Best Rock-type Pokémon Ranked

From Fossil Pokemon to Tanky Pokemon, Rock Types are often super stocky Pokemon with great defense who are good at standing their ground. With tanky builds focused on dealing and protecting against physical damage, they’re also crucial to the understanding of Pokemon history, since most fossil Pokémon are also Rock-types. Bringing the integrity and brawn, here are the best Rock-type Pokémon!

25. Probopass

A dual Rock/Steel type Pokémon from Generation 4, it is known as the Compass Pokémon and appears as a giant face with Nigel Thornberry's nose, with a ton of hair sprouting out of it! Weirdly it also controls three “mini-nose” drones to accomplish various tasks. Luckily, it isn’t very aggressive, and its stats are centered on Defense rather than offense. Can you imagine being attacked by a swarm of stone noses?

24. Onix

This Pokemon seems like a natural candidate for the Best Rock Pokemon as it appears to be made out of stones! Back when the series began in 1996, things were done differently and simplicity was best. Onix is proof of that. It’s a rock serpent, no more, no less. Known as the Rock Snake Pokemon, which is such an epic and unique take on the typical snake design, Onix has a body made of rocks to make up its snake-like body. While Onix may not be able to quietly sneak and slither through grass like most snakes, this massive creature can actually tunnel underground to move between locations. It also moves at speeds up to 50 miles per hour so this guy can come flying out of the ground at any minute, which is pretty terrifying!

23. Diancie

A dual Rock/Fairy type Pokémon from Generation 6, it is known as the Jewel Pokémon and is an event-exclusive Pokémon created as an uncommon mutation of Carbink, by extremely high pressure underground. Amazingly, it can instantly create diamonds by compressing the carbon in the air. Despite its status as a Rock Type Pokemon, Diancie sports a surprisingly delicate and fairy like design, quickly becoming a favourite of players and artists alike. It’s also a very strong fighter with a Mega Evolution to call its own, some extremely nice defensive stats, but its Attack and Sp. Attack also pack a mean punch. It also carries the very handy Clear Body ability, which will prevent its stats from being lowered.

22. Kabutops

A dual Rock/Water type Pokémon from Generation 1, it is known as the Shellfish Pokémon for being the ancestor of many such modern creatures and is pretty much a fossil with blades for arms! A bipedal Pokemon, it is said to be an aggressive Pokemon that inhabited warm seas and swam underwater to hunt for its prey in ancient times. The Pokémon was apparently evolving from being a water dweller to living on land but one has to ask, what kind of vicious world made it evolve such a deadly weapon?

21. Armaldo

A bipedal, amphibious Pokémon that somewhat resembles a mantis shrimp, it is covered with thick, grayish-blue plates and is another interesting fossil Pokémon in the sense that it became extinct in Prehistoric times. A dual Rock/Bug-type, Armaldo is known as the Plate Pokémon and is the evolved form of fossil-shrimp Pokémon Anorith, which is the cutest of the two fossil Pokémon from Generation 3. Like Kabutops, Armaldo has the Battle Armor ability, which protects it from critical hits. Its stats are also quite similar, with solid physical Attack and Defensive capabilities that make it a pretty nice asset during a play-through of Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire.

20. Drednaw

Hailing from the Galar region and introduced in Generation 8, this dual Water and Rock type turtle Pokemon, known as the Bite Pokemon. Its temperment is known to be vicious and it is inspired by snapping turtles. It will rapidly extend its retractable neck to sink its sharp fangs into distant enemies and take them down. In fact, this Pokémon from the Galar region is so fierce that some trainers will release it back into the wilds after finding themselves unable to earn its trust and respect. If you do manage to tame this beast you will find yourself with a brutal fighter with the power to bite through entire buildings in his Gigantamax form, a true beast! Its jaws can shear through steel rods as if they were icing. If you haven’t picked up Sword & Shield yet then totally consider adding this guy onto your team.

