The Definitive List of Top 10 Best Darts Players - Edgar's Selection & Data Revealed

Top 10 Table

Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 Darts World Championship and the emergence of Luke Littler, the opportunity to debate has once again come to the fore and what better debate than trying to list the top 10 players of all-time. 

It may be a little too early for Littler to be placed among his newfound peers but there are plenty of talents that are worthy of inclusion and if you know your Jockie Wilsons from your Gerwyn Price, they are just two names that have missed out on a top 10 ranking.

At least in the opinion of Darts star Matt Edgar and with the professional player making a recent YouTube video with Glenn Durrant on this very subject, it is time to add some context to the 10 men that the Doncaster-born Edgar has selected.

Before we add that context, we shall first list the top 10 and highlight what major accolades they each have won: 

World Titles either WDF or PDC

The 10 Best Darts Players Ever

In the video, I'm very quick to state that it is not just a simple trophy haul exercise and he has also considered two other pieces of criteria. Those being longevity within the sport and also the impact these players have had.

Now that these additional rules are in place, let's break down the logic behind the top 10:

1. Phil Taylor

Dartsman0003, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

This top 10 may not be based on trophies alone but even with additional criteria in place, it would be exceptionally difficult to look past Phil Taylor as the number one pick. ‘The Power’ has won no less than 16 World Championships in total and is arguably the name which synonymous with the sport.

Not only has he won 16 World Championships but he can also call upon just as many World Matchplay crowns and 11 World Grand Prix titles. Add an additional WDF World Masters victory and these trophies only highlight his longevity and the impact that he has had on the sport. 

ALSO READ

World Matchplay Darts Betting Guide

2. Michael van Gerwen

Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

When any player retires after being the undisputed best of the game, the baton always has to be passed on and it is fair to say that in Darts, it is Michael van Gerwen who has since taken possession from Taylor.

Considered the king of the sport’s modern era, the Dutchman has won three World Championships and as many World Matchplay titles. In addition, van Gerwen has been a World Grand Prix winner on six separate occasions to go along one World Masters – the sport of Darts is in good hands.

ALSO READ

World Grand Prix Darts Betting Guide

3. Eric Bristow

If Taylor passed the baton to van Gerwen, then Eric Bristow must have been in possession of it first. The ‘Crafty Cockney’ was undoubtedly the sport’s first genuine superstar and that stardom was steeped in his five World Championship wins. 

Just as many World Masters crowns would be collected and this was during a period when there was far less tournaments to be contested. As a consequence, if Bristow was on the entry list there was a very high chance of him scooping the prize and this is why he finds himself third on the list. 

ALSO READ

World Masters Darts Betting Guide

4. Gary Anderson

Fourth in the list is none other than Gary Anderson and although the Scot may not have won as many accolades as the three above, there is no doubt that he has earned his listing due to sheer longevity and putting in the hard yards over the years.

Anderson has twice been a World Champion and also has a single World Matchplay to his name. After joining the then named BDO circuit in 2000, he would not land his PDC world titles until 2015 and 2016. Long service paying off in the end for ‘The Flying Scotsman’ and he is not done yet either.

5. Raymond van Barneveld

Rounding out the top five is none other that Raymond van Barneveld and although the Dutchman may have felt the full force of Luke Littler during the 2024 World Championships, his defeat to the 16-year-old will do nothing to tarnish his legacy.

Especially as Barney as he is better known has won no less than five World Championships and also two World Masters crowns. A career that has already seen one retirement and subsequent comeback and the pinnacle must have been the 2007 PDC success over Phil Taylor. 

6. Adrian Lewis

Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In at six is Adrian Lewis and often considered as the protégé of Phil Taylor, that tutelage was repaid with two World Championships in 2011 and 2012. They may be the only major titles that the Stoke-born player has won, but it is fair to say he has offered a lot more to the sport.

If only because, this sport is built on characters and with the story of hero going up against boo-boy, Lewis has been more than happy to add to the pantomime that comes with playing the role of the latter. Not a crowd favourite, but one to certainly whip up the crowd at the same time. 

7. Dennis Priestley

Another man with two World Championships to his name is Dennis Priestley and with him being one of a handful of men to conquer the power of Phil Taylor, this is good reason for his inclusion in the top 10. 

Seventh on the list for Priestley and also a World Masters crown to add to his collection. The 73-year-old may not be remembered by newer fans of the sport, but he was part of the pack that walked so the rest of the sport could run.

8. Peter Wright

By Darts Actueel on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTDeL8ldgEc at about 0:50, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124697934

Perhaps better known for his colourful hairdos than anything else, Peter Wright squeezes into eighth on the list. The Scottish ace has also picked up two World Championships and after success in 2020 and 2022, his purple patch of form would see this sandwiched by a World Matchplay in 2021.

Wright has undoubtedly had an impact on the sport if only because of his garish outfits at the oche. They may not be too everybody’s taste, but they certainly place eyes on the sport and that is exactly what it needs if it is to keep growing.

9. John Part

A name that newer followers of Darts may only know him as a commentator but to say John Part only analyses the efforts of others would be doing the Canadian a massive disservice and especially as he has won three World Championships.

The Darth Maple is also another player to have got the better of Phil Taylor in a PDC final and with Part opening up the sport to a whole new audience in North America, his efforts have helped turned Darts into a global powerhouse.  

10. James Wade 

Last on the list is James Wade and he has the unwanted honour of being the only player of the 10 to never win a World Championship with either organising body. No climbing of the summit but one World Matchplay and two World Grand Prix to help soften the blow.

Considered as one of the nearly men within the world of Darts, Wade’s failure to land the big one has endeared him to many and because of this, his repeated attempts and the ongoing story connected to it only grow his own impact on the sport.