Best Killer Perks in Dead by Daylight

Playing the Killer is my favorite role in Dead By Daylight. Be it the iconic characters I get to play as, the many perks I get to equip, or the semi-procedural generation of the maps, each Trial within the Realms pose a unique challenge. While perks are mostly dependent on the Killer you play as, there are a few Killer perks that can send shivers running down the spine of even the most competent Survivor. In this guide, I will name ten of the best Killer perks you can use in almost any Killer build in Dead By Daylight.

What are the best killer perks in DBD?

Every Killer in Dead By Daylight can equip a host of General Perks by default, while some Killers have unique perks that benefit them the most. Killers come with three Teachable Perks, otherwise known as Shareable Perks, which can be equipped onto any build. To unlock Teachable Perks, you must Prestige the Killer by reaching level 50 on the Bloodweb. With that being said, the following are the best Killer perks in Dead By Daylight.

Save The Best For Last (The Shape)

This is a perk that grants the Killer the Obsession mechanic, which turns one random Survivor in the Trial into your Obsession. Survivors who become the Obsession are marked on the HUD; when the Killer hits any Survivor other than their Obsession with a basic attack, the perk gains 1 Token, up to a maximum of 8 Tokens (each Token grants a 5% cooldown reduction, up to a maximum of 40%).

If the Killer hits their Obsession with a basic attack, the perk loses 4/3/2 Tokens (depending on Tier level). When the Obsession is sacrificed or killed, no more Tokens can be gained or lost. This Killer Perk is great for almost any build, as it has the potential to drastically reduce the cooldown after a basic attack, which means the Killer can stay hot on the heels of a fleeing Survivor to hit them again.

Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist)

With this Killer Perk equipped, four random hooks are transformed into Scourge Hooks, the Auras of which are revealed to you in white. At the start of the Trial, the perk gains 4 Tokens. Whenever the Killer hooks a Survivor to a Scourge Hook for the first time, a Token is consumed, and the Generator with the highest Progression explodes, instantly losing Progression by 15/20/25% (depending on Tier level) of its maximum possible Progression. Following this, normal Generator regression continues.

When the Generator explodes, Survivors working on that Generator will let off a scream but not reveal their position. This makes Pain Resonance a great perk for any Killer, but particularly for those who can catch up to their victims quickly. Hooking different Survivors will allow you to proc the Perk up to four times, causing splitting headaches to Survivors desperately trying to get the Generator working.

Related: Dead by Daylight Off The Record Perk, Explained

Sloppy Butcher (General Perk)

Sloppy Butcher is a General Perk available to all Killers by default. When the Killer hits a Survivor with a basic attack, they inflict them with Haemorrhage and Mangled status effects. Moreover, it increases the bleeding rate of injured Survivors by 15/75/100 (depending on Tier level) while also increasing the regression rate at which partial healing progression is lost because of Haemorrhage by 15/20/25% (depending on Tier level).

Both Haemorrhage and Mangled status effects are removed once the Survivor is fully healed. This perk — along with the status effects it applies — causes Survivors to leave bigger pools of blood when injured, heal slowly, and lose partial healing progress if they don't heal up fully. All in all, a great perk for Killers who benefit from keeping Survivors injured, like Dredge and Spirit.

Jolt (General Perk)

Jolt is yet another General Perk available for all Killers to equip and another Perk that messes with Generators. When you put a Survivor in the Dying State with your basic attack, all Generators within 32 meters of your radius instantly explode, causing them to lose Progression equal to 6/7/8% (depending on Tier level) of their maximum possible Progression. Following this, normal Generator regression continues.

This perk will only trigger with basic attacks, so Killers with special attacks may not benefit from it as much. However, what makes Jolt a deadly perk to have is it does not have a cooldown, meaning Killers can get multiple Generator explosions as long as they keep putting Survivors in the Dying State frequently. In Realms with multiple floors, Jolt will also affect Generators on floors below or above them.

Deadlock (Cenobite)

Deadlock is perhaps one of the easiest perks to use while simultaneously being one of the deadliest. Whenever Survivors complete a Generator, the next Generator with the highest Progression is blocked for 20/25/30 seconds (depending on Tier level). The Aura of the blocked generator will be highlighted in white. While the Generator is affected by Deadlock, neither Survivors nor Killers can negatively affect the Generator in any way. This simple mechanic of Deadlock allows for tons of creativity in your build, as well as gameplay, while also buying you precious time to really put the pressure on the Survivors.

Corrupt Intervention (The Plague)

Considered by some ne of the most powerful perks, Corrupt Intervention works to force the Survivors to come near you. At the start of the Trial, three Generators located farthest from you are blocked for 80/100/120 seconds (depending on Tier level). If a Survivor is put in the Dying State before this duration is over, Corrupt Intervention will be prematurely deactivated.

Related: All Singularity Perks and Abilities in Dead By Daylight

Discordance (The Legion)

Discordance is one of the best perks from which to get information about Survivors locations—when two or more Survivors throw repair parties at any Generator within a radius of 64/96/128 meters (depending on Tier level), Discordance will highlight the Generator with a yellow aura and a Loud Noise Notification. If the Generator is no longer within range or is still being repaired by one Survivor, the highlighted Aura will linger for an additional 4 seconds.

Pop Goes the Weasel (The Clown)

This perk is perfect for Killers who wish to sabotage the progress of Survivors and keep them in the Trial. After hooking a Survivor, Pop Goes the Weasel is triggered for the next 35/40/45 seconds (depending on Tier level). During this time, when the Killer damages a Generator, it instantly loses 30% of its current Progression. Following this, normal Generator regression continues. Once a Generator is damaged by the Killer, or when the elapsed time is over, the perk deactivates.

Lethal Pursuer (Nemesis)

When the Trial starts, the Auras of every Survivor is revealed to the Killer for 7/8/9 seconds (depending on Tier level). Furthermore, every time you trigger the Aura of a Survivor through any other perk or add-on, the duration the Aura lasts is extended by two seconds. The obvious advantage this perk grants is fairly straightforward—the ability to pinpoint the location of all the Survivors right at the beginning of the Trial will allow you to mentally prepare yourself for the offensive.

However, to make the most of this perk, you should have an add-on or perk that also reveals the Auras of survivors when triggered, as Lethal Pursuer will extend the duration that the Aura lasts.

No Way Out (The Trickster)

This perk turns into a smothering nightmare at the final stage of the Trial. When the Exit Gates are powered, No Way Out is triggered, and when a Survivor interacts with the Exit Gate Switch, the switches are blocked for 12 seconds. Furthermore, No Way Out gains 1 Token every time a Survivor is hooked for the first time. Each Token extends the duration of the blocking by 6/9/12 seconds, up to a maximum of 36/48/60 seconds (depending on Tier level); this extended time can allow the Killer to reach the Exit Gates to slash at his victims one last time before they try to escape.

Interested in exploring the Survivors? Take a look at this list of the Best Dead by Daylight Survivors here at Pro Game Guides.