You have to admit it, whether you like it or not, memes are everywhere. No matter where we look, no whatever social media platform we are on, they’re there, ready to make us smile and laugh at a moment’s notice. But beyond comedy, it has become a tool for connecting, updating us on the latest events in the world, and teasing us to dig deeper when we encounter one that gets us chuckling despite not knowing its context. Not to mention, it definitely makes us feel as if we’re part of a larger community. Ever feel or think of something that you don’t think anyone can relate to, but then you see a meme talking about it? The absolute power they hold!

From Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Oscars to Adam Levine’s DMs, we have compiled a list of what we think were the best memes to grace our timelines this year.

The Slap Heard Around the World

What’s a list containing the best memes of the year without this one? Exceedingly detrimental to Will Smith’s career, embarrassing for Chris Rock, and “traumatizing” to some in attendance—and yes I’m referring to you Amy Schumer—you have to admit, the slap heard around the world was one for the books, and one for the memes.

It’s Morbin’ Time!

the theater when morbius says “it’s morbin time” during morbius 2 pic.twitter.com/l6L0krFEZw

— frog (@FroakieT) May 28, 2022

Ever seen a film so bad that it’s actually pretty funny? Well, unfortunately, that’s the case for the gloomy doctor-turned-vampire anti-hero Morbius. A movie so badly reviewed, pretty much all the hype surrounding the project was fueled by the widespread sarcastic demand for a sequel. What’s even worse, after a lackluster theatrical release, Sony brought back the film into theaters with hopes that the internet-generated hype would rack up sales to no avail—I guess that’s a lesson to never make business decisions over Twitter.

Homelander in Disbelief

Christopher Nolan when the studio allows him to detonate an actual nuclear bomb for Oppenheimer: pic.twitter.com/mlhIjITA3H

— Morgan (@callouswayne) July 12, 2022

‘The Boys’ is a dark and gory satirical social commentary on politics and greed as represented by a capitalism-driven superhero industry—the first two seasons were masterpieces, and the third that was released earlier this year did not disappoint. Taking the spotlight is a scene towards the end of the season where Homelander (Anthony Starr) commits a heinous crime in public. Instead of being punished or hated for it, he was applauded and cheered for, eliciting disbelief in the overpowered yet conflicted “hero”. Despite the serious subject matter, like many things, it was not safe from becoming a meme. Making the case was Starr’s performance, utilizing facial expressions that truly captured the character’s emotions at the moment—and yes it looked hilarious as well.

Ghost: “Really?”

I think at some point in our lives, we’ve had our parents speak negatively about us when conversing with a guest or a family member, in our presence. Ghost from the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise captures what we felt in that moment perfectly.

Adam Le-DM

me to my freshly microwaved hot pocket pic.twitter.com/6B4qIvXV2N

— J (@Jimbo00o) September 21, 2022

This is my personal favorite, it never fails to make me laugh. Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine recently made the headlines after a handful of Instagram models went public to state that they were in an affair with the singer—the news broke just as his wife Behati Prinsloo had announced her third pregnancy—talk about bad timing. Devastating as it may be, Levine has become the butt of many jokes and memes, following the release of screenshots of his conversations with the said models, with some likening his flirting skills to that of a high-schooler.

Halloween Costume Ideas

Halloween is the time of the year, outside of cosplaying events, when we get to dress up as some of our favorite pop-culture characters. In the middle of all the content going out then, giving others ideas on what to wear, a couple of creative minds made use of costume packages from Spirit to depict several hilarious stereotypes.

Spy X Family: The Anya Forger Multiverse

The anime adaptation of the Spy X Family manga was highly anticipated, but not for what you expect. It’s great of course, it’s an adorable twist of playing house on your typical espionage thriller that is usually filled with scheming and treachery. However, it was also known for its iconic manga panels, cute yet amusing stills that have been placed in memes for years now—I’m sure many were excited to see these brought to life, animated. For this list, one variation took our attention, Anya being taken from her own manga panels, and placed in a different franchise, creating her very own multiverse of various Anyas.

Chainsaw Man: All Too Relatable Denji

Laughed just a lil too loud at this scene 😅 pic.twitter.com/ckn5JYJZeV

— Death God (she/her) (@shinigamiti) December 16, 2022

Last but not least, the release of the anime adaptation of Chainsaw Man was among the most highly awaited during the year. The show has had its moments, delivering on the promised hype, while making space for a little comedy along the way. One took it a step further, modifying an already funny moment during the anime, replacing the dialogue with an improved version, and making use of the protagonist Denji’s rather tragic poverty-ridden past.