Darts
Top 10 All-Time Great Darts Players (2024)
In this article, we are going to take you through everything you need to know about the top 10 best darts players ever. These are the legends who shaped the sport.
Phil Taylor//Getty Images
How do we rank the top ten best darts players ever?
SportsBoom has chosen to study player form throughout their career and the contribution these darts players made to the game. We have used accurate facts and information based on how many major titles like the darts World Championship which each of these players have won in order to include them in the top ten best darts players ever.
Winning a major title such as the darts World Championship is a major achievement. The darts World Championship is the greatest tournament in darts and by winning this title a player has proven that they are the best darts player in the world.
Have a look at the ranking table we used which shows you the top ten best darts players ever. This ranking table also includes the amount of titles that each of these players have won throughout their careers.
Top Ten Best Darts Players Ever
| Ranking | Player Name | Nickname | Titles Won |
| 1 | Phil Taylor | The Power | 16 (2 BDO, 14 PDC) |
| 2 | Eric Bristow | The Crafty Cockney | 5 |
| 3 | Raymond van Barneveld | Barney | 5 (4 BDO, 1 PDC) |
| 4 | Martin Adams | Wolfie | 3 |
| 5 | Glen Durrant | Duzza | 3 |
| 6 | John Lowe | Old Stoneface | 3 |
| 7 | John Part | Darth Maple | 3 (1 BDO, 2 PDC) |
| 8 | Michael van Gerwen | Mighty Mike | 3 |
| 9 | Gary Anderson | The Flying Scotsman | 2 |
| 10 | Ted Hankey | The Count | 2 |
1. Phil Taylor: 16 World Championship titles
Phil Taylor is a former English professional darts player. Taylor is regarded as one of the greatest darts players of all time. Phil Taylor won 16 darts World Championship titles, along with many other tournaments. The stats prove that Phil Taylor deserves to be recognised as one of the greatest darts players of all time. What a player!
2. Eric Bristow wins successive darts World Championships
Eric Bristow was the face of darts during the 1980s. Eric Bristow was an iconic darts player, and he won five darts World Championship titles. Eric Bristow won three successive world titles between 1984 and 1986. Eric Bristow will go down as one of the greatest ever darts players of all time.
3. Raymond van Barneveld and his accurate throw
Raymond van Barneveld is among the greatest darts players in the world. He won major titles throughout his professional darts career including, five darts World Championship victories, and four other major titles. Raymond van Barneveld had an accurate throw which helped him to perform under pressure.
4. Martin Adams won the darts World Championship
Martin Adams won three darts World Championship titles throughout his career. Wolfie has an interesting and an innovative way of training for big tournaments. “I practise at home against the laptop. Two to four hours a day, on a computer programme set at a very high level, the equivalent of a professional player. It can beat me. But I beat it more often. If you practise at the pub, people want to talk to you and you can't concentrate”.
5. Glen Durrant lifts the darts World Championship title
Glen Durrant also won the darts World Championship on three occasions throughout his career. Duzza had a fascinating introduction to the game of darts. Glen Durrant explains his intro to darts on his official website. “I was born in Middlesbrough in 1970, the youngest of five boys. Like most teenagers in the 1980s from my area, my first love was Billiards, an area that created many World Champions, I was fast-tracked to the Teesside Friendly Men’s league, where I got my first taste of the game of darts.”
6. John Lowe was at the top of his game with three world titles
John Lowe is another top 10 best darts player ever, and we have chosen him at number six on our all time ranking. John Lowe had a spectacular darts career. He won three darts World Championship titles. Lowe was at the top of his game on most occasions, and this consistency made him hard to beat.
7. John Part is a three-time darts World Championship winner
John Part showed the world his darts skills by winning the darts World Championship three times throughout his career. Darth Maple recalled his favourite tournament victories in an interview with The Guardian in December 2008.
“Between 2008 and 1994 it's hard to say between one or the other. It's nice because they were opposite situations and I won both, which was cool. I was the young guy against the old guy (Bobby George) in 94, and I was the old guy against the new guy (Kirk Shepherd) last year. So they're different things, but kind of complementary to each other. People ask me which win means the most and I always just think about the finals — I don't have an extensive look at the run. From memory you just think about the final, you don't think about the other matches.”
8. Explosive Michael van Gerwen was a tough opponent
Michael van Gerwen has won the darts World Championship on three previous occasions throughout his career. This unique pro darts player has an explosive playing style and he is calm under pressure. Michael van Gerwen will be looking to win even more darts titles in the future.
9. Gary Anderson won the World Championship twice
Gary Anderson won the darts World Championship twice throughout his darts career. This man was clearly born to play darts. Gary Anderson had a near perfect throwing action which contributed to some high scores. He deserves to be recognised as one of the goats of darts.
10. Ted Hankey showed his skills by winning the darts World Championship
Ted Hankey won the darts World Championship on two occasions throughout his darts career. Born on February 20, 1968, Edward "Ted" Hankey was raised in Stoke-on-Trent, England and has been playing darts since 1997.The former champion's fierce right hand earned himself the nickname of "The Count".
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Josh has over ten years of experience as a Sports Writer. Josh has created content for some of the biggest sports brands and publications in South Africa. Josh is a creative writer who puts you in the game with his unique content. Josh writes about Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Basketball, Darts, Golf, and all major sports.