Smallville follows the adventures of Clark Kent, with many other Kryptonians also appearing on the show. Premiering in the fall of 2001, Smallville shows a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) in his adolescence and into early adulthood, with Clark gradually developing his Kryptonian powers and learning about his alien heritage as the Kryptonian refugee, Kal-El. Smallville ran for 10 seasons from 2001 to 2011, with Clark finally becoming Superman in the show's finale.
Many iconic characters from the Superman mythos also appear during Clark's journey to becoming Superman on Smallville, including his future arch-enemy Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). Additionally, Clark is far from the only Kryptonian seen on Smallville. While many Kryptonians appear in minor or background roles on Smallville, other Kryptonian characters appear in significant and even pivotal roles on the show. Here are the 20 main Kryptonian characters to appear on Smallville apart from Clark Kent himself.
Jor-El
Clark’s Kryptonian father Jor-El is a significant presence on Smallville, both in ethereal and physical forms. For the most part Jor-El’s voice is only heard in the Fortress of Solitude, with Jor-El guiding his son on his journey to becoming a hero and voiced by Terrence Stamp (who was the first live-action General Zod in Superman: The Movie and Superman II).
Flashbacks in season 2 show Jor-El (played by Tom Welling) visiting Earth in the ‘60s, and developing a romance with Lana Lang’s grandmother. Smallville season 9 shows Jor-El’s past on Krypton, with Jor-El also being briefly resurrected in human form on Earth from the Kryptonian orb before being killed again. In his human form, Jor-El is played by Julian Sands on Smallville.
Kara Zor-El
Clark’s Kryptonian cousin Kara Zor-El crash lands on Earth years before his arrival, but is kept in cryogenic stasis in her pod before being thawed out in Smallville. Played by Laura Vandervoort, Kara learns the ropes of her Kryptonian powers under Clark’s tutelage, and eventually becomes Supergirl. Despite Clark's overall greater experience with her powers, Kara is also able to fly before Clark on Smallville.
Zod
Normally ascribed the rank of General, Zod first appears on Smallville as an escaped wraith from the Phantom Zone who possesses Lex Luthor before being stopped by Clark. Zod later returns as Major Zod in Smallville season 9, played by Callum Blue, with Zod being one of numerous Kryptonian clones freed from an orb that was Jor-El’s safeguard against Krypton’s destruction.
After trying to conquer Earth, Zod is banished to the Phantom Zone, but Clark crosses paths with him again in season 10 when and Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley) end up in the Phantom Zone. By this point, Zod has bonded with the original Zod’s wraith and assumed rule over his fellow prisoners, but Clark and Lois manage to escape while keeping Zod imprisoned in Smallville's version of DC's Phantom Zone.
Brainiac
Smallville’s version of Brainiac is known as the Brain Interactive Construct, with Brainiac being his designated acronym. Played by James Marsters, Brainiac is a shape-shifting Kryptonian A.I., who eventually sided with Zod prior to Krypton’s destruction. Brainiac assumes the identity of Professor Milton Fine on Earth, with the mission of getting Clark to release Zod from the Phantom Zone. Brainiac continues as a recurring villain on Smallville, and is eventually reprogrammed into the benevolent Brainiac 5 in Smallville season 10.
Bizarro
Smallville’s version of Superman’s doppelganger Bizarro is naturally portrayed by Tom Welling, and is another wraith from within the Phantom Zone. Upon escaping in Smallville season 5, Bizarro steals a portion of Clark’s DNA to take on his likeness and Kryptonian powers. After multiple conflicts with Clark, Bizarro is ultimately destroyed by Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) in season 7 with the Blue Kryptonite. Unlike Blue Kryptonite's effects on the future Superman, it has an overpowering effect on Bizarro, causing him to explode.
Lara Lor-Von
Clark Kent’s Kryptonian mother Lara Lor-Van first appears in Smallville season 3 episode "Memoria", with Clark having a flashback to his infancy on Krypton and seeing his mother (played by Kendall Cross) before he is sent to Earth. Lara is later seen again in Smallville season 7, with Supergirl actress Helen Slater playing Lara in a flashback showing her visiting Earth before sending Clark. In the season 10 episode “Abandoned”, Lara returns one last time, appearing alongside Jor-El in holograph form in a message to their son, and helping to fulfill one of numerous dreams Clark realizes in Smallville season 10.
Faora
Zod's trusted right-hand woman Faora is re-imagined on Smallville as his wife, played by Sharon Taylor. As one of the Kryptonian’s imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, Faora escapes in the season 8 episode “Bloodline” and takes possession of Lois Lane, before being freed by Clark and Kara.
