At first sight, Rock-types might seem like some of the laziest designs in the entire Pokémon franchise. Starting with Geodude and all the way to Roggenrola, these are just rocks with either legs or arms or both. Looking a little closer, though, it's easy to see just how inspired these Pokémon are and how, over the years, have Game Freak's designers perfected their craft.
With Pokémon like Gigalith, Lycanroc, and most recently, Coalossal, the Rock-type boasts some truly creative, original, and surprisingly colorful designs. Rock may not be the best overall type, but that doesn't mean they can't have some of the coolest creatures in the Pokémon world.
Onix
The original cool Rock-type, Onix was one of the first recognizable and iconic Pokémon in the franchise. As Brock's ace in both the original Red & Blue games, as well as in the anime, Onix became instantly recognizable to casual and hardcore fans alike.
A dual-type Rock/Ground creature, Onix is weak to life itself. It has not one but two quad weaknesses, to the extremely common Water and Grass types, plus regular vulnerabilities to Ice, Steel, Fighting, and Ground. Still, Onix is a giant snake made out of stone, and it doesn't get much cooler than that.
Tyrantrum
Like Onix, Tyrantrum is weak to almost half the Pokémon types in existence, including one of its own. A dual-type Rock/Dragon, Tyrantrum has weaknesses to Ice, Fairy, Steel, Ground, Fighting, and Dragon. It sort of makes up for them by having massive Physical Attack and Defense but is also quite slow, which means it can easily be OHKO'd.
Design-wise, however, it doesn't get much better than Tyrantrum. The Pokémon world's version of a T. rex, Tyrantrum is fierce and savage-looking, Its type combination is unique, and standing at 8'02", it's capable of striking fear into the heart's of nearly everyone who dares to cross it.
Armaldo
At first sight, Armaldo might not seem like much. Its design, which includes large, oblong eyes protruding from the side of its head, and small, thin arms that end in not-so-menacing claws, is a bit goofy-looking. It actually makes it seem like a strange cross between a mantis and a lobster. Still, there's so much more than meets the eye.
One of the most unique dual-type Bug Pokémon in existence, Armaldo makes the best out of its Rock/Bug combo. It has only three weaknesses and a base stat total of 495. It's slow as heck but has incredibly high Attack and Defense, and decent everything else. And with an incredibly cool and distinctive shiny, Armaldo quickly becomes memorable.
Rampardos
And going from one Generation IV fossil Pokémon to the next, Rampardos is another dinosaur-looking creature of the Sinnoh region. Evolving from Cranidos at level 30, Rampardos' powerful headbutt attacks are where this mighty Pokémon's strength lies.
Rampardos does have something of a bad reputation though. Because of how thick and constricting its skull is, researchers believe its brain became smaller than that of Cranidos, and it went extinct because of its own stupidity. Like Armaldo, Rampardos also has quite the memorable shiny.
Aggron
A dual-type Steel/Rock Pokémon and the final form of Aron, Aggron is one of Hoenn's most powerful creatures. Fiercely defensive, Aggron wears its wounds from previous battles as badges of honor. Thanks to its Steel typing, Aggron loses a lot of the Rock's weaknesses. However, it still has two quad vulnerabilities to Fighting and Ground.
Aggron can Mega Evolve using the Aggronite. As a Mega, it becomes a pure Steel-type, and its already high Physical Defense skyrockets to a massive 230. It remains just as slow as its normal form, though, with just as unimpressive Special stats.
Lycanroc
One of the privileged Pokémon to have more than one form, Lycanroc adopts a different one depending on the time of day in which it is evolved. Midnight form Lycanroc, the result of evolving it at night, resembles a slouched werewolf, whereas both Midday and Dusk form Lycanroc, born when it evolves at either day or between 7:00 and 7:59 pm respectively, resembles a traditional canine.
Lycanroc seems to be based on the now-extinct Hokkaido wolf, although it may probably also be inspired by the Okuri-inu, a mountain-dwelling creature that adopted different behaviors depending on the person it met.
Gigalith
Gigalith resembles a small dragon or gargoyle made out of crystals and rocks, which already earns it a spot among the absolute best Pokémon. It is capable of absorbing light from the sun and storing it in its body, firing it with such intensity that its own body will crack afterward.
It is also an ally to construction workers. Along with other Pokémon like Copperajah and Conkeldurr, it works on mines and construction sites. The only pure Rock-type third-stage evolution, Gigalith has truly impressive Physical Attack and Defense, but one of the most abysmal Speed stats in the games.
Aerodactyl
One of the first fossil Pokémon in the franchise, Aerodactyl is a Generation I star. Quite obviously inspired by a Pterosaur, Aerodactyl's menacing jaw is said to be capable of easily tearing its enemy's limbs. It has five weaknesses but just as many resistances and an immunity, so it all balances out.
To make things better, Aerodactyl can Mega Evolve using the Aerodactylite. Strong even before the enhancement, Aerodactyl becomes a beast upon Mega Evolution. With an insanely high 150 Speed and a powerful 135 Attack, those weaknesses lose all importance. It's no surprise that this Pokémon is a staple of Champion Lance's team.
Tyranitar
What's better than the all-powerful kaiju beasts in movies? Well, a Pokémon based on the all-powerful kaiju beasts in movies. Tyranitar is one of only two Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon to not share the Dragon-type, the other being Champion Steven Stone's signature Pokémon, Metagross.
The sole Rock/Dark-type in the franchise, Tyranitar is aggressive, territorial, and insolent. It can Mega Evolve, becoming devastatingly strong with an all-powerful Physical Attack of 164. This is actually great, considering it has a whopping seven weaknesses, including a quad vulnerability to Fighting. It is immune to Psychic, though.
Coalossal
One of the most recent entries into the franchise, Coalossal is one of Generation VIII's most original and daring designs. A dual-type Rock/Fire creature, Coalossal resembles a massive Goliath whose upper body is covered in coal. It has a Gigantamax form, where it basically becomes a moving volcano.
With excellent HP and Physical Defense, Coalossal is the ideal tank. It has dismal Speed, which is problematic, especially considering it has two four-times weaknesses, to Water and Ground. However, considering that Coalossal seems to be based on a kaiju covered in coal, it still ranks as one of the absolute best Rock-types.