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The House of El and associates

Kal-El / Clark Kent / The Blur

See The Kents.

Jor-El (Terence Stamp, Tom Welling, Julian Sands)

Clark's Kryptonian biological father, Jor-El was a brilliant scientist who was regarded as one of Krypton's greatest heroes (next to Zod). When Krypton was about to go boom, he copied his brain patterns into the spaceship that would carry his son to Earth.

Tropes that pertain to the Kryptonian Jor-El

British Accents
Cain and Abel: With Zor-El and Zod.
Former Teen Rebel: In Season 3's "Relic", Jor-El tells Louise (Lana's great-aunt) that he wasn't a "model son."
Happily Married: Screwed up as he is, there are no indications that his marriage to Lara was less than happy.
Heroic Self-Deprecation: Both the clone and the real Jor-El have rather negative views of their own achievements.

(to Clark via a holographic message) The ship I designed to carry you to your destiny can only hold one Kryptonian, one with so much potential--so unlike your father. ... I am sending with you all my knowledge, and none of my ego or regrets.

- This is probably why the AI Jor-El is such a douche; because it doesn't want Kal-El to be like him.
Hot Dad
Humans Are Flawed: And so are Kryptonians.
Ignored Expert: Shown in a Flash Back scene in Season 9's "Kandor" when he tries to warn the Kryptonian Council that sending cloned Kryptonians to Earth might not be such a great idea.
Lighter and Softer: The clone (and presumably the real) Jor-El are shown to be much nicer than the Fortress AI.
Man in White: When he was alive on Krypton.
Posthumous Character
Science Hero: Heavily implied.
Take a Third Option: In "Kandor", he interrupts the taking of blood samples from Zod's army so they can be sent to Earth in the Orb. Later, he argues to the Kryptonian Council that he created cloning technology to help the sick and wounded rather than bring the dead (namely superpowered Kandorian soldiers) back to life. After he's ordered to finish the Orb despite his warnings of the Kandorian army potentially using their powers to take over Earth, Jor-El irradiates the Orb with Blue Kryptonite to De-Power the Kandorians.

Tropes that pertain to the A.I. Jor-El

All Powerful Bystander
Asshole Victim: The Fortress AI has this happen to it a lot, courtesy of Brainiac, Lex, Earth-2 Lionel and various others.
Because Destiny Says So: The AI is a total douche about this.
British Accents
Genius Loci
Good Is Not Nice
Humans Are Flawed: And so are Kryptonians.
Jerkass: In the early seasons, at least.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In later seasons.
Meddling Parent
Meta Casting / Remake Cameo: Kneel before Jor-el! I mean, uh, Zod!
Mister Exposition
The Omniscient
Sink or Swim Mentor
So Proud of You: Said by the Fortress AI to Clark in Season 8's "Abyss" and in the Grand Finale.
Soul Jar
Spirit Advisor
The Spock
The Voice
Well-Intentioned Extremist

Lara-El (Kendall Cross, Helen Slater)

Clark's Kryptonian biological mother.

Back from the Dead: Thanks to cloning and a Power Crystal in Season 7's "Blue."
Cloning Blues
Flying Brick: Although she only really gets to demonstrate her Nigh Invulnerability.
Happily Married: To Jor-El, much to Zor-El's disgust.
Hot Mom
Meta Casting / Remake Cameo: Her actress originally played Supergirl.
Posthumous Character
Sealed Good in a Can
Unwitting Pawn: Of Zor-El.
Woman in White

Raya (Pascale Hutton)

Jor-El's lab assistant, Raya helped construct the spaceship that infant Kal-El escaped Krypton in, and was later put into the Phantom Zone so she could survive Krypton's destruction. Years later, she meets Clark after he's sent to the Phantom Zone by General Zod and helps him escape, but is believed to have been killed by two of Zod's henchmen. Later on, Raya shows up in Smallville, having been freed from the Phantom Zone herself along with some others, and helps Clark battle Baern, one of the Phantom Zone escapees. She is killed by Baern in the Fortress of Solitude.

