Traumatic brain injury caused by blast shock waves represents a significant type of injury in modern warfare and civilian explosion accidents. Its high incidence and complexity have attracted a widespread attention, and the injury mechanism and cranial brain protection have become current research hotspots. This review first analyzes the dynamic load characteristics of blast shock waves and introduces the development and verification of cranial brain constitutive and finite element models to explore the mechanical responses of the cranial brain at the tissue and cellular levels under blast waves and bullet impacts. Subsequently, the current state of research on injury mechanisms at tissue and cellular levels and cranial brain protection, is systematically summarized based on domestic and international studies. Finally, the current research challenges and future development directions are outlined, and the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and innovation to promote the research and application transformation of blast-induced traumatic brain injury is emphasized. The findings provide a valuable reference for enhancing the comprehension of injury mechanisms and fostering multi-disciplinary integration and protective helmet development.