Rhydon · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Rhydon card
Rhydon is card 59 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, an Uncommon. It is a Stage 1 Fighting-type with 100 HP.
As a Stage 1, it evolves from Rhyhorn, which places Rhydon deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno. Himeno is one of the most-recognized vintage illustrators, with a softer, more textured style that shows up across the Jungle and Neo runs.
The card's flavor text gives Rhydon a line of lore: "Protected by an armor-like hide, it is capable of living in molten lava of 3600 degrees."
About Rhydon in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Rhyhorn. The famous "first Pokémon ever created" in design lore. Standard Rare with steady demand thanks to design lore.
What is Rhydon worth?
Rhydon is an Uncommon, so raw copies are inexpensive and easy to find. The value is in condition: a genuine PSA 10, especially 1st Edition, can still reach a surprising figure for an otherwise common card. The live price above breaks it down by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Rhydon, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Rhydon grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.
If you are collecting Rhydon
Raw copies of Rhydon are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Rhydon is the practical move.
