The design and synthesis of robust and efficient photocatalysts for water splitting to generate hydrogen is deemed to be a promising approach for sustainable energy sources. In this work, noble-metal-free nanostructured ternary NIS/CDs/CdS (NCCS) photocatalysts were elaborately designed and successfully synthesized for high-efficient hydrogen evolution. Taking the advantages of strong absorption and electron buffer property of carbon dots (CDs), as well as merits of internal p-n junction formed between NiS and CdS, the as-prepared NCCS composite shows prominent promotion of hydrogen evolution in comparison with single CdS photocatalyst and binary hybrids (NIS/CdS and CDs/CdS). Remarkably, the optimal ternary hybrid achieves a hydrogen production rate as high as 1444.5 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) under visible light irradiation (lambda > 420 nm), up to 5.38 times over bare CdS spheres. This work paves a new pathway for the rational design of efficient hybrid photocatalysts toward solar energy conversion to chemical fuels.