Rhydon is a large, gray, bipedal Pokémon with features similar to both dinosaurs and rhinoceroses. It has narrow, red eyes and two fangs in its upper jaw. On the tip of Rhydon's snout is a cream-colored horn, which is smaller on a female than on a male. There are several other spikes and projections on its head: on top is a spike that curves forward, two triangular points resembling ears on the sides, a wide, wavy crest under each ear, and spiky ridges on each cheek. It has a cream-colored abdomen divided into strips by thin divots. A rocky plate on its chest slightly overlaps its abdomen. There is a row of spikes down its back and they have a long tail with thin, black stripes.
Rhydon is a physically powerful Pokémon. It is recorded as being able to topple buildings with a sweeping blow of its tail, and its horn can bore through solid rock and shatter diamonds. Rhydon sharpens their horns by clashing them together. Its armor-like hide protects it from heat and physical blows. It is stated to be capable of passing unscathed through streams of magma (3,600 degrees Fahrenheit) and withstanding a direct blow from a cannonball without being harmed. However, because of this tough hide, it is insensitive. Despite its well-developed brain, it can be forgetful. Rhydon lives in rough terrain like in caves or on top of mountains. Due to its evolution allowing Rhydon to walk on two legs, it can expand its territory to more than a Rhyhorn's original habitat limit.
Its rugged hide protects it from even the heat of lava. However, the hide also makes it insensitive. (Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) Its brain developed when it began walking on hind legs. Its thick hide protects it even in magma. (Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Rhydon's horn can crush even uncut diamonds. One sweeping blow of its tail can topple a building. This Pokémon's hide is extremely tough. Even direct cannon hits don't leave a scratch.
Rhydon has a horn that serves as a drill. It is used for destroying rocks and boulders. This Pokémon occasionally rams into streams of magma, but the armor-like hide prevents it from feeling the heat.
Rhydon's horn can crush even uncut diamonds. One sweeping blow of its tail can topple a building. This Pokémon's hide is extremely tough. Even direct cannon hits don't leave a scratch.
Rhydon has a horn that serves as a drill. It is used for destroying rocks and boulders. This Pokémon occasionally rams into streams of magma, but the armor-like hide prevents it from feeling the heat.
Evolves from Rhyhorn when its Attack is 108 or higher Evolves into Rhyperior after knocking out a Warrior's Pokémon in a manner that allows recruitment, while its own Warrior is equipped with a Protector
In Riddle Me This, Blaine used a Rhydon during his Gymbattle against Ash. It briefly battled Charizard, who then refused to battle. While normally tough against Electric attacks, Rhydon was defeated when Pikachu struck Rhydon's horn, which acted like a lightning rod. It reappeared in a flashback in Volcanic Panic.
In Right On, Rhydon!, a Rhydon unique for its strength and its ability to know Surf was sought by Pietra, but she needed a surfing Pokémon to accomplish this task. Pietra eventually caught Rhydon after rescuing it from Team Rocket.
In Bibarel Gnaws Best!, the head engineer used a Rhydon to drill out rocks for a bridge under construction, but it was attacked by a Bibarel. When Bibarel was cornered, Ash's Pikachu used Iron Tail to defeat Rhydon.
In The Challenger, Blue used a Rhydon during his Indigo League battle against Agatha, where it went up against her Arbok and Gengar. It managed to defeat Arbok, but it is unclear if it won against Gengar as well, for the outcome of that battle was never shown onscreen. Whatever the case, Blue eventually managed to defeat Agatha, allowing him to progress to Lance's room.
Two soldiers' Rhydon appeared in The Redemption, during a fantasy of a story from the past. They were seen petrified after the ultimate weapon was used by AZ to end the great war of Kalos 3,000 years previously.
Rhydon debuted in Raging Rhydon under the ownership of Koga. It was forced to evolve by its Trainer with a mysterious injection, being the first evolution shown in the manga due to Red's Poliwhirl and Blue's Charmander evolving off-panel at the time.
Later in Tauros the Tyrant, a Team Rocket Grunt used a Rhydon in an attempt to catch Green.
In How Do You Do, Sudowoodo?, Gold encounters a wild Rhydon during his race with Whitney. It was hunting down a Sudowoodo, and kidnapped Whitney when she interfered with her Miltank, breaking her arm in the process. Gold tells Sudowoodo to stand up for itself and, with assistance from his billiard cue, helps Sudowoodo defeat the Rhydon with a strong punch to the gut.
In Rock, Paper...Scizor, Bluecatches a Rhydon outside the Viridian Gym. He uses him to defeat Chuck in Heckled by Hitmontop, as well as Orm in Don't Doubt Deoxys. Near the end of the FireRed and LeafGreen saga, Blue remarks on a footnote Giovanni included in his handbook: Rhydon possibly possessed a stronger form. This is a reference to Rhydon's new evolved form, Rhyperior, an evolution that succeeded in occurring thanks to Silver's knowledge of Pokémon trading, resulting in the same Rhydon, as Rhyperior, being on hand with him until being returned to Blue later on.
According to interviews with Ken Sugimori, Rhydon was one of the first Pokémon ever created;[1][2] this is evidenced by early sketches of the Capsule Monsters game concept featuring Rhydon, Lapras, and others. Moreover, Rhydon's index number is 001 in Generation I.
Since Rhydon's index number is 001 in Generation I, a glitch Pokémon with an index number of 000 or that is greater than 152 will revert to Rhydon when its Pokédex entry is viewed.
Ash's Pikachu fought Blaine's Rhydon in Pokémon the Series and defeated it by aiming an electric attack at its horn, despite it being a Ground-type immune to Electric attacks. This particular scene spawned a popular, albeit misquoted, internet meme where "aim for the horn!" is commonly attributed to this episode. Rhydon's horn serving as a lightning rod for electric attacks would also become an ability in Generation III.
Rhydon and its evolved form share their category name with Nidoqueen and Nidoking. They are all known as the Drill Pokémon. Additionally, all four are partly Ground-types.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Rhyhorn and Rhydon cannot learn Thunderbolt, even though they were able to in all other games in which Thunderbolt could be learned outside of leveling up.
Origin
Rhydon was created with a Kaiju motif.[1][2] Its design appears to draw inspiration from a rhinoceros and some aspects of various dinosaurs, such as ceratopsids. Its horn may be based on drills.
Name origin
Rhydon may be a combination of rhinoceros, rhyolite (a type of rock, referring to its Rock type), and don (Spanish for lord) or -don (common suffix in dinosaur names derived from the Ancient Greek word for tooth).
Sidon may be a combination of 犀 sai (rhinoceros) and don.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.