The short answer
The short answer
Krypto is Superman's super-powered dog. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #210 (March 1955) as the test passenger in Jor-El's prototype rocket. In today's comics he's the Kent family dog, but in Superman (2025) he belongs to Supergirl and Superman is only looking after him. James Gunn based the film's Krypto on his own rescue dog, Ozu.
Meet the family
The rest of the family.
How it has changed
Every era, a different story.
Silver Age (1956–1970)
Silver Age (1956–1970)
Krypto debuts in 1955, having reached Earth years after Jor-El sent him up in a test rocket. He becomes part of the Legion of Super-Pets with Streaky the Supercat and Comet the Super-Horse.
Bronze Age (1970–1986)
Bronze Age (1970–1986)
Missing after the 1971 revamp, Krypto returns in Action Comics #440–441 (1974) and gets his memory back in Superman #287 (1975).
Post-Crisis (1986–2011)
Post-Crisis (1986–2011)
Absent from the post-Crisis comics for years, the modern Krypto returns in Superman (vol. 2) #167 (April 2001), by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness (Likely).
Rebirth and today (2016–)
Rebirth and today (2016–)
The family dog of Clark, Lois and their son Jon Kent.
Film: Superman (2025)
Film: Superman (2025)
Supergirl's dog, which Superman is minding. Krypto drags a beaten Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, helps defeat Ultraman and causes plenty of chaos.
Animation
Animation
Krypto the Superdog (2005–06) gave him his own cartoon, and DC League of Super-Pets (2022) cast Dwayne Johnson as his voice.
In depth
The full story.
Krypto the Superdog is Superman’s most loyal companion: a dog from Krypton with all of Superman’s powers and none of his manners. He’s been around since 1955, and the 2025 film turned him into a scene-stealer.
Who is Krypto?
Krypto is a Kryptonian dog with Superman’s powers. In the comics, Jor-El tested his prototype rocket by sending the family dog into space before Krypton exploded. Krypto drifted through space for years before finally reaching Earth. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #210 (March 1955), by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Sy Barry.
Krypto in the comics, era by era
| Era | Krypto’s story |
|---|---|
| 1955 | Debuts in Adventure Comics #210 |
| Silver Age | A Legion of Super-Pets regular alongside Streaky and Comet |
| 1971–74 | Missing after DC’s 1971 revamp |
| 1974–75 | Returns in Action Comics #440–441 (1974); memory restored in Superman #287 (1975) |
| Post-Crisis | Absent until the modern Krypto returns in Superman (vol. 2) #167 (April 2001) (Likely) |
| Rebirth and today | The family dog of Clark, Lois and Jon |
In short, Krypto has been dropped twice and brought back twice, because fans and writers keep missing him. (A “pocket universe” Krypto appeared in the late 1980s, but the familiar modern Krypto dates from the 2001 “Return to Krypton” story (Likely).)
Krypto in Superman (2025)
In James Gunn’s Superman (2025), Krypto is Supergirl’s dog, not Superman’s. Superman is looking after him while Kara is off-world, and the arrangement is, in Gunn’s word, complicated: Krypto is chaotic and fiercely loyal. He drags a beaten Superman to the Fortress of Solitude to heal in the sun, helps defeat Ultraman, and wrecks plenty of things on the way. At the end of the film Supergirl (Milly Alcock) arrives to collect him, which sets up her own film: see our Supergirl (2026) guide.
The real dog behind Krypto
Gunn based the film’s Krypto on his own rescue dog, Ozu. Gunn has said Ozu was the real-life inspiration for changing the script to include Krypto. It’s one of the sweetest behind-the-scenes stories in the DC films.
What breed is Krypto?
In the comics, Krypto has no official breed. He’s a white dog of generic pedigree, drawn to look like a classic all-American hound. In Superman (2025) he’s a scruffy mutt, modelled on Ozu, whom Gunn calls a mixed-breed rescue. Reporters have described him as a terrier mix, possibly part schnauzer, but that’s their description rather than Gunn’s. On TV, Titans and season 4 of Superman & Lois made him a golden retriever.
Krypto in animation
Krypto had his own cartoon, Krypto the Superdog (2005–06), and led the animated film DC League of Super-Pets (2022), voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Find more Superman films in Superman movies in order.
Krypto is part of the wider Superman family tree, and in the comics he’s best friends with Jon Kent.
Questions
Fans ask.
Who is Superman's dog?
Krypto, a white superpowered dog from Krypton. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #210 (March 1955). In Superman (2025) Krypto is Supergirl's dog, looked after by Clark. Gunn based him on his own rescue dog, Ozu.
What are Krypto's powers?
Krypto is a Kryptonian, so he shares Superman's powers, fuelled by Earth's yellow sun: he flies, and he's super-strong and very hard to hurt. In Superman (2025) he's strong enough to drag a beaten Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, and he helps defeat Ultraman.
Who voiced Krypto?
Dwayne Johnson voiced Krypto in the animated film DC League of Super-Pets (2022). Krypto also starred in his own cartoon, Krypto the Superdog (2005–06). In Superman (2025) Krypto was inspired by James Gunn's own rescue dog, Ozu.
What breed is Krypto?
Krypto has no official breed in the comics: he's a white dog of generic pedigree. In Superman (2025) he's a scruffy mixed-breed mutt modelled on James Gunn's rescue dog Ozu. On TV, Titans and Superman & Lois made him a golden retriever, which is why fans often guess that breed.
Next in family
Supergirl.
The cousin from Argo City.
Family treeBorn on Krypton. Raised in Kansas.
PersonalityPersonality