Here’s everything you need to know about Superman’s dog Krypto.
It’s uncommon to see celebrities use their influence for good. Still, James Gunn, a well-known animal lover, went above and beyond with a social media post that combined news about Superman—something everyone wants to click on—with a heartfelt message about adopting shelter dogs. The post below shows the floppy-eared Krypto sitting beside David Corenswet’s Man of Steel. Additionally, you can see Gunn’s own (cinematically called) Ozu, who has strikingly similar floppy ears.
“Krypto arrives on screens in Superman this summer,” Gunn wrote in the post. “Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman. Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture—he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him. I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’—and thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life. What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy. #Superman.”
The fight between good and evil affects the main heroes and their pets. The Man of Steel’s dog, Krypto, is by far the most famous of the super pets. Although many people know this superhero dog, little about Krypto is known. Here are some Krypto the Superdog facts you should know.
1. When was Krypto’s First Appearance?
The Superdog isn’t much younger than Superman himself. Superman first appeared in 1938, and Krypto appeared in 1955. The dog first appeared alongside Superboy (Clark Kent) in Adventure Comics #210 (1955). He was made by writer Otto Binder and Curt Swan, possibly the most famous Superman illustrator ever.
Superboy investigates Krypto’s origins and discovers it to be his baby pet back on Krypton. The 1950s saw a period of controversy in comic books, with DC Comics’ “Silver Age” characterized by wacky, joyful stories. Krypto’s return to Earth is a source of excitement for Clark Kent.
The dog was initially supposed to be a one-off character, but readers loved him. So, four issues later, he reappeared and started appearing regularly in Superboy’s family.
2. What’s Krypto’s Origin Story?
From Crisis on Infinite Earths to The New 52, the DC Universe has seen numerous significant reboots, retcons, and retellings. These stories are typically recounted to clear up long-standing continuity issues and begin over. To create a more somber DC Universe, a lot of the humor of the Silver Age has been eliminated from continuity across these reboots. Nevertheless, certain bits have slipped through the gaps, and Krypto the Superdog consistently appears in one form or another.
Superman’s father is testing his son’s escape pod using Kal-El’s pet dog in the original origin. During one test, the pod goes off course and arrives much later than Superman.
Most of Krypto’s post-Crisis origin stories have shown him as a dog-like creature from a parallel reality; the most enduring of these has him as originating from a Brainiac-created phony Krypton that coincidentally resembles the Silver Age kind. After following Superman back to our world, this Krypto, who is at first rather hostile, eventually learns from Superman and joins him on several escapades.
Decades later, Superman frees the Kryptonian dog, the New 52 Krypto, from his captivity in the Phantom Zone. Young Justice, an animated cartoon, features a genetically modified white wolf that resembles Krypto in many ways. Compared to the Joker, Krypto has nearly as many origin stories.
3. How Did Krypto Get His Powers?
It’s challenging to pall about with a guy who can push planets around and catch falling helicopters. You must be up to the task. Fortunately, Krypto is more powerful than many human superheroes and shares his Kryptonian owner’s bodily reaction to Earth’s yellow sun. Krypto has superhuman strength, can fly, shoot ice from his lungs and heat from his eyes, and do almost anything Superman can.
But his skills are commensurate with his species. As a result, despite Superman’s physical strength, Krypto possesses a considerably more significant sense of smell than Superman.
4. What Kind of Dog Is Krypto?
Throughout his many incarnations, Krypto’s appearance has periodically changed. Though frequently depicted as a simple pedigree white dog, Krypto debuted as a Golden Labrador Retriever. This depiction of Krypto has never been given a breed, even though it resembles a terrier.
Fans have endlessly speculated about what Krypto might be, even though it might be simpler to categorize him as a member of his distinct breed. Numerous theories regarding Krypto’s breed are tenable but ultimately unresolved. Fans will thus have to categorize Krypto as “Superman’s Dog” unless DC offers information about his breed.
James Gunn based the movie’s version of Krypto on his shelter dog. We don’t know the breed in the picture, but it will undoubtedly be a good boi.
5. What Is Krypto the Superdog’s Weakness?
Like Superman, Krypto is from Krypton. He has the same strengths and weaknesses as his master, and Kryptonite weakens him.
Kryptonite is a green, crystalline substance from Superman’s home world of Krypton. In its most well-known form, it emits a special deadly radiation that can weaken and even kill Kryptonians. Except for lead, any element can emit kryptonite radiation. Superman is, therefore, shielded from radiation by a special lead suit. Gold and red kryptonite are two other types of kryptonite with distinct but usually harmful effects.
