Why I would’ve chosen Spike over Angel on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’

Okay, let me preface this by saying, I know that most people would’ve picked Angel over Spike in a heartbeat when it came to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Spike was actually way better. I know what you’re thinking, Angel was Buffy’s true love and blah, blah, blah, but he wasn’t that perfect and he was definitely flawed.

Sure, Angel was ridiculously good looking and did love Buffy, but Spike was way more dedicated to her and to saving the world from evil. He was a bad boy with a heart of gold who was totally dreamy when you really took the time to appreciate him. He was just SO freaking awesome. Even if you wouldn’t have chosen him, there are a LOT of reasons why Spike was actually better than Angel, trust me. Here are the reasons I personally would have picked Spike as Buffy’s OTP.

That accent. Seriously, an English accent always, without a doubt, makes someone hotter. It’s not technically a fact, but it definitely makes me go weak in the knees when I hear it, so that has to count for something.

He wasn’t as cute as Angel, duh, but he was attractive. Yes, when it comes down to pure beauty, Angel wins every time, but Spike’s physical appearance wasn’t bad. In fact, he was pretty cute.

Blondes do have more fun. This should probably go into the looks category, but I feel like his hair deserved its own bullet point. Come on, the bleach blonde look was SO in during the ’90s and Spike was the epitome of a bleach blonde.

The guy could move. Remember when the whole town was under the influence of a demon that made them sing and dance? Well, Spike killed it when it came to the musical episode and for that he earns major points.

His look was rocker meets biker and it definitely worked. A hottie in a leather jacket… need I say more? If you remember correctly, Billy Idol stole his look, so ya, he looked good.

He was a total badass. Whether you liked him or not, Spike was a serious force to be reckoned with. He was the vampire when it came to killing slayers and he was really good at it. Even though I rooted for Buffy to kill the vampires on a weekly basis, when Spike defeated anyone, it always felt like a win.

Good vs. Evil. Spike might have started out as evil, but he eventually became really good. He was oddly one of the only characters that you really could count on to be purely good in the end. You never knew if Angel was going to swoop in to save the day, but you knew for certain that Spike would help take down the bad guys.

He was interested in true love and not just sex. Sure, he didn’t mind sleeping with Buffy when they had their little affair, but he always wanted more. It was refreshing and nice to see that he actually wasn’t the person using anyone, but instead he was willing to do whatever Buffy said to be with her.

Spike was actually pretty romantic. He would have done anything to make Drusilla (or Buffy for that matter) happy and feel loved. Dru was completely insane, I mean she was creepy insane, but Spike truly loved her no matter what. He was also beyond loyal to her, even when she wanted to be with Angel (ugh, poor Spike was always competing with Angel), which was super endearing.

Angel was NEVER there. Sure he loved Buffy, I get it, but he was always so MIA and shady. Spike on the other hand was always by her side — once he stopped trying to kill her, which in all honesty wasn’t that long.

He was a total charmer. Technically the fact that he was a vampire gave him the ability to charm ladies with that look of his, but when he wasn’t trying to drink someone’s blood, he was still charming. One look into those eyes and I’d melt.

Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. He might have been the so-called “selfish” one out of the two men fighting for Buffy’s heart, but Spike was really the selfless one when you look back. He even traveled to Africa to regain his soul and prove to Buffy that he loved her. Although getting your soul back sounds like a good thing, it was really painful and lead Spike to being an emotional wreck for a while.

Big bro status. Even when Buffy hated Spike, he was oddly affectionate towards her family. Not only did he mourn Buffy’s mom Joyce’s death like someone who actually cared about her, but he protected her little sister Dawn no matter what the cost. It was pretty touching.

Spike was a bad boy, who actually took action. Angel had an edge to him, but he wasn’t totally bad and that somehow made him less awesome in my book. Spike never backed down and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Bad boys are sexy, sorry.

He was British! Okay, I know I already said this, but it is worth another mention. Sure, Giles was also an Englishman, but Spike was just so attractive when he spoke. It kind of made you forget he was a fictional vampire character and not a real-life hunk.

When it came down to caring for Buffy, Spike sacrificed everything for her to live. Come on, he literally died to save her. Did Angel do that? No! (Side note: He did die to save the world once, but not by choice, so it doesn’t count.)

Spike wins! I said it and I’m sticking by it.

(Images via The WB, Tumblr and Giphy)