Through field plot experiments, the effects of basal application of NaS(S1), sulfur(S2), Na2SO3(S3), Na2SO4(S4), and cysteine(S5), on cadmium(Cd) uptake and accumulation in various organs of two rice cultivars (Yuzhenxiang and Xiangwanxian13) with different cadmium accumulation characteristics at different growth stages were investigated, and the underlying mechanisms were explored. The results showed that adding 5 types of sulfur fertilizers all reduced the cadmium content of paddy rice of the two rice varieties. Compared with the control treatment(CK) without sulfur fertilizer application, Yuzhenxiang’s cadmium content was reduced by ranging from 27.03% to 83.78%, and Xiangwanxian13’s was reduced by ranging from 14.28% to 57.14%. And, the paddy rice cadmium contents of Yuzhenxiang’s S3, S4, and S5 treatments and Xiangwanxian13’s S3 and S5 treatments were lower than the national food safety limit standard(GB 2672—2017). Adding 5 types of sulfur fertilizers all reduced the cadmium accumulation coefficients and translocation coefficients of paddy rice of the two rice varieties, and the reduction of S3 and S5 treatments were larger. The contents of non-protein thiol compounds(NPT) and glutathione(GSH) in rice roots, stems, and leaves were greatly affected by rice variety, growth period, and type of sulfur fertilizer. However, the contents of NPT and GSH were mostly increased under each condition, with the largest increase during the booting period among the three growth stages, larger increase in Yuzhenxiang than that in Xiangwanxian13, and the largest increase in cysteine treatment among the 5 types of sulfur fertilizer treatments. Applying sulfur fertilizer as a base fertilizer could significantly reduce the rhizosphere soil exchangeable cadmium contents of rice at maturity for both varieties and the carbonate-bound cadmium contents in the rhizosphere soil of S3, S4, and S5. It could also increase the residual cadmium contents in the rhizosphere soil of all treatments except for Xiangwanxian13’s S2. And the contents of the other two forms of cadmium were affected differently by the types of sulfur fertilizer, but the trends of the contents of different forms of cadmium in the two varieties were basically consistent with the changes of the types of sulfur fertilizer. All base fertilizer applications could significantly lower the rhizosphere soil pH of rice except for Xiangwanxian13’s S1, with the greatest decrease in the S2 treatment, which was significantly lower than those of the other treatments. To conclude, the cysteine sulfur fertilizer had a better effect on inhibiting the absorption and accumulation of cadmium in rice, and its effect on Yuzhenxiang was stronger than that on Xiangwanxian13.