With over 41 DBD killers in the game now, it can be hard to know who to play and which ones to unlock first, especially when some of them require real-world money to unlock.
My DBD killer tier list below ranks characters on their overall ability and average difficulty, but I'll go into a bit more detail too, so hopefully I can help you decide which killers are right for you. Just don't forget it's not always about which are the most prolific killers, but sometimes more about which are the most fun to play.
All DBD killers ranked
As I've mentioned above, my DBD killer tier list bases killers on their average performance, so this might not be totally accurate for, say, someone playing in the top or bottom MMR. It also doesn't take the likes of perks and add-ons into consideration either.
Instead, this is a rough guide to generally playability, killer power, how easy they are to counter, and how much success you're likely to have at mid-level. I'll also pick out a few special mentions and go into more detail on them below. Honestly, though, all the killers below can be fun to play, and The Dredge is my personal favorite, despite being in the bottom tier, so you do you!
Tier |
Killer |
S |
The Nurse, The Blight |
A+ |
The Slasher, The Ghoul, The Wraith, The Spirit |
A |
The Hillbilly, The Trickster, The Huntress, The Knight, The Lich, The Doctor, The Dark Lord, The Nightmare, The Pig, The Legion |
B |
The Plague, The Xenomorph, The Executioner, The First, The Shape, The Deathslinger, The Animatronic, The Mastermind, The Nemesis, The Oni, The Cannibal, The Trapper, The Unknown, The Krasue, The Clown, The Artist |
C |
The Singularity, The Houndmaster, The Demogorgon, The Good Guy, The Twins, The Ghost Face, The Cenobite, The Onryo, The Dredge, The Hag |
Not only do I have over 1,300 hours on DBD on Steam alone, and stream both killer and survivor on Twitch, but I also own and play every single killer available. While I might not be the best at any of them, I do have enough knowledge of every DBD killer and the game itself to be able to confidently suggest the best killers you should unlock and try out first!
The best DBD killers to unlock first
The above tier list might help you choose which killers to try first, but their are other things to consider than just their performance. A big one is their unique perks, meaning some of the worst killers might actually be some of the best to buy. So, whether you're looking to spend Iridescent Shards on original characters or real money or licenced ones, here are some of the best killers to consider first:
- The Slasher
- The Clown
- The Artist
- The Trapper
- The Wraith
- The Huntress
- The Hag
The Slasher
The Slasher is a new DBD killer, and is immediately one of the best, both in terms of power and fun. Like The Huntress, who I go into more detail about below, The Slasher, AKA Jason Vorhees, is a projectile killer, meaning he can throw objects at survivors in order to injure or down them at range.
While this does mean you need good aim, learning to play as Jason is incredibly fun, and once you've mastered him, he's one of the most deadly DBD killers to date. Whether he's nerfed in the near future I don't know, but until then, he's an essential if you're willing to part with real-life money.
The Clown
The Clown, meanwhile, is an original killer, meaning you can unlock him with free in-game currency called Iridescent Shards. He's highly cited as being the most important original killer to unlock thanks to his unique Perk Pop Goes the Weasel, which causes massive regression on kicked gens. So, even if you're terrified of clowns, he's still worth buying.
Speaking of Coulrophobia, that's another of his Perks, and significantly slows down survivors' healing speed when they're near you. Finally, there's Bamboozle, another hugely popular killer Perk, temporarily blocking windows whenever you use them yourself.
The Artist
The Artist can be an incredibly dominant force, but she's also very hard to play well, hence her position in my tier list. That said, she's another original character that it's worth unlocking for her Perks, even if you want to work your way up to playing her, or don't like her at all.
All three of The Artist's Perks are fantastic, but you'll likely hear of Pain Resonance and Pentimento the most, two of the best killer Perks.
The Trapper
The Trapper is a base game killer, so you don't need to unlock him, but he's getting a mention here since the OG, the iconic face of DBD, sometimes gets a bad wrap, and you'll likely have seen him far lower down other tier lists than he is on mine above.
In my opinion, this is because most of the tier lists you see are made by people in the very highest MMR, but if you're a more casual player, and the survivors you play against are too, The Trapper can actually be an incredible force. The key is not to spend too much time placing traps at the start of a match, and make sure when you do place them that they're in good positions, particularly in doorways and near pallets that can't be avoided in chase.
The Huntress
Default killers like The Wraith, The Trapper, and The Huntress each offer very different playstyles, but they're all good for beginners, with The Huntress being a great choice for FPS experts.
If you're a fan of shooters, you'll likely find DBD's projectile killers slightly easier, since you'll have a natural feel for angles and distance. Like The Trapper, you won't actually have to unlock The Huntress either, so she's an honorable mention here just to say that it's worth giving her a try if you haven't already. Then, if you like her, you could consider moving on to the likes of Springtrap and Jason.
The Hag
You might be wondering why The Hag is the bottom of the tier list, but on this list. Well, this comes down to her having two of the game's most devastating killer Perks: Ruin and Devour Hope. Both are Hex perks, with Ruin causing generators to regress immediately whenever a survivor lets go, giving you great gen control. Meanwhile, Devour Hope increases in value the more survivors you hook, eventually allowing you to instantly down and kill them.
While you can buy Perks in the weekly rotating Shrine of Secrets, you'll still have to part with Iridescent Shards, so you may as well spend a few more to unlock the killer herself. You can do it any time, you've got the killer unlocked for good, and you've got her other perk, too, all for just 2,500 Iri Shards.
Finally, if you're wondering which killer to get next, you might just want to consider your favorite horror franchises. With the likes of SAW, Resident Evil, Friday the 13th, FNAF, Silent Hill, and so many more all on the DBD killer roster, pick the killers you'll enjoy most - that's what it's all about, after all.
Once you've chosen, be sure to redeem the latest DBD codes for Bloodpoints to level up your new character. Then, take a look at the most recent DBD roadmap to see who's going to be added to this list next!
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