Fast charging is an enabling technique for the large-scale penetration of electric vehicles. This article proposes a knowledge-based, multiphysics-constrained fast charging strategy for lithium-ion battery (LIB), with a consciousness of the thermal safety and degradation. A universal algorithmic framework combining model-based state observer and a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based optimizer is proposed, for the first time, to provide a LIB fast charging solution. Within the DRL framework, a multiobjective optimization problem is formulated by penalizing the over-temperature and degradation. An improved environmental perceptive deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm with priority experience replay is exploited to tradeoff smartly the charging rapidity and the compliance of physical constraints. The proposed DDPG-DRL strategy is compared experimentally with the rule-based strategies and the state-of-the-art model predictive controller to validate its superiority in terms of charging rapidity, enforcement of LIB thermal safety and life extension, as well as the computational tractability.