The tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), the one plant virus transmitted by thrips via a persistent propagative mode, has a highly specialized transmission process. Viral particles enter the midgut of thrip nymphs where they complete primary replication. Upon reaching a threshold titer, the virus spreads to the muscle cells and salivary glands for further amplification, ultimately being injected into host plants through saliva. This process involves complex tripartite interactions among virus, vector and host. Viral replication in the thrips activates host immune defenses, yet the TSWV is able to evade, and even exploit, these immune responses. Moreover, the virus enhances its transmission efficiency through three synergistic strategies; manipulating vector physiology, regulating host nutrition, and suppressing plant defenses. This review focuses on the co-evolutionary mechanisms underlying the thrip-TSWV-plant system, elucidating molecular strategies by which the TSWV evades vector immunity and reshapes the host microenvironment. These insights deepen our understanding of the TSWV-thrips-plant interaction network and provide a theoretical foundation for the control of viral plant diseases.