Original Killers like Nurse and Trapper brush shoulders with classic characters like Michael Myers, Pinhead, and Leatherface, and with every new character introduced there’s a host of new strategies and counter-strategies to learn. For years, fans have salivated at the thought of certain beloved franchises joining the game. Here are some of the most iconic Killers that Dead by Daylightshould add next.

Updated January 23, 2023, by Amy Cowley: Dead by Daylight is the undisputed king of asymmetrical horror games, continually updating its roster with horror icons both original and from existing IPs. The world of horror is an expansive one that continues to grow, leading to hundreds of possibilities for new killers that could bring new unique gameplay and perks with their imaginative designs and abilities as demonstrated in their respective movies.

And even the horror movies of yore have plenty of options to choose from that are just as deserving as those originally listed. Here is a more comprehensive list of horror icons that deserve their chance in the fog.

15 The Thing

John Carpenter’s anxiety-ridden The Thing is a master class in paranoia as the team of snowbound researchers do their best to discover which of them has been infected by a mutating monster. With the addition of the Dredge, Dead by Daylight has proven itself capable of incorporating even the twisted monstrosities of body horror, and the Thing could be the next hideous step.

As the game trends increasingly towards meta strategies and away from horror, the paranoia created by the Thing could be just what it takes to terrify players again, keeping them guessing about who is on their side. Incorporating the creature’s unnatural form into the game might be a challenge, but the payoff would be well worth it.

14 Predator

This terrifying, legendary creature of yore has proven a worthy opponent in every movie they have starred in, demonstrating their brutal strength in displays of gore, even when pitted against elite paramilitary squads.

The inclusion of Predator would be one guaranteed to terrify survivors with their horrifying appearance and stealth capabilities, countering the new survivors aura-reading perk. With their penchant of tearing apart opponents, BHVR would have the option to create a truly grotesque Mori to see survivors killed in spectacularly brutish style.

13 Leprechaun

Horror characters exist on a spectrum of talkativeness, from silent types like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees to chatterboxes like Freddy Krueger and Chucky. Leprechaun lies towards the latter end, and this gold-loving Killer always has plenty to say as he tears apart his victims.

Dead by Daylight delighted fans by recruiting original Pinhead voice actor Doug Bradley to record lines for the game, and the Leprechaun would be another fantastic opportunity if BHVR were to enlist the talents of Warwick Davis. Like other diminutive Killers, including the Leprechaun might be a gameplay challenge, but there are few characters that would be more disconcerting.

12 Freddy Fazbear

Five Nights at Freddy’s took the gaming world by storm, quickly going from indie horror darling to a massive horror franchise. Like dolls and mannequins, animatronics easily lend themselves to horror, and the cast of FNaF is no exception.

While there are plenty of frightening characters from the series who could do well in Dead by Daylight, the titular bear deserves the spot the most. The game includes mascot costumes for characters like the Legion and the Clown, so there’s already precedent for a giant fluffy animal hunting people down, and the fact that Freddy just happens to be an evil robot too is all the better.

11 Larry Talbot

Werewolves have become as synonymous with horror as vampires, and while there are many different werewolves to choose from, all are an homage to the grandfather of movie werewolves: Larry Talbot.

The star of the classic 1941 movie The Wolf Man is the most deserving of being awarded the title of the first werewolf in DbD, even if he is not the most terrifying one. With both a lycan and human form, Larry could have a transformation that makes him more adept at hunting down survivors, which would be a viable killer power as proven by The Oni.

10 Pennywise

Yes, Dead by Daylight already includes a creepy clown, but it’s easy to argue that Pennywise is a different breed. Whereas the Jeffrey Hawk is human–a sadistic, finger-collecting human but a human nonetheless–Stephen King’s Pennywise is something far harder to understand.

With a novel and multiple films to draw inspiration from, BHVR would have plenty of options when it came to recreating the creature from It. Red balloons, white makeup, and a nightmarish voice go a long way towards instilling fear, and the creature’s supernatural powers could make the villain as intricate to play as he is to survive against.

9 Blair Witch

Once the faceless entity that starred in the original Blair Witch Project, sequels and Bloober Team’s psychological walking simulator Blair Witch provided the titular creature with a face, and a terrifying one at that.

Movies and games show the Blair Witch creates wooden effigy’s that decorate the trees of her domain. These could act like an alarm system to reveal the survivor’s locations to her, providing another objective for survivors to interact with, similar to the Trapper, making her a killer adept at tracking and hunting down survivors.

8 Jack Torrance

One moment Jack Torrance just wants to do a bit of writing at the Overlook Hotel, the next he’s chopping a door down with an ax and showing his leering face in the hole. Yet another Stephen King project with overwhelming potential, The Shining brought Jack Torrance to readers, and the collaboration of Jack Nicholson and Stanley Kubrick made him unforgettable.

