Over the course of a few centuries and two series, Angel and Spike have a complicated love/hate (mostly hate) relationship. Though Spike was sired by Drusilla, he seems to think of Angel as a sire, since he “taught him how to be a monster.” When Spike first came to Sunnydale he had one purpose, to cause chaos and kill the Slayer. With Angel now having a soul and being in love with Buffy, they were immediately enemies. When Angel became Angelus, Spike was jealous that he was once again playing second fiddle to him.

Things got even more intense and hilarious when Spike was brought back from the dead and tethered to Wolfram & Hart, the law firm Angel was running. They still deeply hated each other, but at the same time finally had the chance to explore their long, winding history. It didn’t help matters that they were now both in love with Buffy and had something real to fight over. Angel was a much more comedic show than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so David Boreanaz and James Marsters really got to showcase their brilliant comedy team chops. Here are the most hilarious Spike vs. Angel memes the Whedonverse has to offer.

15 SHIRTLESS ANGEL

There’s nothing Spike hated more than everyone constantly commented about how good looking Angel is. He frequently refers to him as pretty boy. It’s not like Spike is bad looking, he’s just incredibly insecure when it comes to Angel. The feeling is mutual, as their insecurity issues are one of the roots of their ongoing hatred.

Both of them repeatedly falling for the same woman doesn’t help things, as it often leads to them bugging Drusilla and Buffy about comparisons. Buffy usually handles it with a snarky comment or a punch, or sometimes both. For two men who are about 200 years old, it’s a ridiculously childish way to live, but hilarious to watch. Also we get a lot of shirtless scenes out of it, so that’s a win for everyone.

14 COOKIES

In a series filled with famous speeches, Buffy’s monologue to Angel in the series finale about how she needs him and Spike to give her time to discover herself is one of the show’s most famous. Basically, she tells him she’s cookie dough and isn’t done baking yet, so she’s not sure who is best for her to be with. It wasn’t the most coherent point she ever made, but it was nice to see her finally make a choice.

Spike wasn’t there for the big speech, but he heard about it later when Angel had a breakdown about Buffy dating the Immortal. Seriously, he may have even cried. Knowing Spike, his reaction would not have been as understanding as Angel. He would have had something ridiculous, inappropriate and funny to say about Buffy calling herself cookie dough.

13 ANGEL AND SPIKE ARE SPARKLE FREE

Obviously, the minute Twilight came out, it was destined to be compared to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The film series is the butt of a lot of jokes since its vampires aren’t very scary when compared with others. This is never more true than when they are put up against Angel and Spike.

It’s been well established on both Buffy and Angel that Spike and Angelus are the two most evil creatures the world has ever seen. At their worst they have no trouble killing anything in their path. When they’re working with the good guys they also have no problem tapping into those evil origins to protect the ones they love. This all means that the Cullens would be no match for the boys on their best day.

12 SPIKE IS ANGEL’S DATE

During season five of Angel, the duo’s relationship changed into more of a buddy comedy, where they still hated each other, but instead of killing one another, they just tried to make the other’s life miserable. Of course, they did still punch each other from time to time. Spike got especially good at this when he was a ghost with time on his hands.

On a trip to discover why Buffy was now dating the Immortal, they had to talk their way past his butler and Spike never misses a moment to rub Angel the wrong way. It’s one of those episodes that highlights their shared history and reminds us that they still hate each other. It’s really difficult when you’re in an endless fight with someone who knows all your secrets.

11 FAITH MEETS THE NEW SPIKE

In the final season of Buffy, Spike had a soul and was helping train the new generation of slayers. After Willow made a trip to LA to help out Team Angel, she came back to Sunnydale with Faith. Naturally, she was surprised to see Spike now a trusted member of the Scooby Gang.

Her first words upon finding out he has a soul, is that he’s now just like Angel. That was definitely the last thing Spike wanted to hear. He had to know that the minute he showed up with a soul, everyone would compare him to Angel. There was even a quick second where it seemed like having two vampires with a soul would be a problem, but that was just a trick. He may never admit it, but Angel was probably a big inspiration for Spike’s decision.

10 BLAME JOSS

Over the years, there’s been a lot of think pieces about how Disney has screwed up young people’s expectations for the perfect man. With all the Prince Charmings sweeping Princesses off their feet, it’s impossible for a regular person to live up to those standards. However, as it turns out Joss Whedon is actually responsible for all the unreal expectations for husbands and boyfriends.

No one is saying Angel and Spike are perfect, but who didn’t get all mushy when Angel gave Buffy a claddagh ring for her birthday or when he showed up to dance with her at the prom. Then Spike was the one constant in Buffy’s life during her fight with the First. That speech professing his love is still a guaranteed tearjerker. No normal guy could ever live up to all that.

9 ANGEL, SPIKE AND JOYCE

Buffy may be an all-powerful Slayer, but like any other girl, prospective boyfriends have to go through her mom first. This is especially true of Buffy and Joyce, who have been on their own for such a long time that they’re very close. For awhile Joyce didn’t know about her daughter’s slayer status and vampire boyfriend. Despite Buffy’s super strength and extra abilities, she is a very overprotective mother.

