Blumhouse, the studio behind M3GAN, and Atomic Monster are working on a film adaptation of the horror game Dead by Daylight. The film’s plot line has yet to be announced, giving fans a lot of space to daydream about which characters they’d like to see adapted.
While Dead by Daylight has many licensed DLCs, they also have some fascinating original survivors and killers who could make for a horrifying story. There are over 40 original characters at this point, so not all of them are going to appear in a meaningful capacity. Here are my top picks for Dead by Daylight killers and survivors to appear in the upcoming movie.
The Trapper
It’s not going to be a Dead by Daylight movie if they don’t have Trapper. I’m sorry, that’s just the facts. The first killer and the face of the game, Evan MacMillan and his signature bear traps are too iconic not to include in the movie. You could have him be a brutal killer, or he could be a slightly more sympathetic figure who, ultimately, doesn’t want to be a tool of the Entity.
The Original 4 Survivors
Dwight Fairfield, Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, and Jake Park are basically a built-in squad. Each of them is an interesting subversion of the jock / nerd archetypes that many slasher victims were built on. Of the four of them, I personally think Claudette is the most interesting—she’s a botanist who was taken by a plant-like Eldritch being, so she could provide some insight into the Entity’s biology. But Meg Thomas also has some intrigue, especially since she has a sick mother she needs to get back to.
The Huntress
Another iconic killer, Huntress has a fair bit of tragedy to her story that would make her easy to empathize with. After her mother was killed in a hunting accident, Anna had to survive alone in the Russian wilderness for decades, using throwing axes to take out prey from a distance. After a while, she decided she wanted a family of her own and began kidnapping the little girls from nearby villages. They never lasted long, which made her more determined. It turned into this brutal cycle of her kidnapping little girls, and them wasting away. Until the Entity snatched the Huntress up, of course.
Feng Min
Arguably the most popular original survivor in Dead by Daylight, Feng Min is a professional gamer who finds herself in a game of life and death when she gets taken by the Entity. Min is intriguing because, in spite of her popularity, she has yet to receive a Tome exploring her character. That makes her very much a blank slate who could easily be made into an interesting main character. Especially when contrasted with the killer from her release, The Doctor.
The Doctor
Out of all the Dead by Daylight killers, the Doctor is among the most disturbing. The Doctor made his career out of extracting information for the CIA, in addition to working on Project MKUltra (yes, the project from Stranger Things that was a real-life attempt by the CIA to master mind control).
Even worse, he was partially inspired by a real person: Dr. Yang Yongxin, who runs a clinic in China that “cured” young people of internet addiction through electro-shock therapy. Despite multiple injuries and deaths at his clinic, the real-life doctor is still operating his practice. When Dead by Daylight asked its Chinese players to design a killer, Dr. Yongxin was who they chose.
The Doctor is also interesting for his connections to the Black Vale cult that worships the Entity. His mentor was a member that sacrificed a whole cult to the Entity, which in turn created the monstrous Dredge.
Adam Francis
While the video is a bit out of date (Dead by Daylight’s character roster has almost doubled since its release), Pixel Bush makes a decent argument for Adam being one of the few original survivors who can almost fight the Entity. His ability to unhook himself is basically open defiance of the Entity and the killers. He would also work well as a foil to the Doctor, since both are educated Black men who use their intellect for very different purposes (Adam for teaching, the Doctor for torturing).
Elodie Rakoto
From a narrative perspective, I think Elodie would make the most sense as a protagonist. Her parents were taken by the Entity when she was young, and she devoted the rest of her life to finding them, even when the other kids gave up. Showing the world of DBD from her perspective would introduce us to how the Entity chooses killers versus survivors. It could also go into the Black Vale cult that worships the Entity. If they include Felix Richter in the movie, you could have the interesting dynamic of him being a non-believer and her being conspiracy theorist, only for them to both be dragged into the Fog.
Haddie Kaur
Haddie Kaur is arguably the protagonist of the DBD’s lore tomes. She’s appeared in multiple entries as multiple versions of herself to investigate the weak points left behind by the Entity’s abductions. She’s a paranormal podcaster, documenting her findings in a series called “The Harbinger of Hell.” Haddie’s fought monsters and ghosts and traveled all across the world. She would be the best character to explore DBD’s multiverse, as many of her variants are also investigators. In short, Haddie’s easily in my top three picks for the film’s main character.
The Dredge
The Dredge is a physical manifestation of the paranoia and guilt of a cult that destroyed itself, all thanks to the manipulations of its founder, a member of the Black Vale. Its body is made of the pieces of its victims, and its power covers the map in darkness, which could lead to some very tense sequences in a movie. The Dredge is also the killer that came into the Fog alongside Haddie.
Amanda Young and/or Detective David Tapp
Out of all the licensed killers and survivors in DBD, I think the Pig and Detective Tapp are the most likely ones to have a cameo, thanks to James Wan producing the movie. Obviously, it’s a long shot, as Blumhouse does not have the rights to SAW. But having a Shawnee Smith or Danny Glover cameo for a short scene, just to show they’re in the realm of the Entity, would be amazing. Shawnee is more likely, as Amanda is her most famous role, and she’s responded positively to the game. I hope we get a Billy the Puppet cameo at the very least.
If you want to look at some of the many other characters from Dead by Daylight, I highly recommend reading their base lore on the DBD Wiki or listening to their archive tomes.
Which Dead by Daylight characters do you want to see in the movie? Comment below!
(Featured Image: Behaviour Interactive)
