The Spirit was first introduced to Dead by Daylight in September 2018 alongside her Survivor, Adam Francis. The Spirit is one of the most controversial Killers in Dead by Daylight, even amongst the asymmetrical horror game’s partners, The Fog Whisperers. This is due to her powerful add-ons, as well as her near impossible-to-predict Power. Still, there are differences between how a good and bad Spirit plays.
To truly understand The Spirit and what makes her powerful, however, you’ll need to first look at her perks, powers, add-ons, as well as the tips and tricks that make playing The Spirit a fun and challenging experience.
For even more, check out the Dead By Daylight Prime Gaming rewards for freebies, as well as the newest codes. On top of that, we've got a Doctor build guide for that particular killer.
The Spirit perks in Dead by Daylight
The Spirit has three unique perks that can be unlocked for other Killers via the Bloodweb.
Spirit Fury
Once you break 4/3/2 Pallets, this perk activates and the next time you’re stunned by a Pallet the Entity will automatically break it for you. You’re still stunned, however.
Hex: Haunted Ground
A perk that spawns two trapped Totems into the Trial. When one of these Totems are cleansed, all Survivors suffer from the Exposed status effect for 40/50/60 seconds. The second trapped Totem will transform into a dull Totem.
Rancor
Your Obsession for one Survivor lets you see their Aura for 3 seconds. They too see your aura for 5/4/3 seconds. Once all Generators are completed, the Survivor suffers from the Exposed status effect permanently, and you can kill them by your own hand.
What is the best build and perks for The Spirit?
We would go with the following perks for the best possible Spirit build:
Hex Ruin (The Hag Perk)
A Hex that affects all Survivor's Generator Repair progress. All Generators automatically regress at percentage of the normal Regression speed whenever they are not being repaired.
Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Killer Perk)
Once the Exit Gates are powered and there is at least one Dull Totem remaining in the Trial Grounds, Hex: No One Escapes Death activates and lights the Totem.
Your Movement speed is increased by 2/3/4%. Survivors suffer from a permanent Exposed Status Effect.
BBQ & Chilli (The Cannibal Perk)
A deep bond with The Entity unlocks potential in one's Aura-reading ability. After hooking a Survivor, all other Survivors' Auras are revealed to you for 4 seconds when they are farther than 40 metres from the Hook. Each time a Survivor is hooked for the first time, gain a stack-able 25% bonus to all Bloodpoint gains, up to a maximum of several percent.
The Spirit Powers in Dead by Daylight
The Spirit’s power is called Yamaoka’s Haunting. With this power, The Spirit is able to phase in and out of the Ethereal Plane and initiate a Phase Walk.
When she Phase Walks, The Spirit is able to leave her physical body behind (a Husk) and move at an increase to her Movement Speed. During this phase, she can still see scratch marks that are left by Survivors and, if the Survivor is Injured, can still hear Grunts of Pain. However, she cannot actually see the Survivors. When The Spirit leaves her Phase Walk, the Husk disappears, and she gains a brief boost of speed.
She is capable of being stunned during her Phase Walk if she goes through a Pallet where Survivors are near. Though it is largely guesswork on the Survivor’s part on knowing where she is due to her non-directional phasing sound that Survivors are able to hear.
The Spirit also has a passive ability that lets her phase in and out of existence at random intervals. This happens only from a Survivor’s perspective.
Best add-ons for The Spirit in Dead by Daylight
The Spirit is an incredibly powerful Killer already, but certain add-ons make her extremely hard to predict to the point it feels like everything is a guessing game. Here are just a few that will help you absolutely wipe the floor with even the trickiest of Survivors.
Mother-Daughter Ring
This tremendously increases the Movement Speed of Yamaoka’s Haunting, making it possible for you to zip halfway across the map in little to no time. It does take away your ability to see scratch marks, but if the Survivor is Injured or you have Stridor, you’ll still be able to hear them breathing. Pair this with Father’s Glasses or another speed add-on, and you’ll be near unstoppable.
Prayer Beads Bracelet
An add-on that lets all Survivors outside of The Spirit’s Terror Radius hear her phasing. This is absolutely terrifying when combined with perks that increase your Terror Radius and let you YOINK those Survivors off Generators. The only downside is that smart Survivors will quickly realize you’re using Prayer Beads and become more cautious.
Bloody Hair Brooch
Considerably increases the charge time of your Yamaoka Haunting power. The more times you can use your Power, the better! Combine that with some very good Movement Speed add-ons and you’re going to be zooming around the map and getting those hits.
Father’s Glasses
An Iridescent add-on that lets The Spirit see Survivor’s blood trails while using Yamaoka's Haunting. It’s nothing too powerful considering it’s such a rare add-on, but combine it with Stridor and Sloppy Butcher? There’s no way those Survivors are going to be able to get away with you.
Dead By Daylight The Spirit tips and tricks
- You may not think the ol’ ‘pretend to Phase and the Survivors will just walk right into you’ trick will work, but you’d be surprised at how many times it does. The Husk the Spirit leaves behind emits a Terror Radius anyway, so Survivors will have no clue whether you’ve phased or not if you try out this trick.
- The Spirit works best when Survivors are out in the open, and she can quickly catch up to them. Push Survivors out by blocking them off at Jungle Gyms and The Killer Shack, forcing them to leave and giving you the chance to catch up to them.
- Stridor isn’t necessarily a must-have perk for The Spirit, but it’s very helpful in finding Survivors as it increases the sound of their breathing and Grunts of Pain by 50%. Even if the Survivors decide to walk to not leave scratch marks, you’ll still be able to get a good idea of where they are.
- Another build I recommend is Enduring and Spirit Fury on The Spirit. These two Perks let you not just break the Pallet without touching it, but reduces the Stun you receive, as well. Considering how fast The Spirit is already, these two Perks are certainly not one you’d want to miss out on for a quick and easy build.
- Yamaoka's Haunting is great for both Chases and for getting around. It isn’t as effective when looping, as Survivors generally know you’ll be looking to cut off places like Vaults and Pallets.
- Yamaoka’s Haunting is best used once a Survivor is hit and Injured, especially if you’re using add-ons that let you see Survivor’s blood trails, as well as boost the sound of their Grunts of Pain.
That's all you need to know about the best The Spirit builds in Dead by Daylight. Be sure to check back regularly to see how your build could be improved. In the meantime, check out the killers we wish to see in Dead by Daylight soon, or some games like DBD for when you need a break.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Dead by Daylight and Guides page.