T cells employ a cell surface heterodimeric molecule, the T cell receptor (TCR), to recognize specific antigens (Ags) presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and carry out adaptive immune responses. Most T cells possess a TCR with an alpha and a beta chain. However, a TCR constituted by a gamma and a delta chain has been described, defining a novel subset of T cells. gamma delta TCRs specific for a wide variety of ligands, including bacterial phosphoantigens, nonclassical MHC-I molecules and unprocessed proteins, have been found, greatly expanding the horizons of T cell immune recognition. This review aims to provide background in. d T cell history and function in mouse and man, as well as to provide a critical view of some of the latest developments on this still enigmatic class of immune cells.