The Best Darts Players of All Time (Ranked)

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At Decent Darts, we’re always looking for interesting takes on the game of darts.

While we cover a lot of news, quotes, and past matches, there’s one HUGE topic that we’ve yet to publish.

One of the more obvious and hotly debated topics is ‘the best darts players of all time’.

There are many factors that go into this including accomplishments, impact on the sport, fan popularity, records, etc…

As there are so many opinions it often divides opinion, with very few people having the same top 10 list for example.

Therefore, we’ve finally compiled and ranked the best darts players of all time list below:

Best Darts Players of All Time

10. Jocky Wilson

Nickname: None
Date of Birth: March 22, 1950
Place of Birth: Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 2 (1982, 1989)
Other Titles: British Professional Championship, British Open, British Matchplay

Jocky Wilson was a beloved figure in darts, known for his gritty determination and tenacity on the oche.

Despite his unconventional style and struggles with personal issues, he achieved remarkable success, including two World Championship titles.

Wilson’s charisma and fighting spirit endeared him to fans, making him a darts legend.

9. Bob Anderson

Nickname: “The Limestone Cowboy”
Date of Birth: November 7, 1947
Place of Birth: Winchester, England
Career Highlights:

World Championship: 1 (1988)
Other Titles: Winmau World Masters (3 times), World Grand Prix, British Open

Depending on who you ask, Bob Anderson is either overrated or underrated when it comes to darts.

His prime was the late 80’s which was an era that had been dominated by Eric Bristow and John Lowe.

So, despite winning a World Championship during their reign alongside a stint as World Number 1 for three years and the first player to win three consecutive World Masters, Anderson was overshadowed.

Still, he was one of the best players in a defining era for darts and we think that edges him ahead of others who could have made this list.

Full disclaimer, he could have been replaced by a number of players but we think he’s earned this!

8. Peter Wright

Nickname: “Snakebite”
Date of Birth: March 10, 1970
Place of Birth: Livingston, Scotland
Career Highlights:

World Championship: 2 (2020, 2022)
Other Titles: UK Open, European Championship, World Matchplay

Peter “Snakebite” Wright is known for his colourful personality, unique hairstyles, and elaborate outfits.

His breakthrough came with a World Championship win in 2020. He then kicked on with multiple Major wins over the next few seasons which led to another World Championship win in 2022 and becoming the oldest ever first time World Number 1 aged 51.

His personality combined with recent accolades have led to Wright becoming a clear fan favourite capable of selling out tournaments and contributing to the continued growth of darts this decade.

7. Adrian Lewis

Nickname: “Jackpot”
Date of Birth: January 21, 1985
Place of Birth: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 2 (2011, 2012)
Other Titles: European Championship, UK Open, World Cup of Darts

Adrian “Jackpot” Lewis burst onto the darts scene with explosive scoring and rapid rise to the top, winning consecutive World Championships in 2011 and 2012.

Known for his powerful and swift playing style, Lewis was a formidable competitor and a dynamic presence in the sport.

Many feel he was one of the best natural talents in the game but unfortunately he was a spark that shined brightly but only for a short period of time.

6. John Lowe

Nickname: Old Stoneface
Date of Birth: July 21, 1945
Place of Birth: New Tupton, England
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 3 (1979, 1987, 1993)
Other Titles: Winmau World Masters, World Cup Singles, British Open

John Lowe is celebrated as one of darts’ pioneers and a model of consistency and precision.

His historic career includes three World Championship titles, and he was the first player to hit a televised nine-dart finish in 1984.

👉 [Watch] John Lowe’s HISTORIC nine-dart finish

Lowe’s legacy is marked by his contributions to the sport’s development and professionalism acting as a chairman for the PDPA and earning an MBE for his contributions to darts.

