The best darts player of all time is usually Phil Taylor if you judge the question by full-career dominance, world titles, major titles, longevity and influence. Michael van Gerwen has the strongest modern peak argument, while Luke Littler is building a historic case but is still too early in his career for an all-time verdict.
Last reviewed: 24 August 2026. This guide separates all-time greatness from current form, explains the criteria, and gives a defensible verdict without ignoring era differences.
The direct answer
Phil Taylor is the default answer because his case is the most complete. He won 16 world titles across the BDO and PDC era, dominated multiple major events, remained a title threat for decades and shaped what professional excellence in darts looked like.
If the question is “who reached the highest modern scoring level?”, Michael van Gerwen enters the debate immediately. If the question is “who is the current force reshaping the sport?”, Luke Littler has to be discussed. But “best of all time” needs more than present form or peak highlights.
How to judge the best ever
A serious all-time ranking should use several measures. World titles matter because the World Championship is the sport's defining prize. Major titles matter because they show repeatable winning across formats. Longevity matters because a short peak can be brilliant without becoming the greatest career.
Era strength also matters. A player can only beat the field in front of them, but modern players face deeper professional circuits, better analysis and higher scoring standards. Influence matters too: the greatest players change expectations for everyone after them.
Why Phil Taylor is still number one
Taylor's strongest argument is not one statistic. It is the stack of statistics together. Sixteen world titles is the headline, but the deeper point is how long he kept turning finals into routine-looking wins. He made elite pressure look normal.
He also dominated specific majors in a way that is hard to replicate. The PDC Hall of Fame notes Taylor's 16 World Championship titles, 16 World Matchplay titles and 11 World Grand Prix titles. That range gives his case unusual weight because it was not built on one event alone.
The Michael van Gerwen argument
Michael van Gerwen has the strongest challenge to Taylor. At his best, Van Gerwen combined pace, scoring power, intimidation and relentless tournament winning. His peak years raised the modern ceiling for what a top professional could average and how quickly they could bury opponents.
The case against him is not that he lacks greatness. It is that Taylor still has the fuller all-time trophy and dominance record. Van Gerwen is the strongest challenger because he can argue peak standard and modern-era depth, but Taylor remains ahead on complete career weight.
Where Luke Littler fits
Luke Littler is already one of the most important modern names in darts, and his rise has changed the sport's mainstream attention. But all-time status needs time. Early titles and finals can start a case; they do not complete it.
That does not diminish Littler. It simply applies the same standard used for everyone else. If he keeps winning majors and remains near the top for years, the debate changes. For now, he belongs in the “historic trajectory” category rather than above Taylor or Van Gerwen.
What about Eric Bristow?
Eric Bristow belongs in any serious conversation because of his influence, world titles and role in defining televised darts before the modern PDC era. He was not just a champion; he helped create the template for darts personality, confidence and stage presence.
The reason he is usually placed behind Taylor is career scale. Bristow shaped the sport, but Taylor extended dominance across a longer professional arc and into a more developed major-tournament landscape.
What about Raymond van Barneveld?
Raymond van Barneveld is essential because he bridged audiences, nations and eras. His world titles and rivalry with Taylor helped push darts beyond a single-country story. For many fans, Barney is the player who made darts feel bigger, more European and more emotionally open.
His all-time case is strong historically, but again the full-career comparison points back to Taylor. Van Barneveld's influence is enormous; Taylor's winning record is harder to surpass.
What about Gary Anderson?
Gary Anderson's best darts is among the most naturally fluent the sport has seen. His scoring power, rhythm and two PDC world titles give him a clear place in elite discussions. At peak level, he could beat anyone.
The difference is volume. Anderson's best is extraordinary, but all-time number one requires a larger body of major dominance than he produced. He is an elite great, not the default greatest.
Current best is a different question
The current best player can change quickly. Rankings, form, injuries, confidence and prize-money cycles all move. A player can be the best in the world today without being the best of all time. That distinction is important for searchers because “best ever” and “world number one” are different questions.
For current form and rankings, use current Order of Merit data and recent major results. For all-time ranking, use a longer evidence base.
Why averages do not settle it
Three-dart averages are useful, but they do not settle the greatest-ever debate. Averages depend on opponent pressure, match length, format, board conditions and era. A huge average in one match is a peak-performance signal, not a complete career ranking.
Greatness is partly about producing the right darts when titles are on the line. Checkout timing, match management, recovery after missed doubles and repeated final wins matter alongside raw scoring.
