Sports
20 Greatest Darts Players in History [Ranked]
Darts has evolved from a pub game to being one of the most beloved sports both in the UK and around the world. There have been many superb purveyors of the sport down the years, but which players are the all-time greatest? Below is a look at the 20 greatest players in the history of the sport.
Ranking factors include:
- Overall ability
- Level of opposition faced
- Major titles won
- Overall impact on the sport
It should be noted that while the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is the pinnacle of the sport today, for many years the British Darts Corporation (BDO) was home to the world’s greatest players. For that reason, major titles in both PDC and BDO have been taken into account.
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20 greatest darts players in history [11-20] |
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|---|---|---|
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Position |
Name |
Major titles won |
|
20. |
Richie Burnett |
3 |
|
19. |
Glen Durrant |
7 |
|
18. |
Jocky Wilson |
2 |
|
17. |
Bob Anderson |
4 |
|
16. |
Rob Cross |
4 |
|
15. |
Martin Adams |
10 |
|
14. |
James Wade |
11 |
|
13. |
Gerwyn Price |
7 |
|
12 |
Adrian Lewis |
4 |
|
11. |
Peter Wright |
8 |
10
Dennis Priestley
Major championships won: 3 (2 world titles)
Priestley has forged one of the sport’s great rivalries with Phil Taylor over the years, with the pair facing each other in several finals. Aside from his battles with Taylor, Priestley has carved out an impressive career in the sport, winning the BDO World Championship in 1991 and the PDC World Championship in 1994. However, Priestley was beaten by his nemesis in all four World Championship finals. He would have been higher on this list if a few of those finals had gone his way.
9
Luke Humphries
Major championships: 8 (1 world title)
The current world number two is a Triple Crown winner (World Championship, Premier League, and World Matchplay), completing the feat by defeating Luke Littler in the 2025 Premier League Darts final. Still only 30 years of age, ‘Cool Hand‘ likely has a couple of decades left in the game and could easily wind up cracking the top five by the time he retires.
8
Gary Anderson
Major championships won: 12 (2 world titles)
Arguably the greatest darts player Scotland has ever produced, Anderson won the PDC World Championship twice, in 2015 and 2016. Anderson also won the World Cup of Darts in 2019. Among Anderson’s many achievements is that he holds the record for the most 180s in a match, with 22. Anderson also recorded the highest losing average in a world final, with 104.93. ‘The Flying Scotsman’ proved that he still has plenty of ability by making the semi-finals of the 2026 World Darts Championship.
7
John Part
Major championships won: 4 (3 world titles)
Kicking off our list is the Canadian John Part. Part’s career spanned from 1987 to 2016, and during his peak in the mid 1990s, he was the top ranked player in North America after winning the BDO World Championship in 1994. Two PDC World Championships followed, in 2003 and 2008. Part was runner-up in several finals across his career, meaning that his trophy haul could have been even bigger.
6
John Lowe
Major championships won: 5 (3 world titles)
Derbyshire native, Lowe, became the first player to win the World Championship in three different decades, following successes in 1979, 1983, and 10 years later in 1993. Lowe was also a double World Masters champion in 1976 and 1980. Lowe hit the first ever televised nine-darter in 1984. His rivalry with Eric Bristow was one for the ages, with the pair facing off on six different occasions. Lowe triumphed over Bristow in the 1987 final.
5
Raymond van Barneveld
Major championships won: 24 (5 world titles)
One of the greatest darts players of the 2000s, Dutchman Van Barneveld is a four-time BDO champion and won the PDC World Championship in 2007. Van Barneveld also claimed the World Cup of Darts on four occasions, making him one of the sport’s most decorated players. Van Barneveld shows no sign of slowing down as his career ticks into a fourth decade, as he is still a regular on the PDC circuit.
4
Luke Littler
Major championships won: 9 (2 world titles)
One of the factors considered when compiling these rankings is the level of a player’s overall impact on the sport, and few have transcended the oche like Littler. Still only 19 years old, ‘The Nuke’ has featured in three PDC World Championship tournaments. He’s made the final in all three.
The Warrington-born prodigy was fended off by Luke Humphries in 2024, but wouldn’t be denied 12 months later as he dominated Dutch legend Michael van Gerwen to win the sport’s biggest prize for the first time. Littler then followed that victory up by demolishing Gian van Veen in the 2026 final.
Aside from his exploits at Alexandra Palace, Littler also won the Triple Crown within 18 months of turning professional. It would be a major shock if he didn’t add his tally of major championships significantly as he moves through his career.
He’s already the youngest-ever world champion in the sport’s history. He went on became the sport’s youngest-ever world number one, knocking Humphries off his perch during the Grand Slam of Darts in 2025, which the teenager went on to win.
Littler has already begun to build a glittering legacy in the sport, inspiring thousands of youngsters to take up darts.
3
Eric Bristow
Major championships won: 10 (5 world titles)
One of the most recognisable names in the sport, the Crafty Cockney transcended the sport and became a celebrity in his own right during the sport’s heyday of the 1980s. Bristow won all five BDO World Championships in the decade and also won the World Masters five times between 1977 and 1984. Bristow was awarded an MBE in 1989. He sadly passed away in 2018.
2
Michael van Gerwen
Major championships won: 48 (3 world titles)
Van Gerwen was seemingly always destined for greatness, having thrown a nine-dart finish and won the World Masters title within just four years of his debut. Van Gerwen has won three PDC World Championships, a World Masters, two World Matchplays, five World Grand Prixs, a UK Open, and a whopping 150 PDC titles. Van Gerwen is currently ranked third in the world and has his eyes set on increasing his list of titles in the coming years.
1
Phil Taylor
Major championships won: 87 (16 world titles)
A man who needs no introduction, Phil “the Power” Taylor is the most decorated player in darts history, with 16 World Championships to his name. Taylor has also claimed 16 World Matchplay titles and 11 World Grand Prixs. Taylor appeared in a record 14 consecutive World Championship finals between 1994 and 2007 and was a runner-up for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award in 2010. As with Bristow, Taylor transcends the sport and is arguably its biggest ever star.
