Lairon

Lairon in the anime: a Contest battler and Paul's Aggron-to-be

Lairon debuted in "A Fan with a Plan" with a Coordinator named Savannah, who used it in the Rubello Contest's Battle Stage in the next episode; it beat May's Bulbasaur before falling to Drew's Masquerain. In the Sinnoh series, Paul's Lairon was dispatched quickly by Pyramid King Brandon's Regice in "A Pyramiding Rage!," and it had become an Aggron by "Familiarity Breeds Strategy!"

Lairon on cards: an Uncommon mainstay with two standouts

Lairon debuted in Ruby & Sapphire (2003) as two Uncommons, illustrated by Ken Sugimori and Mitsuhiro Arita, and Sandstorm added an Atsuko Nishida version the same year. Team Magma vs Team Aqua (2004) printed Team Magma's Lairon twice, both by Hiromichi Sugiyama: an Uncommon and a Rare at #20, the only Lairon at Rare rarity in English sets through the Scarlet & Violet era.

From there Lairon settled in as a dependable Uncommon across the EX, Diamond & Pearl, HeartGold & SoulSilver, Black & White, Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield eras, with Masakazu Fukuda drawing it three times. Twilight Masquerade (2024) broke the pattern with an Illustration Rare by Dsuke, numbered above the set's regular 167 cards, alongside a regular Common.

Cards to know

• Lairon (Ruby & Sapphire #36)

  One of Lairon's two debut Uncommons, illustrated by Ken Sugimori.

• Team Magma's Lairon (Team Magma vs Team Aqua #20)

  The Rare version of Team Magma's Lairon, illustrated by Hiromichi Sugiyama.

• Lairon (Holon Phantoms #45)

  An EX-era Uncommon by Masakazu Fukuda, the artist who has drawn Lairon most often.

• Lairon (Twilight Masquerade #184)

  A full-scene Illustration Rare by Dsuke from the Scarlet & Violet era.