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When the time comes to pick a killer, Dead by Daylight‘s huge roster offers players a ton of options. Some are far easier to learn than others, however. DbD is a difficult game, no matter what, so there’s no reason to make things even harder for players new to Behaviour‘s little nightmare. Hunting down survivors can be challenging if you use a character with a high skill ceiling. Accordingly, here are the easiest killers for any player to learn in Dead by Daylight.
10. The Good Guy
(Updated on November 15, 2024 – updated links, format, and entries)
Thanks to his third-person POV, dash attack, and sneaky Hidey-Ho mode, Chucky plays like no one else. He’s not the best first choice to learn, but he’s a superb killer who builds on the M1 fundamentals while still packing in enough tricks to feel unique. His dash is also one of the most forgiving, making him one of the easiest killers in Dead by Daylight.
9. The Mastermind
Perhaps a controversial pick, Wesker takes the M1 standard and makes it all better, even after the Uroboros Infection changes. The large Terror Radius is a small price to pay for fast, chainable lunges. Although he now only applies 4% Hindered instead of 8%, that slow-down can be enough to stop even talented teams. If only he came with built-in Lightborn, his kit would be perfect for that long grind to P100.
8. The Deathslinger
If you have FPS experience, The Deathslinger is far easier to learn than killers like Vecna or Singularity. Nerfs to this creepy cowboy’s ADS time made lining up shots slower than it used to be, but his kit has received some love since then. The ability to turn otherwise safe loops into death traps is great, giving Deathslinger players the upper hand, especially against players who struggle in the 1v1.
7. The Trapper
Proof that being easy to learn and easy to win with isn’t the same, the Trapper is a weak but simple killer in DbD. All the player has to do is put bear traps in some sneaky spots and wait for a survivor to get careless.
Though winning consistently can be difficult, Trapper can still quickly snowball, especially with an early basement hook. He’s one of the hardest killers in Dead by Daylight at higher levels, but the Evan groove remains easy to get into.
6. The Doctor
The Doctor’s power creates an AOE blast of electricity that causes nearby survivors to scream, revealing their position. Finding sneaky survivors is the bane of many new killers, making the Doctor’s power an instant remedy. These electrical shocks also disrupt survivor activities like dropping pallets and working on gens, making the Doctor even more desirable.
5. The Shape
Michael Myers starts the Trial weak but grows in power the more he stalks survivors. As a basic M1 killer with the power to insta-down multiple survivors, the Shape is easy to control and can quickly turn a single down into a massacre. Toss in his powerful Tombstone Piece add-on, and even new players can become a force to be reckoned with, especially with the improvements to his stalking ability.
4. The Clown
The Clown’s power consists of throwing bottles of gas to either slow down survivors or speed himself up. Though this Dead by Daylight killer struggles to keep up on large maps, he is one of the easiest killers to land hits with in a 1v1. Even experienced survivors have a difficult time escaping an accelerated clown when they are slowed by his noxious fumes. Add yellow bottle mastery, and you truly have something to fear in chases.
3. The Pig
The Pig can crouch to enter stealth mode and execute a lunging dash attack. Though you may not get much mileage from that mechanic, her Reverse Bear Traps make Pig easy for new players to learn. Down a survivor, pop a trap on their head, and watch them scamper off to remove it or die trying. This kind of built-in slowdown is a huge asset many killers can only dream of.
2. The Legion
The Legion’s Feral Frenzy increases their speed and allows them to vault pallets just like a survivor. It also allows them to chain together hits against multiple survivors, quickly injuring the entire team. Closing the deal can be tough, but the Legion remains one of the easiest killers created by Behaviour, even without another killer’s help.
1. The Wraith
The Wraith rings his bell to turn invisible and gain a speed boost, ringing it again to reappear for an attack. Stealth killers typically perform well against new survivors, and the Wraith is the easiest of all of them. Sneak attacks, hit-and-runs, and even generator grabs are all possible, even without a great build.
There is simply no killer better suited for teaching new players the fundamentals of the game. It doesn’t hurt that jump-scaring survivors while invisible is also a blast. Bing bong!
