Stats & Training
Attack leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Rhydon's stat line in a nutshell. 3 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Attack EVs.
Its rugged hide protects it from even the heat of lava. However, the hide also makes it insensitive.
Its brain developed when it began walking on hind legs. Its thick hide protects it even in magma.
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)
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Infernape's Close Combat hits Rhydon for 83-97%. Flygon's Earthquake hits Rhydon for 68-79%. Bronzong deals 45-54% with Earthquake.
 Infernape FireFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Infernape builds →Close Combat 2x83-97% U Turn16-19% Fire Blast29-34% | ||
 Flygon GroundDragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Flygon builds →Earthquake 2x68-79% Outrage40-47% U Turn16-19% | ||
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureBrave Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Bronzong builds →Explosion28-33% Earthquake 2x45-54% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Rhydon View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x57-68% Ice Beam 2x60-71% Waterfall 4x93-109%KO | ||
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves View Roserade builds →
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HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution
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 131 partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Counter, Crunch, Crush Claw and 10 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Rhydon Best Moveset
Prediction matters here. Choice Scarf means Rhydon can't change moves after clicking, but the payoff is speed patching through item lock. Max Attack and Speed EVs with Rockhead back that up. The remaining moves prevents free switches.
Best Build
Rhydon best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Earthquake
- Double Edge
- Stone Edge
- Poison Jab
Recommended Teammates
Moves
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.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Rhydon in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Can't catch Rhydon directly. Start with Rhyhorn at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 42. The 2-stage line from Rhyhorn to Rhydon is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Rhydon in HeartGold & SoulSilver
To get Rhydon, start by catching Rhyhorn through trade and walking encounters at Lv. 35+. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch RhyhornVictory Road - 1FHeartGoldGrass Lv.35 CaveRareLateVictory Road - 1FSoulSilverGrass Lv.35 CaveRareLateDiglett's Cave - B1FHeartGoldIn-game trade CaveLimitedTrade for (give Bonsly)Diglett's Cave - B1FSoulSilverIn-game trade CaveLimitedTrade for (give Bonsly)
Step 2Rhydon ✓
Rhydon 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 HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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.
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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves