Luke Littler begins his World Darts Championship title defence on Thursday evening, taking on Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas at Alexandra Palace with a historic £1million winner's prize up for grabs.
The 18-year-old sensation, who became the youngest ever champion when he lifted the Sid Waddell trophy in January, has sent a clear four-word message to anyone hoping to unsettle him through psychological tactics.
"You can't rattle me," he confidently stated.
The Warrington star is the overwhelming favourite to claim darts' first seven-figure prize.
Luke Littler has told opponents they cannot rattle him
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The world number one has already faced attempts to throw him off his game this year. At last month's Players Championship finals in Minehead, both Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko and Nathan Aspinall tried their luck with gamesmanship.
Pietreczko told Littler during their match that he only expected to win a single leg when the contest was level at 5-5.
"No one can get in my head because if you say something to me, I'll block it out and I'll just get on with my job," Littler declared.
Aspinall also had a go backstage during their final encounter.
"I think it was 6-4 at the break, me and Nathan went backstage and Nathan jokingly said to me, 'I only expected to get one leg, I've got four on you.' But yeah, that's what players try and do," Littler revealed.
Luke Littler became the youngest-ever world champion earlier this year
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The teenager's response to Pietreczko's comments was emphatic – a stunning 121 checkout featuring bullseye, treble seven, bullseye before going on to secure victory.
That win was just one highlight in a remarkable year that has seen Littler completely dominate the sport. He's claimed six major TV titles in 2025, including the UK Open, World Matchplay, Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship.
His form has been so impressive that he's overtaken Luke Humphries to become world number one, drawing comparisons with legends Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen who similarly intimidated opponents before matches even began.
The inaugural £1million prize marks a significant moment for darts, though it still trails behind tennis's £3m Wimbledon pot and golf's £2.3m Open Championship reward.
Littler, who recently passed his driving test, insists he won't get carried away with such riches on the line.
"I won't showboat if there's £1m on the line – that's a bit different. But I think I can get better and better," he said.
Standing in his way will be several dangerous contenders. Humphries, who beat Littler in the final two years ago, will fancy his chances, while Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock are all capable of causing an upset.