Since its Windows release in 2016, Dead by Daylight’s survivors have gathered fans and players who prefer one over the other. Due to the game’s unique perk mechanic, each survivor is truly special with wildly differing play styles and tactics. Even with just 21 of the 27 available survivors in its smartphone port, there’s still a lot to choose from for new players and veterans who want a change of pace. To help you through the many choices, here’s our ranking of the best Dead by Daylight survivors!
This article is a companion piece to our Dead by Daylight guide. The guide gives the most common tips and tricks to staying alive and completing your objectives as a survivor, or literally hooking up your prey as the killer.
What Is Dead by Daylight Mobile?
So what is Dead by Daylight Mobile? For those new to the game, Dead by Daylight Mobile is a horror game that follows the same mechanics as its PC counterpart. It was released on Windows, Mac, eighth and ninth-generation consoles, and the Nintendo Switch. It’s a multiplayer 4-versus-1 survival horror game with survivors trying to escape the map while the killer tries to capture and “hook” them. The game features cross-play compatibility between Android and iOS versions. However, mobile players won’t be able to play with friends on PC or consoles.
Get Dead by Daylight on the Google Play Store
Get Dead by Daylight on the Apple App Store
Dead by Daylight Survivors
Dead by Daylight Mobile features just 21 survivors from the original 27 in the original game. The game might have new survivors in the future, though, since more features are still being added to the mobile version. The survivors not included are Leon Scott Kennedy and Jill Valentine from Resident Evil, and Yun-Jin Lee, Elodie Rakoto, Felix Richter, and Zarina Kassir from the Chains of Hate chapter.
Compared to killers, Dead by Daylight survivors have a lot more abilities and perks to choose from. These perks range from the very useful “Self Care” that heals your character to the tactical “Open Handed” perk that increases your teams’ aura sighting range. Whichever survivor you pick, you’ll have to intimately know and get used to them to survive and escape.
For a more in-depth explanation of the best survivor and killer perks, take a look at our article on Dead by Daylight perks.
Dead by Daylight Survivors Ranking
Although the game has 21 survivors, not all of them are available from the get-go. Just William Overbeck, Meg Thomas, and Dwight Fairfield are available after the tutorial. Another free character you can get is Claudette Morel, who will join your squad after fulfilling the first starter ritual. Other characters can be gained through free tickets, in-game bundles, or by buying them individually with in-game currency called “Iridescent Shards” or “Auric Cells.”
Dead by Daylight survivors have a rating on their character information page that goes from “Easy” to “Intermediate” then to “Hard.” These correspond to how much technique and time you’ll need to master and level up that character while playing the game. For our ranked list, we’ll note down the character’s name, technique rating, the cost to unlock, and a simplified explanation of their survivor perks.
21. Ace Visconti
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Open-Handed | Increase to all aura reading ranges. |
| Up the Ante | Gives a token for each survivor still in the Trial. Each token adds Luck. |
| Ace in the Hole | Gives a chance of a Very Rare or lower add-on when looting chests and a lower chance of a second Uncommon add-on. |
Ace Visconti’s perks are very niche and rely a lot on blind luck. You’ll only use them to find chests and items for you to use, which aren’t always available. Aside from that, the items you get might not be useful for you or other survivors either.
20. Jeffrey “Jeff” Johansen
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Breakdown | Every time you’re unhooked, the hook breaks and the Killer’s aura is seen. |
| Aftercare | Every time you rescue or are rescued from a hook and heal or are healed, you can see the aura of other survivors. |
| Distortion | You start the match with 3 tokens which prevent Killers from seeing your aura and will prevent scratch marks. Your tokens will reduce with each time the Killer reads your aura. |
Jeff Johansen players have one specific mission, destroy nearby hooks to prevent killers from hooking up survivors. Aside from that, Johansen’s strategy is to run around the map and unhook or heal other survivors.
19. Adam Francis
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Diversion | You can create loud noises or scratch marks when within the killer’s terror radius. |
| Deliverance | When you rescue a survivor from a hook, your next self-unhook will 100% succeed. |
| Autodidact | You have a -25% progression penalty for skill checks when healing survivors. Each heal gives you a token giving +15% progression bonus. |
Another support character, Adam Francis is best used to distract killers away from potential victims. Diversion is a good tactical perk and, when used right, can save more than a few survivors from the hook.
