Neurodegenerative diseases are common and incurable diseases that cause great inconvenience to patients’ lives. Astrocytes play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases. In the nervous system of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, damaged glial cells can have toxic effects on the surrounding neurons, causing neuronal dysfunction and thus death. At the same time, some reactive astrocytes produced by the disease can protect neurons, remove harmful substances around neurons, and temporarily slow down the disease progression. This review will discuss the role of astrocytes in some common neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The role played by astrocytes in these diseases is summarized, aiming to further promote the progress of research in neurodegenerative diseases.