Abstract: With the rapid development of science and technology and the increasing technical demand, ultra-high temperature ceramic materials can not only withstand high temperatures but also maintain high strength and high oxidation resistance at high temperatures, making them become the main research trend. ZrB₂ and ZrC have become very potential ultra-high temperature structural ceramic materials because of their high melting point, good electrical and thermal conductivity, low density, low thermal expansion coefficient, and high strength and good oxidation resistance at high temperatures. However, ZrB₂ and ZrC single-phase powders are difficult to meet the requirements of extreme conditions in aerospace field, so preparing ZrB₂-ZrC composite powders has been widely concerned. The synthesis mechanism and preparation methods of ZrB₂ and ZrC single-phase powders and ZrB₂-ZrC composite powder are reviewed. The limitations of current preparation and application of ZrB₂ and ZrC single-phase powders and ZrB₂-ZrC composite powder are analyzed, the future research direction is prospected.