<p>Coal-based activated carbon is an ideal supercapacitor electrode material due to its high specific surface area, developed pore structure, and chemical stability. However, the electrochemical performance of activated carbon varies significantly depending on the composition and structure of the precursor coal. This study investigated activated carbon derived from coals with varying volatile matter content, including lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite. These coals were processed through pre-oxidation and activation and yielding the derived activated carbons named LC, BC, and AC, respectively. The electrochemical performance of these materials was evaluated both as single electrodes and within assembled symmetric supercapacitors. Among the three carbons, BC exhibited superior energy storage performance, followed by LC and AC. Specifically, BC single electrode achieved a high specific capacitance of 846.69 F g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹. The symmetric supercapacitor assembled with BC demonstrated a specific capacitance of 208.00 F g⁻¹, a mass power density of 25 W kg⁻¹, and a mass energy density of 7.22 Wh kg⁻¹. Remarkably, the device shows a capacitance retention of 109.5% after 2,000 cycles, indicating an unusual increase in capacitance. These results demonstrates that coal-based activated carbon possesses excellent performance characteristics, including high specific energy, high specific power, and excellent cycling stability, which makes it highly promising for supercapacitor applications.</p>