Is Luke Littler Unstoppable?

Luke Littler was the heavy favourite to win the 2026 World Darts Championship, and his dominance has sparked talk of invincibility. The 18-year-old dropped just four sets throughout the tournament, the lowest number for a world champion since Phil Taylor in 2010. Littler's impressive performance has led many to wonder if he is getting to the point where he is unbeatable. According to Sky Sports Darts' Wayne Mardle, 'Luke has just got these levels under pressure. There is nothing that he can't do on a darts board and there is no situation that you are in, as his opponent, that is safe.' Littler had a stunning 2025, winning six of the eight majors, and has won 37 of his last 38 matches at televised ranking major tournaments. He is currently on a 20-match unbeaten streak, with his most recent defeat coming in the second round of the European Championship in October against James Wade. His level and numbers have not been seen since Michael van Gerwen in 2017, when the Dutchman was being crowned by some as the greatest darts player of all time alongside Phil Taylor. Littler himself is aware that he must prove himself again, but he is confident in his abilities and wants to be remembered for the titles he wins and the legacy he leaves behind. 'I want to be remembered for the titles that I win, the nine-darters I hit and I want to put down a legacy here [at Alexandra Palace],' he said after retaining his world title. 'I want to win so many trophies. There's so many years left.' There are no signs that Littler will lift his foot off the gas anytime soon, and if his legacy is going to be judged purely on world titles, the longer format only helps him dominate. He has lost just one match in his career in contests that have lasted 20 legs and longer, and that was the 2024 World Championship final against Luke Humphries. The longer format almost guarantees that he will have an incredible purple patch where he locks in, splatters the treble 20 bed and barely misses a double. World Championship runner-up Gian van Veen was hammered 7-1 by Littler and admitted that he was 'unplayable' in Saturday's final. 'He puts you under pressure every leg, every set. You can't miss too many darts at double. If you leave a double after 12, you can't even come back because he's that good,' said Van Veen, the new Dutch No 1. Littler's ability to flick a switch when needed has arguably stopped him from being in trouble. His first-round match against Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas saw him taken to a deciding leg in the opening set against his throw, before going on to win 3-0. Similarly, in the second round, Wales' David Davies missed three set darts to claim the first set before Littler broke him and held throw, then coasted to another 3-0 whitewash. Sky Sports Darts' John Part said, 'He's had little tests in almost every match and passed them pretty well. He had to stand up for himself to keep things from getting ugly.' Littler saw off former world champion Rob Cross 4-2 in the fourth round, his most dramatic contest at this year's World Championship. The crowd turned on him as they wanted a Cross fightback, but Littler turned on the style to avoid a deciding set. Cross, at 2-1 up in legs to send the match to a seventh and final set, had a set dart but missed, and Littler pounced with an incredible 10-darter before holding throw to get over the line. In that sixth set, Cross averaged 110, but Littler averaged 116, and as Mardle pointed out on commentary, if you are a spectator or opponent that goes against the teenager, you are simply 'poking the bear.' 'To be a world champion and world No 1, playing under pressure and not buckling or folding, that's what makes you the best,' he said. Even in the final, Van Veen missed the chance to go 2-0 up in sets, which perhaps would have changed the course of what would be one of the most one-sided finales seen at Alexandra Palace. It is not that Littler wasn't tested in this tournament; he was. He just prevented bigger tests. The world champion said, 'It's not effortless. You always have to put the effort in. On the TV, it might not look like it, but there's always effort being put in.' For perhaps the first time, we can say this is now the Luke Littler era - it is just a case of how long it will last. Van Gerwen had a four-season spell from 2014 to 2017 but 'only' won two world titles in that period. Littler is turning Alexandra Palace into home soil, and it holds a 'special place' in his heart, so the inevitable question around catching Phil Taylor's record 16 world titles was put to him. 'Obviously, it's so far away. I still have 14 to go. Another 15, 16 years I'd say!' he half-joked. 'If it happens, it happens. I'll be around for a very long time. I'm here to win. Me being so young and already picking up two of these, obviously, it's 14 to go. But it's a long way to go. Who knows if I could reach it? If I get a five or six, I'll be happy.' To put Taylor's astonishing World Championship record into perspective, he reached the final for 14 years in a row from 1994 to 2007, losing just three times. Littler would have to effectively play at the dizzy heights he's at now for over another decade to give himself a chance to match the legendary Taylor. Mardle said, 'When Phil Taylor played well, he won. When Michael van Gerwen played well, he won, it's about Luke Littler at the moment. The format doesn't matter. He's just the best.' Littler joins Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Gian van Veen as the four automatic qualifiers for the 2026 Premier League season, with the remaining four names set to be revealed on Monday afternoon.