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Dead Island 2 characters – all playable Slayers

Here are all the Dead Island 2 characters you can find in Deep Silver's zombie-riddled, action game on PS5, PS4, Xbox, and PC platforms.

Dead Island 2 Characters: Jacob can be seen

Dead Island 2 has six playable characters: Amy, Jacob, Dani, Ryan, Carla, and Bruno. Each character has their own innate abilities and playstyle with a variety of other skill cards and gameplay options for each available to unlock throughout the game.

As well as their gameplay differences, each character has their own backstory. With the game having six playable characters, “each with their own unique personality and dialogues” you can expect a lot from each one. They can all handle themselves well. But which Dead Island 2 characters are right for you? Here are all six in more detail from our time with the game for our Dead Island 2 review.

Dead Island 2 characters: Amy in a classic American diner.

Amy

Amy grew up in Los Angeles and has watched the city turn into a hellscape of an unfathomable proportion. As an athlete before the zombie outbreak occurred, she is not a fan of losing and can often be found taking the lead in situations.

Her stats include a 5 in agility, 4 in critical damage, but suffers with only 1 toughness and 2 peak health. She does have all-around solid health recovery, stamina, and resistance, all at a 3. Amy is meant for a more lone-ranger style of play, that isn’t too focused on killing hordes of zombies, instead picking them off one by one.

Her Innate Skills are:

  • Relief Pitcher – Amy regains stamina when hitting a zombie with a weapon throw
  • Divide and Conquer – Amy gets a minor damage boost when she attacks isolated zombies

Dead Island 2 characters: Jacob in a swimming pool.

Jacob

The star of the Dead Island 2 Gamescom trailer, Jacob worked as a stuntman before the outbreak and was born in London. He is not a fan of wasting time so you can often find him being proactive, especially in the zombie-infested Hell-A. He’s also an appreciator of the classics, so you will often hear him quoting William Shakespeare.

He is a critical hit machine. With a peak health of 5, solid stamina at 4, and a critical damage stat of 3, Jacob’s entire playstyle is built around landing those critical hits and getting buffs while doing so. He doesn’t have too much resistance, and his agility, toughness, and health recovery could be better.

His Innate Skills are:

  • Frenzy – Jacob gets a stackable minor damage boost when attacking in quick succession
  • Critical Gains – Jacob’s critical hits when stamina is low get a moderate critical damage boost and regain stamina

Dead Island 2 characters: Dani smoking in the zombie-filled streets of LA.

Dani

Dani quickly made herself at home in the local punk and alternative scenes of LA once she relocated from Boston. She also joined the roller derby team, so we can expect her to be quick on her feet and play like an up-close bruiser.

Her stats make her a quick-firing, explosive-slinging machine, always on the move and killing zombies wherever she can. Her stamina is an exceptional 5, with a peak health of 4, allowing her to be as strong as possible while on the move. She does suffer from low health recovery, however, sitting at just 1. All of her other stats though round her playstyle out and if you like dealing a lot of damage, Dani is for you.

Her Innate Skills are:

  • Thunderous – Dani’s heavy attacks trigger a forceful explosion on impact
  • Bloodlust – Dani regains health when slaying multiple zombies in quick succession

Dead Island 2 characters: Ryan in his firefighter outfit surrounded by dead zombies on a sunny pier.

Ryan

Ryan, a Fresno native, gained success as a ‘sexy-firefighter-o-gram’ and exotic dancer, often bringing him to LA. When he’s not flexing his physique at bachelorette parties, Ryan keeps close ties with his little brother, who he raised once their parents passed away. With the city turning red with blood and guts, Ryan is devoted to finding his brother to ensure his safety.

Ryan is built as a run and evade style character. With a strong 5 toughness, he is able to survive stray hits and ambushes. His stamina and resistance stats of 4 also play into this. But, what he has in evasion, he lacks in agility, so you can’t be as mobile as you would like. He does have solid stamina, health recovery, and peak health stats of 3 which can make blocking and dodging hits easier if you do take some damage.

His Innate Skills are:

  • Retaliation – Ryan gets a moderate force boost when using block or dodge to avoid an attack
  • Seesaw – Ryan regains health each time he knocks down a zombie

Dead Island 2 Characters: Carla can be seen

Carla

Carla is a street-smart motorcycle racer from Los Angeles who has a flair and thirst for zombie killing. With a sever dislike of being bored, Carla lives off adrenaline and used to work as a mechanic where watching her work pay off with a vehicle that has been fixed was one of her main sources of thrill.

Carla is a walking tank, able to take hits with her 5 resilience. With a 4 toughness stat as well as solid health recovery at a 3, Carla is undoubtedly one of the top choices in the game. She is able to survive in a way other Slayers cannot and her skills are all helping her out as she takes on zombies.

Her Innate Skills are:

  • Mosh Pit – Carla gets a minor damage boost when close to multiple zombies
  • Dig Deep – Carla gets a moderate toughness boost while her health is critical

Dead Island 2 Characters: Bruno can be seen

Bruno

Bruno is a modern-day gentleman thief who is smooth-talking, but able to be useful no matter where he is or what situation he finds himself in. Born in LA, he is a huge lover of being challenged by obstacles and taking on new opportunities, especially when those involve going against corruption, one of his many dislikes.

Bruno is focused more on damage and speed than some of the other characters. With a 5 critical damage stat, 4 agility, and 3 stamina and health recovery he is a great option if you want a lot of agility from your playthrough.

His innate skills are:

  • Backstab – Bruno gets a moderate damage boost when attacking zombies from behind
  • Rapid Reprisal – Boost Bruno’s agility and heavy attack charges when he avoids attacks with a block or dodge

And that’s all the Dead Island 2 characters that are in the game at launch. Be sure to check back as we drag our zombie-fied bodies closer and closer to the game’s launch date. Each of these slayers is voiced by a charismatic person you may recognise in the full Dead Island 2 voice actors and cast list. You will also be able to utilise their skills to take down a variety of the Dead Island 2 zombies found throughout LA.