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.
