Best Dead by Daylight Survivors & Perks: DbD Survivor list
Behaviour InteractiveUsing the best Perks for Survivors in Dead by Daylight can help you to take on even the toughest of Killer builds. Whether you’re a new player looking for the best Perk build or want to decide on which DbD Survivor to main, we’ve got a guide with everything you need right here.
With an ever-expanding roster of Survivors and Killers to choose from in Dead by Daylight, there are some clear frontrunners in the game to give you the best chance of surviving the night. With Tools of Torment introducing a new Killer, The Skull Merchant (and two new Survivors, Renato and Thalita) into the mix, you’ll need to be equipped with some top-notch Perks to stay alive.
As you work alongside your teammates to escape an untimely demise, you’ll need to utilize your abilities as you juggle turning on generators, evading your terrifying foe, and aiding your allies to escape via the Exit Gates.
Contents
- The best Perks for Survivors in DbD
- Best Perk build in Dead by Daylight
- All Survivors and Perks in DbD
The best Perks for Survivors in Dead by Daylight
We’ve listed 8 of the best Perks for Survivors that you can take into your next match in DbD, from David King’s Dead Hard to Laurie Strode’s Decisive Strike, alongside details on what makes these so useful.
Survivor | Best Perk | Teachable Level Unlocked | |
Claudette Morel |
Self-Care |
Level 40 |
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David King |
Dead Hard |
Level 35 |
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Felix Richter | Visionary | Level 30 | |
Feng Min | Technician | Level 30 | |
Dwight Fairfield | Leader | Level 40 | |
Laurie Strode | Decisive Strike | Level 40 | |
Meg Thomas | Adrenaline | Level 40 | |
William “Bill” Overbeck | Borrowed Time | Level 35 |
- Claudette Morel: Self-Care is a brilliant perk to run with as a Survivor in DbD, allowing you to heal without needing to use a Med-Kit, but at a slower than usual speed. This is absolutely essential in a pinch if you’re running out of Med-Kits to utilize.
- David King: Dead Hard is a great choice, giving you the chance to gain Endurance for a short amount of time while running.
- Felix Richter: Visionary allows the user to see the Auras of generators within a 32-meter radius. This is extremely useful if you’re a new player running on an unfamiliar map, or even to just get your bearings.
- Feng Min: This Survivor is ideal for any new players to DbD, too, and her Technician perk will help to ease the constant gut-wrenching fear you’ll likely be in. With this equipped, the Generator won’t explode when failing a skill check.
- Dwight Fairfield: One of the founding Survivors of DbD, his Leader perk increases their Action speeds for Cleansing, Healing, Opening, Sabotaging, Unhooking, and Unlocking.
- Laurie Strode: Decisive Strike is a fantastic get-out-of-jail-free card that activates after being unhooked, giving you the chance to automatically escape the Killer’s grasp after completing a skill check, which then stuns them. If you’re being tunneled by a Killer, this is particularly useful.
- Meg Thomas: While all of Meg’s perks are great, Adrenaline is an absolute must, healing you one Health State when the Exit Gates are open, allowing you to also sprint at 150% for 5 seconds.
- William “Bill” Overbeck: Borrowed Time extends the Endurance effects on your ally upon unhooking them, while also keeping their movement speed bonus for an additional amount of time.
While all of the above Perks can be eventually taught to any of the DbD Survivors after unlocking the Teachable skill at the respective level (or by purchasing it through the Shrine of Secrets), these are still great choices for each of these characters while trying to obtain them.
Play around with the Perks listed above alongside others in the game to create some powerhouse builds to withstand even the most vehement Killer.
The best Perk build in Dead by Daylight
Despite all of the above Perks being great choices to unlock within your favorite Survivor’s Bloodweb, our personal recommendation would be to ensure you’ve got at least two of the following Perks in your build:
- Decisive Strike – Laurie Strode: Whether you’re a new player or not, utilizing this Perk for Survivors in DbD allows you to break free from the Killer’s grasp with a successful Skill Check, stunning them to give you a small window of opportunity to escape.
- Borrowed Time – William “Bill” Overbeck: This lets players that you unhook resist damage a little longer, giving them the chance to also make a little escape with a movement speed boost.