Action Girl
Cute Bruiser
Hot Scientist
Killed Off for Real
Minored in Asskicking: Raya survived in the Phantom Zone for twenty years and holds her own against Baern, one of the worst of the Zoners.
Miss Exposition
Ms. Fanservice: When Clark first meets her, she's in a toga.
Taking the Bullet: Takes a nuclear blast from Baern in order to save Clark's life.
Tell Me About My Father
Waif Fu
We Hardly Knew Ye
You Look Familiar: Pascale Hutton previously played a minor character in Season 4's "Ageless".

Kara Kent / Kara Zor-El (Laura Vandervoort)

Clark's Kryptonian cousin, the daughter of Jor-El's brother Zor-El. Kara was sent to Earth by her father, ostensibly to find and look after her cousin Kal-El, only to be trapped in suspended animation shortly after her arrival. Eighteen years later (in Season 7), Kara is awakened following a battle between Clark and Bizarro.

While she initially has trouble fitting in, Kara grows into her role as Clark's cousin, protege and confidante... only to be kidnapped by Brainiac and forced into the Phantom Zone, from which she was not released until Season 8. She made her return in Season 10 and began operating out of Metropolis as a Superhero. In the second-to-last episode of the series, she travels to the 31st century using a Legion ring.

Action Girl
Alliterative Name: Once adopted into the Kent family.
Badass
Bare Your Midriff: Often. Just look at the picture.
Clark Kenting: In Season 7. By her return in Season 10, she has adopted a wig and glasses as a disguise.
Cute Bruiser
The Dragon: To President Evil Lex in the Alternate Universe Clark gets sent to in "Apocalypse". She quickly Heel Face Turns after meeting Clark, though.
Flying Brick
Human Popsicle: Was trapped in stasis until the start of Season 7.
Laser-Guided Amnesia
Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: No, seriously. Her dad Zor-El has got some issues.
Mini-Dress of Power: Season 10.
Ms. Fanservice
Older Than They Look: She's actually twenty or so years older than Clark. Thanks to her getting trapped in stasis, though, Clark both looks and acts a fair bit older than her.
Power Loss Makes You Strong: Kara survived in the Phantom Zone for a year, despite having lost her powers.
Put on a Bus
- The Bus Came Back
- Commuting on a Bus
Shoo Out the New Guy: Was introduced in an 8 episode story arc (a good one) at the start of Season 7. At the end of it, she's struck by some Laser-Guided Amnesia and left wandering around Detroit (keeping her out of the next several episodes). No sooner does she have her memory restored than in the very next episode, she's forced to go away with Brainiac to save Lana's life (also keeping her out of the next several episodes). When she finally returns near the end of Season 7, she's behaving strangely. In the season finale, we learn it's because she didn't return. Brainiac trapped her in the Phantom Zone and has been impersonating her. She isn't freed until several episodes into Season 8 and is then promptly Put on a Bus untill the final season.
Unskilled but Strong: In Season 7. Unlike Clark, she has access to the full range of Kryptonian powers, allowing her to fly, lift cars, Super Speed and take bullets with the best of them, but she has almost no control over her lesser abilities. Clark can carve a pumpkin with his heat vision; Kara tends to make them explode.
Woman in White: In the Season 7 opener.

Zor-El (Christopher Heyerdahl)

Clark's Kryptonian uncle, Jor-El's younger brother and Kara's father. A scientist like his brother, Zor-El and Jor-El did not get along very well, probably since Zor-El was in love with Jor-El's wife Lara and tried to kill Jor-El so he could have Lara all to himself. He later became an ally to General Zod, but only so he could fulfill an ancient Kryptonian prophecy by destroying the planet.

Years later, Zor-El and Lara are resurrected by a Power Crystal he sent with Kara to Earth. He tries to take over Earth, only to be stopped when Clark destroys the crystal that brought him and Lara back to life.