In this hilarious moment, Joyce is just trying to protect her daughter from a man she doesn’t think is worthy. Since he’s still very evil here, Spike loved every moment of his being invited in, while Angel was stuck outside. Looking back this may have been the early catalyst for their feud over Buffy’s affections.

8 ANGEL LIKES SPIKE’S POEMS

Before he was Spike, he was known as William the Bloody. Unfortunately for him, this nickname wasn’t about his propensity for violence as much as it was about his terrible poetry. This sad moniker came from his poems being “bloody awful.” It’s completely possible the tortured artist side of his personality made have led to the extra glee he took in killing his victims.

On Angel, as the team readied itself to take on the Circle of the Black Thorn and the Senior Partners, they took time to enjoy their last night alive. Spike headed to an open-mic night to get all his poems out of his system before the big battle. Shortly before all this, in a rare quiet moment between the two, Angel confessed that he actually liked Spike’s poems. Further proof that all this animosity really stems from them being more like brothers who like to fight.

7 ANGEL AND SPIKE ATTACK THE FAIL SAFE

Even in the middle of all their constant bickering, Angel and Spike know there’s no one better to have with them in a fight. As much as Angel hated having Spike hanging around Wolfram & Hart, he knew he needed him when the final battle came.

Despite all that knowledge, sometimes they just can’t help themselves. When Lindsey McDonald came back for revenge against the team and the law firm, Angel had to follow him to the basement of the offices to stop him. Of course the Senior Partners put in a fail safe, so he needed help to get through it. Naturally, he didn’t want anyone he really cared about to get hurt and these guys can’t resist the chance for a petty quip, no matter how dire the situation.

6 ANGEL IS IN A MEETING

Though it’s not an important moment, it just shows the everyday regularity with which these two insult each other. They’ve basically been together for over 200 years. As much as they complain they wouldn’t know what to do without each other.

Spike didn’t really have a father, so once he started traveling with Angel, it was his first experience with having a solid male figure in his life. For his part, Angel has wanted a family since he killed his own, and loathe as he may be to admit it, Spike is part of the new family he has created for himself. They’ve actually been together longer than they were with all of their love interests. At this point in their relationship, they’ve become an old married couple.

5 SPIKE DRAWS ANGEL

Though they would never admit it, Spike and Angel are actually very similar. Considering Angel taught Spike how to be a vampire it makes sense. Their long lives, for better or worse, have been intertwined. First it was Drusilla they fought over, then it became Buffy. While the competition for Dru was more about winning, with Buffy there was actual love involved.

In the series finale of Buffy, Angel showed up to bring her the amulet and to fight at her side. She sent him away for both practical and emotional reasons. Spike saw them together and decided he wanted to repeatedly punch Angel’s face. In lieu of the actual Angel, Spike used his hilarious rendering of how he sees his rival. Buffy is all for a real fight, possibly with oils of some kind.

4 SPIKE RETURNS

Following the battle with the First, Angel no doubt thought he was finally rid of Spike. He was taking over Wolfram & Hart and starting a new chapter of his life. He had literally just killed a bunch of evil special ops guys when the mysterious amulet reappears and out pops Spike. As expected no one was happy to see him. Well almost no one. Harmony, ever the optimist, was thrilled to see her ex.

Though he eventually came to terms with being brought back, Spike wasn’t especially happy about the return either. Understandable since he was a ghost being pulled into Hell. He had his special moment with Buffy, then went out like hero by saving the world. There’s really no improving on that exit.

3 CAPTAIN PEROXIDE

Angel and Buffy’s love story was epic, romantic and dangerous. They fell hard and the whole world was drawn into their emotional drama. After he left for Los Angeles, Angel would occasionally show up in Sunnydale to check on her. Though he knew they couldn’t be together, it doesn’t mean he was happy about her moving on with other guys. He really didn’t like it when one of those new guys turned out to be Spike.

When he came to town to give her the amulet to fight the First, Angel discovered Buffy was now with Spike. Of all the guys she could have chosen, his mortal enemy was not what he wanted to hear. Of course, if we’re being honest, he doesn’t really want her with anyone else. This is just another chapter in their ongoing battle of wills.

2 SPIKE STABS ANGEL

The really great thing about the fifth season of Angel was how funny it is. A big part of that was adding James Marsters’ Spike to the cast. The chemistry between Marsters and Boreanaz made every scene memorable. They had a whole season to expand on Spike and Angel’s extensive history. It also completely switched up the dynamic of their relationship.

Even in the middle of the fight there’s always time for them to get into an argument. Especially when Spike stabs Angel. Though, he does take the time to mention that stabbing him is not Spike’s preferred way of harming Angel. The hilarious visual of Angel walking around with a sword running through him makes the bickering even better. It’s one of their best scenes together.

1 SPIKE WANTS TO BETRAY ANGEL

There’s something oddly comforting about the fact that at the end of the world, Spike still has time to get a jab in at Angel. For everyone on Team Angel, the stakes had never been higher. They decided to go straight after the Circle of the Black Thorn and defy the Senior Partners.

Following time to enjoy possibly their last day on Earth, Angel gave the team one of his stirring pep talks. As part of the plan, he knew someone would have to turn on him and naturally we all assumed it would be Spike. Of course, he was ready to volunteer for the job. In the end it was actually Wesley who pretended to betray Angel and Spike was standing next to him, ready to fight by his side during the final battle.