A | David King | Dead Hard offers defensive value |
| A | Rebecca Chambers | Reassurance helps teammates on hooks |
| A | Adam Francis | Deliverance enables a self-unhook |
| A | Gabriel Soma | Made for This supports chase and survival |
| A | Renato Lyra | Background Player helps with saves |
| A | Sable Ward | Wicked offers useful unhook and basement utility |
| A | Taurie Cain | Shoulder the Burden can save a teammate |
| A | Kwon Tae-young | Useful chase and generator perks |
| B | Nea Karlsson | Balanced Landing enables useful escapes |
| B | Nancy Wheeler | Inner Strength provides totem-based healing |
| B | Élodie Rakoto | Power Struggle enables situational pallet saves |
| B | Jonah Vasquez | Overcome creates distance after being hit |
| B | Yui Kimura | Lucky Break supports stealth escapes |
| B | Jane Romero | Head On enables stun plays |
| B | Jill Valentine | Resurgence speeds up healing after unhooks |
| B | Leon S. Kennedy | Flashbang enables blinds and saves |
| B | Vittorio Toscano | Fogwise provides generator skill-check information |
| B | Ellen Ripley | Chemical Trap helps during chases |
| B | Alan Wake | Useful light-based and team utility perks |
| B | Lara Croft | Finesse improves fast-vault plays |
| B | Nicolas Cage | Plot Twist enables self-recovery and mind games |
| B | Steve Harrington | Babysitter supports rescued teammates |
| B | Cheryl Mason | Soul Guard offers situational protection |
| B | Orela Rose | Strong healing and teammate-support potential |
| B | Aurora | Useful team and boon utility |
| B | Shane Wiigwaas | A varied kit with situational utility |
| B | Yoichi Asakawa | Empathic Connection supports team healing |
| B | Rick Grimes | Teamwork perks offer coordinated-play value |
| B | Michonne Grimes | Conviction offers situational survival utility |
| C | Claudette Morel | Self-Care is convenient but often inefficient |
| C | Ace Visconti | Open-Handed supports aura-reading builds |
| C | Felix Richter | Built to Last helps extend item use |
| C | Ada Wong | Wiretap provides generator-based information |
| C | Haddie Kaur | Useful but situational tracking and totem perks |
| C | Yun-Jin Lee | Fast Track can accelerate generator progress |
| C | Quentin Smith | Pharmacy offers situational item access |
| C | Thalita Lyra | Teamwork perks need coordination |
| C | Ash Williams | Mettle of Man requires specific conditions |
| C | David Tapp | Detective’s Hunch helps locate objectives |
| C | Trevor Belmont | Situational perks with specialized uses |
| C | Aestri and Baermar Uraz | Bardic Inspiration can help coordinated teams |
| C | Vee Boonyasak | A more situational perk package |
| C | Dustin Henderson | Specialized perks with limited general value |
| C | Eleven | Information and teamwork-focused perks |
Dead by Daylight Tier List: Category Rankings
These Dead by Daylight character rankings are all you need. The Survivor tier list DBD and Killer tier list DBD will tell you which picks are best for beginners, stealth, and more.
1. Best Killers for Beginners
- The Wraith: Easy to learn and approach survivors
- The Trapper: Teaches trap placement and map control
- The Doctor: Helps to find and disrupt survivors
2. Best Killers for Competitive Players
- The Nurse: Bypasses obstacles with her blink ability
- The Blight: Offers excellent mobility and chase potential
- The Spirit: Excels at mind games and tracking
3. Best Killers for Stealth
- The Ghost Face: Can stalk survivors and hide his Terror Radius while crouching
- The Wraith: Uses his cloaking ability to approach survivors unnoticed
- The Pig: Can crouch and ambush survivors with stealth attacks
- The Shape (Michael Myers): Can stalk survivors and build up his power
- The Chucky: Can use Hidey-Ho Mode to become harder to detect and surprise survivors
4. Best Survivors for Beginners
- Meg Thomas: Offers Sprint Burst, a useful perk for escaping the killer
- Dwight Fairfield: Great for learning teamwork with Bond and Prove Thyself
- Claudette Morel: Has healing perks that help beginners support teammates
- Feng Min: Offers Lithe for a speed boost after a rushed vault
- Kate Denson: Has Windows of Opportunity, which helps locate pallets and vaults for safer chases
5. Best Survivors for Coordinated Teams
- Prove Thyself: Supports cooperative generator repairs
- Bond: Reveals nearby teammates
- Kindred: Provides useful hook related information
- We’ll Make It: Speeds up healing after unhooks
6. Beginner-Friendly Survivor Builds
- Windows of Opportunity: Reveals nearby pallets and windows
- Sprint Burst: Provides a burst of running speed
- Bond: Helps locate teammates
- Kindred: Improves awareness during hook situations
7. Best Killer Perks in DBD
- Corrupt Intervention: Temporarily blocks selected generators at the start of the trial
- Pop Goes the Weasel: Regresses a generator after hooking a survivor
- Nowhere to Hide: Reveals nearby survivors after kicking a generator
- Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance: Regresses a generator when a survivor is hooked on a Scourge Hook
- Barbecue & Chilli: Can reveal distant survivors after hooking someone
8. Best Survivor Perks in DBD
- Windows of Opportunity: Reveals nearby pallets and vault locations
- Sprint Burst: Provides a burst of running speed
- Lithe: Grants a speed boost after a rushed vault
- Bond: Reveals nearby teammates
- Prove Thyself: Supports cooperative generator repairs
How We Ranked Every Killer and Survivor
- Overall Effectiveness: How the player compares to others
- Chase power: The ability to catch or escape opponents
- Map pressure: Control over generators and map areas
- Difficulty: How hard the abilities are to learn
- Consistency: Level of proficiency on different maps
- Current meta: How the balance has changed recently and the updates in perks
For more gaming guides, tips, codes, and more, check out Driffle Blog.
DBD Tier List 2026: FAQs
Q1: What does DBD Killers mean?
A: DBD Killers are the characters in Dead by Daylight who hunt Survivors and try to sacrifice them to the Entity.
Q2: Who is the main killer in DBD?
A: The Trapper is often considered the iconic face of DBD, appearing prominently in the game’s original marketing and artwork.
Q3: Can DBD Killers be killed?
A: No, DBD Killers cannot normally be killed by Survivors, but they can be stunned, blinded, or temporarily interrupted.
Q4: Are there any LGBTQ killers in DBD?
A: Yes, DBD includes LGBTQ+ characters in its lore, though most Killers’ sexual orientations are not officially confirmed by Behaviour Interactive.
Q5: How many Survivors are on DBD?
A: As of October 2026, Dead by Daylight has 54 Survivors in its roster.
Q6: Who is the rarest survivor in DBD?
A: Legacy Prestige survivors are among the rarest in DBD because their exclusive Legacy cosmetics were available only to players who met specific requirements before the 2016 progression update.
Q7: Who wins more in DBD, Killer or Survivor?
A: Statistically, Killers win slightly more overall with official developer metrics consistently showing average Killer kill rates hovering around 56% to 60% (above the 50%/2-kill balance threshold).
Q8: Is DBD easier for killers or survivors?
A: Killers generally have an easier learning curve at low to mid skill levels, but high rank Survivors playing in coordinated teams (SWF) have the higher overall skill ceiling and advantage.
