<p>Wheat powdery mildew is a destructive disease that significantly impairs wheat yield and quality. The most efficient and sustainable method of controlling powdery mildew (<i>Pm</i>) is introducing resistance genes into wheat cultivars. To date, 71 officially named <i>Pm</i> genes have been identified in wheat and its wild relatives. However, some have lost their resistance function due to continuous co-evolution with <i>Bgt</i>. Consequently, there is an ongoing need to discover and deploy more novel <i>Pm</i> genes in wheat breeding programs. This review systematically summarizes all the cloned wheat powdery mildew resistance genes and their underlying mechanisms of resistance. The cloned <i>Pm</i> genes could be categorized into several classes, including singleton nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs), NLR pairs, NLR with integrated domains (NLR-IDs), tandem kinase proteins (TKPs), tandem kinase with integrated domains (TKP-IDs), TKP-NLR complex, kinase with integrated domains (KD-ID), as well as non-canonical resistance genes. Interestingly, some <i>Pm</i> genes confer resistance to multiple pathogens, probably by recognizing conserved or distinct pathogen effectors. This review offers insights into the evolutionary origins, functional mechanisms, and practical applications of these cloned <i>Pm</i> genes, as well as their implications for genetic engineering and future smart resistance breeding.</p>