Janine "Smurf" Cody didn't just raise a family; she built a criminal ecosystem. If you've spent any time watching the TNT hit Animal Kingdom, you know the animal kingdom show family tree is less of a sturdy oak and more of a tangled, thorny vine. It's confusing. Honestly, even if you’ve binged all six seasons, trying to map out who belongs to which father and how the timelines of the flashbacks align with the present-day chaos is enough to give anyone a headache.
The show, inspired by the 2010 Australian film of the same name, centers on Joshua "J" Cody. He's the catalyst. When his mother, Julia, dies of a heroin overdose in the pilot, J is thrust into a world of surf-noir crime and psychological manipulation. But to understand J, you have to understand Smurf. She is the sun around which every single one of these damaged men orbits.
The Matriarch and the First Generation
Everything starts with Janine Cody. In the flashback sequences—which take up a massive chunk of the later seasons—we see a young Smurf (played by Leila George) navigating the 1970s and 80s. She wasn't born into a crime family. She made one. She’s the root of the animal kingdom show family tree, and her "parenting" style was essentially a mix of tactical training and emotional incest.
Smurf had four biological children, and here is where it gets tricky for the casual viewer: they don’t share the same fathers.
First, there’s Pope (Andrew Cody) and Julia Cody. They are twins. Their father was Colin, a man Smurf actually seemed to love in her own twisted way. Colin was a criminal who died during a heist gone wrong while Smurf was pregnant. This loss defined her. It's why she clings so tightly to her sons. She’s terrified of being left alone again. Pope is the muscle, the broken soul, and the one most deeply "tethered" to Smurf’s psyche. Julia, on the other hand, was the one who saw Smurf for what she was. She was the black sheep because she dared to want a life outside the "jobs."
Then we have Craig Cody. He’s the adrenaline junkie. His father was a man named Jake Dunmore, a long-time associate of Smurf’s who pops up occasionally throughout the series. Jake is a bit of a drifter, and you can see that lack of stability in Craig’s impulsive, drug-fueled behavior.
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Finally, there’s Deran Cody. He’s the youngest of the brothers and arguably the one with the most to lose. His father remains a bit more of a mystery in the early seasons, eventually revealed to be Billy (played by Denis Leary). Billy is a con artist, a grifter, and a total contrast to the "code" the other brothers try to live by.
The Outlier: Barry "Baz" Blackwell
You can't talk about the animal kingdom show family tree without talking about Baz. He isn't biologically a Cody. Smurf basically adopted him—or kidnapped him, depending on how you look at it—from an abusive home when he was a kid.
Baz was Smurf’s right hand. He was the strategist. Because he wasn't her biological son, their relationship had a weird, flirtatious energy that made the other brothers incredibly uncomfortable. But here’s the kicker that drives the plot of the first few seasons: Baz is almost certainly J’s biological father.
Think about that.
If Baz is J’s father, and Julia is J’s mother, then J is the product of a relationship between a biological sibling and an adopted sibling. It adds a layer of grime to the family dynamic that the show leans into heavily. When Baz is murdered at the end of Season 2, it leaves a power vacuum that J eventually fills, but it also severs the last real link J had to a traditional father figure.
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Breaking Down the Third Generation
The family tree doesn't stop with Smurf's kids. By the time the series reaches its brutal conclusion, we see the "Cody curse" passing down to a third generation.
- Joshua "J" Cody: The protagonist. He is Julia’s son. He enters the house as an outsider and leaves as the one who arguably burns it all down. His motivation is revenge—not just for his mother's death, but for the way Smurf discarded Julia while keeping the boys in luxury.
- Lena Cody: She is Baz’s daughter (with Catherine). After her parents are killed, she becomes a pawn in Smurf’s games until she is eventually placed in foster care. She represents the only "clean" break from the family.
- Nick Cody: Craig’s son with Renn. Born into the chaos of the final seasons, Nick is the reason Craig finally tries to go straight, though "straight" is a relative term in Oceanside.
Why the Lineage Matters for the Plot
The reason fans obsess over the animal kingdom show family tree isn't just for trivia. The lineage dictates the power structure. Smurf uses her sons' different fathers to keep them divided. She plays on their insecurities.
For example, Pope’s erratic behavior is often excused because he’s "Smurf’s favorite," a status derived from being the son of the man she loved most (Colin). Meanwhile, Deran and Craig are often treated as secondary enforcers until they start asserting their own independence.
The flashbacks are essential here. They aren't just filler. They show us how Smurf built her empire using the bodies of the men who fathered her children. Every man in Smurf’s life was either a tool or a threat. Usually both. By the time J arrives, the family is a powder keg of resentment. J isn't just a grandson; he’s a reminder of Smurf’s greatest failure: her inability to control Julia.
The Men Who Fathered the Cody Boys
- Colin: (Father of Pope and Julia) The heavy. His death turned Smurf into the cold, calculating leader we meet in Season 1.
- Jake Dunmore: (Father of Craig) A survivor. He knew Smurf was dangerous and kept his distance, which is probably why he outlived most people in her orbit.
- Billy: (Father of Deran) The chaos agent. His return in later seasons forced Deran to confront his own identity and his resentment toward the Cody lifestyle.
The Psychological Toll of the Cody Name
If you’re looking at this family tree and thinking it looks like a disaster, you’re right. The show is a masterclass in showing how trauma is inherited. Smurf’s children are all millionaires on paper, but they are emotionally stunted. They live in a compound. They share a pool. They take orders from their mother well into their 30s.
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The tragedy of the animal kingdom show family tree is that it’s a closed loop.
Every time someone tries to leave—whether it’s Julia, or later Deran trying to run his bar, or Craig trying to be a father—the gravity of the Cody name pulls them back in. The only way to truly leave the family is to die or to betray everyone.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Rewatchers
If you’re planning a rewatch or just finishing the series, keep these specific focal points in mind to better understand the character arcs through the lens of the family tree:
- Watch the Flashbacks Chronologically: Pay attention to how Smurf treats the young twins versus how she treats baby Craig. You’ll see the seeds of the brothers' adult rivalries being planted in the 80s.
- Track J’s Eyes: Once you realize J knows (or strongly suspects) Baz is his father, his interactions with Baz in Season 1 and 2 take on a whole new meaning. He isn't just a nephew looking for a job; he’s a son looking for validation from a man who refuses to give it.
- Identify the "Smurf Mirror": Each son represents a different facet of Smurf. Pope is her violence. Baz was her intellect. Craig is her impulsiveness. Deran is her desire for control. When they fight, they are essentially Smurf fighting herself.
- Note the Absence of Mothers: Aside from Smurf and briefly Renn, mothers are systematically removed from the Cody tree. This is intentional. Smurf cannot handle competition for her sons' affection.
The Cody family isn't just a group of criminals. They are a cautionary tale about what happens when a family is built on a foundation of secrets and "jobs" rather than actual support. By the time the series ends, the tree hasn't just been pruned; it's been uprooted.
To truly grasp the weight of the finale, you have to remember where they started—with a girl named Janine who decided she was never going to be a victim again, and in doing so, ensured her descendants would never know peace. The Cody legacy is one of survival, but the cost of that survival was the family itself.