Dead by Daylight is packed with all sorts of different characters and perks. For new players, it can be quite overwhelming to figure out where they should start. Some perks are undoubtedly much better than others, and having the best loadout possible will increase the player's chance of survival. Whilst each Survivor comes with their unique perks, some Survivors, in particular, have an incredibly strong load out and are worth prioritizing over others.
These characters can either be bought with Auric Cells, or unlocked with Iridescent Shards. Auric Cells cost real money, and Iridescent Shards take a lot of time to gather, so it's fair that players will want to be careful about what they spend their currency on. To get the most bang for their buck, players should consider unlocking these Dead by Daylight Survivors first.
5 Zarina Kassir
For players looking to expand their perk collection in Dead by Daylight, Zarina is certainly an excellent pick. Zarina has one of the strongest perks in the game, Off The Record. Off The Record will protect the player whenever they've been unhooked, up to two times in a match. The perk provides the player with a state of invulnerability for 80 seconds after being unhooked, meaning they have a free extra health state if they're hit by the Killer in this period. It's important to note that if the player starts any sort of action, they will lose the perk's effects.
Zarina also comes with the perk For The People. This perk can be a bit tricky to use correctly, but it's incredibly powerful. This perk will allow the player to trade health states with another Survivor, as long as the player is Healthy. If the player activates the perk on a Survivor in the Dying state, the downed Survivor will instantly be picked up and put into the Injured state, and the player who activated the perk will be put into the Injured state too.
4 Gabriel Soma
Gabriel Soma comes with one of the strongest perk sets in Dead by Daylight and is an excellent choice for players looking for some useful perks to add to their collection. Gabriel's best perk is Made For This - it's incredibly easy to use and provides the player with plenty of value for the perk slot. This perk will boost the player's speed by 3% whilst they're injured, allowing them to make more distance on the Killer, and run them around just that little bit longer. It also provides the player with a state of endurance once they have healed another Survivor, making it easy to protect teammates.
Another useful perk that Gabriel comes with is Troubleshooter. This perk is particularly useful for solo players. Troubleshooter activates when the player is in a chase with the Killer. It will highlight the aura of the Generator with the most progress, allowing the player to know where they should avoid running to. The perk also highlights the aura of the Killer for 6 seconds after the player has dropped a pallet. This makes it easier for the player to plan out where they should head next, as they can see the Killer's every move.
3 Kate Denson
One of the biggest problems a lot of newer Dead by Daylight players have is not knowing where to go when the Killer starts chasing them. Luckily, Kate has a helpful perk that will highlight the best locations to head to, assisting those who like a sneakier touch.
Windows of Opportunity is one of Kate's unique perks and will highlight the aura of any nearby window vaults and pallets, allowing the player to plan out their pathing much quicker. Players who use this perk will instantly be able to know which areas of the map have safety. As an added bonus, Kate is one of the quietest Survivors in Dead by Daylight, making it much easier to sneak around as her.
2 Rebecca Chambers
Rebecca Chambers has one of the most valuable perks in Dead by Daylight - Reassurance. This perk allows the player to approach a hooked Survivor and activate an ability that will pause the hook's timer for 30 seconds.
One of the best uses of this perk is against a Killer who is camping the hook - Reassurance will either buy the team enough time to come in for the save or just buy them an extra 30 seconds of being undisturbed by the Killer, giving them more time to complete Generators. Just for this perk alone, Rebecca is one of the best Survivors worth prioritizing to unlock in Dead by Daylight.
1 Feng Min
Feng is one of the most beginner-friendly Survivors in Dead by Daylight. She's free for console players, but PC players will still have to unlock her before trying her out. One of her unique perks is called Lithe - it's an Exhaustion perk that will give the player a speed boost when they fast vault over an object. This is one of the easiest Exhaustion perks to manage in Dead by Daylight and allows the player to make a quick getaway from the Killer. Feng also comes with a perk called Alert. This perk will show the player the Killer's aura whenever they kick or damage an item.
Alert is a really useful perk for solo players, as it allows them to know what's going on throughout the match without having to communicate with their teammates. Her final perk, Technician, is one of the most beginner-friendly perks in Dead by Daylight. Technician prevents the Killer from being notified when the player misses a Skill Check whilst working on a Generator. The perk isn't too necessary for more advanced players, but for those still trying to get used to the game, it can be a real lifesaver.
Dead by Daylight is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Nintendo Switch, and Mobile.