The paper provides an overview of advanced thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) that have been developed to improve the performance of gas turbines. These new materials, including doped zirconia, pyrochlores, perovskites, and aluminates, aim to overcome the limitations of the current standard material, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). YSZ, while effective, has a limited temperature capability above 1200°C and suffers from sintering and phase transformations at higher temperatures. The paper discusses the properties and performance of these new materials, highlighting their potential advantages such as lower thermal conductivity, higher thermal stability, and improved toughness. It also explores the concept of double-layer systems, where YSZ is combined with pyrochlores or other materials to enhance the overall performance and lifetime of TBCs. The results from literature and the authors' own investigations are presented and compared, showing that these new materials show promising performance in terms of thermal cycling and high-temperature capability. The paper concludes by discussing the challenges and future directions for further development of TBC materials.The paper provides an overview of advanced thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) that have been developed to improve the performance of gas turbines. These new materials, including doped zirconia, pyrochlores, perovskites, and aluminates, aim to overcome the limitations of the current standard material, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). YSZ, while effective, has a limited temperature capability above 1200°C and suffers from sintering and phase transformations at higher temperatures. The paper discusses the properties and performance of these new materials, highlighting their potential advantages such as lower thermal conductivity, higher thermal stability, and improved toughness. It also explores the concept of double-layer systems, where YSZ is combined with pyrochlores or other materials to enhance the overall performance and lifetime of TBCs. The results from literature and the authors' own investigations are presented and compared, showing that these new materials show promising performance in terms of thermal cycling and high-temperature capability. The paper concludes by discussing the challenges and future directions for further development of TBC materials.