To study the energy evolution and failure characteristics of saturated sandstone under unloading conditions, rock unloading tests under different stress paths were conducted. The energy evolution mechanism of the unloading failure of saturated sandstone was systematically explored from the perspectives of the stress path, the initial confining pressure, and the energy conversion rate. The results show that (1) before the peak stress, the elastic energy increases with an increase in deviatoric stress, while the dissipated energy slowly increases first. After the peak stress, the elastic energy decreases with the decrease of deviatoric stress, and the dissipated energy suddenly increases. The energy release intensity during rock failure is positively correlated with the axial stress. (2) When the initial confining pressure is below a certain threshold, the stress path is the main factor influencing the total energy difference. When the axial stress remains constant and the confining pressure is unloading, the total energy is more sensitive to changes in the confining pressure. When the axial stress remains constant, the compressive deformation ability of the rock cannot be significantly improved by the increase in the initial confining pressure. The initial confining pressure is positively correlated with the rock's energy storage limit. (3) The initial confining pressure increases the energy conversion rate of the rock; the initial confining pressure is positively correlated with the energy conversion rate; and the energy conversion rate has a high confining pressure effect. The increase in the axial stress has a much greater impact on the elastic energy than the confining pressure. (4) When the deviatoric stress is small, the confining pressure mainly plays a protective role. Compared with the case of triaxial compression paths, the rock damage is more severe under unloading paths, and compared with the case of constant axial stress, the rock damage is more severe under increasing axial stress.
