To define the best leg of darts ever requires setting what the best is at the start. There is the obvious 9-dart leg, the perfect leg of darts, which should rightly be thought of as the best. You cannot hit anything better in the sport.
There have been many in darts history, but within that, there are those that stand above the other. The ones that take in the iconic moments, the context of the match, the legacy of the players who hit it, and then the statistical significance.
The best are those that incorporate all those factors to live longest in the memory of the fans, creating unforgettable moments that are watched, shared, and spoken about years after the final dart hits the board.
Below, we look into the best darts legs ever, in the history of the sport.
The first ever televised 9
A good start for the best-ever leg of darts is to look at the first. John Lowe hit a nine-dart finish on October 13th, 1984, in the World Matchplay tournament against Keith Deller. It was shown on a highlights programme on ITV, so it was not live; however, it was the first that was shown on TV.
The significance of the first cannot be understated. It is important for the excitement and growth of darts to establish the perfect leg as the benchmark of excellence in the sport. It elevated Lowe to legendary status and no doubt inspired people to take up the sport.
The £102,000 prize money that Lowe collected was colossal for darts in the 80s, as it showed the potential rewards for following it as a career.
18 perfect darts in one match or 17 perfect darts in a row?
Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is the greatest darts player of all time, and Michael van Gerwen (MVG) could arguably be called the second best. These two have defined the sport since the turn of the century and can be attributed to the growth of darts we have seen since then. Both men have claims to being involved in the best legs of darts of all time, and both feats were quite spectacular.
Taylor’s best leg, or in this case legs, came in the 2010 Premier League of Darts Final against James Wade. In just the second leg of the game, Taylor hit the coveted nine-dart finish before repeating the feat in the 15th leg. The Power became the first player in darting history to hit two nine-dart finishes in one game.
The argument would be made that the second nine-dart finish that Taylor hit is one of the best legs of darts ever seen. Not only was it the first time someone had hit two nines in a game, but he did it in the final of a televised major. The setting, the importance, the legacy of it and the player who did it, all add to that leg being one we will always remember. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, allegedly, but it did for Taylor, and it was amazing.
MVG has actually done the same as Taylor, hitting two nine-darters in the 2017 UK Open Qualifier 4. Whilst being equally impressive, the setting means it doesn’t hold the same gravitas as Taylor’s. But what MVG did in the 2013 World Darts Championship was as, or maybe even more, impressive.
James Wade must have real mental strength, because he was the victim again here of darting history. In the semifinal of the 2013 World Darts Championship, Van Gerwen was up 3-1 in sets, with Wade two legs ahead in the fifth. Rather than let the set slide away, MVG hit a perfect leg. Now 2-1 in legs, Van Gerwen followed with eight perfect darts, missing the double 12 to hit back-to-back nine-dart finishes. History had to settle for 17 perfect darts in a row.
Whilst not being a single leg again, the follow-up from hitting that nine-darter is something that has never been seen in darts and hasn’t been seen since. Together, they make up some of the best legs of darts we have ever seen and cemented a young MVG at the time as a true darts wonder.
“They’re both on nines, they’re both on a nine!”
Two legs hold many of the attributes of the legs of darts already followed, but also add the scoring significance. These two legs are statistically the best legs of darts that we have ever seen.
The second-best leg statistically was in the semifinal of the 2025 World Matchplay, where Luke Littler and Josh Rock wowed the crowd. Littler threw first and nailed a 180, before Rock followed suit. Then Littler hit another 180, before Rock followed suit. Littler then faced the board and hit T20, T17 before finishing on D15 and seeing off the nine-dart leg.
It was an incredible piece of darting history that saw both players in the leg hit nothing but perfect darts. For a leg of darts, it is one of the best we have ever seen, yet there is one better.
In the 2023 PDC World Darts Final, Michael Smith hit what is widely regarded as the best leg of darts ever. Statistically speaking, it is because both players were on nine-dart finishes, just one missed the final dart and the other hit.
But what Smith did was truly iconic as it came in the biggest game in darts, and was against MVG, which helped him win the title, and cemented his place as the PDC World No. 1.
In the third leg of the second set of the final, Smith was one set down. With the score one leg apiece in the set, the third leg saw Van Gerwen thrown first and hit a 180. Smith did the same, and then MVG returned for a 177. Smith stayed in T60 and hit a 180.
Both players were on nine-dart finishes, but MVG missed his final dart at D12 to set the stage for Smith. T60, T19, and D12 were hit to end what is surely the best leg of darts in the history of the sport.
Smith became the first player to register a nine-dart finish in the same leg that an opponent had missed theirs by one dart, and became the second player to hit a nine in the final of the PDC World Championships.
The whole leg was immortalised by the sheer delight, joy and amazement of commentator Wayne Mardle, who, as the fans went mental, screamed, “That is the most amazing leg of darts you will ever see in your life! I can't speak! I can't speak!”