Lithium-sulfur batteries are regarded as one of the most promising secondary battery energy storage systems for the next generation due to the high theoretical specific capacity of 1 675 mAh?g-1 and theoretical energy density of 2 600 Wh?kg-1. However, the shuttle effects of polysulfides, the poor conductivity of active materials, and the volume expansion effect during charging and discharging hindered its further commercialization. To solve above mentioned problems, different materials are introduced to integration with sulfur. Among all the choices of materials, carbon materials have been widely used in cathodes of lithium-sulfur batteries due to the advantages of high surface area, excellent conductivity, chemical stability, and low cost. In this review, the development of several different carbon materials in sulfur/carbon composite cathodes was summarized, the effect of material structure, pore size and surface functionalization of carbon on the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur batteries were discussed. And its prospects and development trends were also predicted.