Slow is good when Trick Room is up, and Rhyperior is about as slow as they come. Ground/Rock typing gives it a defined role on the team. Lightning Rod redirects Electric moves and boosts its Sp. Atk. Known as the Drill Pokemon.
The stat bars tell the story: Attack carries everything and Speed's dead weight. But this Drill Pokemon still yields 3 Attack EVs per fight on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
From holes in its palms, it fires out GEODUDE. Its carapace can withstand volcanic eruptions.
Rhyperior Weakness
FragileRhyperior is weak to Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Ground, and Steel-type moves. Watch out for Water and Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. The Ground/Rock typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Rhyperior's physical bulk (base 130 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Rhyhorn's line splits into 2 evolutions, and Rhyperior is the trade route. Each sibling form needs a different method to obtain. Breed through Rhyhorn to get eggs. Rhyperior edges out Rhydon by 50 total stats (535 vs 485). Attack is where most of the advantage lives.
How to Evolve
Breed with Rhyperior 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.
Solidrock helps Rhyperior stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, max HP and Attack EVs for the right balance, and Earthquake as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Best Rhyperior Moveset
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
- Megahorn
Recommended Teammates
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 12 types means almost nothing walls Rhyperior cleanly, with Rock Wrecker and Stone Edge anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
A trade step sits in Rhyperior's 2-stage line from Rhyhorn. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Rhyhorn shows up at moderate rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
How to Obtain Rhyperior in HeartGold & SoulSilver
The path to Rhyperior starts with Rhyhorn at Lv. 35+ via trade and walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch RhyhornCHALLENGINGVictory Road - 1FHeartGoldGrassLv.35RareLateCaveCHALLENGINGVictory Road - 1FSoulSilverGrassLv.35RareLateCaveLEGENDARYDiglett's Cave - B1FHeartGoldIn-game tradeLimitedCaveTrade for (give Bonsly)LEGENDARYDiglett's Cave - B1FSoulSilverIn-game tradeLimitedCaveTrade for (give Bonsly)
Step 2Rhyperior ✓
Rhyperior looks average on paper at 535 BST. But Lightning Rod is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. A-Tier wallbreaker on our tier list.
Rhyperior'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, Rhyperior won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Rhyperior gets Lightning Rod, Solid Rock, and Reckless. But Lightning Rod is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that. On wall sets, Lightning Rod pairs with Rhyperior's base 130 Defense to absorb physical hits on the switch.
Rhyperior is a physical attacker with base 140 Attack. Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the wallbreaker role.
Rhyperior appears in 13 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.
Since Diamond & Pearl, Rhyperior has been in 13 games. Requiring a trade evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
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 IVDPDebut
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