Plasma electrode Pockels cells (PEPC), used for multi-pass amplifier control, self-oscillation suppression and retro-reflected laser pulse isolation, are key components for giant high power lasers. In this paper, based on the demands in the developments of high power solid-state laser, an overview on the properties and progresses of PEPC is systematically presented. The status of PEPC developed at Laser Fusion Research Center is mainly introduced, including: one-pulse driven PEPC, small insertion-loss PEPC and repetition-rate PEPC.