Pets in TBH: Task Bar Hero work differently from heroes. There are no slot limits, no activation steps beyond unlocking them, and no trade-offs between picks. Every pet you unlock runs simultaneously, stacking their bonuses on top of each other. That makes knowing which ones to prioritize early a real advantage, since the gap between a Gold-boosting pet and a chest-drop pet compounds fast across a long session.
S-Tier Pets
These are the pets worth farming for first.
The Dragon is the clear top pick if you can unlock it. Three simultaneous bonuses across Gold, EXP, and chest drops means it contributes to every part of your progression loop at once. The Dark Spirit earns its S-tier placement because Stage Boss Chests are where the game's better rewards concentrate, especially once you move past Act 1. A 15% boost to those drops adds up across dozens of boss kills.
The Bat deserves special attention for free-to-play players. After testing it across Act 1 farming runs, the dual bonus of chest drops and EXP gain makes leveling noticeably faster without spending anything. Farm Act 1 to meet its unlock requirements before pushing forward.
Watcher pet Gold bonus active
A-Tier Pets
Solid options that contribute meaningfully without reaching S-tier impact.
The Watcher is worth calling out specifically. At +15% Gold per kill, it outperforms the Butterfly in raw value and does not cost anything beyond normal gameplay. If you are building toward the Dragon and need interim Gold income, the Watcher fills that gap well.
The Burning Skeleton mirrors the Dark Spirit's function but at 10% instead of 15%. Still useful, still worth unlocking, just not the priority.
B-Tier Pets
These pets are not bad, but their unlock costs or limited bonuses push them down the rankings.
The Butterfly is the clearest example of a pet that looks fine on paper but falls apart next to free alternatives. Spending real money for a single +10% Gold bonus when the Watcher gives +15% for free is a bad trade. The Blue Golem is more situational. Common Chest drops are frequent but the gear quality tends to be low, so boosting that drop rate does not translate into meaningful power gains the way a Boss Chest boost would.
Avoid spending money on the Butterfly DLC specifically for its pet bonus. The free Watcher gives a better Gold rate without any cost.
What pets should you unlock first?
For free-to-play players, the priority order is straightforward: unlock the Bat by farming Act 1, then work toward the Watcher for Gold income, and build toward the Dragon as your long-term goal. The Dark Spirit is worth slotting in whenever you can access it, since its boss chest bonus becomes increasingly relevant in Act 2 and later.
For players willing to spend, skip the Butterfly entirely. The money is better spent elsewhere since that pet's single bonus is outclassed by a free option.
Act 1 farming for Bat unlock
All pets stack, so there is no wrong choice in the long run. The tier list reflects unlock priority and efficiency, not permanent exclusion. Even B-tier pets contribute once you have them. The goal is getting the highest-impact pets running as early as possible so your Gold, EXP, and chest rewards compound from the start.
For more strategies on building the strongest possible setup, check out the full TBH: Task Bar Hero strategy guides covering heroes, progression, and everything in between. TBH sits firmly in the casual games space but rewards players who understand its systems early.