One of my favorite things about Dead By Daylight is stepping into some of my favorite cinematic villains’ shoes. Despite there being a handful of original killers, I gravitate to more well-known characters. From Michael Myers to Freddy Kreuger, Dead By Daylight features some of the best horror movie killers.
What other killers from the silver screen could grace us with their presence? Below is a list of iconic killers that would be welcome additions to the roster.
Candyman
Candyman was released in 1992 and was a commercial success followed by two sequels. It featured Tony Todd portraying the titular villain, a man seeking revenge for his death at the hands of a lynch mob in the late 19th century. After chanting his name five times in front of the mirror, Candyman appears to enact his fury.
What makes Candyman the perfect fit for Dead By Daylight is his supernatural element. While he shares similarities to some existing characters, the combination of his powers would prove to be deadly. Candyman can teleport around the battlefield and use his hooked hand for melee attacks. His signature move would be to deploy a swarm of bees from his body to track and sting Survivors. The bees open up a lot of potential for interaction with existing Dead by Daylight mechanics.
With a new Candyman film releasing in 2021, now is the perfect time for his place in the spotlight yet again.
Leslie Vernon
Leslie Vernon is a lesser-known horror villain from a meta-horror film called Behind the Mask, but don’t let that deter you from giving him a shot. He’s a normal man who exists in a world where some of the most iconic slashers are real. Freddy, Jason, and Michael, among others, are infamous for their killing sprees. Leslie Vernon wants to step into the shoes of these killers and make a name for himself.
What works best about him is that Michael and Freddy already exist in Dead By Daylight. Their existence makes it easy from a narrative standpoint to include Leslie in the roster.
While he doesn’t have any special powers, Leslie is nimble, clever, and very methodical in his ways. He’s always one step ahead of his prey, and is able to adjust to circumstances on the fly. With his lean stature and curved blade, survivors will have a hard time escaping the clutches of Leslie Vernon as he chases after the notoriety of the killers he emulates.
Xenomorph
Most of the killers in Dead By Daylight are humans or have the build of something believable. There are ghosts, but aside from the Demogorgon, creatures don’t typically make the roster. What better creature to include in a horror game than the Xenomorph?
Since 1979, the legendary Xenomorph has been terrifying moviegoers with its slimy jet black skin, ear-splitting hiss, and double sets of jaws. The creature is pure nightmare fuel and one that would fit perfectly in Dead By Daylight.
Jason Voorhees went to space, so why not the survivors as well? Imagine a map set aboard the Nostromo being stalked by the Xenomorph. There are countless corridors on the ship that can make it easy to get lost navigating through. Because there are plenty of air vents, the Xenomorph could stalk players from all directions, using its tail to wrap survivors and hook them for The Entity.
Pennywise
Stephen King’s infamous Pennywise would be a fantastic addition to any horror video game. While I think he’s better suited for Mortal Kombat, something is intriguing about a character that can seemingly become anything it desires based on a person’s fear.
Although there’s already a clown in the Dead By Daylight roster, Pennywise has enough variety and supernatural powers to make him stand out as a formidable foe. Pennywise could shapeshift into different forms, and his killing blow could be picking up a survivor and making them come face-to-face with the deadlights, the creature’s true form.
It’s hard to dispute that Dead By Daylight wouldn’t have been the commercial success it is if it didn’t give players recognizable characters to embody. Licensed killers give Dead By Daylight endless potential, and the game excels when the killers are diverse and fun to play. While many of the people I play with prefer the original killers, I’m obsessed with playing with characters from the silver screen.
My hope is that Behaviour Interactive keeps adding iconic killers and characters to Dead By Daylight to make the game even more horrific than it already is.
