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With all DLCs combined with the base game of Dead by Daylight, there are 24 Survivors and counting for players to choose from. Featuring a wide variety of gameplay features and tricks, as well as a unique combination of original and famous horror characters, it can be daunting for players to decide who to play as.
Updated December 5, 2022, by Jason Van Duine: With the latest DLC for Dead by Daylight comes the addition of a brand new Survivor to the mix of potential characters players can choose from. Chapter 26: Forged in Fog introduces players to Vittorio Toscano, the 34th Survivor released within Dead by Daylight. Highly anticipated by fans, Vittorio comes with a number of unique perks to help repair generators and overcome the Killer, though like every other Survivor, he may not be suitable for every player.
34 Quentin Smith
Quentin Smith seems to not offer as much as other characters. The “Wake Up!” perk is only useful in the final moments of the game, and only within a specific range of the Exit Gates. “Pharmacy” guarantees a Med-Kit but doesn’t really offer anything else. The perk that seems to be the most helpful is “Vigil,” which offers a boost to each Survivor’s recovery.
Quentin Smith’s Perks
Wake Up!: This perk only unlocks once all generators are completed. The auras of exit gate switches with 128 meters are revealed. The player also opens gates 5, 10, or 15% faster. Pharmacy: Chests unlock 40, 60, or 80% faster. The first unlocked chest also guarantees a Med-Kit. This perk reduces the audible range of chest unlocking by 8 meters. Vigil: The player and others within 8 meters recover 10, 15, or 20% faster from Blindness, Exhaustion, Hemorrhage, and Hindered effects. This perk lasts for 15 seconds.
33 Ace Visconti
Most of Ace’s perks aren’t very useful. Both he and other Survivors can gain stackable Luck bonuses for up to 9%, which isn’t very helpful for the game. “Ace in the Hole” allows him to retrieve an add-on with a Very Rare rating or lower, which can be nice, but doesn’t help with the game’s overall goal of survival. “Open-Handed” is perhaps the most useful of Ace’s abilities, allowing him to increase the range of his Aura readings.
Ace Visconti’s Perks
Open-Handed: This perk increases all aura-reading ranges by 8, 12, or 16 meters. Up the Ante: The player gains 1 token for each survivor still in the game. Each token applies to a stack-able 1, 2, or 3% Luck bonus to all survivors, for a maximum of 3, 6, or 9% Ace in the Hole: There is a chance that an add-on will be attached to an item retrieved from a chest. Add-ons can have any rarity level up to Very Rare.
32 Ash J. Williams
It’s quite unfortunate that Ash from the Evil Dead series isn’t very engaging. The most useful perk is likely “Man of Mettle,” but more so for the other Survivors than Ash himself
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“Flip-Flop” is also somewhat useful, depending on whether players prefer recovery or wiggle progression. “Buckle Up” is essentially useless, simply allowing players to read the recovery progress of others.
Ash J. William’s Perks
Flip-Flop: While players are in the Dying state, 50% of the recovery progression is converted into wiggle progression for 40, 45, or 50% after being picked up by the Killer. Buckle Up: Players can see the recovery progress of other players by the intensity of the auras up to 48 meters away. When healing another survivor from the Dying state, the aura of the Killer is revealed to both players for 4, 5, or 6 seconds. Man of Mettle: After the third protection hit, players are protected by the Endurance effect. Any damage that puts players into the Dying state is blocked. After being healed, the player’s aura is revealed to the Killer when the player is 12, 14, or 16 meters away.
31 Adam Francis
Adam Francis has a bunch of interesting abilities, but none of them are particularly useful. “Diversion” is a nice idea but requires Adam to be in a somewhat specific scenario, so can’t be used terribly often. “Autodidact” grants Adam an easier time healing other Survivors, with only receiving a few tokens. “Deliverance” is perhaps the most pointless, simply guaranteeing that Adam can unhook himself.
Adam Francis’s Perks
Diversion: Stand in the Killer’s terror radius for 20, 35, or 30 seconds to activate this perk. While crouching, press the ability button to throw a pebble, creating a distraction for the Killer. Deliverance: After unhooking another survivor, self-unhook attempts are 100% successful. It causes the Broken effect for 100, 80, or 60 seconds. Autodidact: Players start the game with a -25% Progression penalty for skill checks to heal survivors. With every successful skill check, players receive 3, 4, or 5 tokens. Tokens give the player a +15% bonus Progression.
