Among solid-state laser amplifiers, regenerative amplifiers which have the advantages of high gain, good beam quality and simple structure, have been widely concerned and applied. After decades of development , regenerative amplifiers are able to realize pulse energy of several hundred millijoules and average power of several kilowatts in stable operation. The output performance of regenerative amplifiers is determined by properties of gain media, structure of cavity, pump condition, thermal effect and qualities of components. The properties of gain media are the most essential factors. Because of different properties of materials, regenerative amplifiers based on different kinds of materials present different structure and performance. Based on different material systems, the key common problems encountered in the development process of regenerative amplifiers under various systems, as well as several typical types of regenerative amplifiers and their characteristics are introduced. The future development trend of regenerative amplifiers is discussed.