18. Kate Denson
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Dance with Me | When rushing a window or leaving a locker, you won’t leave scratch marks for 3 seconds. |
| Windows of Opportunity | You’ll see auras of breakable walls, pallets, and windows within 20 meters. |
| Boil Over | Wiggling causes killers to strafe sideways. Hook auras are obscured from killers. |
Kate Denson’s best perk is Dance with Me, which lets her rush or vault without leaving scratch marks for three seconds. It’s a very situational perk, a situation you’d rather not have in the first place. Denson is best for players who want to out-think and out-run the killer.
17. Detective David Tapp
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Tenacity | Crawling is faster for you. |
| Detective’s Hunch | When generators are completed, you see auras of nearby generators, chests, and totems. |
| Stake Out | Each 15 seconds spent inside a terror radius without being chased gives you one token. Good skill checks consume one token giving 1% progression. |
Detective David Tapp is a character from the Saw franchise and happens to have the wonderful Tenacity perk. This lets you crawl away from the killer faster compared to other survivors. Aside from that, Detective’s Hunch lets you see nearby generators, chests, and totems after repairing a generator.
16. Steve Harrington
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Babysitter | A survivor you unhook leaves no scratch marks or pools of blood but you and the killer see each other’s auras. |
| Camaraderie | When you’re hooked and a survivor is nearby, the struggle timer is paused. |
| Second Wind | Activates when healing another survivor with 1 health. You automatically heal 1 health. |
One of two survivors from the Stranger Things TV show, Steve Harrington is a team player. All of his perks are support-based and need other survivors to help you escape the trial. Without other players, Harrington is nearly useless and is one of the worst Dead by Daylight survivors.
15. Feng Min
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Technician | Prevents generator explosion and applies regression penalties. Reduces generator repair noises. |
| Lithe | Rushing will give you 150% normal running speed for 3 seconds. |
| Alert | If a killer damages or breaks pallets, breakable walls, or generators, you’ll see their aura. |
Feng Min is actually one of the more useful Dead by Daylight survivors. Her Technician skill is a good addition to any team as it helps with fixing generators and limits the noise doing it as well. Aside from that, her other abilities let her dash away from killers and to new generators to fix. She could be one of the best Dead by Daylight survivors if she had a bit more health-related perks.
14. Quentin Smith
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Wake Up! | Activates when all generators are open. Shows the auras of exit gate switches. Shows your aura to survivors when opening gates. |
| Pharmacy | Opening chests go faster. The first opened chest will always have an emergency medkit. |
| Vigil | You’ll recover faster from blindness, exhaustion, hemorrhage, and hindered status. Also applies to nearby survivors for 15 seconds. |
Quentin Smith’s perks are a little all over the place, although they’re useful for the team. A character from Nightmare on Elm Street, Smith has Pharmacy as his best perk, which always gives an emergency med-kit for the first opened chest.
13. Jake Park
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Iron Will | Your grunts of pain are reduced when injured. |
| Calm Spirit | Crows won’t be alerted as much. |
| Saboteur | When a survivor is carried by the killer, you can see all nearby hooks. You can sabotage hooks without a toolbox. |
Jake Park’s playstyle is more for the soloist. Quiet and less likely to alert crows, he can move around the map silently with his Iron Will and Calm Spirit perks. Park’s best advantage for the team is his Saboteur perk. This lets him sabotage hooks without a toolbox if a survivor is carried by the killer.
12. Nancy Wheeler
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Better Together | When repairing a generator, its aura is revealed to nearby survivors. If a killer downs a survivor while you’re repairing, you can see auras of all survivors. |
| Fixated | You walk faster and can see your scratch marks. |
| Inner Strength | Activates when you cleanse totems. Heals 1 health when inside lockers while injured or in a Deep Wound status. |
Nancy Wheeler is a good all-rounder with perks helpful for repairing generators, knowing where you’ve left scratch marks, and self-healing after cleansing totems. Her playstyle is good for players who like to play for the team but want some thrill by running from the killer. A character from Stranger Things, she is one of the few Dead by Daylight survivors to come from a different media franchise.