30 Haddie Kaur
For the most part, Haddie Kaur is a Survivor that most players can skip over, since she doesn’t offer many uses for her perks. “Inner Focus” allows her to see the Scratch Marks of other players and to briefly see the aura of the Killer if a nearby Survivor loses a Health State, though these seem to not add much to the overall game and are relatively weak compared to other perks that reveal the Killer’s aura. “Overzealous” is also too random in how it affects the player’s Repair speed.
“Residual Manifest” is the one standout perk for Haddie. It allows her to blind the Killer for up to 30 seconds, and rummaging through a chest will always guarantee a flashlight.
Haddie Kaur’s Perks
Inner Focus: Players can see the Scratch Marks of other Survivors. When a Survivor within 32 meters of the player loses a Health State, the Killer’s aura is revealed for 3, 4, or 5 seconds. Residual Manifest: Players can rummage through an opened chest once per trial and are guaranteed a basic flashlight. Players can successfully blind the Killer for 20, 25, or 30 seconds. Overzealous: Increases the player’s Repair speed after cleansing a totem; Repair speed is increased by 6, 7, or 8% if a dull totem, or 12, 14, or 16% if a hex totem. This deactivates if the player loses a Health State.
29 Steve Harrington
From the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Steve can be useful for helping out other teammates. “Babysitter” is the most useful of Steve’s perks, making it so other Survivors don’t leave any trace after they’re unhooked. “Camaraderie” doesn’t do too much, but can be helpful if Steve needs to unhook himself. “Second Wind” is pretty useless, simply allowing healing to be a bit easier.
Steve Harrington’s Perks
Babysitter: After rescuing a survivor, the survivor doesn’t leave scratch marks or pools of blood for 4, 6, or 8 seconds. Steve and the Killer see each other’s aura for 4 seconds. Camaraderie: If another survivor is within 16 meters while the player is hooked, the Struggle Phase timer is paused for 16, 30, or 34 seconds. Second Wind: After healing another survivor 1 health state, this perk activates. After being unhooked, the player is automatically healed 1 health state for 28, 24, or 20 seconds. The Broken effect remains until the perk is deactivated, which happens when healed or put into the Dying state.
28 Jeffrey “Jeff” Johansen
Jeff has some pretty decent perks, making him a bit more useful than preceding survivors. “Breakdown” allows him to briefly see the Killer’s aura after being unhooked. “Distortion” is similarly advantageous, with Jeff not leaving any Scratch Marks if the Killer reads his aura. “Aftercare” only allows Jeff to see the auras of other Survivors who helped throughout the game but offers no other uses. Jeff is the loudest character in Dead by Daylight, however.
Jeffery “Jeff” Johansen’s Perks
Breakdown: After being unhooked, the hook breaks and the player sees the Killer’s aura for 4, 5, or 6 seconds. Aftercare: Players see the auras of the last 1, 2, or 3 survivors they have rescued and healed or who have rescued and healed the player. Distortion: Players start the game with 3 tokens. Each time the Killer reads the player’s aura, a token is consumed. The player’s aura is then not shown to the Killer and the player won’t leave any scratch marks for 6, 8, or 10 seconds.
27 Jane Romero
Jane doesn’t really offer much, but her perks can prove valuable in specific situations. “Head On,” which stuns the Killer while escaping from a locker, is something players may be thankful to have. The “Solidarity” perk heals both her and another Survivor, which can be useful in dire times. “Poised” also avoids leaving Scratch Marks after fixing a Generator.
Jane Romero’s Perks
Solidarity: While injured, players healing another survivor without using a Med-Kit also heal themselves with a conversion rate of 40, 45, or 50%. Poised: The player doesn’t leave any scratch marks for 6, 8, or 10 seconds after completing a generator. Head On: Standing in a locker for 3 seconds activates this perk. Players stun the Killer for 3 seconds when using a rushed action to leave the locker. It causes the Exhausted effect for 60, 50, or 40 seconds.