Back from the Dead: Thanks to cloning and a Power Crystal in Season 7's "Blue".
Badass
- Badass Bookworm
- Badass Longcoat
British Accents
Broken Pedestal: To Kara.
Earthshattering Kaboom: Caused Krypton's, alongside Brainiac and Zod.
Evil Uncle: To Clark.
Evil Plan: The first one is pre-story; destroy Krypton because of a prophecy. Main story is Take Over the World.
The Fundamentalist: Fervently believed in a Kryptonian prophecy about The End of the World as We Know It, leading him to cause it using Brainiac.
Flying Brick
Genius Bruiser: He's got Superman-like powers and he's a scientist in the same league as his brother.
Kill All Humans
Large Ham
Laser-Guided Amnesia: Uses a Crystal of El to erase Kara's memories of him trying to seduce Lara.
Love Makes You Evil
Mad Scientist
Murder the Hypotenuse
Omnicidal Maniac: Helped Zod blow up Krypton.
Sealed Evil in a Can
Smug Snake
We Can Rule Together: Invokes this trope with Lara, Clark and Kara at various points.
Yandere

Clone Jor-El (Julian Sands)

Back from the Dead: Thanks to cloning in Season 9's "Kandor".
Cloning Blues
Killed Off for Real
Minored in Asskicking: Demonstrates some pretty decent fighting skills.
The Paralyzer: Demonstrates the ability to knock out people via Pressure Points.
Sealed Good in a Can: In the Season 9 episode "Kandor".
So Proud of You: Says this to Clark in Season 9's "Kandor".

The House of Zod and associates

General Zod (Michael Rosenbaum, Callum Blue)

A Kryptonian military general and war criminal, Zod's body was destroyed and his soul thrown into the Phantom Zone following an attempted coup against the Ruling Council. Freed in the Season 5 finale by Brainiac (who pulls a Thanatos Gambit on Clark), Zod body-jacks Lex Luthor, using the billionaire's newly-gained superpowers in an attempt to bring the world to its knees. He is defeated by Clark in the Season 6 opening and imprisoned by the Crystal of El.

In Season 8, it is revealed that Zod and his second wife, Faora, had been unable to have children. Genetically engineering a child, they sent him to Earth as genetic material attached to Kal-El's spaceship. Said child grew up to be Doomsday, and was intended to kill Clark and destroy the world.

In Season 9, Major Zod's arrival leads to important revelations about his genetic predecessor, namely that Zod was once a hero from the war against Black Zero and that his hatred for Jor-El stemmed from the latter's refusal to clone his son, following the death of Zod's family when Kandor was destroyed by Black Zero. The Major was eventually banished by the Book of Rao (see his entry for more on that).

In the Season 10 episode "Dominion", it's revealed that the General, with Darkseid's help, has successfully taken over the body of Major Zod, who was banished to the Phantom Zone by the Kandorians, and has carved out an empire for himself. He then lures Clark and Oliver to the Zone and pits them against one another in gladiatorial combat. This backfires badly, and Zod, along with two of his followers, is cut off from the Phantom Zone and trapped within a crystalline prison that goes spiraling off into space.

