Payday 2 brought in new members to the Payday gang of all different shapes, sizes, nationalities, and franchises. The original Payday gang managed to expand in Payday 2, providing players with more than a few faces to get themselves familiar with. Each heister has their own unique personality, backstory, and importance to the gang, and with 22 heisters in Payday 2, each brings a grand set of skills to be admired.
For many players, the best heister in Payday 2 is of personal preference. The Payday series has seen collaborations between different movies and games to add more to the incredible roster, as well as some celebrity faces. However, some heisters are notably better than others; whether due to their history with the game or otherwise.
22 Hila
In perhaps the most bizarre collaboration in Payday 2, players were able to mask up as Hila Klein, from the popular YouTube and Podcast duo, H3H3. The inclusion of Hila and her husband Ethan is an oddity and doesn’t fit with the aesthetic of Payday 2. It’s rare to see a Hila player in Payday 2, and the lack of trained voice acting makes for a stiff performance, and an odd appearance.
21 Ethan
Fans of H3H3 may enjoy the fact that Ethan Klein is in the game, but the dated jokes from his appearance make Payday 2 rather cringe-worthy. Most players elect to skip purchasing these DLC characters and choose to ignore the lore implication of a famous YouTuber becoming part of Bain’s elite heisting squad. Thus, it’s best to leave Ethan and Hila at the bottom of the list.
20 Joy
As a Japanese hacker that released in collaboration with the Nintendo Switch, Joy brought her talents to the Payday crew. However, her youthfulness and high spirits can often come off as annoying, and players elect to use more reserved and experienced characters from the crew.
19 Bodhi
It makes sense that the Payday gang would introduce a character like Bodhi. This character has previous heister experience thanks to his affiliation as part of the Ex-Presidents. However, as a character from the Point Break movie, it’s rather odd seeing him in the game, when he should be surfing instead of robbing The White House.
18 Scarface
In perhaps the most bizarre collaboration of Payday 2, Scarface joins the fight. Despite the titular character dying in his movie set decades before Payday 2, his appearance is nothing short of head-scratching. Even if the wild, violent, and abrasive behavior of Scarface can be funny, it’s still an odd fit that the game can do without, especially since the DLC is no longer available due to licensing issues.
17 John Wick
John Wick makes a guest appearance as part of the Payday gang. This is the same John Wick from the movies of the same name. It’s odd to see one of Keanu Reeves’ characters in Payday 2, especially since more John Wick films have fleshed out his character. It makes it all the more odd to see John Wick heisting for no gain, and killing countless police officers and civilians when that isn’t his MO.
16 Sydney
An Australian youth who craves criminal activities, Syndey caused quite a bit of mayhem in Melbourne before she decided to arrive in America with big bank-robbing ambitions.
Her character is quite the fun addition to the crew thanks to her performance, but she sometimes needs to learn how to quieten down when it comes to Stealth-based activities.
15 Rust
The biggest appeal of Rust’s character comes from the fact that he is portrayed by the famous actor Ron Perlman. However, Rust seems quite typecast for Perlman, being the quiet and stone-cold biker character of the gang. Rust seems bored of most activities, and the character’s history of violence makes it all the more strange that he decides to heist, rather than ride the open road on his chopper.
14 Sangres
Sangres knows how to have fun, as indicated by his preference for clothing. Sangres doesn’t follow the usual heisting code of a suit, and elects to have some fun tropical shirts. His mask is also incredibly unique, as it is more in line with his culture than as part of the clown gang. His inclusion as part of the Payday gang as a violent hitman makes him an excellent and prolific addition.
13 Sokol
Violent, youthful, and obsessed with hockey. These are the best words to define the Payday crew’s very own Sokol. This professional hockey player comes from Russia, and he’s rather genius when it comes to his invention of drills. Although, it’s questionable why someone with a promising hockey career would choose to rob banks instead.