Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) is caused by blunt trauma and has poor prognosis due to lack of effective treatments, and it is a main reason for high rate of disability after traumatic brain injury. Progression in neurobiology and molecular biology has made it a research focus to study optic nerve damage and regeneration. This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of various animal TON models, paving a way for establishing ideal TON models and for future prospective researches.