Greatest Darts Players of All Time, Ranked
On this page15
- 01Greatest darts players of all time at a glance
- 02Phil Taylor
- 03Michael van Gerwen
- 04Eric Bristow
- 05Raymond van Barneveld
- 06John Lowe
- 07Luke Littler
- 08John Part
- 09Gary Anderson
- 10Adrian Lewis
- 11Trina Gulliver
- 12How we ranked the greatest darts players
- 13Why BDO and PDC titles both count
- 14Why averages cannot settle an all-time ranking
- 15What could change after 2026
World titles carry the most weight, followed by other premier trophies, years spent at the top, strength of competition and influence on professional darts. The order compares players with their own contemporaries rather than treating averages from different boards, formats and eras as interchangeable.
Greatest darts players of all time at a glance
| Rank | Player | Senior world titles | Strongest ranking argument |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Taylor | 16 | Record total, eight consecutive PDC titles |
| 2 | Michael van Gerwen | 3 | Dominant 2010s peak in a deep PDC era |
| 3 | Eric Bristow | 5 | Controlled the 1980s and won five World Masters |
| 4 | Raymond van Barneveld | 5 | Won in both BDO and PDC, including 2007 over Taylor |
| 5 | John Lowe | 3 | World champion in three different decades |
| 6 | Luke Littler | 2 | Youngest champion and back-to-back winner by age 18 |
| 7 | John Part | 3 | Titles in two codes across a 14-year span |
| 8 | Gary Anderson | 2 | Five world finals and consecutive titles |
| 9 | Adrian Lewis | 2 | Defended his first world crown immediately |
| 10 | Trina Gulliver | 10 women's | Record women's championship reign |
- 16-time world champion
Phil Taylor
Taylor owns the decisive record in this debate: 16 world championships, comprising two BDO titles and 14 in the WDC/PDC. Eight of those PDC crowns came consecutively from 1995 through 2002. He also won the World Matchplay 16 times, and the BBC's career retrospective records how thoroughly he controlled his leading rivalries.
He ranks above Michael van Gerwen because the difference is not one short peak or one extra trophy. Taylor won world titles across 24 years, reached 19 world finals and remained capable of winning premier events near retirement. His scoring raised the professional standard, including two nine-dart finishes in the 2010 Premier League final.
Country: England · World titles: 16 · Peak: eight straight PDC crowns · World Matchplays: 16
- Modern PDC benchmark
Michael van Gerwen
Van Gerwen was the dominant player of the 2010s, winning the PDC World Championship in 2014, 2017 and 2019 and holding the world-number-one position from 2014 into 2021. His long collection of premier titles and ProTour wins came in larger, deeper professional fields than those faced by the television pioneers.
He stays below Taylor because three world championships cannot offset a gap of 13, even after adjusting for era strength. The Dutchman's best case is peak level: relentless scoring, repeated televised averages above 110 and major wins across every standard PDC format. He remained a title winner in 2026, when the PDC described him as a three-time world champion.
Country: Netherlands · World titles: 3 PDC · World No. 1: 2014-2021 · Defining era: 2010s
- 1980s standard-setter
Eric Bristow
Bristow won five BDO world titles in seven editions between 1980 and 1986, plus five World Masters titles. That concentrated run made him the player everyone else had to solve during darts' first major television boom. He reached ten consecutive world semifinals from 1978 through 1987, an unusually durable peak in a knockout sport.
Bristow ranks above Raymond van Barneveld because he controlled his era more completely rather than collecting the same five world titles over a longer span. He also changed the next era by backing and mentoring Taylor. That connection matters, but the five world crowns are the foundation of his place here.
Country: England · World titles: 5 BDO · World Masters: 5 · Peak: five world crowns in seven editions
- Five titles across two codes
Raymond van Barneveld
Van Barneveld won four BDO world championships before moving to the PDC and beating Taylor 7-6 in the 2007 world final. That made him a five-time world champion across both sides of the sport's organizational divide. It also proved that his BDO dominance transferred directly to the strongest PDC stage.
He sits behind Bristow because his title run was less concentrated, but above John Lowe because the 2007 victory supplied a head-to-head result against the greatest player ever. Van Barneveld also helped turn the Netherlands into a major darts market, preparing the audience that later embraced Van Gerwen.
Country: Netherlands · World titles: 5 (4 BDO, 1 PDC) · Signature win: 2007 PDC final · Premier League: 2014
- Champion in three decades
John Lowe
Lowe won the BDO World Championship in 1979, 1987 and 1993, becoming the first player to take world crowns in three different decades. That range gives him the strongest longevity case among the early television generation. In 1984 he also threw the first televised nine-dart finish.