19. Regirock

Somewhere, deep within the wilds of the Hoenn region, sleeps a golem of incredible power. Known as the Rock Peak Pokémon, Regirock is one of Hoenn’s Legendary titans, created by Regigigas to defend the land. Its true nature has eluded scientists for a very long time due to its lack of heart or brain, as well as its ability to repair any damage received with whatever sturdy rock it can find. To catch Regirock was such a complex ritual back in the day, my childish brain felt as if I was doing some sort of magical “hack” to my copy of Pokémon Ruby. It was a badge of honor to have caught it, and fortunately, all that effort was rewarded with a powerful companion boasting Legendary-level stats all-around.

18. Golem

A dual Rock/Ground type Pokémon from Generation 1, it is known as the Megaton Pokémon, a bipedal tortoise-like Pokémon with a spherical body covered by a shell of plated, green rocks. Its body is so hard that even dynamite cannot make a dent on its form. As an entirely organic creature that has somehow evolved a rock-based skin, in its natural habitat it’s quite easy to mistake Golem for boulders, leading people to trip on them once they move and often angering them! With great Attack and solid Defense stat, as you might expect from this tanky fellow, Golem is an impressive Pokemon to take with you in combat. Just be careful not to get crushed by one of them rolling down hills at high speeds. Just one of the cautions one must take in the Pokemon universe!

17. Sudowoodo

We've covered Bonsly in the Slowest Pokemon Ranked list, now meet its evolved form Sudowoodo! Another Pokémon you’d easily mistake for an inanimate object, Sudowoodo is the infamous “tree” blocking the path to Goldenrod City in Generation 2. The mystery is revealed only after you spray water on it, rousing the Imitation Pokémon from its deep meditative state. This Pokemon is an expert at blending in to its surroundings, making it one of the best camoflaged Pokemon - you might have just passed about ten of them on your way here but never known!

16. Coalossal

From the Galar region comes this smoky Goliath like critter, which pretty much measures up to its name in every way. A dual Rock and Fire type Pokemon that arrived in Generation 8, it also has much in common with a steam train as this giant beast is powered by the environmentally unfriendly energy of burning coal. It evolves from Carkol at level 34 and is the final form of Rolycoly. Needless to say, its greenhouse gas emissions only increase once it has a chance to Gigantamax. Luckily it will only become enraged and start spewing smoky matter if it’s disturbed by vandalism and disruptions in abandoned mines.

15. Archeops

Based on the Archeopteryx, a dinosaur said to be the missing link between a raptor and a modern bird, Archeops is a dual Rock/Flying type Pokémon from Generation 5, known as the First Bird Pokémon. Funnily these smart creatures are better at running than they are at flying, which is why they need long-winded running starts to take off. Luckily for them, given their insane offensive stats, that wasn’t much of a problem for capturing and defeating prey. A really dangerous sweeper, it really raises the stakes, even if it might be considered to be something of a glass canon, it has decent HP which cannot be overlooked. With huge potential as a sweeper, physical, mixed or special, combined with its speed, makes it a threat to pretty much everything in B/W.

14. Stonjourner

Often thought to be a mobile version of Stonehenge, it definitely looks the part by its appearance! It is crafted solely out of extremely heavy blocks of stone, so we would definitely expect to find this Pokemon in the ranking! Stonjourner, the Big Rock Pokémon, is essentially a walking megalith, known to stand in the grasslands, enjoying the breeze and watching the sun move through the sky most of the time. It's said that once a year many Stonjourner gather and form circles in a mysterious event thought to have held sacred meaning to earlier civilizations of the Pokémon world.

13. Minior

A funny Pokemon critter, Minior are known to live most of their lives suspended in the outer layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, where they gather floating particles and slowly create a sort of rocky shell. Once it becomes too heavy it falls down to earth in a spectacle resembling a shooting star. While usually rocky and stoic, the real Pokémon underneath the shell is colorful and cute, looking like something straight out of a Kirby game. If the shell falls off it becomes very fast and aggressive, but it won’t last long without this protection unless it’s put inside a Pokéball quickly.

