1.5 Aim of Paper. This paper will explore the characteristics of electrocatalysts and what they control. It will first outline the set of characteristics that build a promising electrocatalyst. Then, it will compare the main catalyst groups, platinum-group metal (PGM) catalysts, and non-PGM catalysts to better understand their different advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, it will cover what we can do in the future to make electrocatalysts more efficient in fuel cells.