<p>Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have emerged as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical energy density (~ 2600&#xa0;Wh⋅kg⁻¹) and cost-effectiveness. However, critical challenges, including polysulfide shuttling, lithium dendrite formation, and interfacial instability, persistently hinder their practical implementation. Conventional material design approaches face intrinsic limitations in reconciling structural stability with catalytic efficacy, underscoring the need for innovative solutions. High-entropy materials (HEMs), a novel class of multi-component systems typically comprising five or more principal elements, have recently demonstrated exceptional potential in addressing these challenges through their unique entropy stabilization effect, lattice distortion engineering, and multi-active site synergy. Since the advent of high-entropy alloys (HEAs), this design concept has been successfully extended to oxides, sulfides, nitrides, and electrolyte systems, where it exhibits unparalleled advantages in LSB applications. This review systematically evaluates recent advancements in the engineering of HEMs for sulfur cathodes, lithium metal anodes, and liquid electrolytes, with a focus on elucidating the mechanistic underpinnings of their enhanced ion transport, catalytic conversion, and interfacial stabilization capabilities. By establishing structure-property relationships and delineating performance optimization pathways, this work constructs a robust framework to accelerate the development of HEMs in energy storage systems while highlighting critical challenges and strategic directions for scalable deployment.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>