He ranks below Van Barneveld because three world titles trail five, but above the active and later PDC champions because he remained elite while the sport changed around him. Lowe also joined the breakaway players who formed the organization that became the PDC, giving his career competitive and institutional weight.
Country: England · World titles: 3 BDO · Span: 1979-1993 · First televised nine-darter: 1984
- Youngest world champion
Luke Littler
Littler became the youngest darts world champion at 17 when he beat Van Gerwen 7-3 in January 2025. One year later he defeated Gian van Veen 7-1 to retain the title, averaging 106 with 16 maximums and 46 percent on doubles according to the PDC final report.
Consecutive titles in his first three world finals put him above several established two-time champions. He remains below Lowe and the five-time champions because this ranking rewards complete careers, not projected trophies. Littler's position has the most room to rise, especially after becoming the youngest PDC world number one in 2025.
Country: England · World titles: 2 PDC · Youngest champion: 17 · 2026 final: 7-1, 106 average
- Three-time global champion
John Part
Part won world titles in 1994, 2003 and 2008, crossing from the BDO to the PDC and succeeding in two markedly different competitive periods. His 2003 final victory ended Taylor's run of eight consecutive PDC world championships, which is the strongest single result owned by anyone below the top five.
Littler ranks just ahead because back-to-back titles before age 19 came in the deeper current field, but Part has the better longevity record for now. He was also the first world champion from outside the United Kingdom and later became the first non-European winner of the PDC crown.
Country: Canada · World titles: 3 (1 BDO, 2 PDC) · Signature win: beat Taylor in 2003 · Span: 1994-2008
- Back-to-back PDC champion
Gary Anderson
Anderson won consecutive PDC world championships in 2015 and 2016, beating Taylor in the first final and Adrian Lewis in the second. He appeared in five world finals from 2011 through 2021 and added the World Matchplay and two Premier League titles, showing far more than a two-January peak.
He ranks below Part because Part won a third world title and proved himself across two codes and three eras. Anderson's advantage is scoring quality: his fluid throw produced heavy 180 totals and repeated high averages against the strongest PDC fields. His longevity keeps him ahead of Lewis among the two-time champions.
Country: Scotland · World titles: 2 PDC · Finals: 5 · Other majors: World Matchplay, 2 Premier Leagues
- Defended at the first attempt
Adrian Lewis
Lewis won the 2011 PDC World Championship and immediately defended it in 2012. His first final included the first nine-darter thrown in a world championship final, and he added the 2013 European Championship and two World Cup titles for England.
Anderson ranks higher because he sustained major-final form for longer and finished with the broader premier-event record. At his peak, however, Lewis paired effortless scoring with unusual nerve on the biggest stage. Players learning the routes behind a perfect leg can compare his approach with our darts checkout chart.
Country: England · World titles: 2 PDC · Defended: 2012 · First world-final nine-darter: 2011
- Women's record holder
Trina Gulliver
Gulliver won the first seven editions of the BDO Women's World Championship from 2001 through 2007, then added titles in 2010, 2011 and 2016. Ten world crowns remain the defining championship record in women's darts, and her unbeaten run established the standard for the women's televised game.
She closes the combined ranking because women's and open PDC fields were separate, making direct opponent-strength comparisons with the names above unreliable. Omitting her would be worse: no account of darts greatness is complete without the player who dominated her championship for more than a decade.
Country: England · Women's world titles: 10 · Opening streak: 2001-2007 · Final crown: 2016
Reader interaction
Build your ranking
Drag the names into the order you think is right — or use the arrows — then submit to see how your list compares with everyone else's.
- Phil Taylor
- Michael van Gerwen
- Eric Bristow
- Raymond van Barneveld
- John Lowe
- Luke Littler
- John Part
- Gary Anderson
- Adrian Lewis
- Trina Gulliver
Audience ranking
How everyone ranked them
Built from reader rankings using position-based points.
The cards above contain the ranking. The sections below explain how careers from different organizations and scoring eras were compared.
How we ranked the greatest darts players
World championships carry the most weight because they test scoring, finishing and nerve across the sport’s longest high-pressure tournament. Other premier titles separate players with similar world records. Longevity then distinguishes a sustained reign from one exceptional fortnight.
Peak performance and opponent strength matter too. A modern PDC title comes through a deeper professional field than an early championship, but older players competed on boards with thicker wires and in less standardized conditions. Historical influence breaks close ties; it cannot replace the results needed to enter the list.
Why BDO and PDC titles both count
Elite darts split in the early 1990s when leading professionals left the British Darts Organisation and formed the World Darts Council, later renamed the Professional Darts Corporation. The BDO and PDC then staged separate world championships until the BDO collapsed in 2020. The World Darts Federation now runs its own championship outside the PDC.