12. Aurorus

A dual Rock/Ice type Pokémon from Generation 6, it is known as the Tundra Pokémon and is the evolved form of the cute little extinct Amaura we met earlier in Best Fossil Pokemon. Generation 6 is notorious for having some of the coolest ever fossil Pokémon to date! It is known to have been first discovered in a cold and wintry region, perfectly preserved in a block of ice, and possesses the ability to create beautiful auroras in the sky, hence its name. In combat it is pretty valuable as a weather setter thanks to its Snow Warning ability, which causes a hailstorm upon entering the battlefield! It's also pretty decent in PU as a wallbreaker and boasts an incredibly high HP. Its design takes the biscuit though, it is such a beautiful Pokemon (to stare at forever)!

11. Gigalith

A Rock type Pokémon from Generation 5, it is known as the Compressed Pokémon and was introduced as the final form of the super-adorable Roggenrola. Boasting both exceptional Attack and Defense, which enables it to deal some formidable damage and take some in return, it may be one of the slowest Pokemon but is definitely one of the most intimidating and hardest to overcome in combat. Speed isn't everything of course, especially when you can opt for the Explosion move, which won’t help it survive but will at least take the aggressor with it, taking one for the team in a combat situation.

10. Rampardos

The evolved form of Cranidos, this head butting Fossil Pokemon has since acquired an even harder skull with its evolution, which will definitely come in handy. In battle Rampardos can dish out devastating hits but this is balanced out a little by its low speed. With its accuracy poor, Rampardos relies heavily on its raw reckless power and pure formidable strength, which is definitely handy to have in combat. It is a monster attacker, boasting one of the highest Attack stats in the game, and is able to fill a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that complements its ability Sheer Force.

9. Lycanroc

A beautiful but fierce looking wolf Pokemon and a sharp and fast hunter from the Alolan region, this Rock Type Pokemon from Generation 7 has three different forms - Midday, Midnight and Dusk, depending on whether it evolved from Rockruff in Pokémon Sun or Pokémon Moon - and is appropriately known as the Wolf Pokémon. It is said that Lycanroc’s design is heavily influenced by the idea of the werewolf. Its Dusk form is achievable by any Rockruff with the Own Tempo ability, like the one you can receive through Mystery Gift. There are slight differences between its Midday, Midnight or Dusk forms statwise in combat, but its main assets are a vicious Attack stat and remarkable Speed, which make it an incredibly powerful Pokemon to face in battle.

8. Omastar

This funny looking critter is a dual Water and Rock type Pokemon first introduced back in Generation 1 and known as the Spiral Pokemon. It has some stellar defense stats, not surprising with it being a shelled creature. Omastar's vast movepool, high Special Attack, and access to Shell Smash make it a threatening setup sweeper able to muscle through opponents - but is known to be incredibly slow and is thought to be extinct in the Pokemon universe due to its shell growing too large and heavy. It is the evolved form of sweet snail like critter Omanyte.

7. Stakataka

Known to be the heaviest Rock type Pokemon and one of the heaviest Pokemon ever to boot, Stakataka is a creature far beyond our current human understanding. As Generation 7 introduced a different kind of creature called Ultra Beasts, beings from another world that wandered into Alola by accident, Stakataka is one of the least organic-looking, an Ultra Beast composed of many dark gray, stone lifeforms stacked together to form a four-sided tower with a spindly leg on each corner. Known as the Rampart Pokémon, this mysterious four-legged stack of blocks is actually the combined effort of many smaller life-forms, each of which has a notorious shiny “eye”. This dual Rock/Steel-type is an absolute tank in combat! Stakataka seems to belong to a harsh world that has made its Defense and Attack qualities very strong. Not only that, but it’s also immune to Poison thanks to its typing, and it has access to many useful moves that provide wide coverage, including some very valuable Psychic-type ones.

