Hydrogen energy is a highly efficient and renewable energy carrier. The rapid and sophisticated development of nanotechnologies has promoted the transition of hydrogen storage systems from gaseous/liquid to solid-state. In order to clarify the intrinsic relationship between structure and performance, and to understand the hydrogen absorption and desorption mechanism of materials, electron microscopy (EM) can effectively help us obtain a series of information such as particle size, phase and composition determination, morphology and structure of the materials at nanoscale. The most recent progress of advanced EM techniques applied in solid-state hydrogen storage materials are summarized, which should also inspire future research on energy storage related materials. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.