Top 10 darts players of all-time

Compiling your top 10 list of greatest darts players of all-time is incredibly subjective.

There are some obvious additions who will feature prominently within the vast majority of these kind of articles, and other inclusions who some won't necessarily agree with.

But we have tried our best, taking everything into consideration, to pull together our tally of players who have done enough to elevate their standing in the sport above all others.

Check out the 10 darting superstars to have made the cut below...

No.10 - Adrian Lewis

On sheer talent alone, Adrian Lewis sits right in the upper echelons of the all-time list.

Without doubt one of the most naturally gifted players to have ever toed the oche, the Stoke star, in his heyday, was a true force.

One of a select number of players to have gone back-to-back at the World Darts Championship, 'Jackpot', enjoyed paramount success during his trophy-laden spell in the PDC.

The winner of the UK Open and Players Championship Finals, Lewis would undoubtedly have at least doubled his major tally over the years had it not been for his great Potteries friend Phil Taylor, who beat his protege in five other major finals.

The two did however link-up to quite devastating effect, reeling off four World Cup triumphs between them during a five year spell from 2012 to 2016.

No.9 - Gary Anderson

Despite his age, Gary Anderson remains one of the most prolific and successful players on the PDC Tour.

For many, the greatest Scotsman to have ever tackled the tungsten, Anderson boasts 12 major ranking titles throughout his illustrious career, including a couple of World Darts Championship successes.

The former world number one has featured in every ranking final on the tour, capturing the coveted World Matchplay, UK Open, Premier League, Players Championship and Champions League crowns.

'The Flying Scotsman' also boasts a World Cup triumph as well as an abundance of victories on the European Tour, Players Championship events and the World Series of Darts.

No.8 - Luke Humphries

Luke Humphries' remarkable trajectory over the past couple of years more than merits his inclusion in the list.

He may have taken a little while to fully find his feet in the PDC, but after breaking his duck with victory at the World Grand Prix in 2023, his form has soared to astronomical heights.

One of only a select few of players to have completed darts' Triple Crown, winning the World Championship, Premier League and World Matchplay, the Crewe-based star would undoubtedly have further bolstered his already packed trophy cabinet had it not been for the emergence of Luke Littler.

The two modern day tungsten behemoths have already established one of the great darting rivalries, and it would come as a major shock not to see them locking-horns in numerous other major PDC finals in the coming years having already gone to war on stage in some truly bruising battles.

No.7 - John Part

The greatest player to have ever thrown a dart from North America, few would begrudge the great John Part a spot in the top 10.

Now a familiar face on Sky Sports, 'Darth Maple', as he was affectionately known, enjoyed a stellar darting career, capped by an impressive haul of three World Championship titles.

Incredibly, his trio of triumphs on the grandest stage of them all came at three different venues (Lakeside Country Club, Circus Tavern and Alexandra Palace), making him the only player in the history of the game to have achieved that feat.

No.6 - John Lowe

If John Part made history by becoming the first, and only, player to win the fabled World Darts Championship in three different venues, fellow John, John Lowe, established himself as the first player to land the sport's biggest prize in three different decades.

Renowned for his role in elevating the standing of the game during his 1980s heyday, the Derbyshire-born star first earned world champion status in 1979 before replicating the feat seven years later in 1987.

Five years on from that he secured his third, and final, World Championship crown with victory over Alan Warriner at Frimley Green's iconic Lakeside venue.

The former world number one also reigned supreme in the Winmau World Masters, World Matchplay, British Matchplay, the Grand Masters as well as a plethora of WDF events.

No.5 - Luke Littler

Make no mistake about it, Luke Littler is well on course to elevate himself higher up this list in the coming years, but he still has some way to go to surpass the achievements of the four men currently elevated above him.

'The Nuke' has transformed the sport since sensationally bursting onto the scene by reaching the Alexandra Palace final on debut in 2024, cementing himself as arguably the best player on the planet as a consequence of his mind-blowing trophy-haul since.