6. Is Krypto Canon?
Throughout the DC Universe, Krypto has appeared as a crucial supporting character. Despite this, many fans doubt the Dog of Steel’s place in DC’s canon. Although a dog wearing a cape with superpowers looks ridiculous, Krypto and other superanimals are canon.
For years after the 1950s, white dogs named Krypto were frequently mentioned. However, the “Return to Krypton” plotline, which took place in the early 2000s, marked Krypto’s actual comeback.
Superman is tricked into believing a false, idealized portrayal of Krypton in that story by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. It was a replica of the Silver Age version from decades earlier. A version of Krypto, described as Superman’s childhood pet, appears on that Krypton. The evil Brainiac 13 set up this phony Krypton as a trap. However, Krypto follows Superman home after breaking free from this delusion. He remains as the super pet of Superman and Lois Lane.
7. Did Krypto Need to be Trained?
Krypto thus returned to DC continuity, but unlike his Silver Age version, he lacked human intelligence. There were many humorous moments because he was a dog with abilities that needed to be trained.
When Krypto first met Kara Zor-El, he reacted unexpectedly aggressively to her. While the girl was exploring the Fortress of Solitude, the dog happened upon her and attacked, using his heat vision and other possibly deadly attacks.
As a result of Superman’s extensive training efforts, the dog now occasionally goes on missions with the Man of Steel.
8. Does Krypto Have a Secret Identity?
Any dog that leaps tall buildings in a single bound will attract unwanted attention, especially since most humans would end up in the ER after just one of Krypto’s fun tackles.
In the Silver Age, Jonathan and Martha Kent’s family dog “Skip” was Krypto’s disguise. Superman seems to be able to get by with Clark Kent’s glasses, but dogs can’t afford to wear eyewear that can disguise their identities. Whenever Krypto transforms into Skip, the Kents put brown shoe polish on his back instead. Krypto burns away the polish with his heat vision when danger approaches.
If a dog had a crimson cape dangling from its shoulders, it would be a dead giveaway to Skip. However, as dogs lack opposable thumbs, this would be problematic whenever he needed to change. Fortunately, Krypto’s cloak can be pulled back, and it vanishes under his collar with a single button press.
9. Has Krypto Been In a Superhero Group?
Remember when I talked about the silliness of the Silver Age? Well, things became even more absurd. While Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash are all part of Superman’s Justice League, Krypto was formerly a proud Legion of Super Pets member. It included Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey, and Comet the Super-Horse. Although they didn’t show up often, they were a high-ranking organization.
Being a busy little dog, Krypto wasn’t satisfied with belonging to just one squad of pets with superpowers. Additionally, he was a member of the Space Canine Patrol Agents, or SPCA for short, a group of meta-canines that patrol the galaxy, save lives and perform other heroic tasks typically performed by superheroes.
10. Has Krypto Ever Died?
In Alan Moore and Curt Swan’s 1986 novel “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” Krypto was still present. This two-part tale essentially concluded the classic Superman narrative and paved the stage for the John Byrne relaunch.
Following the invasion of the Fortress of Solitude by an army of Superman’s adversaries to destroy the Man of Steel and the loved ones he was protecting. That army included the Kryptonite Man, who had no idea how a dog would react to a stranger in his master’s house.
Krypto, already dying from his lethal radiation, leaps for the Kryptonite Man without hesitation. Krypto was never more dog-like at the end, not only for his startling savagery but also for his intense loyalty and laser-focused hatred for someone who was determined to harm his master, even though he had spent many years wearing the silly cape and using thought balloons to think very human thoughts.
11. Can Krypto Talk?
Although he cannot speak most of the time, he can hear and respond by barking or nodding. He can, however, occasionally speak, as demonstrated in the animated Krypto the Superdog series, where he can communicate with people in simple English after receiving a translation communicator.
12. Batman Thinks Krypto is Stupid
Even by DC’s standards, the notion of a caped dog with superpowers is ridiculous. Fans around the globe are aware of this, yet Batman is the only DC character who appears to be aware of it. Naturally, the gloomy and melancholy Batman notices Krypto’s blatant silliness and frequently remarks on it.
Batman makes fun of Superman or his dog whenever the Dark Knight and Man of Steel are not on the same page. Superman is typically unaffected by Batman’s clever comments, while Krypto gets incredibly enraged. Batman is right about how stupid Krypto is, but it isn’t sincere, given that he has a dog named Ace the Bat-Hound.
Naturally, October is “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month,” but Gunn and Ozu would undoubtedly agree that any month is an excellent time to get a pet. Just ensure your laptop and other expensive devices are out of reach! Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow opens in theaters on June 26, 2026, while Superman opens on July 11, 2025.
What do you think of Krypto the Superdog? Is Krypto a good boy? Are you looking forward to the movie?