The review summarizes the literature data on the synthesis, structure, reactivity, and rearrangements of pentacarboxycyclopentadienes and their derivatives. Their potential for creating new chiral organic catalysts for enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions, cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers, enantioselective protonation of silylenol ethers, aminomethylation, and other processes is described, and aspects of their use as effective carriers of functional groups, new ligand systems for the synthesis of metal complexes and donor-π-acceptor chromophores for organic photovoltaics are considered.