DriversRecommendedOutdated drivers can make a good PC feel brokenScan driver issues before chasing fixes manually.Scan NowOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix Now×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

The 9 Best Survivors to Prestige First in Dead by Daylight

A practical Dead by Daylight prestige order based on perk roles, plus how to choose between broad prestige 1 access and tier 3 unlocks.
WorldDead by Daylight Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

If you’re choosing which survivor to prestige first in Dead by Daylight, start with the character whose perks best support the way you play. For a broadly useful early route, prioritize Meg Thomas, Feng Min, Kate Denson, and Dwight Fairfield, then consider Zarina Kassir, Adam Francis, Rebecca Chambers, Jill Valentine, and David King. This is a practical perk-utility order—not an official ranking or a list based on win-rate data. Your character ownership, play style, and current perk availability can change the best choice.

What prestige unlocks

Prestige 1 unlocks a character’s unique perks at tier 1 for the rest of your survivor roster. Prestige 2 unlocks those perks at tier 2, and prestige 3 unlocks them at tier 3. The unlocks apply across other characters on the same side, according to Behaviour’s prestige and progression explanation.

That makes the early choice a trade-off: prestige several characters once to spread access to more perks, or take a smaller number to prestige 3 for their fully upgraded perks. If you want broad build options across your roster, multiple prestige 1 unlocks are a sensible start. If there are specific perks you want at tier 3 right away, invest in their source character instead.

Who to prestige first: a practical order

The list below weighs the kinds of tools each survivor’s perks provide, rather than claiming any character is objectively strongest. Perk effects and names can change; use the current unique-perk index to check perk ownership and consult live in-game descriptions before planning around a specific effect.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Level 99 Games Dead by Daylight™: The Board Game: Unbroken Expansion
  • Play as 5 new resourceful Survivors with their own unique Perks!
  • Play as 5 new Killers with horrifying Powers that defy logic to hunt your prey!
  • Customize your experience with all-new Perks and set-up options!
  • Bring the game to life with 10 hauntingly detailed miniature figurines!
  1. Meg Thomas: movement and endgame utility

    Meg is a strong first choice for players who want perks with broad applications. Sprint Burst offers a movement option, while Adrenaline provides endgame utility. Her perks can fit a range of builds, making her a useful early source if you don’t have a more specific priority.

  2. Feng Min: a straightforward chase option

    Feng offers Lithe, a movement perk triggered by vaulting, alongside Alert, which provides information after the Killer breaks objects. Prioritize her if you want a chase-oriented option that is easy to understand and use around vaults.

  3. Kate Denson: information for learning routes

    Windows of Opportunity reveals nearby pallets and windows. That information can help you learn how tiles connect and choose a route during a chase, which makes Kate a practical unlock for players still building map familiarity.

  4. Dwight Fairfield: teamwork and teammate information

    Bond helps you locate nearby teammates, and Prove Thyself supports cooperative generator work. Dwight is a good pick if you value knowing where your team is and want a perk source oriented around working together.

    What’s actually slowing this PC down?

    Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  5. Zarina Kassir: post-unhook protection

    Off the Record is an anti-tunnel option for the period after you are unhooked. Consider Zarina if protection after a hook is more important to you than another movement or information perk.

  6. Adam Francis: a conditional self-unhook

    Deliverance offers a self-unhook option, but it depends on first safely unhooking another survivor. Adam’s value therefore depends on whether you can meet that condition in a match; it is less unconditional than the earlier picks.

  7. Rebecca Chambers: time when a teammate is under hook pressure

    Reassurance is a team-oriented tool that can help when a teammate is being camped or the team needs more time. Rebecca is worth prioritizing if you often want a way to respond to pressure around a hook.

    Rank #2
    Level 99 Games Dead by Daylight: Gatekeeper Expansion – Horror Board Game, Strategy & Survival, Includes Miniatures
    • EXPAND YOUR GAMEPLAY – Take your Dead by Daylight board game further with 5 new Survivors and 5 terrifying Killers, each with unique abilities for fresh strategies and tension. Requires the base set to play.
    • HORROR-THEMED STRATEGY – Escape or become the ultimate ghost killer game villain with new Perks and Powers that heighten suspense and excitement. Will you survive the night or fall to the darkness?
    • DETAILED MINIATURES – Includes 10 hauntingly sculpted miniatures, bringing characters to life with eerie precision. A must-have for fans of horror board games, collectible art, and immersive tabletop play.
    • MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY – Customize matches with new setup options, creating fresh scenarios for replayability. Whether you love betrayal, hidden movement, or outsmarting foes, this expansion enhances your Dead by Daylight experience.
    • PERFECT FOR HORROR FANS – Great for teens, adults, and couples who love strategy, tabletop, or party games. A top pick for game nights, mystery lovers, and fans of monsters and survival horror.
  8. Jill Valentine: recovery after being unhooked

    Resurgence supports recovery after you are unhooked and pairs naturally with healing-focused play. Choose Jill when that recovery role fits your preferred builds.

    Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  9. David King: situational chase and altruistic value

    David is the source of Dead Hard and We’re Gonna Live Forever. These can offer clutch chase and altruistic value, but they call for more situational timing and decisions than the simpler starting options above.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Choose between broad access and tier 3 perks

Progression goal Route Best fit
Open more perk options across the roster Take several source characters to prestige 1 Players still exploring builds or leveling different survivors
Get selected perks fully upgraded across the roster Take the source character or characters to prestige 3 Players who already know which perks they want at tier 3

If you already own only some of the nine characters, work from the strongest fit among those you can use; the numbered order is guidance, not a mandatory progression path. Also check whether a perk has moved into the general pool before treating its original character as the only route to it.

Prestige does not remove your collected items

Prestiging no longer strips a character of perks, items, add-ons, or offerings. Behaviour stated in its June 2022 Developer Update: “Prestiging a character will no longer remove their perks, items, add-ons, or offerings.” After level 50, you buy the single-node Bloodweb to advance prestige, and the character’s level resets to 1.

Check current perk availability and descriptions

Character-to-perk sources and availability can change. For example, Behaviour announced that The Shape’s and Laurie Strode’s perks would be renamed and added to the general perk pool for players who do not own those characters in its Halloween update announcement. That is a reason to verify a perk’s current in-game status before spending progression on its original source.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Patch notes also distinguish wording changes from gameplay changes. Behaviour’s 9.5.0 All-Kill: Comeback notes state that perk descriptions were revised for clarity and consistency, while the 9.4.0 PTB notes introduce survivor Dustin Henderson and new perks. The roster and descriptions continue to evolve, so use the live game and current notes when an exact effect matters.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Level 99 Games Dead by Daylight™: The Board Game: Unbroken Expansion
Level 99 Games Dead by Daylight™: The Board Game: Unbroken Expansion
Play as 5 new resourceful Survivors with their own unique Perks!; Play as 5 new Killers with horrifying Powers that defy logic to hunt your prey!
$39.91

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How To Create Custom Stickers & Shoutouts In Monster Hunter WildsMonster Hunter WildsBlog20min
  2. How to Get XL Gogoat in Pokemon Legends Z-A (An Extra-Large Gogoat)Pokemon Legends Z-ABlog20min
  3. How to Get Rotting Lightbringer in Diablo 4Diablo 4Blog17min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.