Professional darts has never been short of characters. Some players are adored like national treasures, others are booed like cartoon baddies – and the beauty is, most of them secretly love it either way.
Rankings can decide who’s technically the best, but popularity? That’s dictated by fans in fancy dress after three jugs of lager. It’s unpredictable, irrational, and often completely unpredictable. Let’s take a tour through some of the game’s most cheered – and jeered.
Eric Bristow - The Template
Before the PDC and SKY television it fell to The Crafty Cockney to sketch the blueprint of the modern darts player. Nickname, logo, unique throw - with raised pinky finger and a swagger and charisma that has not been matched since.
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Early on this arrogance had crowds booing and even throwing beer cans onto the stage. Soon Eric’s ability to charm even the hardest hearts and his sublime ability to back up his arrogance on the oche ensured that our game’s formula had been defined, honed and fully illustrated by one man!
Peter Manley – The PDC’s Pantomime Villain
If darts has a Mount Rushmore of mischief-makers, One Dart would be chiselled front and centre, wearing a smug grin and a loud pink shirt. Manley was the first true pantomime villain, bouncing onto stage to Amarillo while audiences booed gleefully. Not genuine hate – more the kind you reserve for soap villains.
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He played his role to perfection. Captain Hook in tungsten form – all playful evil, winding up opponents with little tricks and mind games. The crowd loved it. Three-time World Championship runner-up, master of psychology, and a man who turned jeers into part of the spectacle. Deep down, everyone knew they didn’t really hate him – they were just in on the joke.
Paul Nicholson – The Corporate Heel
If darts had casting directors, they’d give Paul Nicholson a contract immediately. A clever bloke and a wrestling superfan, Nicholson understood that a crowd doesn’t remember beige. You’ve got to be a hero or a villain – nothing in between. He chose villain.
PDC / Darts World Magazine
The shades, the shirt and tie combo, the smug swagger – Nicholson looked like the world’s most arrogant office worker who’d just closed a big deal. But then he won things, too. A major champion who backed up the bravado, his entrances and snarling celebrations wound up crowds brilliantly. He was darts’ answer to the guy in school who was too clever for his own good. You couldn’t ignore him, which was exactly the point.
Gerwyn Price – From Boo-Boy to Big Noise
Gezzy is proof that darts fans can turn on you faster than a dodgy curry. His infamous Grand Slam bust-up with Gary Anderson painted him as the pantomime villain overnight. The booing was relentless, and unlike with Manley or Nicholson, it wasn’t tongue-in-cheek. It was genuine dislike.
But Price is as stubborn as they come. A former rugby player, he wasn’t about to cry into his protein shake. He kept winning. World titles, majors galore – all while getting booed to the rafters. And then, magically, the tide shifted. Now, especially across Europe, he’s cheered like a hero. One day a villain, the next a fan favourite – Price’s story is a lesson in resilience, and in how quickly darts crowds can change their minds once you keep lifting trophies.
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Dimitri Van den Bergh – From Dreammaker to Nightmare
Dimi was once darts’ sweetheart. The Dreammaker, smiling, dancing, bouncing onto stage with a charm offensive that melted audiences. For a while, he was the poster boy of European darts. Then… something changed. And it began with the sweet small of success.
The dancing became cheesy rather than charming. The interviews developed a streak of arrogance. And when he started grabbing the mic from reporters to conduct his own post-match chats, it all felt a bit too much. The applause dwindled, the boos crept in, and suddenly Dimi’s fairy tale had a darker twist. He’s still young, still talented, but the love story with fans has definitely cooled.
Stephen Bunting – Everybody’s Mate
Some players divide opinion. Stephen Bunting isn’t one of them. Universally liked, he’s basically the darts equivalent of your favourite uncle – the one who brings the best stories to Christmas dinner. Off stage, he’s warm, approachable, and funny. On stage, he sings with the crowd, throws with a smile, and always has time for fans.
Among players, he’s equally popular. No gossip, no tantrums, no scandal – just a genuinely nice bloke who happens to be brilliant at darts. Bunting doesn’t have to force the fan-favourite role; he lives it. He might be called The Bullet, but he couldn’t hit a bad headline if he tried.
Luke Littler – The Wunderkind
The prodigy that has taken darts from pub chatter to global headlines. A teenage World Champion who’s already changed the game, he’s idolised in Warrington and revered around the world. He’s not just a player; he’s a phenomenon.
Sure, some mutter that he’s a bit cocky. But when you’re winning everything in sight at such a tender age, a little swagger is hardly shocking. Most see him as a role model, proof that talent and hard graft can change your life.
Germany, however, is another story. A few less-than-diplomatic social media remarks soured things, and he’s not exactly beloved there. Littler’s response? Skip German events altogether. When you’re the World Champ, you get to pick your battles – and honestly, it’s their loss. Littler will be cheered everywhere else - except maybe in Liverpool where openly proud Manchester United fans will always struggle for affection!
Final Word
Darts thrives on characters. The heroes, the villains, the ones who make you sing, and the ones you love to boo. It’s part pantomime, part theatre, part sport – and fans wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, what’s a show without its villains?
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