Is Rhydon Good in Black 2 & White 2 Playthrough?
Rhyhorn evolves at level 42. Ground/Rock with AbilityLightning Rod. If imported, enormous Attack handles Elesa and Shauntal. Trade with Protector for Rhyperior adds even more power. Marlon's Water gym is a hard stop.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Cheren's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Roxie's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Burgh's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Elesa's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Clay's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Skyla's team.
Rhydon trades roughly evenly with Drayden's team.
Rhydon trades roughly evenly with Marlon's team.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Shauntal's team.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Grimsley's team.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Caitlin's team.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Marshal's team.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Iris's team.
Rhydon cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four. Alternatively, transfer the pre-evolution and level it up to Lv 42.
Most players are ready to trade before reaching Shauntal.
How to Get Rhydon in Black 2 & White 2
Rhydon isn't available in the wild in Black 2 & White 2. Start by transferring Rhyhorn from Red & Blue, Yellow, or Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee. The evolution path from Rhyhorn to Rhydon is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Rhydon in B2W2
Step 1Obtain RhyhornCARTRIDGE TRADEfrom Black & WhiteAvailableCatch in Black & White via Walking · White Forest, then trade to the current game via link cable.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Red & BlueNot TradeableAppears in Red & Blue via Walking · Safari Zone. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom YellowNot TradeableAppears in Yellow via Walking · Safari Zone. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Gold & SilverNot TradeableAppears in Gold & Silver via Walking · Victory Road. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom CrystalNot TradeableAppears in Crystal via Walking · Victory Road. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Safari Zone. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Safari Zone · Safari Zone: 500 entry fee, 30 Safari Balls. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.- Step 2Rhydon ✓
Step 3Evolve into Rhyperior
Rhydon Weakness
Rhydon is weak to Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. Watch out for Water and Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Rhydon's physical bulk (base 120 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Water, Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Ice, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Flying, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Rhydon Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Rhydon
 Jellicent WaterGhost | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Jellicent builds →Bubble Beam 4x144-169%KO Energy Ball 4x114-135%KO | ||
 Alomomola Water | B | |
 Azumarill Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Azumarill builds →Bubble Beam 4x114-135%KO Rock Smash 2x11-14% | ||
 Psyduck Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Psyduck builds →Water Pulse 4x107-127%KO Rock Smash 2x11-14% | ||
 Oshawott Water | D | |
Obtain MethodAspertia City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Oshawott builds →Razor Shell 4x63-76% Rock Smash 2x14-17% | ||
 Lilligant Grass | C | |
 Leafeon Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Leafeon builds →Razor Leaf 4x73-86% Rock Smash 2x19-22% | ||
 Whimsicott Grass | C | |
Jellicent WaterGhost | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Jellicent builds →Bubble Beam 4x134-158%KO Energy Ball 4x108-127%KO | ||
Alomomola Water | B | |
Lilligant Grass | C | |
 Sunflora Grass | C | |
Leafeon Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Leafeon builds →Razor Leaf 4x72-86% Dig 2x33-39% Rock Smash 2x18-21% | ||
 Maractus Grass | C | |
Alomomola Water | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Alomomola builds →Aqua Jet 4x40-48% Wake-Up Slap 2x20-23% | ||
Sunflora Grass | C | |
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
Lilligant Grass | C | |
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Heracross builds →Close Combat 2x79-94% Dig 2x35-42% | ||
Leafeon Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Leafeon builds →Razor Leaf 4x69-82% Dig 2x32-38% Rock Smash 2x18-21% | ||
Lilligant Grass | C | |
 Tangrowth Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Tangrowth builds →Energy Ball 4x200-236%KO Brick Break 2x27-32% Bulldoze 2x23-27% | ||
 Samurott Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Oshawott (Aspertia City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Samurott builds →Surf 4x232-274%KO Blizzard 2x98-116%KO Dig 2x29-35% Revenge 2x23-27% | ||
