Owing to its high mass specific capacity and low electrode potential, lithium metal is expected to become one of the most potential anode materials for the new generation of high-energy battery systems. However, the uncontrolled growth of lithium dendrites, formation of dead lithium, and volume expansion during the cycling process not only reduce the stability in the process of cell cycle, but also cause potential safety hazard, severely restrict the practical application of the lithium metal anode. 3D current collectors play important roles in mitigating/inhibiting the volume change of lithium metal anode, delaying the growth of lithium dendrite, reducing the local current density and improving the Coulomb efficiency. However, in the actual process, the performance of the primitive one is not ideal and further modification is needed. Based on surface modification (surface coating, surface doping, surface chemical treatment) and gradient design, the research progress of 3D current collector in lithium metal battery is reviewed in this paper. The influences of lithium ion on the performance of lithium metal battery are analyzed in detail. Finally, a summary and prospect are given.