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‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s David Boreanaz Settles Stacey Abrams’ Angel Vs. Spike Debate

Everett Collection
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Senior Evening Writer

Who was Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s greatest love is such a burning question to this day that even politicians are involved. Now actor David Boreanaz — who played Angel — says if he was her one true love.

It is one of the great debates of late 90s and early aughts TV — was Angel or Spike Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s greatest love on the WB hit. The teenage vampire slayer played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, 43, found her first true love in Angel, the good vampire played by David Boreanaz. But after the actor and his character got a spinoff, Buffy found love again with Spike, played by James Marsters, 58. Former Bones star David, 51, now says he was the real love of Buffy’s life, after former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams claimed recently that it was Spike.

“All I’ll say is this, man: True love is first love and first love is true love. Drop the mic. End of story,” David tells The Wrap in response to Stacey and others shipping Spike. “I don’t think we need to continue. I mean, it’s pretty simple, right? Let’s think about that for really a second. Your first love is your true love, your true love is your first love. End of story.”

Buffy and Angel
David Boreanaz claims his Angel was Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s one true love over Spike, who came later in the WB series. Photo credit: Everett Collection.

David even addressed Stacey being Team Spike, saying, “All due respect Stacey Abrams, I disagree. But you know, hey, you’re coming from the character’s mouth here. I think I’ll be the final word on it.” Whoa there David, that seems to be a SECOND mic drop!

David’s vampire with a soul Angel was Buffy’s first love — though there was a time when he turned evil and wanted to kill her — for seasons one through three. After that, the actor and character got a spinoff called Angel. That opened the the door to Spike becoming the next main vampire to win Buffy’s heart. He was introduced as a villain in season two’s “School Hard,” and came from Angel’s past. With his sexy punk rock style swagger and sharp tongue, he was immediately a major hit with fans.

Buffy and Spike
Buffy and Spike had some serious chemistry together, coupling up when she was older and wiser than she was with Angel. Photo credit: Everett Collection.

With David’s Angel leaving at the end of season three and taking Charisma Carpenter‘s Cordelia character with him for the spinoff, Spike was brought back in season four and ended up as Buffy’s next vampire love. He fell for her in season five, and she finally returned his feelings once he was given a soul towards the end of the series.

Stacey Abrams
Georgia politician Stacey Abrams as let ‘Buffy’ fans know she’s Team Spike. Photo credit: Everett Collection.

Stacey — who was widely praised for focusing on voter registration efforts over the last two years that helped flip Georgia Democrat Blue during the 2020 presidential election — actually weighed in on the topic of Spike vs. Angel for Buffy’s true love on Twitter. She responded on Nov. 9 to a fellow Buffy fan who claimed that Stacey “shipped Spike” and the 46-year-old politico answered, “To be fair, Angel was the right boyfriend for Buffy coming into her power. Spike was the right man to be with as she became the power.” Spoken like a wise Buffy fanatic, even though David doesn’t agree.