Davis Bloome/Doomsday
The infamous killer of Superman that is Doomsday is introduced in Smallville season 8 as Metropolis paramedic Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer). Davis's genetic material was attached to Clark’s ship as it left Krypton, with the adult Davis later experiencing increasingly frequent transformations into his monstrous form. After Davis and Doomsday are split by Clark with Black Kryptonite, the furious Davis turns on Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) after learning of her romance with Jimmy Olsen (Shawn Ashmore), only for the mortally wounded Jimmy to impale him on a pipe with both dying (though Ashmore later returned as the real Jimmy Olsen in Smallville's worst twist.)
Zor-El
The father of Kara, Zor-El appears in Smallville season 7, played by Christopher Heyerdahl. Zor-El is shown as a corrupted member of the House of El, who hated his brother for the shared love of Jor-El’s wife Lara. Despite this, Kara reveals that the only common ground Jor-El and Zor-El held was their mutual distrust of Zod.
Conner Kent/Kon-El
The human-Kryptonian hybrid clone Conner Kent a.k.a. Kon-El appears in Smallville season 10, played by Lucas Grabeel. Created in a laboratory experiment with some of Clark’s genetic material, he initially is given the name of Alexander Luthor, the full name of Smallville's version of Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor. Alexander gradually comes to learn his Kryptonian heritage, and eventually adopts the name of Conner Kent, enrolling in Smallville High School while becoming a hero under Clark’s supervision.
Dax-Ur
Based on the Superman villain Jax-Ur, Smallville's Dax-Ur is played by original Jimmy Olsen actor Marc McClure. On Smallville, Dax-Ur is the creator of Brainiac, but the Frankenstein monster shows no love for his creator, with Brainiac killing Dax-Ur after being fully brought online.
Vala
On Smallville, Vala is introduced as the sister of Faora, played by Crystal Lowe and appearing in season 9 after the Kryptonian orb is opened. Vala is one of the Kryptonians who make up Zod’s followers in Smallville season 9 (though Smallville changed its original plans for Zod.)
Basqat
A captain under Zod’s command, Basqat is played by Adrian Holmes, and appears in Smallville season 9 after the Kryptonian orb is opened.
Coats
Played by Cameron Bancroft, Coats is a Kryptonian clone released from the Kryptonian orb in Smallville season 9. He is also one of the Kryptonian followers of Zod.
Alia
Alia appears in Smallville season 9 as one of the Kryptonian clones released from the orb, played by Monique Ganderton. Despite being a follower of Zod, Alia was party to the murder of Jor-El’s clone released from the orb, against the wishes of Zod (who did not recall his bitter falling out with Jor-El on Krypton, due to his DNA being inserted into the orb first.) This led to Alia’s execution by Zod in one of the darker stories of Smallville season 9.
Raya
On Smallville, Raya (Pascale Hutton) is an ally of Jor-El’s on Krypton. Jor-El sent Raya to the Phantom Zone in a last ditch effort to save her from Krypton’s destruction, giving her the Crystal of El to defend herself against the Zone’s inhabitants. After Clark is sent to the Phantom Zone by Zod in season six’s “Zod”, Raya helps him escape to stop Zod. Unfortunately, Raya is killed by the Phantom Zone wraith Baern.
Nam-Ek
Nam-Ek appears in Smallville season 5 as one of the Kryptonians disciples of Zod freed from the Phantom Zone. Nam-Ek helps Zod’s wraith escape, but is later killed by Raya.
Aeyther
The second disciple of Zod first seen in Smallville season 5, Aeyther is played by Alan de La Garza. She is also on a mission alongside Nam-Ek to free Zod from the Phantom Zone.
Baern
Bow Wow was one of many guest stars in unique roles on Smallville, playing the Phantom Zone wraith Baern. After escaping the Phantom Zone, Baern possesses a teenager named Lamar in order to seek revenge on Clark, due to being sent to the Phantom Zone by Jor-El. Baern kills Raya in the Fortress of Solitude, with Clark then using the Crystal of El to pull Baern’s wraith from Lamar and send him back to the Phantom Zone.
Clark Luthor
Smallville season 10 introduces Clark multiversal doppelganger Clark Luthor, also played by Tom Welling. On Earth-2, Clark Luthor is found and taken in by Lionel Luthor (John Glover). Unfortunately, the Lionel of this world is even more evil than Smallville’s villain-turned-Superman ally Lionel Luthor ever was, and raises Clark into a ruthless and cruel villain, Clark even killing his brother to become CEO of LuthorCorp Media. Earth-2’s Clark also takes on the identity of the villainous Ultraman, and battles Clark Kent after being inadvertently brought over to Smallville’s main Earth. Ultimately, Clark Kent manages to awaken the hero within Clark Luthor, freeing him from his father’s influence and sending him back to Earth-2 to be the hero of his world.