Aluminum–air　battery　is　a　kind　of　energy　storage　device　use　aluminum　metal　as　negative　material　and　oxygen　in　atmosphere　as　positive　reactant,　and　it　is　also　usually　called　a　power　generation　device　of　semi-fuel　cell.　It　has　received　great　interest　in　both　industrial　and　academic　field　owing　to　the　high　theoretical　energy　density,　low　cost,　abundant　aluminum　reserves.　In　the　more　than　60　years　since　the　first　Al–air　battery　was　invented　in　1962,　a　series　of　Al–air　battery　such　as　aqueous　primary　battery,　hydrogel-based　primary　battery,　non-aqueous　and　aqueous　rechargeable　secondary　battery,　have　been　extensively　studied　from　a　fundamental　research　perspective.　At　the　same　time,　from　a　practical　application　perspective,　development　and　its　application　of　prototype　has　experienced　two　major　waves　of　research　enthusiasm:　first　boom　led　by　Alupower　(a　subsidiary　of　Alcan)　from　1980　to　1995　after　the　1973　oil　embargo;　another　sparked　by　Alcoa　and　Phinergy　since　2014.　At　present,　aluminum　has　gradually　been　recognized　as　one　of　the　important　energy　carriers.　For　Al–air　battery,　the　air-cathode　is　one　of　the　core　components　in　battery,　which　affects　the　electrochemical　performance　and　service　life　of　battery.　In　this　review,　the　principle　&　features,　development　history,　and　recent　research　progress　of　Al–air　battery　are　systematically　summarized.　Specifically,　the　air-breathing　cathode　(covering　architecture　structure,　gas　diffusion　layer,　current　collecting　layer,　catalyst　layer　and　oxygen　reduction　catalyst),　fabrication　process,　test　&　evaluation　are　comprehensively　discussed.　Finally,　the　existing　technical　hurdles　and　recommended　future　research　perspectives　of　air-breathing　cathode　in　Al–air　battery　are　summarized　and　proposed　to　stimulate　broader　interest　of　researchers　and　engineers,　and　attempt　to　provide　some　insights　for　future　development.　©　2025　Elsevier　B.V.