Sunflora Grass | C | |
Leafeon Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 4x109-128%KO Dig 2x32-38% Rock Smash 2x16-20% | ||
Lilligant Grass | C | |
Tangrowth Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Tangrowth builds →Energy Ball 4x201-236%KO Brick Break 2x28-33% Bulldoze 2x22-26% | ||
Samurott Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Oshawott (Aspertia City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Samurott builds →Surf 4x234-275%KO Blizzard 2x98-116%KO Dig 2x30-35% Revenge 2x22-26% | ||
Sunflora Grass | C | |
Leafeon Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 4x105-125%KO Dig 2x31-37% Rock Smash 2x16-20% | ||
Tangrowth Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Tangrowth builds →Solar Beam 4x299-352%KO Earthquake 2x35-42% Focus Blast 2x100-117%KO | ||
 Virizion GrassFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodRoute 11 Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Virizion builds →Solar Beam 4x253-297%KO Close Combat 2x58-68% | ||
Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
Lilligant Grass | C | |
Samurott Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Oshawott (Aspertia City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Samurott builds →Hydro Pump 4x295-347%KO Ice Beam 2x78-92% Dig 2x28-34% Revenge 2x22-26% | ||
In Black 2 & White 2, Excadrill's Earthquake hits Rhydon for 47-55%. Swampert threatens a KO with Scald (130-154%).
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilitySandforce ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x47-55% Rapid Spin4-5% Rock Slide6-7% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x33-39% Scald 4x130-154%KO Ice Beam 2x49-57% | ||
 Machamp Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNoguard ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Machamp builds →Bullet Punch 2x14-16% Stone Edge8-10% | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityOvergrow ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Venusaur builds →Giga Drain 4x124-146%KO Sludge Bomb9-11% | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Lapras builds →Ice Beam 2x61-72% Surf 4x122-143%KO Ice Shard 2x11-13% | ||
Rhydon Evolutions
Sitting between Rhyhorn and Rhyperior, Rhydon is part of a chain that requires a trade. Not your typical level-up setup. Attack has grown the most so far (+45), but there's still another 50 stats to gain in the final evolution. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Rhydon to get Rhyhorn eggs easily using 181 partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Counter, Crunch, Crush Claw and 10 more.
B2W2 Rhydon Best Moveset
130 Attack and 120 Defense behind Held ItemEviolite push effective defenses past most fully evolved Pokemon. Ground/Rock TermStab fires MoveEarthquake and MoveStone Edge at devastating power, and the moveset answers Fire, Electric, and Flying types. AbilityLightning Rod redirects Electric moves. 4x Water and Grass weaknesses end it instantly though.
Best Build
Rhydon best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Megahorn
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 12 types means almost nothing walls Rhydon cleanly, with Stone Edge and Earthquake anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Standing on its hind legs freed its forelegs and made it smarter. It is very forgetful, however.
Rhydon Black 2 & White 2 Guide
Rhydon is meant to evolve into Rhyperior. At 485 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
In Black 2 & White 2, Rhydon's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Venusaur (Grass), and Lapras (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Gyarados is the most dangerous since Water moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Ground, and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 40 Speed, Rhydon won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Rhydon evolves into Rhyperior via trade. Trade needs a Game Boy Advance link cable and a second GBA running another Gen 3 game (FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald). Trade Rhydon to a friend, then have them trade it back. The 2026 Switch re-release supports the same trade through local wireless on the Pokemon Center 2F Wireless Club, with no cables required. The Protector must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
Lightning Rod is what you want on Rhydon. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Rock Head, Reckless) work on paper but Lightning Rod is what makes Rhydon worth using. On wall sets, Lightning Rod pairs with Rhydon's base 120 Defense to absorb physical hits on the switch.
Base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Rhydon is a physical attacker with base 130 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a wallbreaker.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Rhydon has appeared in 21 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves