10 Of The Best Dart Players In The World

Picking the best dart player in the world is often contentious – form is fickle and opinions are bound to vary – so the ten names below come straight from the PDC Order of Merit.

Each profile covers their nationality, nickname, and career highlights. We’ve also reserved space at the end to honour the legends and rising stars whose influence looms large over this sport.

Luke Humphries

A softly spoken lad from Berkshire, Luke Humphries entered 2025 as world number one and with the darts’ “Triple Crown” title on his shoulders. After lifting the 2024 world title, he took the 2025 Premier League and Masters, producing a near‑flawless season.

The cool demeanour that matches his nickname belies fierce determination. Humphries has been open about anxiety issues earlier in his career – overcoming them makes his calmness under pressure all the more impressive.

Luke Littler

On paper, teenagers aren’t supposed to win world titles against seasoned pros, but Luke Littler doesn’t care about the script. At just 18 he beat Michael van Gerwen 7‑3 to claim the 2025 world crown and added the World Matchplay and UK Open for good measure. 

His rapid scoring and unshakeable confidence have made him a fan favourite and have rattled some older players. He’s so popular that Warrington Wolves temporarily renamed their stadium the “Luke Littler Stadium” for one night. Expect the Nuke to be a supernova for years to come.

Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen is the sport’s modern talisman – an explosive, intimidating scorer who has terrified opponents for over a decade. In 2025 he cruised to the World Championship final before losing to Littler, yet he still showed his class by winning the German Darts Grand Prix.

Van Gerwen’s intensity can seem abrasive, but it underpins his success. He’s as likely to roar at a missed double as he is to fist‑pump at a perfect finish. His walk‑on music (Seven Nation Army) has become a legendary theme, with crowds chanting its riff throughout his matches.

Stephen Bunting

After years in the wilderness, Stephen Bunting exploded back into the limelight in 2024, winning the Masters by beating both Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen. In 2025 he continued his resurgence, reaching the world semi‑finals and grabbing World Series titles in Bahrain and the Nordic Darts Masters, before finally claiming a European Tour title.

Bunting’s smooth, textbook throwing action has returned alongside a new belief that he belongs at the top. His catchphrase (“Let’s go Bunting mental”) is popular both on social media and chanted by the crowd during matches.

James Wade

James Wade has built a career on efficiency. He isn’t as flashy as some contemporaries, but his metronomic action and unflappable demeanour often take him further than more celebrated names.

In 2025 he reached the UK Open final after defeating world number one Luke Humphries and returned to the winners’ circle by taking the Players Championship 19. Later in the year he reached the World Matchplay final, pushing Luke Littler all the way. 

Wade is also a qualified mechanic. His nickname is a nod to that and to his almost robotic consistency.

Jonny Clayton

Jonny Clayton’s story is one of late blooming: he was a plasterer before darts turned into his day job at the age of 47.

He remained a consistent threat in 2025, averaging 112.77 in the World Masters first round and later coming back from 5‑2 down to force a decider in the final against the winner Luke Humphries. He reached the UK Open semi‑finals and, alongside Gerwyn Price, took Wales to the World Cup final where they lost 10‑9 to Northern Ireland. 

Chris Dobey

Born in a darting family, Chris Dobey got his nickname “Hollywood” from his habit of playing with a baseball cap. He reached his first World Championship semi‑final in 2025 before losing to Michael van Gerwen. Dobey also starred in the Premier League, winning Night 11 in Rotterdam. 

While inconsistent at times, his explosive scoring and showmanship make him box‑office viewing. Dobey is also a lifelong Newcastle United fan and father of two sons.

Gerwyn Price

Gerwyn Price is a former rugby player who delights in winding up opponents and crowds. He reached the world quarter‑finals in 2025, then tore through the Pro Tour, winning Players Championship 2 (beating Chris Dobey in the final), PC 9 and PC 12.

In the Premier League he took nightly wins in Dublin, Nottingham, and Liverpool and hit two nine‑dart finishes, giving him more nine‑dart legs in that competition than anyone else. Wales reached the World Cup final, and Price later won the Poland Darts Masters and Baltic Sea Open. 

Off the oche he owns a fish and chip shop and once challenged YouTuber‑boxer Jake Paul to a fight.

Rob Cross

Rob Cross burst into the professional scene from amateur status to win the 2018 world title, defeating Phil Taylor in the final. His nickname “Voltage” references his pre‑darts profession as an electrician, and in 2025 he remained a live wire.

Although he crashed out in round two of the World Championship, he bounced back to win the Dutch Darts Masters against Stephen Bunting. Cross also captured Players Championship 1 and hit his first televised nine‑dart finish in the Premier League (Night 5). 

In June 2025 he was disqualified from being a company director for five years over unpaid taxes.

Damon Heta

Damon Heta embodies the surge of Australian darts. In late 2024 he produced one of the tournament’s magic moments – a nine‑dart finish against Luke Woodhouse at the World Championship. He took home a £60,000 bonus from sponsor Paddy Power, which he used to buy himself a Rolex.

