Abstract: Supercapacitors are a new type of green energy storage device with the advantages of fast charging and discharging and long service life. The electrode material is the core component of supercapacitors. The carbon from biomass is considered as a good choice for the preparation of activated carbon because of its wide variety, low price, environmental friendly, porous structure and rich in hetero-atoms, and it is the most popular electrode material for commercial applications. This paper reviewd the effects of pore structure and specific surface area on the performance of electrochemical energy storage of activated carbon, summarized the common pore structures of biomass activated carbon such as tubular, lamellar, honeycomb and network and their electrochemical properties, and analyzed the effects of different biomass components on the performance of activated carbon from three categories: plant-based, animal-based and microbial-based. Finally, the traditional methods of preparing activated carbon and the new preparation methods in recent years were briefly introduced. The problems and challenges of biomass activated carbon were pointed out. Some suggestions were provided to guide the selection of precursors for biomass activated carbon.