To protect themselves from fluctuating light environments, plants have evolved non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) as a protective mechanism. NPQ comprises the thermal dissipation of excess light energy via the de-excitation of singlet excited chlorophyll (Chl) in photosystem II of photosynthetic organisms. In this review, all available data on the NPQ and its components have been summarized. NPQ components were primarily distinguished based on the NPQ relaxation and its sensitivity to chemical inhibitors. However, numerous diverse processes contribute to NPQ therefore, it has been suggested to separate NPQ components based on the molecular players involved as well as on Chl fluorescence relaxation kinetics. These types of NPQ include energy-dependent quenching (qE), state transition quenching (qT), photoinhibitory quenching (qI), sustained quenching (qH), zeaxanthindependent quenching (qZ), and chloroplast movement-dependent quenching (qM). Although molecular players and regulatory elements that modulate these quenching types are not discussed in this review, they may differ and afford to adapt to the environmental stresses that plants are experiencing. Finally, the role of the investigation of NPQ components, their molecular players, and regulatory mechanisms involved in NPQ as promising targets for strategies to breed highly productive and tolerant crop plants was suggested.