The synergistic damage effect of irradiation and corrosion of reactor structural materials has been a prominent research focus. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the synergistic effects on the third- and fourth-generation fission nuclear energy structural materials used in pressurized water reactors and molten salt reactors. The competitive mechanisms of multiple influencing factors, such as the irradiation dose, corrosion type, and environmental temperature, are summarized in this paper. Conceptual approaches are proposed to alleviate the synergistic damage caused by irradiation and corrosion, thereby promoting in-depth research in the future and solving this key challenge for the structural materials used in reactors.