Rhyperior is a large, brownish-gray Pokémon with two horns: one on its nose, and another one above it. The upper horn is smaller on a female Rhyperior. It has a club-like tail and its hide is partially covered by orange, rocky plates. It has blade-like protrusions on its elbows and has holes in the palms of its hands which works as a cannon or a gun. It also appears to have two thick, rectangular rocks above its eyes, resembling heavy eyebrows.
Rhyperior can insert rocks and boulders into its arms through the holes in its hands and then fire them like bullets, as seen with its former signature move, Rock Wrecker. However, it will occasionally insert and fire Geodude or Roggenrola by accident. Rhyperior has a very hard carapace; it can survive volcanic eruptions and deflect incoming attacks. This can throw the opponent off-balance before it drills into the foe. Rhyperior lives far up in the mountains.
In the main series
Major appearances
Rhyperior made its main series debut in Challenging a Towering Figure!, under the ownership of Palmer. It was used during his battle against Ash. Using powerful attacks like Megahorn and its former signature move, Rock Wrecker, it battled and defeated Grotle, even though Grotle swallowed its own Energy Ball to power up its moves. Rhyperior briefly reappeared alongside Palmer during the ending credits of Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
A Trainer's Rhyperior appeared in Piplup, Up and Away!. It was angered when Dawn's Piplup ran into it, and it promptly attacked him with Flash Cannon.
A Rhyperior appeared in DPS02, under the ownership of Forrest. It was used to battle Nurse Joy and her Latias. However, the Eon Pokémon defeated the Drill Pokémon.
A Rhyperior appeared in A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!, under the ownership of a Pokémon hunter. It managed to help capture Meowth, Pumpkaboo, and Inkay. It was eventually stopped by Pumpkaboo, Inkay, Wobbuffet, Pikachu, and Fennekin.
A Rhyperior appeared in Analysis Versus Passion!, under the ownership of Remo. Remo used his Rhyperior, nicknamed Rhypo, in a battle against Alain's Charizard, but was soon defeated by its Dragon Claw.
A Rhyperior will appear in JN024, under the ownership of a Team Rocket Grunt.
Minor appearances
Rhyperior debuted in a brief cameo in the opening sequence of Giratina and the Sky Warrior, where it was one of Brendan's Pokémon.
A Rhyperior appeared in the opening sequence of Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
A Trainer's Rhyperior appeared in The Journalist from Another Region!, where it was entered into the Pokémon Sumo Tournament on Harvest Island. It was eventually defeated by Ash's Pignite.
A soldier's Rhyperior appeared during a flashback in The Legend of X, Y, and Z!.
A Rhyperior appeared in A Mission of Ultra Urgency!.
Pokédex entries
Episode
|
Pokémon
|
Source
|
Entry
|
XY063
|
Rhyperior
|
Serena's Pokédex
|
Rhyperior, the Drill Pokémon. Rhyperior launches rocks or Geodude from holes in its palms. Its shell-like covering can withstand a volcano's eruptions.
|
|
In Pokémon Generations
A soldier's Rhyperior appeared in The Redemption, during a fantasy of a story from the past. It was one of the many Pokémon fighting in the great war of Kalos 3,000 years previously.
- Rhyperior and its pre-evolved form share their category with Nidoking and Nidoqueen. They are all known as the Drill Pokémon.
Origin
Rhyperior's design appears to be an amalgam drawing inspiration from a rhinoceros, aspects of various dinosaurs (such as ceratopsids or Ankylosaurus in particular), bullet-resistant body armor vests, and cannon artillery. Its overall appearance also seems to allude to a proverbial miner sporting a mining drill, safety vest, and hard hat.
Name origin
Rhyperior is probably a combination of rhinoceros, hyperion, and superior. Rhy may also derive from the igneous rock called rhyolite, alluding to Rhyperior's Ground/Rock type combination.
Dosidon may be a combination of 土 do (ground/soil), 怒 do (anger), or ど do (prefix that makes a noun sound stronger), サイ sai (rhinoceros), and don (Ancient Greek for tooth, commonly used in the names of dinosaurs).