Guide to Dead Island 2 Characters: Stats and Skills Uncovered

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Selecting the right character in Dead Island 2 can be tricky, especially since you have to make this decision right at the start of the game with limited information. Once you choose, that character will be your focus throughout your playthrough. Each character has their own set of strengths and weaknesses based on their stats and skills, but three characters really shine above the rest. In my view, Carla, Jacob, and Ryan are the top Slayers, delivering solid damage while also being able to withstand a lot of hits. On the flip side, Dani, Bruno, and Amy lack some effective abilities, making them less favorable choices.

When choosing a character in Dead Island 2, you’ll want to consider several factors. Each Slayer has seven stats affecting their health, damage output, speed, and other abilities. Additionally, every character has two unique skills that might influence your decision depending on how you like to play. For instance, Carla gains a damage boost when surrounded by multiple foes, while Amy benefits from attacking solitary zombies.

Let’s dive into a tier list for the best characters in Dead Island 2 for a quicker decision. We’ll also clarify what all the stats mean and provide a detailed look at each character. Keep in mind, if you’re interested in changing your outfit in Dead Island 2 for some customization, that feature will be available in a future update.

Top Characters in Dead Island 2

Here’s a list of the best characters ranked:

Carla
High resilience and toughness allow her to absorb both basic and elemental damage. Her Mosh Pit skill provides a useful damage increase when surrounded by multiple enemies. Most of her other stats are average, except for lower movement speed and critical damage.
Jacob
A well-rounded character with decent stats. His Feral skill offers a damage boost when attacking quickly in succession but has low resistance to elemental attacks.
Ryan
A tank-like character with high stamina and resilience to take on both basic and elemental damage. He focuses on knocking zombies down and can regain health from doing so, although he is the slowest of the group.
Dani
Offers high stamina, but her overall health recovery is lacking. While she has a slight health regen from taking out multiple zombies quickly, her ability to create explosions with heavy attacks is somewhat restrictive.
Bruno
With low health and toughness, he doesn’t excel, and his Backstab skill offers a minimal boost from behind attacks. However, he does deal the highest critical damage if you can maximize it.
Amy
The fastest character but also the least durable, with low peak health. While her skills offer stamina boosts from throwing weapons and attacking single zombies, they aren’t particularly advantageous in a game filled with hordes.

Overall, while each character has distinct abilities and stats, Carla, Jacob, and Ryan emerge as the strongest choices due to their effective skills and solid stats. You’ll frequently face numerous zombies, so being rewarded for engaging with many targets or delivering rapid damage is crucial.

Understanding Slayer Traits in Dead Island 2

Every Slayer in Dead Island 2 has seven traits that determine their health, damage output, speed, resilience, and more. Here’s a closer look at what these traits mean:

Toughness: Reflects how much physical damage you can absorb from attacks; higher values mean less damage taken.
Stamina: Indicates how many special moves and attacks you can perform before needing to recover.
Health Recovery: Shows how quickly your health replenishes.
Critical Damage: Determines how much damage critical hits inflict.
Agility: Refers to your base movement speed.
Peak Health: The maximum health you can achieve.
Resilience: Provides protection against fire, shock, caustic damage, and associated status effects.

It’s essential to consider these traits, especially since every character has one trait that is exceptionally high and another that is notably low. This dynamic can significantly affect your gameplay experience.

Detailed Character Breakdown

Jacob

Toughness: 3
Stamina: 4
Health Recovery: 2
Critical Damage: 3
Agility: 3
Peak Health: 5 (highest)
Resilience: 1 (lowest)

Innate Skills:

Feral: Provides a minor stacking damage boost when attacking quickly.
Critical Gains: Critical hits while low on stamina enhance critical damage and replenish stamina.

Jacob has balanced stats, though his vulnerability to elemental damage could pose challenges against specific enemies. Quick succession attacks can be beneficial since you’ll often face crowds.

Bruno

Toughness: 2
Stamina: 3
Health Recovery: 3
Critical Damage: 5 (highest)
Agility: 4
Peak Health: 1 (lowest)
Resilience: 3

Innate Skills:

Backstab: Offers a moderate damage boost from behind.
Rapid Reprisal: Dodging or blocking attacks increases agility.

Bruno excels in critical damage and speed, but his benefits from stealthy attacks might not be as useful in intense situations where you’re often swarmed.

Carla

Toughness: 4
Stamina: 3
Health Recovery: 3
Critical Damage: 1 (lowest)
Agility: 2
Peak Health: 3
Resilience: 5 (highest)

Innate Skills:

Mosh Pit: Gains a minor damage boost when near multiple enemies.
Dig Deep: Increases toughness when health is low.

Carla stands out for her exceptional damage resistance and ability to grow stronger as her health drops. Although her critical damage is the lowest, the boost when surrounded by enemies is highly advantageous.

Dani

Toughness: 3
Stamina: 5 (highest)
Health Recovery: 1 (lowest)
Critical Damage: 3
Agility: 3
Peak Health: 4
Resilience: 2

Innate Skills:

ThunderStuck: Heavy attacks create an explosion upon impact, affecting enemy stability and stunning them.
Bloodlust: Regain health for rapid kills.

Dani offers good stamina and overall health yet is limited in her recovery options. Her explosive heavy attacks can be powerful but require careful timing.

Ryan

Toughness: 5 (highest)
Stamina: 3
Health Recovery: 3
Critical Damage: 2
Agility: 1 (lowest)
Peak Health: 3
Resilience: 4

Innate Skills:

Retaliation: Blocking or dodging attacks bolsters Force, making zombies vulnerable.
Seesaw: Restores health each time a zombie is knocked down.

Ryan functions well as a tank, taking hits and dishing out damage while restoring health as he knocks down enemies.

Amy

Toughness: 1 (lowest)
Stamina: 3
Health Recovery: 3
Critical Damage: 4
Agility: 5 (highest)
Peak Health: 2
Resilience: 3

Innate Skills:

Relief Pitcher: Regain stamina when hitting a zombie with a thrown weapon.
Divide and Conquer: Minor damage boost when attacking lone zombies.

Unfortunately, Amy is often seen as the weakest character. She is fast but struggles to take damage, and her skills focus heavily on singular targets, which can be a disadvantage in crowded battles.

Conclusion

When it comes down to choosing your character in Dead Island 2, Carla, Jacob, and Ryan are the standout performers, offering useful skills and solid stats. No matter who you select, consider how their strengths align with your playstyle for the most enjoyable experience!