He wasn’t selected for the Premier League despite being ranked eighth but shrugged it off and went on to win Players Championship 13 and 20. His run to the European Darts Open final (narrowly losing to Nathan Aspinall) signalled he’s a serious contender again. 

Heta previously worked as a roofer before moving to England.

Humphries vs Littler: Who’s the best dart player in the world right now?

Comparing Luke Humphries and Luke Littler feels a bit like comparing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the height of their rivalry, each really has compelling claims. Humphries is currently (as of September 2025) ranked world number one, sitting on £1,782,750 of prize money with Littler just behind on £1,533,000, less than £300,000 adrift.

That cushion comes from Humphries’ sensational end to 2023, when he swept the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals before adding the 2024 world title. By winning the 2025 Premier League final, he completed darts’ Triple Crown, becoming only the fourth man to do so.

Littler, though, is closing fast. The 18‑year‑old already has a world title, World Matchplay crown and UK Open to his name. His World Matchplay victory made him the youngest winner of the Phil Taylor Trophy and completed his own Triple Crown.

A subsequent Euro Tour success in Belgium reduced the ranking deficit to just £249,750, and because Littler is only in his second year on the tour all of his prize money counts towards the rankings while Humphries must defend the riches he earned in 2023.

So who is better? If you value longevity and the ability to defend titles, Humphries is still ahead: world number one, fourth Triple Crown holder and with more ranking points. If you’re taken by raw talent, rapid ascent and a knack for producing jaw‑dropping averages, then Littler looks like darts’ future and perhaps its present.

Honorable Mentions

Phil Taylor

The biggest name in darts. Phil “The Power” Taylor dominated the sport for three decades, winning a record 16 world championships and 87 major titles. He held the world number one spot for thirteen years and hit a record 11 televised nine‑dart finishes. 

Taylor retired after finishing runner‑up at the 2018 World Championship (he lost to Rob Cross) and dabbled with the World Seniors circuit from 2022 to 2024. His pioneering professionalism and ruthless finishing really changed expectations of what darts players could achieve.

Raymond van Barneveld

A national hero in the Netherlands, Raymond van Barneveld (nicknamed “Barney”) won five world titles, four in the BDO and one in the PDC (2007). He’s one of the select few to have beaten Phil Taylor in a World Championship final and popularised darts across continental Europe.

In 2025 he exited the World Championship in round two but reached the semi‑finals of the World Seniors Champion of Champions. 

Van Barneveld is also a knight of the Order of Orange‑Nassau.

Eric Bristow

The late Eric “Crafty Cockney” Bristow was darts’ first superstar. He won five world championships between 1980 and 1986, plus five World Masters titles. Bristow sponsored and mentored Phil Taylor and was instrumental in the 1993 split that created the PDC. His swagger and mind games intimidated opponents but also drew new fans to the sport.

Bristow continued playing into the PDC era and reached a World Championship semi‑final in 1997. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 60 during a Premier League event.

John Part

Canadian icon John “Darth Maple” Part proved that world titles aren’t the sole preserve of British players. He won the BDO crown in 1994 and added PDC world titles in 2003 and 2008, beating Phil Taylor in the 2003 final. 

Part attempted to regain his PDC Tour Card in 2024 but failed. He now contributes as one of the game’s best television commentators. His ability to calculate finishes quickly earned him a place in broadcasting booths even while he was still competing.

Peter Wright

Colourful Scot Peter “Snakebite” Wright is a two‑time world champion (2020 and 2022) known for his mohawk, snake motifs and habit of changing darts. After a poor 2024 season, he bounced back by winning the German Darts Championship, beating teenage sensation Luke Littler 8‑5 after reeling off six straight legs. 

At the 2025 World Championship he eliminated defending champion Luke Humphries before losing in the quarter‑finals to Stephen Bunting. He missed Premier League selection for the first time since 2013, but his flamboyance still draws crowds.

Trina Gulliver

Nicknamed the “Golden Girl”, Trina Gulliver dominated women’s darts for two decades. She captured ten world championships between 2001 and 2016 and six World Masters titles.

Gulliver’s longevity and consistency are remarkable. She also won the Women’s Desert Classic twice. She may no longer be on the main stage, but her haul of silverware leaves no doubt: Trina Gulliver is darts’ undisputed female GOAT.

Fallon Sherrock

Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to beat a man at the PDC World Championship in 2019 and has remained the sport’s biggest female star. In 2025 she qualified for the World Championship but lost to Ryan Meikle.

She won two PDC Women’s Series titles in 2025 and later announced she would take a break in 2026 to focus on her health due to kidney problems. Sherrock was appointed MBE in 2023 for services to darts. Whether she returns or not, she has already inspired a generation of young women to pick up arrows.

Mikuru Suzuki

Japanese trailblazer Mikuru “The Miracle” Suzuki shocked the darts world by winning back‑to‑back BDO world titles in 2019 and 2020. Those victories made her the first Japanese and first Asian darts world champion, in both the men’s and women’s events. 

She has since won PDC Women’s Series events and qualified for the 2024 PDC World Championship. Suzuki’s bubbly personality and “Baby Shark” walk‑on music have endeared her to fans. Japan remains underrepresented in darts, but her success could change that.