Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and in China. In China, stroke was the leading cause of death and DALYs in 2017. 1 Age-standardized DALYs per 100 000 population decreased by 33.1% for stroke. Of all strokes, up to 80% to 85% are ischemic, 2 which can be subdivided based on the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. 3 Large vessel atherosclerosis of cervical or proximal intracranial vessels comprises a major cause of acute stroke, ranging from 30% to 43%, while 20%-31% is caused by cardioembolism. Approximately 10%-23% of all strokes are lacunar in type, which are mainly caused by diabetes and hypertension. Some additional unusual causes, such as vasculopathy or extracranial artery dissection, account for 2%-11%. 4,5 Approximately 5%-21% of strokes are hemorrhagic, and their common causes are hypertension and vascular malformations. 6 Strokes are heterogeneous diseases, and in vivo models are essential tools to mimic these processes for investigating pathophysiology and therapeutic approaches. Each model has its unique strengths and weaknesses (Tables 1 and 2). Only when we realize their importance can we choose the best one for an investigation, with "best" referring to that which most closely approximates a certain aspect of the multiple facets of strokes.