Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising candidates for next generation electrical energy storage devices due to their high specific energy. Despite intense research, there are still a number of technical challenges in developing a high performance Li-S battery. To elucidate the issues, an all solid-state Li-S battery was fabricated using Li 3 PS 4 solid electrolyte. Most of the theoretical capacity of sulfur, 1600 mAhg −1 was attained in the initial discharge-charge cycles with a high coulombic efficiency approaching 99%. To verify the benefit of the solid state electrolyte, galvanostatic stripping-deposition tests were also carried out on a symmetrical Li/Li cell and compared with those of a liquid electrolyte (1 M-lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) in a mixture of 1,3-dioxolane (DOL)-diethoxyethane (DEE)). The kinetics and thermodynamics of the solid-state cell are discussed from the viewpoint of the charge transfer processes. This study demonstrates both the merits and drawbacks of using the solid sulfide electrolyte in a Li-S battery and facilitates the further improvement of this important high energy storage device. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are attracting growing interest owing to their high specific energy above 3000 Whkg −1 (active material). However, before this technology can be used in practice, there are some significant challenges to overcome, including red-ox shuttle of polysulfides as well as poor lithium cycle performance.The polysulfide redox shuttle originates from the dissolution of the cathode material into the organic electrolyte. So far, various approaches have been suggested to solve the red-ox shuttle issue. LiNO 3 is a well-known additive for optimizing the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on lithium metal electrode, such as to block the deposition of polysulfides.1,2 An ionommer (e.g., Nafion) has also been proposed for preventing the polysulfide migration 3 and a buffer solution containing polysulfides can facilitate a good cycle ability as well. 4 The poor lithium cycle performance is due to the consumption of lithium metal during the charge-discharge process. It is well known that the lithium cycling response is primarily determined by the type of electrolyte to which it is in contact. 5,6 In the development of lithiummetal secondary batteries the Figure of Merit (FOM) is the parameter used to evaluate the lithium cycling ability. 5,6 Although lithium metal has a high specific capacity of 3862 mAhg −1 , its effective degree of utilization (i.e., the lithium loss relative to the amount of total input lithium metal) has to be taken into account. Generally, a valid parameter to determine the cycle ability of the lithium anode is the efficiency. For instance, it is difficult to achieve an efficiency higher than 99% for lithium cycling in a typical liquid electrolyte cell due to losses during its dissolution-deposition reaction. Therefore, the improvement of the FOM of a liquid electrolyte Li-S battery has been a major challenge to enhance the charge-disc...