What better way for horror fans to simulate the rush of outliving a killer than in a cooperative game like Dead By Daylight? Unlike other survival horror games, Dead By Daylight challenges four Survivors to try to escape against a supernaturally powered Killer using nothing but their wits. To remain faithful to horror media, Dead By Daylight Killers have a wide array of supernatural abilities tied to mysterious origins.
However, with more than 20 Killers to choose from, newcomers might have a hard time finding an antagonist that suits their playstyle. Thankfully, players looking for that fright factor can rely on a handful of Killers to do the job properly.
Updated on October 3, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Albert Wesker having entered the Fog and into the Entity’s grasp as The Mastermind in Dead By Daylight, he introduces a “face” to the horrific nature of bioterror in the Resident Evil franchise. And while players are currently enjoying the latest “Chapter 25: Resident Evil - Project W” DLC, some fans still remember particular Killers that made a mark not just in terms of gameplay but through sheer lore. These include variations of vengeful spirits, ravenous twins, an intelligent bioweapon, and something from the unknown.
15 The Twins
Originally Charlotte and Victor Deshayes, The Twins of Dead by Daylight are yet another pair of Killers who were less monstrous and more victims of unfortunate circumstances. Born conjoined, the lively Victor spent much of his years under the care of his loving sister Charlotte. Unfortunately, not only were they kidnapped and forced to watch their mother burn on the stake, they were viciously experimented on as well. Crying for vengeance, it was during her last hopeless moments that the Entity gave the Twins a renewed reason for existence within the Fog.
What perhaps makes the Twins extremely terrifying is how well-coordinated they are as a killing unit. Unlike other Killers, the Twins are quite literally two (2) entities, with Charlotte now able to “spit” out Victor to viciously hunt prey. This reflects a technical gameplay loop where Killers can stalk Survivors using either Charlotte or Victor. The idea of having to fight not one but two (2) supernaturally-enhanced Killers is terrifying.
14 The Spirit
The wrathful expression on the face of the Spirit is not out of terror but pure anger. Known in life as Rin Yamaoka, this hopeful young woman came home to her father utterly defeated in life and resorted to a desire to kill the entire family. Despite dying in her attempt to stop her father, the Entity recognized the fury in her death. It allowed her to become the Spirit after death, breathing new purpose into her and giving her a means of avenging her and her mother’s death.
In the game, the Spirit’s nature as an incorporeal being, Killers using her will be able to teleport around the field without being spotted, allowing her to jump on Survivors without being detected. It’s perhaps her tragic story and the reveal that the Entity precisely weaponizes these vendettas even after death, that makes the Spirit hauntingly terrifying.
13 The Dredge
It’s the Dredge that is perhaps the terrifying manifestation of the fears of psychic Haddie Kaur, who now became a playable Survivor after being only mentioned in Dead by Daylight lore. Haddie’s capability to peer into the worlds beyond hers is the perfect foil to the Dredge, which arrived in the “Chapter 24: Roots of Dread” DLC. Compared to other Killers with mysterious or tragic origins, the Dredge is just “is.”
In its story, the Dredge is the physical manifestation of hidden darkness that had built up within the supposed utopian society of the Fold, where their leader Otto Stamper had deliberately conditioned them to “keep themselves happy” and “resist dark thoughts” until they failed to realize there was too much darkness in them that there was no choice but to let it out. Unbeknownst to the now-dead population of the Fold, the Dredge is the end goal of Otto’s pursuits, as he worships Elder Gods. The fact that the Dredge is “not” human but rather a literal manifestation makes it utterly terrifying.
12 The Onryo
The arrival of Sadako Yamamura within the Fog, this time known as the Onryo, marks the fulfillment of a much-awaited horror franchise character in Dead by Daylight. Known as the primary antagonist in The Ring series, Sadako was an unfortunate victim of circumstance. While her life is explored in the film series, her Dead by Daylight story is much more straightforward - a powerful psychic with barely any training to control her powers, Sadako was lured into a well shortly after her mother’s death and was left there to die, only for the Entity to save her.