26 Kate Denson
Kate’s perks focus on fleeing the Killer more than anything, which can be good or bad depending on the player. “Dance With Me” allows Kate to not leave any scratch marks after vaulting or fleeing a locker.
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“Windows of Opportunity” can help reveal auras of useful items, such as pallets or breakable walls. Her final perk, “Boil Over,” increases her struggle against the Killer and obstructs the Killer’s aura reading of hooks.
Kate Denson’s Perks
Dance With Me: Players don’t leave scratch marks for 3 seconds after using a rushed action to vault a window or leave a locker. Windows of Opportunity: The auras of breakable walls, pallets, and windows are revealed for 20 seconds. It cools down for 30, 25, or 20 seconds after vaulting or dropping a pallet during a chase. Boil Over: Struggle effects from wiggling are increased by 25%, 50%, or 75%. Players also obscure the Killer’s ability to read the auras of hooks within 10, 12, or 14 meters of the player’s pick-up location.
25 Vittorio Toscano
Vittorio Toscano is a fine update to the Dead by Daylight survivor roster, offering a mixed bag of perks for players to experiment with. “Fogwise” is likely his most useful perk, allowing the player to see the aura of the Killer after succeeding a Great Skill Check on a generator. “Potential Energy” is an interesting concept, though overall a complicated and somewhat convoluted way of increasing progression on a generator. “Quick Gambit” is a skill that’s more useful to other survivors, as it allows them to see the aura of the Killer while Vittorio is being chased, though the circumstances are both risky and very specific.
Vittorio Toscano’s Perks
Potential Energy: After repairing a generator continuously for 12, 10, or 8 seconds, players can press Activate Ability to activate “Potential Energy”. From that point onward, repairing the generator will charge “Potential Energy” rather than progressing the generator. 1. 5% of the progression progress is converted into 1 token, for a maximum of 20 tokens. Then, when repairing any generator, pressing the Activate Ability button will immediately progress the generator 1% per token, for a maximum of 20%. Missing Skill Checks will result in the player losing some tokens, whereas losing a Health State will result in the player losing all tokens and “Potential Energy” being deactivated. Fogwise: The Killer’s aura is revealed for 4, 5, or 6 seconds after succeeding a Great Skill Check. Quick Gambit: When the player is being chased within 24 meters of a generator being repaired, the repair speed of Survivors repairing that generator will increase by 6, 7, or 8%.
24 Jonah Vasquez
From the Portrait of a Murder DLC, Jonah has a mixed bag of relatively useful and useless perks. “Overcome” is arguably his best perk, which allows the player to keep the Movement Speed burst for a few more seconds than normal when injured. Though it should be noted that this perk causes the “Exhausted” for the longest out of all the Survivors in the game.
“Corrective Action” is great for new players, or for experienced players introducing new players to Dead by Daylight. The perk has Jonah earning tokens whenever he succeeds in a Great Skill Check. He can then use those tokens so that whenever other players cooperating with him fails a Skill Check, they instead succeed. Veteran players may find this perk less useful, however. His boon, “Exponential”, allows a much quicker recovery for him and other survivors, and while it can be rewarding, it’s often tricky to actually pull off.
Jonah Vasquez’s Perks
Overcome: When the player becomes injured, they retain the Movement Speed Burst for two more seconds. This causes the Exhaustion effect for 60, 50, or 40 seconds. Corrective Action: Players gain 1, 2, or 3 tokens, for a total of 5, whenever they succeed a Great Skill Check. For any cooperating Survivors who fail a Skill Check, 1 token will be consumed and transform it into a successful Skill Check. Boon: Exponential: Survivors within the range of the boon totem will have a 90, 95, or 100% bonus to their Recovery Speeds. Players will also be able to fully recover from the Dying State and gain the Self-Recovery ability.
23 Yun-Jin Lee
Added with the All-Kill expansion, Yun-Jin Lee’s perks help with gameplay but don’t make Yun-Jin stand out much among the other survivors. When other survivors are hooked, the perk “Fast Track” gains anywhere from 1-3 tokens, for a maximum of 9-27. The player consumes all tokens after a skill check on a generator, which grants a stackable Progression bonus.
Yun-Jin can also sprint at 150% of her normal speed after hitting the Killer through the skill “Smash Hit”. Her most useful perk is “Self Preservation.” When other players within 16 meters are hit with an attack, scratch marks, grunts of pain, and bleeding are all suppressed for up to 10 seconds.
