High-temperature oxidation and corrosion represent critical degradation mechanisms that severely impair the service life of metallic components across aerospace, power generation, and energy sectors, with turbine inlet temperatures in modern engines now routinely exceeding 1500 °C . This comprehensive review systematically examines the fundamental principles governing high-temperature oxidation, from thermodynamic foundations and diffusion-controlled kinetics to the protective characteristics of oxide scales. The parabolic rate law, derived from Wagner's theory of diffusion-controlled growth, provides the framework for predicting oxidation kinetics, with rate constants increasing exponentially with temperature as demonstrated by activation energies ranging from 171 kJ/mol for Ti-based refractory alloys to higher values for alumina-forming systems . The formation of protective oxide scales—primarily α-Al₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃—depends critically on alloy composition, with critical concentrations of Al (>5 wt.%) and Cr (>20 wt.%) required for continuous scale formation . Non-protective oxides with Pilling-Bedworth ratios substantially deviating from unity lead to rapid, often catastrophic, degradation through linear kinetics . Surface coating technologies, including thermal spray processes (HVOF, plasma spraying), diffusion coatings, and emerging high-entropy alloy coatings, have emerged as the primary engineering solution, with MCrAlY coatings forming stable α-Al₂O₃ scales and high-entropy alloy coatings demonstrating exceptional thermal stability and oxidation resistance through their unique core effects . The review concludes that effective high-temperature corrosion management requires integrated approaches combining mechanistic understanding, advanced coating technologies, and real-time monitoring.