Dead by Daylight already includes several characters who are conventional–albeit crazed–humans rather than supernatural monstrosities, so Jack would be right at home among the Killer cast. Even if Nicholson couldn’t be convinced to return to voice the role, there are plenty of ways that Torrance could be made fearsome in his own right, and King fans would love to see it happen.

7 Red

Comedian and director Jordan Peele has created some of the most innovative and genre-expanding horror movies of the last decade, giving viewers some new terror to shiver at with every film. Us is arguably his best, introducing viewers to Red and the other Tethered.

From her red jumpsuit to her raspy voice to her scissors, Red possesses all the makings of an unforgettable villain. Some movies rely on jumpscares or a general sense of eeriness but fall short when it comes to inspiring feelings of genuine dread. Us isn’t one of those movies, and it’s easy to picture Red stalking the halls of Midwich or the cornfields of Rancid Abattoir in Dead by Daylight.

6 Art The Clown

While there are many calls to add Pennywise to Dead by Daylight, there is another infamous horror clown that deserves some recognition: Art the Clown.

Art splashed onto screens in 2016’s bloody horror romp Terrifier, in which he terrorized two teen party girls celebrating Halloween. Though completely mute like other slashers Michael Myers, Art the Clown still instills a sense of terror with his creepy demeanor and penchant for gory kills. The inclusion of his partner in crime The Little Pale Girl in Terrifier 2 adds the possibility for gameplay similar to the Twins.

5 Candyman

Many killers in slasher films feel too unrealistic. They might be fun, interesting, and even scary, but they never feel quite real due to their over-the-top nature. Candyman is different, drawing explicitly on urban legends and grounding his story in America’s ugly history of racism to give the character and film a ring of authenticity.

A Killer with a hook for a hand, a swarm of bees, and an affinity for mirrors could have a variety of different and interesting powers, distinguishing himself from other characters in the roster. Candyman is also a character with an iconic fashion sense, and even if he never received many additional cosmetics, he would easily be one of the most stylish Killers in the game.

4 Chucky

Serial killer Charles Lee Ray bound his soul to a Good Guy doll rather than let himself die, and Chucky has tormented everyone in the Child’s Play franchise ever since. Among cinema’s chattier murderers, only Chucky comes close to competing with Freddy for pure vile wit, and many fans want nothing more than to hear his voice lines in the game.

To be sure, including a doll as a character would create a host of challenges for Survivors, Killers, and the developers, one of the most obvious being the way objects would disrupt sight lines thanks to his small stature. Rather than be a downside, however, Chucky’s size could be made one of his greatest strengths. As for hooking, the Onryo’s animations already set a good precedent for how an undersized Killer could pick up and carry their victims.

3 The Xenomorph

Alien distinguishes itself from virtually every other iconic horror franchise in several ways. It’s a grim science-fiction rather than a cheeky modern tale, and its victims are battle-tested adults rather than unsuspecting teenagers. The biomechanical artwork of H.R. Giger lends a feeling of wrongness to its monster, and immerses viewers into the foreign world of this unsettling sci-fi feature.

The Xenomorph certainly has a menacing enough look to qualify it for inclusion in Dead by Daylight, and its array of deadly physical abilities could certainly be translated into a unique Killer power within the game. Survivors may be used to checking around corners for their pursuer, but having to look for the Xenomorph skittering across the ceiling would elevate the horror in more ways than one.

2 Dracula

Dracula is a hallmark figure in horror, lauded as one of the first vampire’s in literature and inspiring a multitude of famed work such as Castlevania and Penny Dreadful. With many versions of Dracula existing with their own unique looks, BHVR would spoilt for choice for cosmetic options.

With blood being such a prevalent feature in Dead by Daylight, a vampiric killer could interact with blood pools to provide buffs to make them a more efficient killer, or make the hunt easier. Dracula’s other abilities could be incorporated as a secondary power, such as turning into a swarm of bats for increased map mobility.

1 Jason Voorhees

With Freddy, Michael, and Leatherface already included, Dead by Daylight is only missing one giant of the slasher heyday: Jason Voorhees. There are few images in horror more iconic than the hockey mask and machete of this silent giant, and Dead by Daylight would no doubt bring in swathes of rabid fans if they ever added the Killer.

Unfortunately, the Friday the 13thlicense has proven impossible for BHVR to secure so far, especially since Jason was recently the star of his own asymmetrical horror game. Jason Voorhees might be Dead by Daylight’s white whale, but the odds against his inclusion don’t make fans any less desperate to see it happen.

Dead By Daylight is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Stadia.

More: Dead By Daylight: Things That Have Improved Since The Game’s Debut