The Onryo was added as the killer in Dead by Daylight's Ringu chapter, and she is widely considered to be one of the game's creepiest killers; she can sneak up on you by Demanifesting and Manifesting again, and she can teleport between the many TVs around the map in an instant.
With so many abilities in her kit, facing The Onryo can be overwhelming your first time. Thankfully, though, this killer isn't one of the strongest in the Dead by Daylight roster, and there are a lot of ways you can avoid dying to The Onryo if you pay careful attention throughout the match.
Here's how to counter The Onryo in Dead by Daylight, including ways to avoid being ambushed by this stealthy killer and how to avoid being caught off guard by her many abilities.
Update 27 March 2023 - This article has been updated to reflect all of the changes to Dead by Daylight that affect the best counters to The Onryo.
Look And Listen For The Onyro in DBD
Whether she's teleporting out of a TV in an instant or Manifesting near you to grab you off a generator, The Onryo relies heavily on her stealth abilities to confuse, intimidate, and ambush survivors. To avoid giving her the upper hand during any trial, pay attention and look out for The Onryo. She phases in and out of visibility while Demanifested, so you'll need to be vigilant and look for movement. She also has no terror radius while Demanifested, making it extremely easy for her to sneak up on you if you aren't prepared for an attack at all times.
Turn Off TVs Near Generators to Counter Onryo
If you're working on a generator with a TV by it, The Onryo can easily teleport to your location and catch you off guard if you don't turn off the TV. Therefore, it's worth it to turn off the TVs near any generators, hex totems, or other important objectives that you can't afford to be interrupted while completing.
If you find a TV near you, but you aren't planning on staying in the area for long, don't bother turning off the TV. You'll have to waste time returning the videotape or risk becoming Condemned, meaning The Onryo can immediately Mori you if you don't return it in time.
Don't Get Condemned Against The Onryo
Letting yourself get Condemned is the worst thing you can do against The Onryo, but thankfully this status condition is easy to prevent. You can see your Condemned meter on the HUD on the left-sidebar around your survivor icon. You become more Condemned the longer you hold a videotape, and you will also gain Condemned stacks if The Onryo teleports to a TV near you. You can lose Condemned stacks by returning a videotape.
To avoid getting Condemned, you can take our earlier advice and turn off TVs near generators to prevent Sadako from getting stacks this way. You should also take care to quickly grab and return a videotape if you see your Condemned meter filling up, so pay attention to the HUD.
That's all you need to know to counter The Onryo in Dead by Daylight. She may have a lot of abilities in her kit, but if you're careful and take action to avoid getting Condemned, you'll likely stay alive for longer. Good luck in the fog!