5. Gary Anderson

Nickname: “The Flying Scotsman”
Date of Birth: December 22, 1970
Place of Birth: Musselburgh, Scotland
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 2 (2015, 2016)
Other Titles: Premier League, UK Open, Players Championship Finals

Gary “The Flying Scotsman” Anderson is celebrated for his smooth and accurate throwing style alongside a fiery competitive nature.

Playing in an era dominated by Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen, Anderson more than held his own with two World Championships and multiple Major wins throughout the 2010’s.

Anderson’s ability to perform under pressure and his calm demeanour have made him one of the most respected players in the sport.

4. Eric Bristow

Nickname: “The Crafty Cockney”
Date of Birth: April 25, 1957
Place of Birth: Hackney, London, England
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 5 (1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986)
Other Titles: Winmau World Masters (5 times), World Cup Singles, British Open

Eric “The Crafty Cockney” Bristow was a darts superstar and one of the sport’s first global icons.

Known for his competitive spirit and showmanship, Bristow dominated the 1980s with five World Championships.

His influence on the game and his role in mentoring future stars, like Phil Taylor who he sponsored for £10,000 with the condition that he leaves his job in ceramics to pursue darts full-time, cements his place in darts history.

3. Raymond van Barneveld

Nickname: “Barney”
Date of Birth: April 20, 1967
Place of Birth: The Hague, Netherlands
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 5 (1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)
Other Titles: Premier League, Grand Slam of Darts, UK Open

Raymond “Barney” van Barneveld is a darts legend with five World Championships to his name.

Known for his charisma and skill, van Barneveld has had a profound impact on the sport. Particularly in the Netherlands where he has inspired an entire generation of talented darts players.

His rivalry with Phil Taylor and his dramatic matches have provided some of darts’ most memorable moments, the most memorable of which being his 2007 victory at the PDC World Championship.

SEE MORE – Watch the GREATEST darts moments in history

2. Michael van Gerwen

Nickname: “Mighty Mike”
Date of Birth: April 25, 1989
Place of Birth: Boxtel, Netherlands
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 3 (2014, 2017, 2019)
Other Titles: Premier League (multiple), Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix

Michael “Mighty Mike” van Gerwen is one of the most dominant players of the 2010s, known for his rapid scoring and incredible consistency.

With multiple World Championships and numerous other major titles, van Gerwen’s aggressive style and confidence have made him a formidable opponent and a modern darts icon.

Outside of Phil Taylor, MVG is the 2nd most dominant player in professional darts history making it to a whopping 62 PDC Majors finals, winning 47 titles in the process.

This doesn’t even factor in non-ranking events or ‘other’ tournaments for which he has well over 100!

1. Phil Taylor

Nickname: “The Power”
Date of Birth: August 13, 1960
Place of Birth: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Career Highlights:

World Championships: 16 (1990, 1992, 1995-2002, 2004-2006, 2009-2010, 2013)
Other Titles: Over 85 major titles, including World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, and Premier League

Phil “The Power” Taylor is widely regarded as the greatest darts player of all time.

His unparalleled record of 16 World Championships and over 85 major titles speaks to his dominance in the sport for decades.

Taylor’s precision, mental toughness, and longevity have set a standard in darts that is unlikely to be matched.

There’s not much you can say in a short summary section for Taylor, other than that he’s the darts GOAT 🐐

Summary

This really wasn’t that difficult of a list to compile, several of the players will be everyone’s top 10 no matter what.

We found the likes of Bob Anderson and Jocky Wilson getting in more on being an icon than necessarily achievements alone while some players like James Wade, Martin Adams and Dennis Priestley just missed out.

It was also hard to rank the likes of Bristow and Lowe who are easily top 3-5 when it comes to icons of the game but does that make them the BEST of all time when looking at the bigger picture?

We’ll definitely be coming back and updating this in the future and others opinions will definitely help us in compiling a definitive “best darts player of all time” list over the next few years.

Let us know in the comments below (or on Facebook) if you agree with this list and who you think should be changed or have the position moved around.