Pets in TBH: Task Bar Hero are passive boosters that stack the moment you unlock them. They don't take up a hero slot, you never have to swap them in or out, and every effect applies automatically once the pet is yours. That makes them pure upside, so the only real question is which ones to unlock first.
Quick answer: The Dragon is the strongest pet because it bundles three boosts at once (+20% Common Chest drop chance, +15% Gold per kill, and +20% EXP gain). If you're sticking to free options, prioritize the Bat, which gives +10% Common Chest chance and +15% EXP gain.
How pets work in TBH: Task Bar Hero
Unlike heroes, pets have no formation limit. Each one is tied to its own unlock condition, often a task like clearing enough kills of a specific monster type. The Bat, for example, is earned by grinding through Act 1, which lines up with the in-game Friend of the Night achievement for unlocking it.
Once a pet is unlocked, its bonus is live for good. There's no leveling, no upgrading, and no trade-off, so the practical goal is simply to collect the high-value pets as early as you can to speed up gold, EXP, and gear income across your whole run.
S-tier pets: Dragon, Dark Spirit, and Bat
These are the best pets to chase. The Dragon is the clear top pick because it triggers three separate boosts together, covering chests, gold, and EXP in a single pet. The Bat is the standout free option and worth farming Act 1 to unlock early.
| Pet | Boosts |
|---|---|
| Dragon | +20% Common Chest drop chance, +15% Gold per kill, +20% EXP gain from all activities (three effects at once) |
| Dark Spirit | +15% Stage Boss Chest drop chance, which matters most in Act 2 and beyond where boss chests pay out better |
| Bat | +10% Common Chest drop chance and +15% EXP gain; the best free-to-play pet, unlocked by farming Act 1 |
A-tier pets: Sword, Burning Skeleton, and Watcher
Solid additions that each handle one job well. The Watcher is especially useful as a free way to raise your gold income, beating out the paid Butterfly. Any EXP boost is welcome since faster leveling speeds up everything else.
| Pet | Boosts |
|---|---|
| Sword | +15% EXP gain rate, which helps you level heroes faster |
| Burning Skeleton | +10% Stage Boss Chest drop chance; less than Dark Spirit but still handy |
| Watcher | +15% Gold per kill, and it's free, making it a better pick than the Butterfly |
B-tier pets: Butterfly and Blue Golem
These still apply once unlocked, so there's no harm in having them. They just give less than their higher-tier counterparts. The Butterfly is paid and carries a single, smaller gold boost, while the Blue Golem floods you with Common Chests that are often filled with low-value gear.
| Pet | Boosts |
|---|---|
| Butterfly | +10% Gold per kill only; requires a DLC purchase and offers just one effect |
| Blue Golem | +15% Common Chest drop chance, but those chests tend to drop a lot of filler gear |
Because pets stack freely, the smart play is to keep unlocking them whenever you meet the conditions and let every bonus run at once. Start with the Bat for a free EXP and chest boost, work toward the Dragon for its triple effect, and lean on the Watcher and Dark Spirit to round out your gold and boss-chest income.