Mid-stage Pokemon like Rhyhorn rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Rhydon, which is where the real potential kicks in. Been around since Gen 1. Electric moves can't touch it, which offsets the 6 weaknesses somewhat.
Rhyhorn's spread isn't flashy. Defense leads, Speed trails, 3 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Defense EV, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Strong, but not too bright, this Pokémon can shatter even a skyscraper with its charging tackles.
It can remember only one thing at a time. Once it starts rushing, it forgets why it started.
Rhyhorn Weakness
FragileRhyhorn's Ground/Rock typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Ground, and Steel moves. Water and Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Electric-type attacks completely. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Rhyhorn's physical bulk (base 95 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
Rhyhorn's evolution chain splits 2 ways into Rhydon and Rhyperior. The method you choose determines which form you get. The evolved forms gain up to 190 total stats over Rhyhorn.
How to Evolve
Breed Rhyhorn easily with 138 breeding partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Pass egg moves like Counter, Curse, Dragon Rush and 4 more to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
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Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Rhyhorn won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 10 types means it always has an effective option. Earthquake and Stone Edge anchor the STAB core.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Rhyhorn is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 52 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations
52 walking encounters at Lv. 10-40 for Rhyhorn across Shield and Sword. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Rhyhorn isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Rhydon to unlock its full potential. At 345 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Watch for Starmie (Water), Exeggutor (Grass), and Cloyster (Ice) when using Rhyhorn. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Starmie 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 25 Speed, Rhyhorn won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Run Lightning Rod on Rhyhorn. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Rhyhorn also gets Rock Head and Reckless, but they don't compare.
Rhyhorn fills the trick room role. It's a physical attacker with base 85 Attack. Base 25 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Rhyhorn appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Rhyhorn has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 21 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A