Similar to popular horror characters, Sadako is terrifying not simply because of her abilities in the game but in her history. Capable of psychically “infecting” or affecting technology through Nensha or “Thoughtography,” the Onryo can not only manifest herself through screens to kill her victims, but may communicate with them through such and, should her abilities be tweaked to be similar to her evolution in the films and books, then even possess others.
11 The Nemesis
Like other Dead by Daylight killers from other franchises, the iconic Resident Evil villain in the form of the Nemesis T-Type arrives in the Fog simply as The Nemesis. In the game’s lore, Nemesis was also the first intelligent bio-organic weapon, this time programmed to hunt the remnants of the S.T.A.R.S. unit and became the primary antagonist stopping Jill Valentine’s escape from the devastated Raccoon City. Whereas the original Resident Evil 3 story will have Nemesis inevitably destroyed, Dead By Daylight twists the story by having the Fog engulf Nemesis during his hunt.
Now trapped inside the Fog, the Nemesis remains hell-bent on hunting the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members - meaning Survivors such as newcomer Rebecca Chambers are not entirely safe. What makes Nemesis utterly horrifying isn’t his size, brute strength, or tentacles he can use to reach others. Rather, it’s his history among gamers as a relentless hunter - and the fact that he’s back at it again with no actual way of killing him - that can unlock a renewed sense of dread.
10 The Pig
Amanda Young’s origins come from her source franchise, Saw, where she becomes a devout follower of the Jigsaw after surviving his test. Sadly, Amanda perishes after abandoning Jigsaw’s philosophy of one’s “rediscovery” of life’s meaning through games of death. While Amanda dies in the films, the Entity captures Amanda’s essence, transforming her into the Pig once more.
Aside from the horrific Billy the Puppet, the most iconic image within the Saw franchise is the pig-masked Amanda Young. What’s more terrifying is that Amanda’s core ability attaches a timed death trap to Survivors, which already adds to the layers of fright each match offers.
9 The Clown
Under the alias, Jeffrey Hawk, Kenneth Chase or the Clown from “Chapter 8: Curtain Call” originally had a fascination for collecting feathers that spiraled into collecting human fingers. Through a clown disguise and an anesthetic, the Clown would lure victims to his camp and collect their most beautiful finger, discarding the rest of the body after torture. When other circus folk chased him away, the Clown stumbled into the Black Fog.
What is more terrifying than a killer clown? Despite the Clown’s rather appealing outfit, his sinister grin and remarkable reflexes enhance the Killer's uncanny, frightening nature. Albeit not a “ghost” or a “monster,” the very real possibility of an eerie clown can horrify players even outside of a match.
8 The Hillbilly
Serving as part of the original Killer Trio in the game’s release, the Hillbilly takes inspiration from the Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Born Max Thompson Jr., he, unfortunately, became a victim of abuse from his parents due to his disfigurement. Upon his escape, Max wasted no time slaughtering his parents and taking out his rage on animals on their farm.
Unfortunately, what’s terrifying about the Hillbilly is how close to reality his story feels since it deals with subjects such as child abuse. The lack of a supernatural element in the Hillbilly’s story brings him closer to the real world than other Killers.
7 The Executioner
Heralding from the “Chapter 16: Silent Hill” DLC, Pyramid Head the Executioner brandishes his gigantic blade in a wave of unending punishment. However this time, Pyramid Head comes blessed by the malevolent Entity itself instead of the dark powers of Silent Hill.
Aside from its origins in the acclaimed horror title, Silent Hill converging with Dead By Daylight adds an extremely personal layer to the Black Fog and the Realms. Aside from representing executioners in Silent Hill’s past, Silent Hill 2 also reveals that Pyramid Head served as the manifestation of the guilt and desire of protagonist James Sunderland. To have Pyramid Head chase Survivors meant the Entity may be using their own inner fears to torment and punish them.
6 The Plague
Introduced in the “Chapter 11: Demise of the Faithful” DLC, Adiris the Plague once served in ancient Babylon’s Temple of Purgation. As a horrible plague swept through the city, Adiris tried but failed to persist through her faith. Unfortunately, Adiris herself succumbs to the plague, only for the Entity to save her in her dying breath.
