Superman: What Kind Of Dog Is Krypto?

After that first trailer for James Gunn's 2025 "Superman" movie dropped, fans couldn't stop talking about Krypto the Superdog. Of course, there were some who were a bit concerned about the shape and size of the Man of Steel's (played by David Corenswet) faithful pooch, which has led to some internet criticism about what type of dog Krypto should be. From what we can tell based on the small details found in the "Superman" trailer, the DC Universe version looks to be a terrier mutt of sorts. Although, because he's technically a Kryptonian pup, his exact breed likely doesn't fall under the same classifications we would use here on Earth.

While Gunn based his version of Krypto on his own mutt, a rescue dog named Ozu, any longtime comic book fan will tell you that this live-action Superdog is a far cry from his comic book appearance. Of course, DC Comics has never come out and declared exactly what breed Krypto is supposed to be, though many have considered him to be a type of white Labrador Retriever. "Krypto is historically a generic white dog," Gunn told fans on Threads, "sometimes also a [Lab], white shepherd, husky, or Dalmatian."

In Krypto's very first appearance in the pages of 1955's "Adventure Comics" (Vol. 1) #210, Krypto looks to be a white Lab, an appearance that would stick with the character throughout most of his comic book history. Of course, there are other versions of Krypto, even within the comics, that look more akin to some of the other breeds that Gunn mentioned. Because the Dog of Steel's exact stock cannot be determined, there's a lot of wiggle room regarding which breed Krypto may be.

Following Krypto's first comic book appearance, he was generally portrayed as a Labrador, but this was never confirmed within the books themselves. The Kryptonian mutt's traditional white appearance has been the only main requirement over the years, paired with an S-shield collar and a red cape. Following the Pre-Crisis era Superman's official send-off in Alan Moore's 1986 epic "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?," Krypto dies saving the life of his master. In the rebooted Post-Crisis continuity, other dogs held the name. These include alternate universe versions and, most notably, a small, white mutt (similar to Gunn's version) who was actually an Earth dog owned by Hobb's Bay resident Bibbo Bibbowski.

It wasn't until 2001's "Action Comics" (Vol. 1) #776 that Krypto officially returned in the Post-Crisis continuity. Though his origin was later retconned to better reflect the Superdog's first comic appearance (as seen in "Superman: Secret Origin" #2), he appears as the usual white breed, once again best resembling a Lab. However, that all changed following the New 52 reboot. In 2012, "Action Comics" (Vol. 2) #5 reintroduced Krypto, and his appearance was shocking. Throughout the New 52 continuity, Krypto's look varied from looking like a Husky to resembling a white wolf to even appearing somewhat Panthera-like on the cover of "Superboy" (Vol. 6) #21.

Thankfully, the New 52 didn't last terribly long. In 2016, the DC Rebirth event restored much of the Post-Crisis continuity, and returned Krypto to his standard appearance. Though, even still, sometimes the Dog of Steel is drawn to resemble anything from a Great Dane to a Cretan Hound. It just depends on the artist.

In addition to countless comic book appearances, Krypto has been adapted in other media as well. The first time was in "The Adventures of Superboy" animated series that ran on CBS in the 1960s. However, after the character's erasure from comic book history in 1986's "Crisis on Infinite Earths," the Dog of Steel was noticeably absent from many projects going forward. Though he cameoed in animated shows like "Batman: The Animated Series," "Superman: The Animated Series," and "Justice League Unlimited," he didn't officially return again until landing his own animated series, "Krypto the Superdog," in 2006. Here, Krypto (Sam Vincent) was still Superman's dog first, though he was entrusted to a young boy named Kevin (Alberto Ghisi), with whom he had some wacky adventures.

Since then, the Dog of Steel has appeared regularly in animated films and series, including "Legion of Super Heroes," "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse," "Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons," "Justice League Action," and even the crossover feature, "Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!" Of course, the most notable of these is 2022's "DC League of Super-Pets," where Krypto (Dwayne Johnson) teams up with Ace the Bat-Hound (Kevin Hart) and an assortment of other Super-Pets to help rescue the Justice League.

As far as live-action goes, James Gunn's "Superman" won't be the first time Krypto has jumped into the real world. During "Smallville" Season 4, Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance) discover a superpowered Golden Retriever in the episode "Krypto." Though, despite the episode's title (and Clark's suggestion), they name the dog Shelby instead. Other live-action shows like "Titans" and "Superman & Lois" also feature a Golden Retriever version of Krypto, but while the former gives Krypto most of Superman's powers, the latter offers the pup none of them.