Renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) arise from the renal tubular epithelium. They have diverse clinical, pathological, and molecular characteristics as well as distinct prognosis and therapeutic options. These tumors are classified based principally on their pathological, but increasingly molecular, characteristics in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification scheme, the most recent updates of which were published in 2022. We review the pathological and molecular characteristics of major histological subtypes of RCC, new developments in the existing WHO entities, evolving molecular concepts, and emerging and provisional entities.