By Dylan MacIsaac
The dust has settled on one of the craziest World Darts Championships in recent memory, with a record 128 participants making for more drama than ever. Let’s revisit the best moments, from wasps, to walk-ons, to whitewashes.
10 The crazy walk-ons
🚨 SAKAI IS BACK 🚨
Truly an Ally Pally legend 😂
Motomu Sakai's Round Two walk-on might be better than his first 🔥
📺 https://t.co/59TualjgND #WCDarts | R2 pic.twitter.com/3cC08F4zBd
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2025
Walk-ons are such a huge part of the modern darting brand with players such as Nathan Aspinall even accused of being picked for last year’s Premier League solely for his walk-on song.
Debutant Motomu Sakai’s was the pick of the bunch this year, as the Japanese player’s anime anthem inspired him to victory over Frenchman Thibault Tricole. The song may not be to everyone’s cup of tea, but it was certainly memorable, and Sakai’s energy made the moment what it was.
9 The (re)emergence of Wessel Nijman
Just a few years removed from his return a scandal that saw him banned from the sport for match fixing, Dutchman Wessel Nijman is climbing his way back up the rankings. The 24 year old has impressed all year, winning a Player’s Championship title and making his way to 29th in the PDC Order of Merit.
Despite a loss to Gabriel Clemens in the second round this year, this is a man who was in discussions with Gian Van Veen about being the hottest young talent around. Claims like that don’t get thrown around lightly, and Nijman will be hoping to replicate the success of his compatriot.
He has long since apologized for his actions back in 2020 and now advocates against match fixing, warning others of the dangers. Despite a chequered past, it’s good to see one of the game’s most exciting prospects back on track.
8 Littler claps back at the critics
Luke Littler’s short time on the circuit has already produced a catalogue of memorable moments, both on and away from the oche.
Becoming the back-to-back World Champ will undoubtedly gain anyone plaudits but can come with its share of jealousy and distaste, as demonstrated by the crowd booing him in his last 32 clash with Rob Cross. Littler addressed the onslaught, telling the crowd: “your tickets pay for my prize money so thank you for booing me.”
Controversial? Perhaps, but often the best are, and Littler certainly backed up his statement by hitting the jackpot on the new £1 million prize fund. Something tells me he can live with the boos if he keeps picking those up.
7 Van Veen’s statement victory
Gian Van Veen’s entire championship was spectacular as he reached his first final at the Palace after failing to win a game in each of his first two appearances. His best darts came in a shock quarter final win against Luke Humphries, where pounded in a 105.41 average to sweep aside the World no.2 by five sets to one.
Gian winning wasn’t the shocking part, after all he was third favourite for the title ahead of the opening day, but it was the manner of victory that took people by surprise.
There is little praise left to be sung when it comes to the former champions accolades, so to see him defeated in such a manner when still posting a 101.12 average himself showed the world just what ‘The Giant’ is capable of. Van Veen has done what many thought was impossible and cemented his name into the former two-horse race atop the darting pyramid.
6 Ryan Searle opens up about rare condition
Ryan Searle has been an excellent darts player for a long time now, but his struggles on the biggest stage of them all meant he had never progressed past the fourth round at the World’s before reaching this year’s semi-finals.
Despite playing superbly throughout, it was one of his interviews that proved to be the most inspiring part of the run. After his emphatic 5-2 victory over Jonny Clayton in the quarter finals, Searle opened up about his battle with a condition called Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy, which badly affects his vision.
He claims that on his worst days he is unable to see where his darts land and often has to ask the referee for assistance. To reach the heights he has with such a big physical disadvantage is beyond admirable, and Searle remarks that “If I can inspire people that maybe can’t see as well to pick up the game, then it means a lot to me.”
5 The return of the wasp
One of the most talked about visitors to the stage this year wasn’t one of the players, referees or indeed anyone involved in the PDC, but one, tiny little wasp. Whilst we can’t say for certain that the creature causing so much disruption was in fact the same one every time, it certainly had a pretty good radar of knowing exactly who to land on and when.
The wasp has been around for years, but really made its mark this year, and produced one of the most viral moments of the tournament when Nitin Kumar’s dart appeared to clatter into the wasp in mid-air.
Sightings also included: an incognito visit to Ross Smith’s neck, being flicked off of Ted Evetts’ collar, forcing Jurgen Van de Velde to spray himself in the eye with insect repellent, and turning Luke Littler into the second coming of Mike Tyson as he bobbed and weaved away from it in the final. A truly brilliant showing yet again from the wasp.
4 Paul Lim wins at 71
This year produced cult heroes galore with the likes of Justin Hood and David Munyua charming millions around the world, but before all of them came Paul Lim.
The soon to be 72-year-old yet again defied the odds by beating Jeffrey De Graaf, becoming the oldest player to win on the stage a whole 43 years after his maiden World Championship appearance.
You may argue that a sport like darts is easier to maintain into your later years than others, but competing, let alone winning at the pinnacle of the game in your 70s cannot be underestimated and cements the Singapore Slinger’s status as a true darting legend.
3 A farewell to two icons
Watching the darts will look and feel vastly different next year due to two legends of the game calling it quits after this year’s World’s. John McDonald and George Noble have been mainstays on the Palace stage for almost 20 years each, with even the casual fan likely recognising their faces, if not their voices.
They both received an appropriate sendoff by being inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame, and with their last outing being the game’s showpiece event between its two brightest young sparks, it felt like the torch was being passed to the next generation.
2 Happy Feet defeats Rocky
You could pick any moment from Justin Hood’s spellbinding campaign and it would deserve a place on this list. The English debutant forged his way all the way to the quarter finals, ultimately losing out 5-2 to Gary Anderson. But the round before was where he truly announced himself with a dominant 4-0 rout over one of the favourites in Josh Rock.
‘Happy Feet’ just could not miss, as he hit 11/11 doubles to set a new World Championship record. He captured the hearts of the darting world with his dreams of opening a Chinese takeaway, but make no mistake, Justin Hood isn’t just a fun character. He has what it takes to compete with the best, and with his new-found financial backing, his best could be yet to come.
1 The best set ever
The standard of darts keeps improving year on year: ton-plus checkouts and maximums verge on routine from the best players on tour, but a set containing two 170 finishes will never not be special.
Anderson’s 10-darter and big fish in two legs put him on the brink of taking the fifth set to lead 3-2. But Van Veen was never out of it, going fishing himself and somehow condemning Anderson to defeat despite a 117.44 average.
What could have been a one set lead turned into three for the Giant, whose 111.46 average in what is being labelled ‘the best set ever’ proved crucial to reaching his first final.