Craniopharyngiomas are known to be benign malignant tumors that are difficult to remove completely by surgery and the tumors recur repeatedly. Selection of surgical access guided by correct staging can increase the chance of total surgical resection. In recent years, we have achieved total resection of most craniopharyngiomas according to the surgical typing of Prof. Zhu Xianli, a famous neurosurgeon in China and the pioneer of total resection of craniopharyngiomas. Let’s take two cases to illustrate. Case 1: Female, 25 years old, was admitted to the hospital with polydipsia and polyuria for one year. Preoperative imaging showed a suprasellar craniopharyngioma, and Zhu’s staging was type II. The right lateral pterygoid point approach was performed, and intraoperatively, the tumor was seen to be located on the saddle, occurring within the pituitary stalk, and completely wrapped by the pituitary stalk, and the tumor was completely resected (together with the invaded pituitary stalk) through the 1 and 2 interspaces. The postoperative urolithiasis was temporarily aggravated, and the posterior was the same as the preoperative period. The following pre- and postoperative MRI data showed total resection of the tumor (the pituitary stalk was not seen in the postoperative image). Preoperative and postoperative Case 2: Middle-aged male admitted with decreased visual acuity. Preoperative imaging showed a suprasellar craniopharyngioma with a cystic portion extending toward the frontal lobe and a parenchymal portion protruding into the lower part of the third ventricle, with a Joux staging of type II. The right lateral pterygoid approach was performed, and the tumor was seen to be located on the saddle, and the parenchymal part protruding to the lower part of the third ventricle was completely resected through the 2nd gap, with the pituitary stalk preserved. Hyponatremia developed postoperatively and improved with water restriction. Below are the pre- and postoperative MRI data showing total resection of the tumor. Preoperative and postoperative With Prof. Zhu’s staging Type I intra-saddle craniopharyngioma. For smaller tumors, transsphenoidal approach was used. If the tumor has invaded into the pterygoid sinus, the pterygoid approach should be used. If the tumor has invaded the pterygoid sinus, the transsphenoidal approach can be used, combined with the wing-point approach if necessary; Type II Suprasellar craniopharyngioma. Access: wing-point approach. In cases with more tumor projection into the third ventricle, a combined wing-point and transcallosal approach may be used; Type III subventricular craniopharyngioma. Access choice: wing point approach (right side). A combined wing-point and transcallosal approach may be required in cases with more tumor progression into the upper third ventricle; Type IV anterior ventricular craniopharyngioma. Access choice: right frontal craniotomy with transmedial corpus callosum approach. Types I and II are craniopharyngiomas occurring in the saddle region, and types III and IV are craniopharyngiomas occurring in the ventricles of the third ventricle. Their locations can be summarized as four different regions along the axis of “pituitary fossa-pituitary stalk-triventricle”.