Rhydon is a large, gray, bipedal Pokémon with features of both dinosaurs and rhinoceroses. It has a cream-colored, drill-like horn on its snout, the female having a smaller horn than the male. There are other protrusions on the head as well, including a spike curving forward from the middle of its head, two triangular, points resembling ears to the sides, a wide, wavy crest under the ears, and spiky ridges on its cheeks. It has red eyes and two fangs protruding from its upper jaw. It has a cream-colored stomach and a row of spikes down its back. Rhydon has a long tail with skinny, 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 is able to bore through solid rock and shatter diamonds. Rhydon is protected from heat and physical blows by its armor-like hide. It is stated to be capable of passing unscathed through streams of magma and withstanding a direct blow from a cannonball without being harmed. However, because of this tough hide, it is insensitive. Rhydon has a well-developed brain, but can also be forgetful. It lives in rough terrain.
In the main series
Major appearances
Rhydon's first major role was in Riddle Me This, being one of Blaine's Pokémon. Blaine used a Rhydon against Ash during the first battle for Ash's Volcano Badge. While normally tough against electric attacks, Rhydon was defeated when Ash's Pikachu struck Rhydon's horn, which acted like a lightning rod. It reappeared in a flashback in Volcanic Panic and Bad to the Bone.
Giovanni owns a Rhydon that he loaned to Jessie and James in The Battle of the Badge.
Giant Rhydon were seen on Fairchild Island in Bound For Trouble.
Right on, Rhydon! featured a Rhydon that knew Surf. It was eventually caught by Pietra.
Ash's Pikachu and Paul's Chimchar battled against a Rhydon and a Magmar in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition in Tag! We're It...!.
In Bibarel Gnaws Best!, the head engineer owned a Rhydon.
A Rhydon used by a Team Rocket Grunt appeared in Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!.
Minor appearances
A mechanical Rhydon appeared in Island of the Giant Pokémon as a part of Pokémon Land.
Rhydon also appeared in the banned episode EP035 as one of the Pokémon seen in the Safari Zone.
Rhydon's true debut episode was Showdown at Dark City, under the ownership of one of the Trainers at Kas Gym.
A Rhydon was among the Pokémon seen at Professor Oak's Laboratory in Showdown at the Po-ké Corral.
A Trainer named Assunta used one to battle Ritchie in Friends to the End.
Multiple pink Rhydon resided on the Pinkan Island in In the Pink.
Nurse Joy's expedition crew had two Rhydon to help look for Kabuto Fossils in Shell Shock!.
A Rhydon belonging to Rudy made a cameo appearance in Misty Meets Her Match.
Rhydon also appeared in The Power of One.
Multiple Rhydon were seen at Professor Oak's Laboratory in The Rivalry Revival.
A Rhydon was one of the Pokémon competing in the Pokémon Sumo Wrestling in Ring Masters.
A Rhydon also appeared in Celebi: Voice of the Forest.
In Extreme Pokémon!, a Rhydon appeared with its Trainer, participating in the Extreme Pokémon Race.
A Rhydon was one of the Pokémon that fought in a battle as seen in a flashback in Pop Goes The Sneasel.
An unknown Trainer's Rhydon was the last Pokémon that Jon Dickson's Rapidash had to beat in order to win the Silver Conference Trophy in Johto Photo Finish.
Brock's dad, Flint, has a Rhydon, but was just mentioned in A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!. Flint mostly used his Rhydon for helping him decorate the Pewter Gym's battlefield with rocks from mountaintops.
A Rhydon was also owned by a demolition crew (which was changed into a construction crew due to Ritchie changing the past) in Celebi and Joy!.
Rhydon also made a cameo appearance in Numero Uno Articuno as one of Noland's Pokémon.
A Coordinator's Rhydon appeared in Harley Rides Again participating in the Wisteria Town Pokémon Contest.
Multiple Rhydon appeared in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew as part of the feuding armies.
A Rhydon made a small appearance in The Rise of Darkrai as one of the Pokémon Darkrai hit with a Dark Void.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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EP058
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Rhydon
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Ash's Pokédex
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Rhydon, the evolved form of Rhyhorn. It is known as the Drill Pokémon. Its large horn gives it formidable attack power.
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In Pokémon Origins
Giovanni used a Rhydon in File 3: Giovanni to battle against Red's Charizard and lost.
Blue's Rhydon was briefly seen in File 4: Charizard where it battled Red's Lapras and lost.
In Pokémon Generations
Blue owns a Rhydon, which appeared in The Challenger. He used it during his Pokémon League battle against Agatha, where it was seen taking on her Arbok and Gengar. It managed to defeat Arbok, but it's unclear if it won against Gengar too or not. Whatever the case, Blue eventually managed to defeat Agatha, allowing him to progress to the next room to face Lance.
Two Rhydon appeared during a flashback in The Redemption, seen petrified after the ultimate weapon was used by AZ to end the great war of Kalos, 3000 years previously.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
- Main article: Blue's Rhydon
In Rock, Paper...Scizor, Blue captures a Rhydon outside the Viridian Gym. He uses it 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 evolution, 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.
Rhydon debuts in the Red, Green & Blue arc in its own round, Raging Rhydon, as Koga's Pokémon that is 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-screen at the time.
Later in Tauros the Tyrant, a Team Rocket Grunt used a Rhydon in an attempt to catch Green.
In A Tale of Ninetales, a wild Rhydon attacked two of Blue's fan girls.
Rhydon is later seen as one of Giovanni's Pokémon in Long Live the Nidoqueen!?, where it used Fissure to trap Red.
In How Do You Do, Sudowoodo? Gold encounters a wild Rhydon during his race with Whitney. The Rhydon in question was hunting down a Sudowoodo hiding from it, 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 the Pokémon Zensho manga
Giovanni's Rhydon was Satoshi's opponent for his final Gym battle. It went up against his Charizard and was defeated.
In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
Giovanni's Rhydon was used in the Gym battle against Red in Get The Last Badge!!.
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Gary has a Rhydon which was sent out with his other Pokémon to battle the giant Slowpoke in Ash vs. Gary.