Payday 2 has 22 heisters for you to choose from. These characters range from the original Payday crew to new original characters as well as licensed characters from other properties. Each character comes with unique weapons, masks, and sometimes skills and perks.
However, not all characters are created equal. Some characters got a lot more love and work put into them than the others, and some appear to just be lazy crossovers hoping to cash in on hot properties.
21 Ethan And Hila
Ethan and Hila are the duo behind the h3h3 YouTube channel. They were included as DLC characters for Payday 2, with all the proceeds of sales of the DLC going to them directly to help them in a lawsuit they were facing at the time.
The Payday 2 community seems to agree that the people behind h3h3 are the worst in-game characters. Their dialogue lines are particularly bad and sound wooden, and their masks are extremely boring. The h3h3 DLC is a nice gesture on behalf of Overkill, but the characters are not great to play.
20 John Wick
John Wick needs no introduction, but for anyone that isn't aware, he is a hitman that comes out of retirement to take revenge on those that killed his dog in the film of the same name.
John Wick doesn't really fit into the world of Payday 2. In the film series, Wick was a hitman that begrudgingly came out of retirement, and it makes no sense that he'd turn to a life of robbing banks and other criminal activity besides assassination. John Wick's mask is extremely poor as it's not even a mask but rather just a pair of shades and it feels like little effort was put into his character.
19 Joy
Joy is a Japanese heister and was the final character released for Payday 2, added in 2018 as part of Operation Icebreaker.
Joy has a unique and visually striking mask which is actually one of the best in the game, but her voice lines can be grating: they are loud, quite annoying, and often filled with forced cultural references, which get repetitive and cringe-inducing very quickly.
18 Sangres
The Mexican sicario, Sangres, was released on May 4, 2017, as part of the Sangres character pack celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Sangres' mask is a beautiful and haunting skull similar to those worn during the Day of The Dead, but Sangres himself, despite his dangerous past in cartels, does not feel particularly interesting compared to other characters.
17 Jimmy
Jimmy is the most obscure licensed character in Payday 2, coming from the film Hardcore Henry which was filmed in a first-person perspective.
Jimmy is a mad British scientist infamous for his love of cocaine. Jimmy clearly has very little knowledge or experience with mask-making and has voice lines that are as volatile as he is, with him making over-the-top threats out of nowhere.
16 Jiro
Jiro is from the game series Yakuza, and he is no stranger to a life full of crime and violence.
Jiro is particularly adept at using samurai swords and can even decapitate enemies, which is probably the most graphic way you can dispose of people in Payday 2. The majority of Jiro's voice lines are in Japanese, and it's extremely entertaining when guards are unphased hearing Japanese on their own communications.
15 Bonnie
Bonnie grew up in Glasgow in Scotland whilst there were many difficulties for the working class to get employment, which led to her life of crime.
She was instrumental in getting Hoxton out of prison and in tracking down his rat. Bonnie takes no nonsense and is direct with how she talks with the occasional quip, some relating to her Scottish heritage.
14 Dragan
Dragan is a Croatian heister and works for the brutal gunrunner The Butcher.
What makes Dragan a fascinating character is the actor's story. Dragomir Mrsic is a Bosnian-born Swedish actor who has actually robbed a bank before his acting career. In 1990 he, alongside fellow actor Liam Norberg, robbed Gotabanken of around 930 million SEK worth of state bonds, making it the biggest heist in Swedish history.
13 Sokol
Sokol is a former Russian professional hockey player who played a grinder role, meaning he's experienced in getting right in people's faces.
In case his terrifying mask didn't make it clear, Sokol is a fearsome heister that is not to be trifled with. Sokol remains calm and calculated while pulling off a job and delivers some great voice lines detailing his experiences back in Russia, or stroking his ego.
12 Houston
Houston is the younger brother of Dallas and filled the place in the original Payday Gang that Hoxton left during his arrest.