Yun-Jin Lee’s Perks
Fast Track : Whenever a Survivor is hooked, “Fast Track” gains 1, 2, or 3 tokens for up to a maximum of 9, 18, or 27 tokens. Players consume accumulated tokens after a Great Skill Check on a Generator. Each token grants a stackable 1% Progression bonus. Smash Hit: After stunning the Killer with a pallet, the player breaks into a sprint at 150% of their normal speed for 4 seconds. It causes the Exhausted effect for 60, 50, or 40 seconds. Self-Preservation: When another survivor within 16 meters of the player is hit with a basic or special attack, scratch marks, grunts of pain, and bleeding are suppressed for 6, 8, or 10 seconds.
22 Yoichi Asakawa
While fans of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring may remember Yoichi as a young boy, in the events of Dead by Daylight he’s now full-grown and ready to take on the vengeful spirit Sadako. His skills range from niche to semi-useful. “Parental Guidance” allows players to have their scratch marks, grunts of pain, and pools of blood suppressed for 5, 6, or 7 seconds after stunning the Killer. It’s a fine perk, but useful only in the specific circumstance of being able to stun the Killer.
“Empathetic Connection” is Yoichi’s most useful perk, as injured Survivors within a 32, 64, or 96-meter radius will see Yoichi’s aura. Yoichi will also heal Survivors 10% faster, making this perk useful for anyone playing medic. His boon, “Dark Theory”, which gives players a 2% Haste status effect that lingers for 2, 3, or 4 seconds after leaving the boon radius, is nice in theory but overall not very useful.
Yoichi Asakawa’s Perks
Parental Guidance: After stunning the Killer, players will have their scratch marks, grunts of pain, and pools of blood suppressed for 5, 6, or 7 seconds. Empathetic Connection: Injured Survivors within 32, 64, or 96 meters of the player will see the player’s aura; the player heals Survivors 10% faster. Boon: Dark Theory: Survivors have a 2% Haste status effect which lingers for 2, 3, or 4 seconds after leaving the totem radius.
21 Ada Wong
While most of Ada Wong’s perks might more or less be left untouched by players, the Resident Evil character does come with one unique perk that is sure to attract players. Most of her perks don’t offer much new to the game. “Reactive Healing” requires players to be in a very specific situation in order to activate, and “Low Profile” only activates if the player is the last in the round and doesn’t offer much support.
Ada Wong’s real treat is “Wiretap”. This perk essentially allows players to install a wiretap onto generators that lasts up to 80 seconds. This allows all Survivors to see the aura of the Killer when the Killer is within 14 meters of a trapped generator, essentially allowing all players to easily keep track of where the Killer is on the map.
Ada Wong’s Perks
Wiretap: Players can install a wiretap onto generators that can last for 60, 70, or 80 seconds. The auras of trapped generators are visible to all Survivors. When the Killer is within 14 meters of a trapped generator, their aura is revealed to all Survivors. Reactive Healing: When a Survivor within 32 meters of the player loses a Health State, and the player is in the Injured State, the player will be given 40, 45, or 50% of their missing Healing Progression. Low Profile: When the player is the only Survivor left in the Trial, their Scratch Marks, Pools of Blood, and Grunts of Pain are suppressed for 70, 80, or 90 seconds.
20 Zarina Kassir
Zarina is a great choice for players looking for stealth and support. After escaping from a hook, “Off the Record” makes Zarina silent and invisible to the Killer’s aura readings. With “Red Herring,” players can create a distraction for the Killer. “For the People” also allows Zarina to easily heal others.
Zarina Kassir’s Perks
Off the Record: After being unhooked, the player’s aura will not be available to the Killer, and grunts of pain are reduced by 100% for 60, 70, or 80%. Red Herring: After repairing a generator for 3 seconds, its aura is highlighted until it’s fully repaired, the player begins repairing another generator, or the player enters a locker. Entering a locker triggers a loud noise notification at the highlighted generator. For the People: Pressing the ability button while healing a survivor without a Med-Kit instantly heals them 1 health state. Players then become the Obsession and are Broken 110, 100, or 90 seconds. This perk only works when the player is in full health.