11. Nea Karlsson
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Balanced Landing | Grunts are muffled 100% while stagger duration is reduced by 75%. You sprint at 150% upon landing for 3 seconds. |
| Urban Evasion | Crouching increases your movement speed. |
| Streetwise | The item depletion rate is reduced for you and nearby survivors for 15 seconds. |
A good intermediate-type character Nea Karlsson has a mix of stealth and team support perks. She is best when crouching around the map to help reduce item depletion rates of other survivors. Karlsson has the potential to be one of the best Dead by Daylight survivors depending on your technique and playstyle.
10. Ashley “Ash” Williams
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Flip-Flop | Activates when you’re in a Dying State. Converts recovery progression into wiggling progression. |
| Buckle Up | You can see the auras of recovery progress of dying survivors by their aura. The killer’s aura is revealed to you and a survivor you’d healed from dying to the injured state. |
| Mettle of Man | Activates endurance state on your third protection hit. Damage pulling you to the dying state from the injured state is blocked. When you’re healed, your aura is seen by the killer. |
A character from The Evil Dead franchise, Ash Williams is best played like a tank. His perks help him through tough spots, and he can independently bulldoze his way through a trial. His shortcoming is his lack of good team-play skills.
9. Yui Kimura
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 10800 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Lucky Break | Activates during injured states. Suppresses bleeding and scratch marks. |
| Any Means Necessary | You can reset used pallets. |
| Breakout | You gain haste when near a survivor carried by the killer. |
Yui Kimura has one standout perk Any Means Necessary. This perk lets her reset used pallets and create a “killer loop” where she can lead the killer around the game map. Hopefully, with this perk, you can distract them long enough to help other survivors and win the game.
8. Cheryl Mason
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Soul Guard | Activates when you’re healed from or recovers from the dying state. Gives you the endurance state. Damage that places you into a dying state makes you deeply wounded instead. |
| Blood Pact | Activates when you or the obsession are injured. Both of you can see each other’s auras. Healing or being healed by the obsession gives you haste. |
| Repressed Alliance | Activates after repairing generators. Protects a generator for 30 seconds and shows its aura to all survivors. |
A character from the Silent Hill games, Cheryl Mason’s Repressed Alliance is best for the end game. This lets you protect a generator from damage for 30 seconds, the time your team would use to open the gates and escape.
7. Jane Romero
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| Solidarity | Healing another survivor without a med-kit heals you slightly. |
| Poised | Activates after repairing a generator. You won’t leave scratch marks for a while. |
| Head On | Activates when in a locker for 3 seconds. Rushing out of a locker stuns the killer for 3 seconds. |
Another all-around character, Jane Romero’s perks help her heal, keep her hidden, and stun killers. While it takes a while to get used to the timing for her skills, she’s one of the better Dead by Daylight survivors for trying a solo play.
6. David King
Technique Rating: Intermediate
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric or 9000 Shards
| Perks | Effects |
| We’re Gonna Live Forever | Healing speed when helping a dying survivor is increased by 100%. You can get tokens that stack up 25% bloodpoint bonus gains for several actions that help carried and hooked survivors. |
| Dead Hard | You can rush forward while injured and ignore any damage while doing so. |
| No Mither | You have the broken status from the game start. Your bleeding is suppressed while your grunts of pain are reduced. You can recover completely from the dying state. |
One of our picks for new players, David King has a good amount of toughness to him. Dead Hand helps you move around even while injured. No Mither, meanwhile, helps silence your grunts of pain. New players would love the 25% bloodpoint bonus when using the We’re Gonna Live Forever perk.
5. Dwight Fairfield
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: Free
| Perks | Effects |
| Bond | You can see survivor auras when they’re in range. |
| Prove Thyself | Survivors in a four-meter range give you stackable 15% repair speed bonuses. |
| Leader | Increases action speeds for healing, sabotaging, unhooking, cleansing, opening, and unlocking for nearby survivors. |
Dwight Fairfield is the best support survivor. His perks are perfectly suited to help the team win and escape. Leader is the best improvement skill for any survivor that helps with almost all tasks. You’ll do well to keep Fairfield away from killers, though, since you’re easy prey by yourself.