Abusive Dad: To Davis/Doomsday.
Badass
- Badass Beard: On his real body. He grows one after taking control of Major Zod.
- Badass Longcoat: While possessing Lex. After performing a Fusion Dance with Major Zod, he adds both a coat and a Badass Cape to the latter's outfit.
- Four-Star Badass
Back for the Finale: Appears in one of the last episodes.
Bald of Evil: When possessing Lex.
Beard of Evil: Sported by both his Phantom and Major Zod bodies.
Bigger Bad: In Season 5.
British Accents: After his Fusion Dance with Major Zod.
Cain and Abel: References the story and invokes the trope during "Dominion" with both Clark and Oliver. He seems desperate for a "brother-in-arms" worth having.
Cool Chair: Is seated atop a skull-decorated throne in Season 10.
The Corrupter: Tries to tempt Oliver into evil in "Dominion".
Deal with the Devil: Made a deal with Darkseid to gain control over the Zone and Major Zod.
Demoted to Dragon: In "Dominion", he is reduced to Darkseid's surrogate, ruling the Phantom Zone in the latter's absence.
The Disembodied: To even greater extremes than normal for a Zoner. His body was not only destroyed, but his Phantom was altered so that it can only control a body that has been specially prepared. Brainiac has to mutate Lex to make him Grand Theft Me}}-able; after his defeat by Clark, the General is reduced to being a ghost again until a deal with Darkseid lets him perform a Fusion Dance with Major Zod.
Evil Brit: Post-Fusion Dance.
Evil Counterpart: To Jor-El. Invoked with Clark in "Dominion", after he seizes control of the Major.
Evil Overlord: Successfully conquers the Mordor that is the Phantom Zone and sets himself up as its tyrant, with a little help from Darkseid and Major Zod's body.
Fallen Hero: Was once called one of Krypton's greatest heroes (see Major Zod for more on that).
Flaw Exploitation: Clark exploits his drive for control to defeat him in "Zod"; in "Dominion", Clark and Oliver exploit his need to kill Clark himself to take his crystal and escape the Zone.
Flying Brick: While possessing Lex.
Fusion Dance: "Dominion" is unclear as to whether the General or the Major is more in control. He has the latter's body, the former's coldness and sense of fashion, and seems to retain both of their memories.
Gladiator Games: Oversees them after seizing control of the Zone in Season 10.
Grand Theft Me: Of Lex, and eventually, his own clone, Major Zod. With his original body destroyed, this is the best he can do.
Happily Married: To Faora.
I Control My Minions Through...: Fanatical Loyalty in the case of Faora and the Disciples of Zod, Fear in the case of the Zoners in "Dominion".
I Have You Now, My Pretty: Pulls this on Lana in "Zod"; according to Word of God, this is due to his being influenced by Lex's emotions and not any real interest on his part.
Insane Admiral: Cold-blooded, ruthless and visibly off his rocker (although not nearly to the degree of Major Zod, who seems to live one step away from a Villainous Breakdown).
In the Hood: Briefly during "Dominion".
It's Personal: By "Dominion".
Kneel Before Zod: Naturally.
Large Ham
Mythology Gag: After he was taken out of Lex's body, he resembles the one from the Christopher Reeve movies. At the end of "Dominion", he and two henchmen, who may well be Non and Ursa, are sent spiraling off into space, much like in Superman II.
Omnicidal Maniac: When he couldn't take over Krypton, he corrupted the Brain InterActive Construct and helped Zor-El blow up the planet.
The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: A variant. He has no problem with someone else beating the tar out of Clark, but only he is allowed to deliver the coup de grace.
Out-Gambitted: By Clark and Oliver in "Dominion".
Revenge: Wants to payback on the House of El for his imprisonment. Later his feud with Clark becomes personal, following the latter's defeat of him, and his own subsequent Fusion Dance with Major Zod who hates Clark more than anyone whose name isn't Lex.
Sealed Evil in a Can: Three times.
Second Love: Faora, who was originally one of the soldiers under his command.
Sins of Our Fathers: The General initially targets Kal-El because Jor-El is unavailable. It turns personal later on.
Unholy Matrimony: With Faora.
We Can Rule Together: To Lana and Clark in "Zod", and Oliver in "Dominion".
We Used to Be Friends: He and Jor-El.

Faora (Erica Durance, Sharon Taylor)

Zod's second wife, Faora escapes the Phantom Zone in Season 8, possesses Lois Lane and goes hunting for her son Doomsday, whom she and Zod genetically engineered due to her own inability to bear children. Finding him in his human form as Davis Bloome, Faora murders him in order to kick-start his mutant genetics and transform him into the killing machine she and Zod intended him to be. She is sent to the Phantom Zone once again by Kara, through the use of the Martian Manhunter's crystal.

In Season 9, we learn that Faora was originally one of Zod's soldiers during his days with the Kryptonian army. She grew close to her commander after the death of his first wife and son, eventually becoming his partner in the plot to take over or destroy Krypton.

Abusive Mom: To Davis/Doomsday.
Dark Action Girl: She's one of Zod's soldiers. This surprises anyone?
The Disembodied
Evil Makeover: Gives a subtle one to Lois.
Flying Brick: While in the real world.
Good-Looking Privates
Grand Theft Me: Of Lois.
I Owe You My Life: Zod saved her when she was a cadet, carrying her several miles on his back after she was injured. She's been obsessively loyal ever since.
Luke I Am Your Mother: Reveals to Davis that he is the son of Zod and herself.
Sealed Evil in a Can
Second Love: To Zod, following the deaths of his wife and son.
Sociopathic Soldier: She got her start as a member of Zod's Kandorian army.
Undying Loyalty: To General Zod.
Unholy Matrimony: Played straight with her and Zod. To hear her tell it, they're quite Happily Married.