- Adrenaline – Meg Thomas: This will allow you a greater chance of escape once the Exit Gates are open due to its 150% sprint speed bonus.
- Spine Chill – General: If the Killer looks in your direction when they are within 36 meters, you’ll be notified through an audible tingling sound. Your action speeds then increases by 2/4/6%, with Skill Check odds increasing by 10%, alongside a decreased success rate of 10%. This is great to be able to plan your route with more of an indication as to where the Killer is. This stacks with Resilience, which is broken down below.
- Resilience – General: When injured, your speeds for Cleansing, Healing, Opening, Repairing, Sabotaging, Unhooking, and Vaulting are increased by 3/6/9% when you’re in the Injured State.
- Kindred – General: If you’re a solo player, you’ll typically get the most value out of running this Perk in your build. While you or another Survivor is hooked, the Auras of all other players are revealed to you. This includes the Killer when they’re in an 8/12/16 meter radius of the hooked player. If you’re playing in a group and are able to communicate with one another, you can likely give this one a miss.
- Dead Hard – David King: If you’re a confident player that likes to distract the Killer from other Survivors with a high-octane chase, Dead Hard is right up your alley. It’s also great for preventing you from being downed by gaining Endurance. It’s worth noting, though, that this perk also causes Exhaustion – so use it wisely!
- Jake Park – Iron Will: Useful for both stealthy moments and chases, Iron Will lowers your Grunts of Pain by 25/50/75% at each of its three Tiers, making it harder for Killers to identify where you are at any one moment.
- Self-Aware – General: Coupled with Perks like Iron Will, Self-Aware is great for Survivors in DbD. Giving you a 10/50/20% speed boost while walking, you’ll feel less inclined to run unless you really need it. Plus, you’ll also be able to see your own Scratch Marks, which allows you to make more informed choices on utilizing them to deter your Killer from your actual location.
- Distortion – Jeff Johansen: Many Killers will typically run Barbeque & Chili in their Perk loadout, and this is a great counter to that, especially in the early game. Starting a Trial with an amount Tokens, whenever the Killer tries to read your aura, Distortion will block this from happening. What’s more, you’ll also temporarily not leave Scratch Marks for a maximum of 10 seconds, depending on the Perk’s tier.
All Dead by Daylight Survivors & Perks
As of now, there are 36 Survivors in Dead by Daylight. We’ve listed them all below, along with their three unique Perks. As new Survivors are released, we’ll be sure to update this list with new additions.
The most recent additions to the Survivor roster in DbD are siblings Renato and Thalita Lyra, who arrived in the Tools of Torment Chapter. The brother and sister duo introduce new Teamwork Perks into the mix of the currently available Perks, granting Survivors certain effects when working together.
Survivors & Perks |
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Dwight Fairfield |
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Meg Thomas |
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Claudette Morel |
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Jake Park |
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Nea Karlsson |
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Laurie Strode |
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Ace Visconti |
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William “Bill” Overbeck |
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Feng Min |
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David King |
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Quentin Smith |
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Detective David Trapp |
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Kate Denson |
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Adam Francis |
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Jeffrey “Jeff” Johansen |
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Survivors & Perks | ||
Jane Romero |
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Ash J. Williams |
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Nancy Wheeler (no longer able to be purchased) |
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Steve Harrington (no longer able to be purchased) |
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Yui Kimura |
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Zarina Kassir |
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Cheryl Mason |
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Felix Richter |
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Élodie Rakoto |
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Yun-Jin Lee |
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Jill Valentine |
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Leon Scott Kennedy |
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Mikaela Reid |
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Jonah Vasquez |
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Yoichi Asakawa |
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Haddie Kaur |
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Survivor & Perks | ||
Ada Wong |
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Rebecca Chambers |
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Vittorio Toscano |
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Renato Lyra |
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Thalita Lyra |
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So, there you have it, every Survivor and the best Perks to pick from in Dead by Daylight.
For more news, tips, and tricks on everything DbD, make sure to check out our guides:
All Killers and Perks in DbD | Is Dead by Daylight crossplay? | Is Dead by Daylight on Xbox Game Pass? | Dead by Daylight codes | Does Dead by Daylight have voice chat? | Dead by Daylight Bloodrush