At first glance, you could easily mistake Houston for Hoxton as he has Hoxton's mask from Payday: The Heist. Houston did originally take the name Hoxton until the original was freed from prison, and it was then that he changed his name to the more suitable Houston, but he kept the iconic mask that fans of the series love.
11 Sydney
Sydney is a young Australian anarchist who intercepted the Payday Gang during another heist to declare herself a new crew member.
Sydney isn't robbing banks out of necessity or survival; she just enjoys the thrill of it all. Her excitement is reflected in her voice lines, which are said in her strong Australian accent. Sydney's mask is one of the most unique in the game, with its long pointed nose, and she is known for her love of mask-making for the rest of the crew.
10 Bodhi
Bodhi is a character from the 1991 and 2015 versions of the crime film Point Break and was introduced to Payday 2 alongside the Point Break heists.
Bodhi is also a thrill-seeker, but unlike Sydney, he has a strong code of ethics. He believes that through achieving eight ordeals that honor nature, he can achieve Nirvana, and it is for that reason he traveled to meet up with the Payday Gang. Bodhi's mask is modeled in a tribal fashion, which shows his love of nature.
9 Scarface
The character Scarface is Tony Montana from the crime film Scarface, which stars Al Pacino.
In the film Scarface, Tony is known for his extreme violence and criminal operations, particularly in the coke trade. The voice actor does an incredible job capturing the spirit of Al Pacino's character, with fantastic voice lines that feel authentic to the film. The mask created for Scarface is designed very well, incorporating the famous black and white associated with the film.
8 Rust
Rust is a biker that is modeled on and voiced by Ron Perlman.
What makes Rust a great character is the voice acting from Perlman. His deep and rich voice makes every line coming from Rust an auditory treat. He will say lines that include topics such as Dungeons and Dragons and, of course, the film Hellboy.
7 Wolf
Wolf is one of the original Payday Gang members and has a knack for blowing things up.
Before becoming a member of the Payday Gang, Wolf was a law-abiding citizen. It wasn't until becoming bankrupt and homeless that he turned to a life of crime to live out his action movie fantasies. Despite his psychopathic tendencies, he is a reliable member of the Payday Gang and is trusted by Bain and the rest of the crew alike.
6 Chains
Chains has always been a vital member of the Payday Gang, bringing his military expertise to the table.
Chains was always getting into trouble, even from a young age, before he decided to push himself to the limits by joining the US Navy S.E.A.L.S. Here, he found himself promptly kicked out for his trigger-happy attitude. Chains is essentially the backbone of the crew, acting as an enforcer for the gang.
5 Dallas
Dallas has been considered the leader of the Payday Gang since the original game.
The character has been the main face, or rather main mask, of the series since Payday: The Heist first came out. He is often seen as the group leader, as he remains calm under pressure and is always ensuring the success of a heist and the survival of his crew.
4 Clover
Clover is an Irish heister and was notably the first playable female character available in the game.
Clover is extremely soft-spoken and keeps her cool even in the most stressful of situations. She started her criminal career when she tried to scam Hoxton. Hoxton outwitted Clover and decided to take her on as an apprentice, rather than enact revenge upon her. Clover is now a fully competent heister who can hold her own, and her voice can soothe all - even hostages.
3 Duke
Duke is an extremely educated man and almost more of a scholar than a criminal. He is, above all else, a gentleman. Dressed sharply in his suit and bowtie, Duke is known for his love of art.
His mask is reminiscent of Michelangelo's David statue, and it is his knowledge of antiques and art that makes him extremely useful to the Payday Gang. Duke is also the only character primarily designed by the community, rather than Overkill itself, which makes him even more of an interesting character.
2 Hoxton
Hoxton is one of the original members of the Payday Gang and was arrested after the first game's events.
Hoxton is known for his profanity-filled voice lines, as well as charismatic personality. It's easy to fall in love with Hoxton's charm, and his incarceration plays a pivotal role in the story of Payday 2, with the gang breaking him out and identifying who sold him out.