Why world titles carry extra weight
The World Championship matters because every leading player builds their season around it. It is longer, louder and more exposed than most events. Winning it once proves a player can handle the biggest stage. Winning it repeatedly proves their game survives changing opponents, changing formats and changing expectations.
That is why Taylor's world-title record is so difficult to argue past. It is not only the number 16. It is the fact that different generations had to solve him and usually could not. When the sport's biggest event keeps ending with the same player lifting the trophy, the all-time debate has to start there.
Why major-title spread matters
A player can be built perfectly for one event and still be less complete than someone who wins everywhere. The best all-time case needs evidence across formats: long set-play pressure, leg-play races, double-start demands, floor consistency and televised stage pressure.
Taylor's case is strong because it spreads across the sport's major architecture. Van Gerwen's case is strong for the same reason in the modern era. A player who wins only one style of event can be great, but the very top tier needs broader proof.
Era adjustment without excuses
Era comparison is difficult because darts has changed. Modern players benefit from better equipment, deeper circuits, greater prize money, more statistical analysis and higher professional standards. Older champions often had less infrastructure but still had to dominate the culture and competitive environment of their own time.
The fair approach is not to punish one era or romanticise another. Ask whether the player separated from their field. Taylor separated from his field more dramatically and for longer than anyone else. Van Gerwen separated from a deeper modern field at his peak. Littler is currently testing what the next separation might look like.
Influence beyond trophies
Great players also change behaviour. Bristow helped create the swagger and personality template. Taylor changed practice expectations and made relentless winning look possible. Van Gerwen changed the tempo of modern elite darts. Littler has already changed the age profile and mainstream reach of the sport.
Influence does not replace titles, but it explains why the debate is richer than a trophy table. The greatest player should have numbers, but the sport should also look different because they played.
Why the answer can change
All-time debates are not frozen forever. If Van Gerwen added another run of major dominance, his case would strengthen. If Littler sustains a decade of winning, the debate may look very different. Current players can still move the evidence.
For now, the responsible verdict is Taylor first, Van Gerwen as the leading challenger and Littler as the most important active long-term threat to the hierarchy. That view can be updated as records change.
Best player by category
- Best all-time case: Phil Taylor.
- Best modern peak challenger: Michael van Gerwen.
- Most important current trajectory: Luke Littler.
- Era-shaping pioneer: Eric Bristow.
- Global-era influence: Raymond van Barneveld.
- Natural scoring fluency: Gary Anderson.
What beginners should take from the debate
Do not copy a legend blindly. Taylor, Van Gerwen, Littler and Anderson all look different at the oche. Their grips, pace, set-up routines and rhythms are personal. The lesson is not to imitate every movement; it is to build repeatability.
Use a consistent darts setup, practise on a quality dartboard, protect the area with dartboard surrounds, and keep spare flights, stems and points from darts accessories. Complete dart sets can help beginners compare weight and grip without overcomplicating the first setup.
Visual guide: how to apply this at the board
Related reading
For connected player and performance topics, read who is the number one darts player, how much professional darts players make, how to throw like Phil Taylor, whether most top darts players are English and how hard a nine-dart finish is.
Sources used
- PDC Hall of Fame: Phil Taylor for Taylor's major-title context.
- PDC player profile: Michael van Gerwen for Van Gerwen's official profile context.
- PDC Roll of Honour for historical winner context.
- DartsRankings live Order of Merit for current ranking context.
- Professional Darts Corporation for current professional darts context.
Why the verdict should stay updateable
All-time debates need a current timestamp because active players can still change the evidence. Taylor remains the strongest full-career answer, but Van Gerwen can add to his case and Littler's career is still being written. A good ranking should explain the verdict and leave room for future records to move the argument.
Bottom line
Phil Taylor remains the best answer to “who is the best darts player of all time?” because his full-career case is still the strongest. Van Gerwen has the most serious modern challenge, Littler is building a potentially historic case, and Bristow, Van Barneveld and Anderson all own important parts of the debate.
If you mean current number one, check current rankings. If you mean greatest ever, Taylor is still the benchmark everyone else has to catch.
FAQ
Who is the greatest darts player ever?
Phil Taylor is the usual answer because of his world titles, major titles, dominance and longevity.
Is Michael van Gerwen better than Phil Taylor?
Van Gerwen has a strong modern peak argument, but Taylor still has the stronger full-career all-time case.
Could Luke Littler become the greatest?
Yes, but the all-time verdict needs years of major wins and sustained dominance, not only early brilliance.
Is current world number one the same as best ever?
No. Current rankings measure recent performance and prize money; all-time greatness measures a full career.
