One of the most exciting parts of Dead by Daylight is each season when a new chapter is released. Often, the new survivors and killers are original creations, but every few seasons there are licensed characters thrown into the mix, most recently being the highly anticipated Jill, Leon, and Nemesis from Resident Evil.
Out of all of the survivors in the game, there are many that provide unique perks that can help players survive the difficult matches and overpowered villains. Based on a combination of abilities and style, some of these licensed survivors are better than the rest.
Quentin Smith (Nightmare On Elm Street)
![Every Licensed Survivor On Dead By Daylight, Ranked](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Quentin-Smith-Dead-by-Daylight-Cropped.jpg)
Freddy Krueger is certainly one of the scariest villains on Dead by Daylight, but the survivor who accompanies him is less than adequate.
Quentin’s Wake Up, Pharmacy, and Vigil perks may be helpful for a new player, but considering you have to spend money to unlock his character, new players might not be willing to splurge. His perks allow players to acquire medkits from boxes faster, find the exit gates quickly, and recover from status effects 10% faster, but experienced players are unlikely to waste a slot using his perks.
Detective Tapp (Saw)
![Detective Tapp in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Detective-Tapp-Dead-by-Daylight-Cropped.jpg)
Most of Detective Tapp’s perks would work well in certain builds but aren’t useful on their own. For example, players looking to make an invincible survivor build may want to use Tenacity paired with Unbreakable to crawl away and recover from the dying state quickly. Stake-Out might be useful for players looking to farm bloodpoints.
Detective’s Hunch is his best perk, which allows players to find totems, chests, and more after finishing a generator. This perk is great to prevent killers from using their hexes.
Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil)
![Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine in front of Nemesis in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Leon-Kennedy-Dead-by-Daylight-Cropped.jpg)
Leon Kennedy is one of the newest survivors in the game and already has some of the best cosmetics. He’s a spitting image of the original character from the Resident Evil games and his additional Chris style was amazing as well.
Aside from cosmetics, his perks leave more to be desired. Flashbang sounds great, but it’s hard to hit the killer with a flash grenade in the game. Rookie Spirit and Bite the Bullet aren’t the most unique perks, as there are others that do the same but better.
Steve Harrington (Stranger Things)
![Steve Harrington enters a dark area in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Steve-Harrington-Dead-by-Daylight-Cropped.jpg)
The Netflix hit Stranger Things might see Steve Harrington as its most popular character. He also has some of the most popular licensed cosmetics in the game, especially his ice cream parlor uniform from Scoops Ahoy.
His perks, on the other hand, can be helpful but probably aren’t the best first choice. Second Wind is definitely an easy way to heal, but only if you’ve been hooked, which makes this a lesser par healing perk. Babysitter is only useful for expert players, leaving Camaraderie as his best perk, considering it gives players extra time on the hook.
Ash J. Williams (Ash Vs. Evil Dead)
![Ash in Dead By Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Ash-Williams-dead-by-daylight-Cropped.jpg)
Ash Williams’s perks are tons of fun to use, but they are also very situational and work better in meme builds.
Flip-Flop is great for players going for a “unhookable” build and pairs well with Boil Over. Mettle of Man is fun for experienced players, as it allows them to be hit three times without going down. Buckle Up is his only perk that isn’t worth a slot, as it only allows players to see downed teammates healing progress and shortly view the killer.
Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things)
![Nancy Wheeler in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Nancy-Dead-by-Daylight-Cropped.png)
Nancy Wheeler’s perks are all pretty good, with some being slightly better than others. Her perk Fixated makes players walk faster and able to see their scratch marks. Better Together is great for players looking to maximize time on gens, and pairs perfectly with Prove Thyself.
Her best perk, Inner Strength is especially useful to combat the nurse, as it makes it easy to heal without notifying the killer, thus making it a great replacement for Self Care.
Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)
![Jill and Leon repair a generator in Dead By Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dead-By-Daylight-Leon-and-Jill.jpg)
Jill Valentine came out with Leon Kennedy and Nemesis as part of the Resident Evil chapter. It’s undeniable that many players are already huge fans of the skins since so many are using the characters.
Jill’s perks Counterforce, Resurgence, and Blast Mine are solid, but not amazing. She’s able to install a trap to gens that stuns the killer, which isn’t entirely useful. Counterforce is great for players hunting hex totems, while Resurgence can be useful for a faster heal after getting off the hook.
Cheryl Mason (Silent Hill)
![Cheryl Mason in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Cheryl-Mason-dead-by-daylight-Cropped.jpg)
Cheryl Mason is an overall great character to unlock, both when it comes to her abilities and cosmetics. Her starting outfit is probably one of the best in the game, but she also has some cool purchasable skins.
Her perks Soul Guard, Blood Pact, and Repressed Alliance are all simple to use and quite useful. Soul Guard is the most situational, as it depends on players being able to be healed when downed, but it can still be fun for players to use.
Laurie Strode (Halloween)
![The front and back of Laurie Strode in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Laurie-Strode-dead-by-daylight-Cropped.png)
Many players use Laurie Strode’s perks, making hers some of the best in the game. Object of Obsession probably isn’t the best for new players, as it allows the killer to see her aura.
Sole Survivor, on the other hand, has the opposite effect and is great for players trying to stay lowkey. Decisive Strike is probably the best perk in the game, as it combats tunneling by allowing players to escape the killers’ grasp if they’ve recently been hooked.
Bill Overbeck (Left 4 Dead)
![Bill Overbeck looks on in Dead by Daylight](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Bill-Dead-by-Daylight.png)
Despite Bill Overbeck not having as great cosmetics as others on this list, his perks are still some of the most clutch available in the game.
Left Behind allows players to see the hatch if they are the last survivor. Borrowed Time is great to use against camping killers, to help a teammate survive getting off the hook without being downed again. Unbreakable is quite useful, but it satisfyingly allows players to fully recover on their own after being downed.