6. Tyrantrum

One of the most powerful fossil Pokémon ever, Tyrantrum boasts attacks and abilities such Strong Jaw, Head Smash, and Dragon Dance, making it incredibly difficult to overthrow it in battle. A dual Rock/Dragon type Pokémon from Generation 6, it is known as the Despot Pokémon and loosely resembles a red T-Rex with a beard and a regal look. It’s a being reconstructed from the Jaw Fossil and it’s believed that it used to reign supreme over its territory back in its time. Massively powerful in combat, it boasts formidable Attack and Defense that make it an actual force in combat.

5. Aerodactyl

Tyrantrum may be king but Aerodactyl just pips it to the post for many reasons - the first being that it’s also the only Fossil Pokémon with the ability to Mega Evolve in to Mega Aerodactyl, it is an elusive fossil monster that is hard to get but amazing if you can manage to - and even the most powerful member of the Elite 4, Lance, has an Aerodactyl! This incredible dual Rock and Flying Type Pokémon, unlike the other Fossil Pokémon revived from rocks, was resurrected from Old Amber, a unique fossilized substance that you only get from the Pewter City museum. Aerodactyl’s appearance is quote imposing with its huge wingspan, a ridged snout, and a jaw full of serrated fangs. When it evolves in to Mega Aerodactyl with a Mega Stone, Aerodactyl’s already impressive base stats are taken to the next level, skyrocketing its attack and speed.

4. Alolan Golem

Golem in its Alolan form is a dual Rock and Electric type which evolves from Graveler and has a railgun attached to its back, which it can use to fire electrically-charged rocks at its opponents. It has the highest defense stats among the Electric types, making it one of the most resistant pokés in the game. The idea to create region-specific versions of Pokemon critters was one of Game Freak’s greatest ideas as it allows us to re-connect with our old favourite Pokemon in a whole new way! This critter is more of a beast in appearance and looks to be made entirely out of rocks, you could definitely describe it as 'well hard'.

3. Aggron

A dual Steel/Rock type Pokémon from Generation 3, it is known as the Iron Armor Pokémon and has been a total powerhouse both in single-player and the competitive scene ever since it came out. Plate armor, insane Defense and a Mega Evolution that makes Pokémon and Trainers alike tremble in fear – that’s what Aggron is all about. While there are a lot of Pokémon with strength to rival Aggron, few of them have the ethical integrity of the Iron Armor Pokémon. It’s very territorial, sure, but it also acts as a sort of guardian of the environment, protecting the land from diverse threats and working hard to renew it after any sort of disaster. They even plant trees!

2. Rhyperior

A dual Ground/Rock type Pokémon from Generation 4, it is known as the Drill Pokémon - probably because of the drill on its head - Rhyperior looks like a demolition expert who has a couple too many beers every day after work. This “dad bod” build doesn’t keep it from looking badass as it pummels its foes with its exceptional Attack and Defense stats. And those stone plaques that look like protective demolition gear? They’re not just there for show. Thanks to its Solid Rock ability, this Ground/Rock-type takes considerably less damage from super-effective moves. Did I mention it shoots Geodudes from its hands?

1. Tyranitar

Built as an absolute beast and our strongest Dark Type Pokemon ranked! It possesses dual Rock and Dark typing and was first introduced in Generation 2, known as the Armour Pokemon. It has an epic movepool, even alongside its amazing offensive stats and a Mega Evolution making it even more formidable, including powerful same-type moves like Crunch, and others to provide coverage like Earthquake or Fire Punch. It may be a bit of a wait levelling him up to evolve in to this badass form but you will enjoy every inch of this strongest Dark Type Pokemon! We all know and love this Pokémon, no matter how many hours of your life you’ve wasted breeding genetically altered animals to pit against others in combat. Tyranitar is typically built as an attacker. And that’s understandable given its base 134 attack. However, it also has a defense of 110 and an Sp. Defense of 100. Combine that with it being built perfectly for a Sandstorm team, and great STAB potential to complement those stats, too, making T-Tar one of the most powerful hybrid tanks in the Pokedex. PS check out these Best Tyranitar Nicknames ideas here!

If you liked this definitely check out these Best Poison Type Pokemon Ranked, Best Ghost Type Pokemon and Best Electric Type Pokemon!