Nam-Ek and Aethyr (Leonard Roberts and Alana de la Garza)

Two of Zod's henchmen (or "disciples"), Nam-Ek and Aethyr come to Earth during the second meteor shower that strikes Smallville at the end of Season 4, having escaped Krypton before its destruction inside of a black spaceship (which also contained Brainiac). After they raise some hell in Smallville searching for Clark, Clark finds them and manages to send them to the Phantom Zone. They return in the Season 6 premiere. Nam-Ek is killed by Raya; Aethyr's fate remains unknown.

Bald of Evil: Nam-Ek
Curb Stomp Battle: Them vs. the Smallville police.
Elite Mooks: To Zod.
Expy: Somewhat to Non/Quex-Ul and Ursa/Faora.
Flying Bricks
Green Eyes: Both of 'em.
Hoist By Their Own Petard
Killed Off for Real: Nam-Ek
The Other Darrin: Aethyr was played by a different actress in the Season 6 opener.
Revenge: In the Season 6 opener.
Scary Black Man: Nam-Ek
We Can Rule Together

Davis Bloome / Doomsday (Sam Witwer / Dario Delacio)

A paramedic who befriends Chloe in Season 8, Davis suffers from constant blackouts and memory lapses, and has his own connections to Krypton and Zod. Faora eventually reveals that he is Doomsday, the genetically-engineered son of herself and Zod—news Davis does not take well.

At first determined to end his own life, the knowledge that this is more or less impossible, combined with his growing crush on Chloe and his obsession with protecting his secrets, slowly drive Davis mad, turning him into a dark mirror of Clark Kent. Discovering that he can keep Doomsday under control by committing murders as Davis, the paramedic becomes a Serial Killer in both his identities; while this prevents Doomsday from hurting others, it causes Davis to become increasingly evil, transforming him into the season's Big Bad. The two are separated by Black Kryptonite in the finale; in the aftermath, Doomsday is imprisoned underground, while the de-powered Davis FaceHeelTurns, kills Henry James Olsen, and is in turn killed by Henry.

Abusive Parents: Davis only meets Faora for a single episode, but in that time, she lectures him on not having killed enough people before running him through with a pole to activate his Healing Factor. She definitely counts, and given that it's Zod's plan, he does as well.
Anti-Hero: He begins as a Type IV, murdering criminals in order to save others and supress Doomsday. He later slides towards a Type V (though never quite reaching it), as his condition worsens and he struggles to keep people like Jimmy from uncovering his secret, losing some audience sympathy in the process. Finally he dives off the deep end into villainy, cementing his role as Superman's enemy.
Back from the Dead: Until "Doomsday", when he gets split from Doomsday... and later kills Jimmy before being killed himself.
Big Bad: For Season 8. Sort of.
Biological Mashup
Brought Down to Normal: Following his separation from Doomsday in the Season 8 finale.
Captain Ersatz: He's pretty much The Incredible Hulk with a dose of homicidal mania and the ability to control it by becoming a Serial Killer.
Character Development: From Nice Guy to Type IV Anti-Hero to Big Bad.
Doom Magnet: Attracts the attention of all Faora, Brainiac and Tess, all of whom want to control or eliminate him.
Driven to Villainy: Killing people is the only way he can control the far more murderous Doomsday.
Enemy Within
- Enemy Without: After he gets separated from Doomsday in the Season 8 finale.
Mr. Fanservice
Evil Sounds Deep: As Doomsday and Angry!Davis.
Fan Nickname: "Bloomesday".
Final Boss: This may well be the best way to describe Doomsday's role after being separated from Davis.
Healing Factor: To the point where death doesn't stick.
Heel Face Revolving Door --> Face Heel Turn
Hospital Hottie: Just ask the female fanbase.
I Cannot Self-Terminate
I Just Want to Be Normal: Even more so than Clark.
Immortality
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: In the final episode, when he goes from Tragic Monster to Ax Crazy psychopath.
Karmic Death: Killed by Henry/Jimmy Olsen, who he had just mortally wounded.
Kick the Son of a Bitch: His murder of Linda Lake. Is it his Start of Darkness? Yes. Does it mark the beginning of the end for Davis? Yes. Is it hard not to cheer for him? Yes!
Killed Off for Real: By Henry James Olsen, after being separated from Doomsday.
The Killer in Me: From the beginning, Davis suspects he might be the Serial Killer who's on the loose in Metropolis. He's right.
Love Makes You Evil: An interesting variant -- Chloe serves as Doomsday's Morality Chain and helps to keep him under control, but his unrequited crush on her makes Davis more evil and insane.
The Medic: Plays this role in the first couple episodes.
Nigh Invulnerability: As Doomsday and, later, Davis.
Parental Abandonment: Has no idea who his real parents are and was bounced from one lousy foster home to the next.
Pay Evil Unto Evil: He begins killing those he deems evil as a way of suppressing Doomsday.
Person of Mass Destruction: It's Doomsday. No kidding.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Doomsday's eyes are red. They're also the first part of his body to shift when Davis transforms, making their appearance on him a literal warning.
Religious Bruiser: Davis keeps a cross and rosary beads hanging from the rear-view mirror in his ambulance, and is seen attending confession.
Sanity Slippage
Serial Killer: Doomsday is an indiscriminate murderer on a Person of Mass Destruction-style rampage. Davis eventually becomes one of the Pay Evil Unto Evil Antiheroic bent.
Shadow Archetype: To Clark. They're both the sons of important Kryptonian leaders, have a connection to Chloe and, most importantly, have a secret they are determined to keep. Clark became a hero; Davis let his obsession with secrecy drive him nuts.
Spikes of Villainy: As Doomsday.
Super Strength: As Doomsday and, eventually, Davis.
Super-Powered Evil Side: A real doozy. He's got Doomsday trapped inside him.
Tragic Monster
Unstoppable Rage: As Doomsday.
Vigilante Man: Targets drug dealers, drunk drivers and other low-level criminals for termination.
Villainous Crush: On Chloe.

