Every Krypto The Superdog Power Explained

Fans knew he was coming, as James Gunn has long hinted he wanted Krypto in the DCU, and the first trailer for Gunn's "Superman" gives a very big role to the Man of Steel's super-powered canine. When Superman (David Corenswet) finds himself in trouble in a snowy hinterland, it's Krypto he turns to in order to make it to safety. Bleeding from the mouth, he begs his best friend to take him home — and it looks like his faithful dog is well on his way to doing so by the time the trailer cuts away.

As this exchange shows, Krypto is one special dog, and, no, he's not an earthbound canine by any means. As his name hints, comes from Superman's home planet of Krypton. That means he bears all of the skills and gifts that his master does, even though he looks like your average, lovable pooch. What does that mean for Clark Kent's new movie incarnation? Here's a list of all of the superpowers Krypto has been gifted with over the course of his many comic and animation appearances.

The Superman trailer already suggested this, but comic fans know it's true: Krypto can definitely fly, just like Kal-El. Not only can the canine soar through the air like a furry bluebird, but he can also bear the weight of beings or objects much heavier than he is while he's in flight, which means he could probably fly and carry a massive boulder just like his master can. As the trailer hints, he can and has carried Superman out of trouble before, sometimes by the cape and the skin of his (literal) teeth. Talk about your loyal dog!

Kypto shows off this ability in multiple comic book stories where he can often be seen careening through the skies at Superman's side, bearing all of the dexterity that his master does for midair balletic moves. Like all good boys, he's a great wingman — and good at winging his way into or out of trouble with the Man of Steel's help.

Also just like Superman, Krypto has super speed. That means he can move far more swiftly than the pace of any Earthborn dog, making him a blur to the naked eye. Kal-El has the speed and strength to make the Earth reverse its course and the ability to almost literally be in two places at once thanks to how quickly he can move. Krypto can move just as fast — and, since he's a dog, might be even faster — than the Man of Steel.

Of course, being a canine, Krypto has a tendency to barge right ahead, dragging even his equally strong human helpers behind him. Dogs will be dogs, after all, even if they come from an alien planet. But he can still more than maintain the pace his master sets and even be helpful in beating the bad guys, which makes him quite the super-ally.

Like Superman, Krypto is gifted with super-breath, which means his exhalations are strong enough to literally move mountains. In the comic books, this can be used for everything from cleaning off an oversized surface as quickly as possible to knocking a bad guy off of his feet or even pushing an object across entire oceans.

Also like his owner, Krypto's breath can also be super-chilled to the point of turning various objects or whoever they're fighting into a big cube of ice. His super-breath can be used to create bridges, put out fires, cool down a superheated object, or even ice over lakes or oceans to facilitate something Superman's doing. It's quite the power, and Krypto doesn't get to utilize it as often as his master does, but it's a skill he has in his arsenal. Perhaps in "Superman" he'll get to freeze Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) in place.

As hinted at above, Krypto has strength beyond that of your average pupper. He can lift, pull, bear, and tug a weight much heavier than most beings in the DC Universe. As a matter of fact, there are several comics where he picks up and carries several of his fellow DC Super-Pets. If Superman can pick up a whole house, Krypto can certainly carry a cow on his back without breaking a sweat; he's just as tough as his master that way. Taking him on a walk must be quite a daunting prospect, and stopping him from chasing down a cat would be a literal superhuman task.

This skill, too, can be seen in a number of comics featuring the Dog of Steel, and he has often used it while being an able assistant to his human friends. In fact, there have been stories where Krypto proves to be even stronger than Superman. Time will tell if he gets to haul something heavy that isn't Superman-shaped in James Gunn's film, but if that happens, we're sure he'll be up to the task. 

Can a Kryptonian dog survive a bullet to the chest, just like Superman? Well, yes — Krypto has a level of invulnerability that keeps him safe from heat, fire, and bullet impacts. If Superman can stop a train in its tracks, Krypto can do that too — even though he's less than half the size of his master. 

That invulnerability shows itself in multiple ways other than being able to survive being hurt by other beings. It allows him to fly into space and survive without oxygen or the need to suit up against the pressures of being outside of the Earth's atmosphere. In the "DC League of Super-Pets" animated film, Krypto is, in fact, so physically strong that he becomes the purveyor of the solar paw punch. To use it, he has to harness the sun's power to make a single, fatal strike. But it does do damage to his invulnerability — he could die from it unless he's properly insulated against its impact. Even the toughest of beings have their own weaknesses in the DC Universe, which means that even Superman and his fellow Kryptonians — including Krypto — can be killed.

Superman's heat vision can burn right through steel and melt it into a puddle, an ability that his dog has as well. Krypto's eyes even glow an eerie red when he does it, just like his master's. Heat vision often ends up being employed whenever Superman needs to get out of a tight jam — it's incredibly useful for melting down handcuffs that won't give, for instance. Krypto, too, has used his to break down chains and destroy different types of bonds across the DC Universe.

Naturally, both man and beast have to be very careful with this power; if they're not, they'll end up injuring others. But in the end, Krypto can use his heat vision to tunnel through the thickest wall and rescue his human friends with all of the panache of his master. But he is still a dog, so even though he can pinpoint his heat vision ability like Superman, it doesn't mean he's not at risk of losing control of this power in extreme emotional straits.

Krypto has the ability to see right through concrete, steel, and most other sorts of impediments thanks to his X-ray vision. Superman and Supergirl also have this ability and use it to spy on criminals and rescue innocent civilians. Krypto uses it to track his friends, as well as to find children and other vulnerable humans when they're in danger. They all share the same weakness to this ability, though — none of them can see through lead.

All Kryptonians are powered by the radiation of yellow suns, like Earth's, and Krypto is no exception to that rule. His x-ray vision, in turn, can be bolstered by the light of the sun and made even stronger thanks to increased exposure to its energy. When powered enough, he can see right through skin into the bones of his human and animal friends, as well as dense walls and thick floors. That can do anything from help him find a bomb to assist him in locating an injury on a compatriot. Talk about one strong dog.

Just like Superman, it takes a lot of force to pierce Krypto's hide — but if he does get hurt, he can recover from that injury with incredible quickness. That healing factor means he and Kal-El can take an enormous beating — they can fall out of the sky and strike the earth hard enough to leave a crater behind, for example — but they won't really suffer any severe internal injuries. They can be blasted through several skyscrapers and survive with little more than a scratch. That's just a small example of how their Kryptonian physiology makes them much less vulnerable to all of the things that can much more easily injure, maim, or kill a human being.

Krypto and his master, of course, share a famous weakness that will delay or hinder their recovery periods. Kryptonite will weaken and hurt both Superman and his canine sidekick. But Krypto still has the ability to heal quickly from things that would permanently hurt animals weaker than him, which makes him special, even among his fellow animal heroes. 

Lastly, Krypto definitely has the same sort of superhearing that Superman has — a power that some people might not even remember is among the Man of Steel's many abilities. Since dogs are already blessed with extra-sensitive ears, one can imagine how easy it is for Krypto to pick up on the sound of someone scurrying away to hide. His sense of smell is also super-powered, thanks in part to his canine origins, meaning he can smell and hear things even Superman might miss.

But one thing about Krypto is perfectly doglike, in spite of his alien origins. Back in the Silver Age of comics, Krypto displayed a kind of human-level intelligence allowing him to think and reason like an adult human being. In his current comic book – and, presumably, movie — incarnation, however, his intelligence appears to be equivalent to that of a particularly bright dog. Fans will learn just how smart the furry little guy is when James Gunn's "Superman" hits movie theaters on July 11, 2025.