Having already romped to victories in the World Darts Championship, Premier League and World Matchplay, Littler's charge has shown absolutely no signs of stopping, with the 18-year-old also adding the Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix, UK open and World Series of Darts Finals titles to his armoury.

In fact, despite being less than two years into his professional journey, he has just three titles left to capture to complete the PDC ranking set - the European Championship, Players Championship Finals and World Masters...

Truly bonkers!

No.4 - Raymond van Barneveld

A modern-day sporting icon, Raymond van Barneveld is one of the all-time greats!

Famed for his calm and composed nature on stage, 'Barney' has secured five World Championships across a stellar professional career which remains alive and kicking to the current day.

Now approaching his 60th birthday, the Dutchman boasts an array of titles, including the Premier League, Grand Slam of Darts, World Masters and the Las Vegas Desert Classic.

He has also linked-up to lethal effect with long-term friend and fellow darting superstar Michael van Gerwen to secure the Netherlands four World Cup triumphs.

In total, Van Barneveld has reached 32 major ranking finals across his spells with the BDO and PDC, winning 20 of them including, of course, that mesmerising World Championship final success over arch-nemesis Phil Taylor back in 2007.

No.3 - Eric Bristow

One of the most recognisable names, faces and voices in professional darts, Eric Bristow was the sport's true flag bearer during its peak period in the 1980s.

The hugely-popular 'Crafty Cockney' reached ten BDO World Championship finals, winning five of them, as well as capturing the equally as coveted World Masters crown on the same number of occasions.

The inspiration and mentor to the great Phil Taylor, Bristow won 22 major ranking titles throughout his three-decade-long illustrious career, with victories in non-ranking competitions taking his overall tally to 80!

Following his retirement, he provided expert analysis for Sky Sports, whilst he also went onto play a starring role on the 2012 edition of 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here', finishing fourth on the hit ITV show.

No.2 - Michael van Gerwen

There may have been players to have secured more World Darts Championship successes than Michael van Gerwen's somewhat surprisingly low tally of three, but few can rival the Dutchman's darting dominance.

Somewhat breaking the mold by winning the 2006 World Masters as a teenager, 'Mighty Mike' has since gone on to capture every single major ranking title the PDC has to offer.

It's a feat that no other player in the history of the sport can rival... not even the man who sits at the top of this list!

After flirting with coveted titles in the years after his 2006 triumph, it was success in Dublin in 2012, at the World Grand Prix, which truly ignited his glorious run of success.

He subsequently went on to reach 11 ranking finals across the next couple of years before upping the ante somewhat between 2015 and 2019 where he astonishingly won 30 of the 32 major finals he appeared in, with his only losses during that run coming in the 2016 Champions League and 2018 Players Championship Finals.

His trio of titles at Ally Pally, in 2014, 2017 and 2019, means that to date he has amassed in excess of 150 titles.

No.1 - Phil Taylor

The undoubted GOAT of professional darts, nobody comes remotely close to challenging Phil Taylor for top spot in our all-time rankings list.

Dominant in every sense of the word, 'The Power' remarkably captured 16 World Darts Championship titles throughout three decades of darting dominance; a figure that truly is as absurd as it sounds.

He reeled off an unprecedented eight of those in successive years between 1995 and 2002, a breathtaking run which yielded 40 successive triumphs under the bright lights of Purfleet's Circus Tavern.

The Stoke sensation flexed his muscle in pretty much every other competition too, winning the World Matchplay on the same amount of occasions as he won the worlds (16), whilst also capturing the notoriously difficult to win, double-in-double-out format World Grand Prix 11 times.

Those figures make his six Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts triumphs, five UK Opens and four European Championships sound pleasantly paltry.

In total, prior to his retirement in 2017 - a year in which he reached a 21st World Championship final - Taylor claimed top prize at 214 professional tournaments, 87 of which came in major ranking events.

'The Power' is without doubt a true sporting phenomenon, and somebody whose achievements in the sport will never be matched.