Major Zod (Callum Blue)

"You choose to fight me! You forced me to unleash my power! We could have made this planet a paradise!"

A clone of the original Zod from his time as a Major, he and his cloned Kandorian army arrive in Season 9, following Clark's defeat of Doomsday and Tess' activation of the Orb in the Season 8 finale. Determined to gain Kryptonian powers for his initially depowered army, Zod is nevertheless horrified by the knowledge that his own future self destroyed Krypton. Clark attempts to use this knowledge to save the Major from himself, but to little avail; Zod slides further into villainy even as people within his own army begin to question his leadership. Following the collapse of his alliance with Tess and his own murder of Faora whom he regards as a traitor, Zod declares war on the entire world. Clark is able to reveal the full extent of his crimes to the Kandorians, however, and the entire army is ultimately sent away from Earth by the Book of Rao, though not before Zod and Clark engage in an epic Knife Fight to see who will truly control Earth's future.

In the Bad Future of "Pandora", Zod and the Kandorians have conquered the world. In the main timeline, Zod stays one step ahead of Clark by posing as the Blur and convincing Lois to give him information.

The main antagonist of Season 9, Zod is a quick study, and a capable political and business leader, in addition to being the superb tactician and strategist that one would expect Krypton's greatest war hero to be.

He returns in the Season 10 episode "Dominion," where it's revealed not only that he's conquered the Phantom Zone in Darkseid's name, but he's been possessed by the Phantom of the original Zod. See General Zod, above, for more on that.

