Comparing the DCU’s Top Animal Sidekicks

Warning! This episode contains SPOILERS for Peacemaker season 2, episode 2

Currently, the DCU is home to two major animal sidekicks. While James Gunn’s Superman has Krypto the Superdog, Peacemaker has Eagly the Bald Eagle. Although they help two very different superheroes, both pets have quite a bit in common.

Krypto made his DCU debut in 2025’s Superman, backing up Kal-El in his fight against Lex Luthor. Likewise, Eagly debuted in 2022’s Peacemaker season 1, and is now making new appearance in Peacemaker season 2. Following Peacemaker season 2, episode 2, it’s worth comparing both the DCU’s Krypto and Eagly to determine if one is better than the other.

Superman’s Krypto The Superdog: A Not-Quite Housetrained Powerhouse

As confirmed in James Gunn’s Superman, Krypto is not owned by the Man of Steel directly. Instead, Superman’s ending revealed that Krypto actually belongs to Kara Zor-El’s Supergirl, but was being watched by Kal-El while Kara partied on other worlds with red suns (allowing her to get drunk).

Not quite house-trained, we first meet Krypto biting at Superman’s ankles in the Fortress of Solitude, which he’s completely trashed. Later scenes would see Krypto demolishing a pet store to get some treats, as well as Superman fearing that the Superdog might eat his parents’ cows on the Kent Farm.

Possessing the same Kryptonian powers as Superman himself, Krypto is an absolute DCU powerhouse hiding behind a cute four-legged body (and a wagging tail).

Although he might have trouble listening at times, Krypto does ultimately prove himself to be a loyal pet, dragging an injured Superman to safety at the Fortress of Solitude while also helping the Man of Steel fight Ultraman and Lex Luthor’s Raptor soldiers by the movie’s ending.

Perhaps the biggest and most endearing Krypto moment came at the very end of Superman’s first post-credits scene, where Krypto was shown hugging Superman while the duo were sitting on the moon, looking at the Earth.

Eagly: An American Icon (Also Not Housetrained)

Hilariously, Eagly is revealed as Chris Smith’s very own pet Eagle in Peacemaker season 1. A bird of prey and symbol of American freedom, Smith confirms Eagly is similarly not house-trained.

Eagly does prove himself to be somewhat of a capable (and deadly) member of the 11th St. Kids. However, Eagly’s full capability mainly comes in Peacemaker season 2. Although the first season saw Eagly taking out a few of White Dragon’s followers, the mighty bird was ultimately injured by White Dragon himself and had to be taken to the vet.

Likewise, the first season proved that Peacemaker believes in Eagly’s potential a little too much, like when he tried to instruct his winged pet to carry his sonic boom helmet and place it atop the barn housing the Butterflies’ alien “cow”…only for Eagly to carry it off and drop it in the woods.

Conversely, Peacemaker season 2 has already given Eagly even more of an epic spotlight, particularly in the new Peacemaker season 2, episode 2 when ARGUS agents break into Smith’s house while Peacemaker is gone, leaving Eagly to take on the entire squad by himself.

Partly thanks to Agent Fleury’s “bird blindness”, Eagly ends up the victor, brutally pecking and scratching with his sharp beak and talons. He even eats one of the agent’s eyes. Making the brawl even better, the fight ends with Eagly casually walking back to the house in slow motion with an epic needle drop (“Dirty Money” by Ida Maria).

That said, Eagly is also just as much of an adorable hugger as Krypto, shown embracing Chris twice in the show’s first season, as they’re both the only ones the other seems to fully trust (at least before the 11th St. Kids).

Both DCU Superpets Are Great…But Krypto Definitely Wins

When breaking it all down, it’s actually quite funny to see just how similar Krypto and Eagly are in the DCU. They are both loyal to those they trust, while still not being fully obedient/house-trained.

Obviously, Eagly seems to be a little more brutal on-screen, largely due to being an aggressive bird of prey (and starring in a more mature DCU project). However, Krypto can’t be fully discounted given his superpowers, not to mention the superdog’s brutal beatdown of Lex Luthor at the movie’s end before Superman finally made him drop the evil billionaire.

James Gunn has also weighed in to a degree, confirming that we shouldn’t expect a Krypto/Eagly team-up anytime soon (believing Krypto would likely eat Eagly). Likewise, Gunn has also confirmed that the fight would undoubtedly end in Krypto’s favor thanks to his superpowers.

All things considered, it’s actually pretty hard to pick which DCU pet is the best, as they’re both pretty great for a lot of the same reasons.

That said, I personally think Krypto wins by a narrow margin, purely due to his heightened cuteness factor as an incredibly adorable dog compared to Eagly’s more intimidating and majestic “eagle-ness” (even if he does have doglike tendencies, like sticking his tongue out of car windows).

New episodes of Peacemaker season 2 release Thursdays on HBO Max.