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
A Rhydon appeared in Riddle Me This, being one of Blaine's Pokémon. Blaine used Rhydon against Ash during a Gym battle. 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.
Giovanni owns a Rhydon that he loaned to Jessie and James in The Battle of the Badge, where it was used to battle Ash. It was defeated by Pidgeotto and then Pikachu.
A giant Rhydon appeared in Bound For Trouble as a resident of Fairchild Island. Its size was due to there being excessive quantities of food on the island.
Right On, Rhydon! featured a Rhydon that knew Surf. It was eventually caught by Pietra.
Pikachu and Chimchar battled a Rhydon belonging to a Scientist and a Magmar belonging to an Ace Trainer during the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition in Tag! We're It...!. Rhydon had Lightning Rod, which left Pikachu's Electric attacks useless, but Pikachu was able to defeat Rhydon with Iron Tail.
In Bibarel Gnaws Best!, the head engineer owned a Rhydon. It was used in order to drill out rocks for the bridge, but the Drill Pokémon was quickly attacked and defeated by a Bibarel. When Bibarel was cornered, Ash's Pikachu used Iron Tail to finish Rhydon off for good.
A Rhydon appeared in Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!, under the ownership of a Team Rocket Grunt. It was used alongside a Golem to capture Meloetta. It was stopped from doing so, however, by Ridley and his Golurk. Though the full battle wasn't shown onscreen, it seemed that Golurk defeated Rhydon.
Minor appearances
A mechanical Rhydon appeared in Island of the Giant Pokémon as a part of Pokémon Land.
Rhydon physically debuted in the banned episode EP035, as one of the Pokémon seen in the Safari Zone.
Rhydon's English dub debut was in Showdown at Dark City, where it was under the ownership of one of the Trainers at Kaz 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 a Rhydon 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.
A Rhydon appeared in The Power of One.
A Rhydon appeared in the Japanese credits of Pikachu's Rescue Adventure.
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: The 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.
A 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 it 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 owned by a demolition crew (which was changed into a construction crew due to Ritchie changing the past) in Celebi and Joy!.
A Coordinator's Rhydon appeared in Mean With Envy.
A Trainer's Rhydon appeared in A Judgment Brawl.
A Rhydon made a cameo appearance in Numero Uno Articuno, under the ownership of Noland. It was among the Pokémon residing at the Battle Factory.
A Coordinator's Rhydon appeared in Harley Rides Again, where it was participating in the Wisteria Town Pokémon Contest.
Multiple Rhydon appeared in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew as part of the feuding armies.
A Trainer's Rhydon appeared in The Ole' Berate and Switch!.
A Rhydon made a small appearance in The Rise of Darkrai as one of the Pokémon Darkrai hit with a Dark Void.
A Trainer's Rhydon appeared in Glory Blaze! as a participant in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition.
A Rhydon appeared in I Choose You!, where it was among the Pokémon that were under the control of Marshadow.
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 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 Rhydon appeared during a flashback in The Redemption, where they were seen petrified after the ultimate weapon was used by AZ to end the great war of Kalos, 3,000 years previously.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
- Main article: Blue's Rhydon
Rhydon debuts in 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 he 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 Rock, Paper...Scizor, Blue captures 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 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.
A Trainer's Rhydon appeared in Deprogramming Porygon-Z and Clobbering Claydol.
Multiple Rhydon statues appeared in All About Arceus III at the entrance to the Sinjoh Ruins.
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.