Accidental Public Confession: Confesses to killing Faora in front of his army. He's whispering, but they all have super-hearing, thanks to him.
Ax Crazy: Zod is consistently one hair away from a violent Villainous Breakdown.
Back From the Dead: Thanks to cloning, as revealed in "Kandor".
Badass
- Badass Abnormal: Was already Badass. Then he gains the Kryptonian powers he should have had all along, and holy crap.
- Badass Army: Leads one.
- Badass Boast: "Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven!"
  - "Unlike you, I would lead from the throne, not from the shadows! Every human, including the woman you love, will Kneel Before Zod!"
- Badass Longcoat
- Majorly Awesome --> Four-Star Badass (after his promotion in "Sacrifice".)
Bad Future: In a truly bad one, he is the ruler of a post-apocalyptic Earth.
Big Bad: For Season 9.
Broken Pedestal: To Faora, Vala and the other Kandorians.
Catch Phrase: "Kneel before Zod" pretty much becomes this.
The Chessmaster
Classic Villain
Cloning Blues: Trapped on Earth, with memories he doesn't fully understand and a mission he can't fullfill.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: Briefly. He founds the RAO Corporation, fully intending for it to be bought out by Tess and LuthorCorp so that they can fund RAO's solar energy towers.
Cultured Warrior: He quotes Shakespeare and Paradise Lost, enjoys a good fine wine, and is obsessed with Kryptonian culture and history.
Dark Messiah: His portrayal has definite aspects of this, with Season 9 setting him up as a rival messianic figure to Clark.
Deal with the Devil: The Deal With Darkseid that enabled him and General Zod to fuse together is implied to have been a mutual one.
Doomed Hometown: Kandor was destroyed during the war against Black Zero, along with Zod's wife and son.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: His wife and son were killed during a war on Krypton, and the reason he turned evil is because Jor-El refused to clone his son.
Evil Brit
Evil Counterpart: To Jor-El or Clark, depending on how you look at it.
Evil Is Hammy: The best example on the show. The eviler he gets, the more over the top he gets too.
Evilly Affable: He's a truly terrible person, and only gets worse as the season progresses, but his Large Ham tendencies, sheer Badassery, and Chessmaster skills make him a lot of fun to watch.
Fallen Hero: He was one of Krypton's greatest military heroes. He grew up to become General Zod.
Flying Brick: Once he gets his powers back.
Fusion Dance: With the Phantom of the original General Zod. We're really not sure which of them is in the driver's seat, or if they've truly fused.
A Glass of Chianti
Good-Looking Privates
The Heavy: Season 9's.
Heel Face Revolving Door --> Face Heel Turn
Hey, It's That Guy!: Mason!
Hoist by His Own Petard: Twice in under 10 minutes -- his army turns on him after they learn that he killed Faora after he whispers it to Clark and they all hear it, thanks to their super-hearing... which wouldn't have happened if Zod hadn't restored their powers a few episodes earlier; then Zod stabs Clark with his Blue Kryptonite dagger and lets him fall to the streets below with the dagger still in his body, allowing Zod's powers to return and the Book of Rao to recognize him as Kryptonian and transport him to the new world... and reunite him with the army that just turned on him.
I Control My Minions Through...: Authority and Fanatical Loyalty. He's the clone army's legitimate commanding officer (and the highest-ranking Kandorian on Earth) and has, in his own words, saved the lives of more than half his troops on one occasion or another.
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope
Kneel Before Zod: Of course.
Knife Nut: Carries two Kryptonite knives, one Green and the other Blue. This leads to a Knife Fight between him and Clark in the Season 9 finale.
Large Ham: Big time.
Manipulative Bastard: An expert at it, playing Clark, Tess, Lois, and the entire Kandorian army for suckers, and making it look easy. These traits were passed onto the General after their Fusion Dance in "Dominion" and used on Clark and Oliver.
Necromantic: His Start of Darkness was when Jor-El refused to clone his son.
Never My Fault: Blames Jor-El, and subsequently Clark, for most of his own screw-ups.
Offing the Offspring: When he murders the Faora clone. Turns out she was pregnant with his child. Whoops.
- He blames Clark for making her betray him.
Oh Crap: The look on his face as the Book of Rao forcibly ascends him.
Rousing Speech: "Let Black Zero feel the bite of your weapons and the bravery in your hearts!" Very Badass considering he's yelling it in a trench with death and destruction surrounding him, Jor-El and his troops. However, the glimmer of hope is shot down when Kandor is destroyed.
Sanity Slippage: That business with Faora really sends him over the edge.
Sealed Evil in a Can: Was originally in the Orb; is sent to the Phantom Zone in the aftermath of the Season 9 finale.
Second Love: Subverted heavily with both Tess and Faora.
Start of Darkness: The deaths of his wife, son, and everyone else he knew from Kandor.
Unholy Matrimony: With Tess and, later, Faora. Neither one ends well.
UST: With Tess.
Villainous Breakdown: He spends most of Season 9 slowly deconstructing, shifting from the calm, if slightly twitchy, man we see in Episode 1, to the ranting Large Ham who appears in the later episodes. He snaps repeatedly but always seems to pull himself back together...until the events of "Salvation" when his army's defection causes him to fall apart completely, pull a knife and charge at Clark, Chewing the Scenery the entire time.
We Can Rule Together: Tries this on Clark.
We Used to Be Friends: Him and Jor-El.
Wicked Cultured
World Domination: His goal. He convinces Tess that he'd be a benevolent tyrant, but as the Bad Future shows, it's more of a case of 0% Approval Rating, at least among humans.
Wrath
You Can't Fight Fate: "Krypton will rise again...and all humankind will kneel before Zod."

