 Biomass-derived carbon materials, BCMs, have become increasingly popular due to their abundance, low cost, and high carbon content. This review summarizes the progress of BCMS-related research, focusing on the types of biomass used to prepare BCMs, variable structures of BCMs, representative synthesis strategies, and the influence of synthetic conditions on the structure of as-prepared carbon products. The review also discusses recent progress in versatile applications of BCMs based on their morphology, and physicochemical properties, and highlights remaining challenges. This article was authored by Hong Zhihui, Ruoqiun Zhang, Pengcheng Zhang, and others.