The term Zintl phases was originally used to recognize contributions to the field of solid‐state inorganic compounds by Eduard Zintl. They were defined as a subgroup of intermetallic phases where the anions or anionic network could be considered formally to be valence satisfied. These compounds are made up of electropositive elements from groups 1, 2 that, in a formal sense, donate their electrons to the electronegative elements from groups 13, 14, and 15, which use them to form the correct number of bonds such that each element has a filled shell. The historical definition has been expanded from binary to ternary phases and enlarged to include transition metals and rare earth elements in some cases. The compounds that make up this class are described along with the corresponding Zintl anions arising from solution chemistry. Recent results in the field such as the use of Zintl phases for novel materials is also described.