Clone Faora (Sharon Taylor)

A clone of Faora (duh) from before she and Zod were in a serious relationship. At first loyal to Zod, Faora eventually begins to gravitate towards Kal-El (Clark) as she attempts to create a new life for herself on Earth. She is slain by the Major in cold-blood when he discovers she no longer wants a part in his World Domination scheme; he then discovers she is carrying his child after the one night they spent together.

Enemy Mine: Teams with Clark to find a kidnapped Vala. This leads to her Heel Face Turn.
Good-Looking Privates
Heel Face Turn: Comes to believe in Clark/Kal-El more than she does in Zod.
Killed Off for Real: Courtesy of Major Zod.
Unholy Matrimony: Subverted. The original Faora and General Zod were Happily Married. Things between her clone and Major Zod don't go as well.

Alia (Monique Ganderton)

One of Zod's cloned soldiers. Clark faces an alternate timeline version of her who kills herself by accident. The real Alia is revealed to have killed the clone Jor-El; Zod shoots her in retribution.

Afraid of Needles
Blue Eyes
Cloning Blues
Dark Action Girl
Future Badass: The Alia from Zod's Bad Future is very Badass, and can maintain her powers under a yellow sun.
Good-Looking Privates
Hot Chick with a Sword

Basqat (Adrian Holmes)

A captain in Major Zod's Kandorian army, Basqat led the mutiny against the Major in the Season 9 premiere alongside Faora. He later becomes Zod's Number Two, a position he faithfully holds until the season finale.

All There in the Manual: His name and rank, which are never said aloud in-show.
The Dragon: Major Zod's Number Two, he sticks by the Major even after Clark accuses him of killing Faora. It takes the Major himself confessing to shake his loyalty.
Flying Brick: After Zod grants him his powers.
Heel Face Turn: When Zod confeses to killing Faora.
Scary Black Man
You Look Familiar: His actor portrayed Lex's PI, Griff, in Season 5.

Vala (Crystal Lowe)

Faora's sister.

Badass Bookworm: Vala specialized in cybernetic engineering back on Krypton. On Earth, she has a job in a bookstore.
Cloning Blues
The Dog Bites Back: Dr. Bernard Chisholm, whom she had experimented on, kidnaps her as part of a plan to expose the Kandorians.
Flying Brick
Good-Looking Privates
Heel Face Turn: In no small part due to a hero crush on Clark.
Human Popsicle: Chisholm's plan for her.

Other Kryptonians

Dax-Ur (Marc McClure)

A Kryptonian scientist who invented Brainiac, Dax-Ur fled to Earth a couple of centuries ago after finding out that Brainiac had the potential to destroy planets. Using Blue Kryptonite to depower himself, he lived as a normal human, even settling down with a wife and son and working as a mechanic. In Season 7's "Persona," he helps Clark defeat Bizarro, only to later be killed by Brainiac.

Brought Down to Normal: Did it to himself with Blue K.
Cruel and Unusual Death: Brainiac -- his own creation -- drains his mind of all information, killing him.
Happily Married
Killed Off for Real: By Brainiac.
Meta Casting: Marc McClure played Jimmy Olsen in the Superman films of the 1970s and 80s.
My God, What Have I Done?: His reaction to his creation of Brainiac; it's why he chose to go into exile.
Mythology Gag: He shares the same name as a Kryptonian in For the Man Who Has Everything. It's unclear if he's in anyway related to Jax-Ur.

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