Learn how to play the Spirit in Dead by Daylight!
Dead by Daylight has a handful of original killers inspired by horror icons, and Rin Yamaoka, a.k.a. The Spirit, is their ode to the Japanese Onryo. These demons are revenge-driven and terrorize poor souls who somehow find their way in the monster’s path.
Gameplay-wise, The Spirit is considered one of the most powerful monsters in DBD. While she can be tricky to master, it’s tough to counter any seasoned Spirit player.
Who is The Spirit in Dead by Daylight?
In the lore, Rin Yamaoka was a young woman whom her mentally ill father murdered. During her death, she swore revenge. The Entity chose her as one of its servants—resurrecting her as The Spirit.
As the Spirit, players can stealthily glide around the battlefield and surprise any unsuspecting survivors who aren’t too careful. Visually, The Spirit draws much inspiration from Japanese ghost icons like Sadako from The Ring. She also has massive wet hair, as seen in films like The Grudge.
It’s also worth mentioning that Rin is a descendant of Kazan Yamaoka, the same wrathful samurai who became The Oni in the game. The two are the only directly related killers in the whole DBD roster.
What are the Spirit’s Skills?
Since Japanese movie ghosts inspire the Spirit, you can expect her to give that general vibe in the game, stalking prey and appearing when they least expect it.
Her main power is Yamaoka’s Haunting, which allows the Spirit to phase into another world, becoming invisible and moving quickly across the map. The catch is when the Spirit is phasing, all the other survivors become invisible to her, and she would have to rely on other things to track them, including scratch marks or blood trails.
Read: Dead by Daylight: How To Play Ghost Face
As for The Spirit’s perks, they include:
Spirit Fury – The Entity destroys the next pallet when the killer breaks two pallets. However, the killer will still be stunned.
Hex: Haunted Ground – 2 hex totems appear when a match begins, and when a survivor cleanses one of them, it will trigger a trap that will expose survivors for 40|50|60 seconds. If one trapped totem is cleansed, though, the second becomes a dull totem.
Rancor – The Spirit becomes obsessed with one survivor, and all the other survivors will be revealed for 3 seconds. However, the killer is also exposed to the obsession. Once all generators are completed, though, the obsession becomes permanently exposed.
Tips on Using the Spirit in Dead by Daylight
The phasing ability is key to The Spirit’s kit, and using it effectively is essential when going after survivors. Since all survivors will be rendered invisible when this power is activated, it’s advised for Spirit players to pay more attention to detail. Not just watching out for scratches on surfaces but also the sound of survivors’ breathing.
There is also an ability that pros use called the Passive Phase, which is a fake-out move; the Spirit will trigger her phase ability but only stay in the same place. Survivors will hear the ‘whoosh’ and try to run away from where they think the Spirit is phasing. However, they will not expect the killer to be in the same place—ready to surprise them.
It’s also best to prioritize survivors who are already injured. The idea is that they wouldn’t want to risk getting hooked, so when you chase them and start to run, they’ll leave behind a trail of scratch marks—the only thing you can see when you are in your phasing mode.
While a keen eye for detail is key to using The Spirit, some also suggest that players have really good headphones that can accurately pick up any sounds of survivors when they are invisible to the killer.
