Is Rhyhorn Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Victory Road and Safari Zone encounters. Ground/Rock with AbilityRock Head or AbilityLightning Rod. HGSS introduces Rhyperior through Protector trade, taking the line to another level. Rhyhorn shows up just in time for the E4 push.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Falkner's team.
Rhyhorn resists most of Bugsy's coverage and hits back hard.
Rhyhorn has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's team hits Rhyhorn's weaknesses hard.
Rhyhorn has the type edge here and should clean up Jasmine's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Pryce's team.
Rhyhorn trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Rhyperior has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.
Rhyperior resists most of Lt. Surge's coverage and hits back hard.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Rhyperior resists most of Janine's coverage and hits back hard.
Rhyperior has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Rhyperior resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Rhyperior has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Rhyperior has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Rhyperior resists most of Koga's coverage and hits back hard.
Rhyperior trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Rhyperior has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Rhyperior has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Catchable
Catch Rhyhorn in the Safari Zone (walking, Lv 17, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM28GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM35FireFlamethrowerPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- LV 45RockStone EdgePower 150Accuracy 80%PP 5
- LV 49GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 57BugMegahornPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 10
Evolve Rhyhorn to Rhyperior
Rhydon evolves into Rhyperior when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Brock.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM28GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- LV 45RockStone EdgePower 150Accuracy 80%PP 5
- LV 49GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 57BugMegahornPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 10
- LV 61RockRock WreckerPower 225Accuracy 90%PP 5
How to Get Rhyhorn in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Rhyhorn turns up wild at a few spots, but the quirky option is an in-game trade in Diglett's Cave. Hand over a Bonsly and you get one back, no grinding required.
3 locations to catch Rhyhorn
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Rhyhorn in HGSS
Rhyhorn is where the line starts, caught through walking and trade encounters at Lv. 17-41. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Rhyhorn ✓
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into Rhydonor evolve from Rhyhorn (Step 1)
- Step 3Evolve into Rhyperior
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver for Rhyhorn.
How to Get Shiny Rhyhorn in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Rhyhorn stomps through Victory Road and the Safari Zone, though a shiny hatches faster from Masuda breeding. Compare Shiny Rhyhorn odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Rhyhorn Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds for Rhyhorn.
Rhyhorn Weakness
Rhyhorn's Ground/Rock typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. 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.
| 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 Rhyhorn Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Rhyhorn
 Tangrowth Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Tangrowth builds →Solar Beam 4x443-521%KO Focus Blast 2x147-174%KO | ||
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Cacturne builds →Solar Beam 4x462-544%KO Focus Punch 2x85-101%KO | ||
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Vileplume builds →Solar Beam 4x443-521%KO Drain Punch 2x26-31% | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Meganium builds →Solar Beam 4x351-414%KO Iron Tail 2x43-51% Rock Smash 2x18-22% | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Ludicolo builds →Solar Beam 4x375-442%KO Surf 4x300-353%KO Focus Punch 2x57-68% Ice Beam 2x100-118%KO | ||
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Shiftry builds →Solar Beam 4x375-442%KO Dig 2x42-50% Focus Blast 2x125-147%KO | ||
 Carnivine Grass | C | |
 Hariyama Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Hariyama builds →Focus Punch 2x132-156%KO Dig 2x48-57% Surf 4x110-130%KO | ||
 Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Feraligatr builds →Waterfall 4x130-153%KO Focus Punch 2x79-93% Dig 2x43-51% Iron Tail 2x53-64% | ||
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Bronzong builds →Solar Beam 4x226-267%KO Flash Cannon 2x114-135%KO Rock Smash 2x19-23% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Slowbro builds →Surf 4x324-381%KO Focus Punch 2x60-71% Ice Beam 2x108-127%KO Dig 2x33-39% | ||
 Suicune Water | A | |
Obtain MethodBurned Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Suicune builds →Surf 4x300-353%KO Ice Beam 2x100-118%KO Dig 2x33-39% Iron Tail 2x40-48% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rhyhorn View Vaporeon builds →Surf 4x351-414%KO Ice Beam 2x117-138%KO Dig 2x30-36% Iron Tail 2x36-43% | ||
Rhyhorn Evolutions
Rhyhorn is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Rhydon first, then eventually reaches Rhyperior. For breeding, average hatch time with a massive partner pool via two egg groups. The evolved forms gain up to 190 total stats over Rhyhorn. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Rhyhorn easily with 131 breeding partners from the Field and Monster egg groups. Pass egg moves like Counter, Crunch, Crush Claw and 10 more to offspring.
HGSS Rhyhorn Best Moveset
Ground/Rock with 95 Defense absorbing physical hits, but 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass threaten from the special side. AbilityRock Head removes recoil from MoveDouble-Edge. The moveset has physical bulk and 85 Attack. 25 Speed goes last.
Best Build
Rhyhorn best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
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. Stone Edge and Earthquake anchor the STAB core.
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
All 31 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It is inept at turning because of its four short legs. It can only charge and run in one direction.
It doesn’t care if there is anything in its way. It just charges and destroys all obstacles.
Rhyhorn HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- Where in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone can I find Rhyhorn?
See the Locations section above for where to find Rhyhorn in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Rhyhorn from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Rhyhorn easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
Trade a Bonsly to a trainer in Diglett's Cave. This is an NPC trade, so the Rhyhorn you receive is yours immediately, no transfer cable needed.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Rhyhorn does the job early-game if you need a Ground/Rock type on your team. Evolve it into Rhydon before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
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.
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 7Let's Go
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
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