4. Meg Thomas
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: Free
| Perks | Effects |
| Quick & Quiet | Loud noises from rushing through windows or going into and out of lockers are suppressed. |
| Sprint Burst | Activating lets you go at 150% of your normal running speed for 3 seconds. |
| Adrenaline | You gain one health state after the exit gates are powered. You can sprint at 150% your normal running speed for 5 seconds. |
Meg Thomas is best described by her first perk, Quick and Quiet. She can run around the map to run from killers or help other survivors with tasks. You’ll do well by using her to distract killers while a generator specialist like Feng Min opens the gates.
3. Laurie Strode
Technique Rating: Hard
Unlock Cost: 500 Auric
| Perks | Effects |
| Sole Survivor | You gain a token for every survivor killed or sacrificed. Each token gives you a stackable radius where the killer can’t sense your aura. |
| Object of Obsession | Activates when the killer reads your aura. The killer’s aura is revealed to you at the same time he reads yours. Your repairing, healing, and cleansing speeds are increased. Your aura would be revealed to the killer every 30 seconds if you are the obsession. |
| Decisive Strike | Activates when you’re unhooked. You can use a skill check to escape and stun the killer when you’re grabbed or picked up. |
Laurie Strode is best at keeping herself alive compared to other Dead by Daylight survivors. Her perks are used to hide your aura from the killer. If all else fails, though, Decisive Strike lets you stun the killer while you’re being carried if you’ve been unhooked before.
2. Claudette Morel
Technique Rating: Easy
Unlock Cost: Free after completing the first ritual
| Perks | Effects |
| Empathy | You can see the auras of dying or injured survivors within range. |
| Botany Knowledge | Your healing speed and med-kid efficiency are increased. |
| Self-Care | You can heal yourself without a med-kit at 50% speed. |
Claudette Morel is the main “medic” of the survivors. She specializes in healing with Empathy which shows the locations of injured or dying survivors. There are two ways to play Morel, a reactive and an active style. You can either go out to search for survivors to heal, or you can proactively try to fix the generators yourself.
1. William “Bill” Overbeck
Technique Rating: Hard
Unlock Cost: Free
| Perks | Effects |
| Left Behind | The hatch is revealed to you when it’s in range and you’re the last survivor in the game. |
| Borrowed Time | Unhooking survivors gives you an endurance state. Damage pulling you to the dying state from the injured state is blocked. |
| Unbreakable | You can recover completely from the dying state. |
A character from the Left 4 Dead franchise, Bill Overbeck should instead be called the ultimate survivor. His perks are the best for players who just want to survive to the end. Overbeck’s Borrowed Time and Unbreakable make him nearly impossible to kill during the game. Your best bet to win with Overbeck is to just stay alive till you can use the Left Behind perk and escape.
The Best Dead by Daylight Survivors
For our favorites list of Dead by Daylight survivors, we’ll split it into two lists, one for beginners and another one for veterans and pros. The beginners’ list would be for new players and those still getting used to the game. They’ll have survivors that are easy to play with and have perks that lean more into a soloist’s gameplay. Our survivor list for pros, on the other hand, would be filled with survivors who are better suited to experienced players who know their goals and what they should do in the game.
Best Survivors for Beginners
These characters are the best when you’re just starting out. Consider using these characters to get used to how the game works and how perks are used. You can slowly get used to how team-play is done and what you’re expected to do.
- David King
- Feng Min
- Claudette Morel
- Dwight Fairfield
- Ash Williams
Best Survivors for Pros
These characters have slightly complicated perks to use, but they’re very effective when used at the right time. You should read up on these characters’ perks before you set out to use them on trials. Once you get used to playing these characters, we’re sure you can be a powerhouse for your team.
- Jake Park
- William “Bill” Overbeck
- Jane Romero
- Cheryl Mason
- Yui Kimura
Our Top Pick of the Best Dead by Daylight Survivor
We choose William “Bill” Overbeck as the best Dead by Daylight survivor. If your goal is just to stay alive and win, then he’s your best bet to do it. However, for the team players who want to try their best to get everyone through, we recommend Claudette Morel instead. Either way, with the myriad of possible play styles and perks, we’re sure you can find more and more ways to escape any trial.
For the “dark side” to this Dead by Daylight survivors tier list, we have a Dead by Daylight killers tier list available.