With her past in mind, Adiris serves as the oldest among the “once-living” Killers in the game. However, what makes her more frightening is the fact that Adiris may not have experienced anything to turn to evil in order to punish humans. Instead, Adiris becoming the Plague through the Entity meant that one’s strength in faith doesn’t matter.
5 The Legion
Befitting the name, the Legion of “Chapter 10: Darkness Among Us” consists of four people. When delinquent Frank Morrison met Julie and her friends Joey and Susie, he got them out of their “boring” lives. Donning their masks in an abandoned lodge, Frank would have the trio accompany him on nights of theft, vandalism, and bullying. When these careless nights turned into an accidental murder, the quartet knew there was no going back.
Among the Killers in the game, it’s The Legion that perhaps sparks a terrible picture of the impact of peer pressure. From the lore, it’s Frank’s strong grip on his impressionable friends that coerce them into committing horrendous acts with him.
4 The Doctor
Originating from the “Chapter 4: Spark of Madness” DLC, Herman Carter’s expertise in human psychology gained the attention of the CIA. What initially seemed like studies on the human psyche eventually became experimental interrogation. Eventually, his “Project Awakening” led to horrific torture. Albeit being largely missing for a long time, Herman Carter’s fate led him to the Entity, which transformed him into the Doctor.
What makes the Doctor frightening is perhaps how possible – and more terrifyingly, hidden – the idea of modern torture could get. Moreover, it’s horrifying to think that a malevolent force has given such power to a person who can use his knowledge of the human mind to destroy others.
3 The Trickster
Born a natural showman, Ji-Woon caught the eye of a talent agency that led him to stardom. Unfortunately, fame and being stuck in an idol group made life dull for Ji-Woon. This all changed one day when the screams of his bandmates trapped in a burning studio became the most beautiful music to his ears.
After their deaths, Ji-Woon became a solo act known as The Trickster, growing in fame by day and gathering victims to torture for beautiful screams at night. When his agency tried letting him go, Ji-Woon got music from the executives, too. And it’s at this point that the Fog and the Entity consumed him, encouraging him to wait for new victims to bring music.
“Never meet your idols” is the perfect motto for The Trickster. Unlike other Killers, Ji-Woon has the most human-like appearance, preserving his beautiful look befitting a star. What makes him more frightening is the reality that what people see in others shouldn’t be taken at face value. Albeit a superstar becoming a serial killer is an exaggeration, The Trickster can manifest in anyone who uses their fame and status to hurt others.
2 The Nightmare
Freddy Krueger completely shatters the myth of sleep being an intermediary between a bad day and a better tomorrow. While the parents of Springwood tracked and burned Freddy to death for hurting their children, his spirit persisted in nightmares. Courtesy of “Chapter 6: A Nightmare on Elm Street” DLC, Freddy Krueger manifests as an aide of the Entity as The Nightmare.
While his mainstream popularity makes Freddy a “usual” sight for horror fans, the sheer idea of him existing in the game has terrifying meta implications. For instance, it’s one thing that the Entity is able to “capture” people to bring into his Realms. However, it’s another thing entirely to know that sleeping can still have Freddy intrude in a Survivor’s nightmares, even in a supposed “safe” physical space.
1 The Cenobite
When World War I made him lose faith in humanity, Captain Elliot Spencer indulged in a life of hedonistic pleasures. He soon discovered true pleasure through pain upon unlocking the Lament Configuration, trading his humanity to become the Cenobite “Pinhead.” At its core, Hellraiser's Pinhead and other Cenobites unleash these painful pleasures to anyone unfortunate enough to open the Configuration. And now, the puzzle box finds itself within the Entity’s Realm.
Introduced in “Chapter 21: Hellraiser,” The Cenobite proves there are not enough horrors within the Entity’s Realm. Aside from being plagued by the existence of supernatural Killers, the Lament Configuration opens into an incomprehensible dimension of existence. Similar to Krueger’s nightmares, the canonicity of other malevolent dimensions outside the Entity’s Realms proves nowhere is safe in Dead By Daylight.
Dead by Daylight is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, and Stadia.