For years, fans of the Superman comics have argued about how smart Krypto the Superdog is. Some believe him to be as smart as a human, his intelligence enhanced by Earth’s yellow sun. Others believe that he is a smart dog and a very good boy, but still ultimately just a dog. The question seems to be answered, at least in the DCU, by a extended clip from the first Superman trailer.
The clip shows Clark Kent falling to Earth after a battle with an unknown enemy. Beaten and bloodied, the Man of Steel whistles to summon his faithful canine companion. Krypto comes running and immediately jumps upon his owner with an enthusiasm immediately recognizable to most dog lovers.
Photo Credit: DC Studios
Eventually, Superman is able to communicate that he needs help, encouraging Krypto to take him to the Fortress of Solitude. This would suggest that the DCU Krypto is smart for a dog, but has a dog’s instincts first and foremost. This is consistent to most modern interpretations of Krypto in the Superman comics and his first appearance.
Comics Krypto generally “super-intelligent, for a dog”
(Image Source: DC / Curt Swan)
Krypto first appeared in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955. “The Super-Dog from Krypto” introduced him as Kal-El’s boyhood pet, whom Jor-El used as a test animal in a prototype rocket. Miraculously, Krypto survived the trip to Earth and enjoyed the same enhanced physiology and superpowers as Superman.
(Image Source: DC / Curt Swan)
However, despite being “super-intelligent — for a dog,” Krypto was still governed by a dog’s instincts. When he wanted to play fetch, he sniffed out his owner with a steel girder in place of a stick. He also chased cats, not caring for the damage he caused in the process.
(Image Source: DC / Jim Mooney)
Later Pre-Crisis Superman stories depicted Krypto as having human-level intelligence and thinking in full sentences. 1961’s Action Comics #281 is a prime example of this. Beyond sniffing out a Supergirl imposter based on her perfume, Krypto is able to activate the projector that enables people to enter or exit the shrunken city of Kandor.
(Image Source: DC / Tom Grummett)
After Krypto was reintroduced in the Post-Crisis era, he was portrayed in a manner consistent with his original appearance. He was smart for a dog, but the Kon-El Superboy still had to teach him basic tricks like an ordinary Earth dog. Despite this, Krypto went on to prove himself a Superman’s best friend.
Superman will be released in United States theaters and IMAX on July 11, 2025, as part of the DCU’s first chapter, titled “Gods and Monsters.”