Disclosed are a heavy oil activator, a preparation method and use thereof. The heavy oil activator has a structural formula shown in Formula (1). In Formula (1), x, y, z, m, and n are respectively mass fractions of corresponding chain segments in the polymer, m being 0.75-0.85, y being 0.20-0.24, and x, z, and n all being 0.001-0.01; and p is a natural number between 2 and 9. The activating polymer provided has the effects of increasing viscosity of an aqueous phase while reducing viscosity of crude oil, and can serve both as a displacing agent and a viscosity reducer to realize integration of the two agents. The activating polymer can increase viscosity of an aqueous phase, has a displacement effect, can emulsify and disperse crude oil, and increase fluidity of a mixed phase; the dispersed crude oil continues to interact with crude oil that has not contacted the polymer, and the aqueous phase interacts with the mixed oil phase as well as new oil, by way of which continuous interactions, more crude oil can be constantly produced. The activating polymer has a relatively low interfacial tension and exhibits a certain degree of oil washing capability.