19 Yui Kimura
Many of Yui’s perks focus on covering the tracks of both herself and other Survivors. Once Yui gets injured, “Lucky Break” activates, and she won’t leave any pools of blood for up to 180 seconds. “Any Means Necessary” allows her to reset dropped pallets, making things confusing for the Killer, and “Breakout” allows carried players nearby to increase wiggle speed while Yui herself increases in movement.
Yui Kimura’s Perks
Lucky Break: Bleeding and scratch marks are suppressed for 40, 50, or 60 seconds when in the Injured state. It becomes disabled for the rest of the game. Any Means Necessary: Pressing and holding the ability button next to a dropped pallet resets its position. Breakout: Players gain the Haste effect when within 6 meters of a carried survivor, moving at an increased speed of 5, 6, or 7%. The survivor being carried has an increased wiggling speed of 20%.
18 Detective David Tapp
From the Saw franchise, David Tapp can prove useful for surviving the game. “Tenacity” allows the player to recover health while also crawling at an increased speed. “Detective’s Hunch” is also pretty helpful, showing the auras of generators, chests, and totems within a certain area. If David is holding a map, generators will also be added to it.
Detective David Tapp’s Perks
Tenacity: Players crawl 30, 40, or 50% faster while also recovering. Detective’s Hunch: Generators, chests, and totems within 32, 48, or 64 meters are revealed to players after completing a generator. Stake Out: Players gain 1 token every 15 seconds spent within the Killer’s terror radius while not in a chase, for up to 2, 3, or 4 tokens.
17 Jill Valentine
Jill Valentine was introduced to the game with the Resident Evil expansion for Dead by Daylight. Her perks are a bit random, but all can prove useful. Players focusing on cleansing totems will find Jill a great character.
“Counterforce” allows the player to cleanse totems 20% faster, and reveals the aura of the farthest totem after the cleansing. With “Resurgence”, players gain 40-50% of healing after being unhooked. Finally, “Blast Mine” allows Jill to rig a generator with a mine that can stun the Killer.
Jill Valentine’s Perks
Counterforce: Players cleanse totems 20% faster. The cleansing speed bonus stacks with each cleansed totem. After cleansing a totem, the aura of the totem farthest from the player is revealed for 2, 3, or 4 seconds. Resurgence: Players gain 40, 45, or 50% to the healing process after being unhooked. Blast Mine: After repairing a generator for 3 seconds, players can press the ability button to install a mine that stays active for 35, 40, or 45 seconds. The aura of trapped generators appears yellow to all other survivors. When the Killer damages a trapped generator, the Killer is stunned and all nearby players are blinded.
16 Cheryl Mason
Appearing from Silent Hill 3, Cheryl Mason is a simple yet cunning character to play as. “Blood Pact” allows Cheryl to see the aura of the Killer if she becomes the Obsession, and gains the haste status effect upon being healed.
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Cheryl can also use “Repressed Alliance” to briefly block newly repaired generators from being destroyed by the Killer, which is always useful.
Cheryl Mason’s Perks
Soul Guard: Players get the Endurance effect for 4, 6, or 8 seconds after being healed from the Dying state. Players also can recover completely from the Dying state while cursed. Blood Pact: After being healed from being the Obsession, players gain the Haste effect, moving at an increased speed of 5, 6, or 7%. Repressed Alliance: This perk activates after repairing generators for 80, 70, or 60 seconds. Pressing the ability button summons the Entity to block the generator the player is currently repairing.
15 Nea Karlsson
Nea’s abilities mostly focus on stealth. “Balanced Landing” reduces stagger from falls, silences noises, and increases Nea’s movement significantly. Similarly, “Urban Evasion” increases Nea’s movement while crouching, both of which can be useful when evading the Killer. The “Streetwise” ability also reduces item consumption for Nea and nearby Survivors.
Nea Karlsson’s Perks
Balanced Landing: When falling from heights, stagger duration is reduced by 75%, and grunts are completely silenced. Players begin sprinting at 150% of their normal speed for 3 seconds. Urban Evasion: Movement is increased by 90, 95, or 100% when crouching. Streetwise: Depletion of items is reduced by 15, 20, or 25% for both the player and any survivors within 8 meters.
