Actuators exhibit features such as lightness, flexibility, miniaturization, and intelligence. Capable of generating corresponding forces, displacements, or deformations in response to external stimuli such as light, electricity, temperature, and humidity, actuators hold tremendous potential for applications in areas like soft robotics, smart wearable devices, and biomimetic engineering. Nevertheless, there are limitations in terms of their response sensitivity and stability. MXene possess high conductivity, tunable surface functional groups, and superior mechanical properties, making them promising candidates to address the aforementioned challenges. However, MXene materials currently face challenges such as susceptibility to oxidation and relatively high production costs. The relevant research is still in its early stage and requires further validation of their practical application potential. Therefore, the preparation methods for MXene and MXene-based actuators are presented, with the reviews of the research progress in various responsive actuators, including photo-thermal responsive, ion-responsive, humidity-responsive, and other types. Furthermore, the insights are offered into the future research directions of MXene-based actuators.