Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attracting growing attention as safe, low-cost, and environmentally sustainable energy storage systems. Nevertheless, their development has been constrained by conventional intercalation-type cathodes, which rely on Zn2+/H+ co-intercalation. The inevitable participation of H⁺ causes electrolyte pH fluctuations and by-product formation, compromising reproducibility and long-term stability. To address these challenges, I pioneered a conversion-type cathode mechanism that avoids H⁺ involvement, significantly improving electrochemical stability while broadening the cathode landscape. This concept has been successfully extended to halogen-based systems such as I₂, further demonstrating its versatility. In parallel, I introduced dry electrode fabrication into aqueous batteries for the first time, achieving record areal loadings of over 100 mg cm⁻2, which is 4–5 times the industrial benchmark of commercial lithium-ion batteries. This breakthrough not only overcomes the limitations of conventional slurry-based processing but also demonstrates the compatibility of aqueous batteries with scalable, high-energy-density electrode manufacturing. Collectively, these advances, from mechanistic innovation to electrode engineering, have accelerated the transition of ZIBs from fundamental laboratory research to practical application, laying a strong foundation for the development of safe, sustainable, and commercially competitive energy storage technologies.