Ignoring either side would distort careers. Taylor won his first two world titles in the BDO before dominating the PDC. Van Barneveld and Part won in both organizations, giving useful evidence that their records traveled. The ranking counts every recognized senior world title, then adjusts for field strength, format and the quality of each player’s other results.
For readers new to tournament play, our guides explain how to play darts and the official dartboard height and throwing distance.
Why averages cannot settle an all-time ranking
Three-dart averages are useful within the same event, but they are poor time machines. Older boards had thicker wires and more bounce-outs. Tournament formats, stage conditions and the depth of professional fields changed. Television statistics were also less complete during the early BDO years.
That is why this list uses scoring records as evidence of peak ability rather than the main sorting rule. Van Gerwen’s 123.40 televised average shows a ceiling Taylor never reached in one recorded match; it does not erase Taylor’s 16 world titles. If you want to improve the mechanics behind scoring and grouping, start with our guide to the best ways to throw darts.
What could change after 2026
Littler is the only player whose position could move sharply in the near term. By January 2026 he had reached three consecutive world finals, won two of them and become the youngest world number one. Those results already justify a place above several longer-serving champions.
The top of the list requires time as well as pace. Littler would need years of premier-event wins to reach Van Gerwen’s body of work, and Taylor’s 16 world titles remain distant. The fairest current conclusion is simple: Littler has started an all-time career, but the finished careers above him still own the stronger records.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the greatest darts player of all time?+
Phil Taylor is the clearest choice. His 16 world championships are more than three times the total of any other man, and he won 14 of them in the PDC or its WDC predecessor. Michael van Gerwen produced a comparable scoring peak in a deeper era, but his three world titles leave too large a gap to overturn Taylor's result and longevity advantage.
How many world titles did Phil Taylor win?+
Taylor won 16 senior world championships: BDO titles in 1990 and 1992, followed by 14 WDC/PDC titles. His PDC run included eight consecutive victories from 1995 through 2002. He won his final world crown in 2013, 23 years after his first, which explains why his case rests on longevity as well as the raw total.
Is Luke Littler already an all-time great?+
Yes. Winning consecutive PDC world titles in 2025 and 2026, after reaching the final on debut in 2024, already gives Littler a stronger peak than most professional players ever achieve. He ranks sixth here because an all-time list must also reward longevity. Another sustained run of premier titles could move him past the three- and five-time champions above him.
Which darts player has the highest televised average?+
Michael van Gerwen holds the widely recognized televised match record with a three-dart average of 123.40 against Michael Smith in the 2016 Premier League. Averages depend on match length and format, so one explosive short match should not decide an all-time ranking. Major titles and repeated elite scoring across full tournaments provide a sturdier comparison.
Why are BDO and PDC world titles counted together?+
The BDO championship was the established world title before leading players broke away in the early 1990s to form the WDC, later renamed the PDC. Both organizations then ran world championships in parallel. Counting both is necessary for careers such as Taylor's, Van Barneveld's and Part's, but the ranking also considers the strength of each field rather than treating every title as identical.
Who is the greatest women's darts player?+
Trina Gulliver has the strongest championship case because she won ten BDO Women's World Championships, including the first seven editions from 2001 to 2007. Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock belong in the wider discussion for their own titles and results against men. Gulliver's ten world crowns remain the clearest sustained record in the women's game.
Sources
Play & tools
Free browser games and tools — no account, no download.
- Play today's Sports Connections — Today's Sports Connections — daily hints, answers, and play the grid.
- Play Guess the NFL Player — A new mystery NFL player every day. Eight guesses, with a clue on each — plus free unlimited mode.
- Explore all our games →
Related guides
Darts Checkout Chart: Every Finish From 170
A darts checkout chart shows the dart routes to finish a 501 leg on a double. Standard finishes from 170 down, bogey numbers, and how to read the notation.
How to Play Cricket Darts: Rules & Scoring
How to play cricket darts: hit the numbers 15 through 20 and the bullseye three times each to open them, then score before your opponent closes them.
What Is a 9-Darter in Darts?
A 9-darter is a perfect leg: finishing 501 in the fewest possible nine darts. How it's done, common routes, how rare it is, and the famous perfect legs.
How to Play Darts: Rules and 501 Scoring
How to play darts: the 501 rules, how scoring works, the double-out finish and your first checkout, plus the official oche distance and board height.
Dart Board Height and Distance Explained
Dart board height is 5 ft 8 in to the bullseye and the oche sits 7 ft 9.25 in back. Full PDC/WDF setup for steel-tip and soft-tip darts.
Best Ways to Throw Darts: A Complete Technique Guide
The best way to throw darts blends a stable grip, steady stance, and smooth follow-through. Master these three basics to boost accuracy at any distance.