<p>The Asgard archaea are a clade of archaea that was first discovered through metagenomic surveys of marine sediments. The past decade has witnessed a substantial expansion of their genomic diversity, revealing diverse metabolic repertoires and providing insights into their ecological interactions and function. Notably, comprehensive phylogenomic analyses, together with the identification of numerous eukaryotic signature proteins in Asgard archaeal genomes, have provided compelling evidence that Asgard archaea had a central role in the emergence of eukaryotes. Studies have reported the characterization of cultured Asgard archaeal representatives, uncovering unique cell biological characteristics hinting at thus far undescribed lifestyles. Here, we review the current state of the research field focusing on these intriguing microorganisms and outline future research directions aiming to resolve their ecology, cell biology and evolution.</p>