Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) have emerged as promising next-generation energy storage systems due to sodium’s high theoretical specific capacity (1076 mA•h•g^－1) and natural abundance in the Earth’s crust (2.3%). However, dendrite formation during cycling leads to safety risks and rapid capacity degradation. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of three-dimensional (3D) carbon-based current collectors (CCs) as transformative platforms to regulate Na⁺ deposition. 3D carbon architectures, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene aerogels, and carbon cloth, offer high surface areas (500~1500 m²•g^－1), robust mechanical frameworks, and optimized ion transport pathways, effectively reducing local current density and nucleation overpotential by 40%~60%. Firstly, the fabrication technologies are critically discussed. The template methods enable precise pore control (1~50 mm) but risk structural collapse. Sacrificial templates (e.g., MOFs) address this limitation, yielding composites with high conductivity and specific capacity (>600 mA•h•g^－1). The use of 3D-printed nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels (3DP-NGA) facilitates dendrite-free sodium deposition, where pyrrolic-N defects act as nucleation sites to guide uniform Na plating, even in complex architectures. Electrospinning produces binder-free mesoporous carbon nanofibers (MCNFs), while chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesizes graphitic domains with tunable porosity. Atomic doping of 3D carbon materials can increase their sodium affinity, thereby promoting more uniform sodium deposition. Functionalization strategies such as alloying and incorporating organic or inorganic composites can further enhance sodiophilicity and help form a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during cycling. In addition, rational pore design can effectively regulate sodium plating and stripping behavior, thereby suppressing dendrite growth. Looking ahead, we envision several promising opportunities and pressing challenges: advancing in situ characterization techniques to unravel the fundamental structure-performance correlations; harnessing machine learning-driven inverse design to accelerate materials discovery; developing scalable roll-to-roll manufacturing strategies for gradient-doped CCs with projected costs below $5/m²; and integrating these architectures with solid-state electrolytes to unlock energy densities surpassing 500 W•h•kg^－1. Overall, this review establishes 3D carbon-based CCs as pivotal enablers for practical SMBs, bridging fundamental research and industrial implementation through multidisciplinary innovation.

Key words: sodium metal battery, carbon-based current collector, sodium-philic characteristic, electronic structure, interface stability