The originalTop Gunis one of the most quotable films from the 80s. Many lines still get referenced today in other media or common colloquialisms. For example, “Negative, Ghost Rider” was said by a random character in the tower control center. In the film, Tom Cruise’s character, Maverick, wants permission to land his jet.
Ghost Rider is his jet’s callsign. “Negative, Ghost Rider,” as a broad colloquialism, is a fancy way of saying no. Assuredly one has probably said or heard that in passing before. So, the question is, doesTop Gun: Maverickhave just as many memorable quotes? It’s time to find out. There will be spoilers for the film along with the originalTop Gunas a reference point.
Updated July 03, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Top Gunis a certified classic that fans love to rewatch over and over. So, when reports came out that a sequel was coming out decades after the original movie’s release, a lot of people were skeptical and wondered if this movie would do justice to the film that came before it. Thankfully, whenTop Gun: Maverickcame out, fans were more than glad to see that this title did justice to the immense legacy of its predecessor, while setting the stage for more films that would be just as enthralling to watch. With Tom Cruise seemingly aging backward, no one can make the argument that he’s too old to star in moreTop Gunfilms. Maverickis a highlight in his career and features some amazing writing, including excellent quotes that fans love hearing to this day.
13"Maybe So, Sir. But Not Today."
Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell
The best part aboutTop Gun: Maverickis how it acknowledges that dogfighting is quickly becoming a thing of the past, with automated drones being more than capable of taking over the role of fighter pilots in the near future. However, despite the world telling him otherwise, Maverick is as stubborn as can be. He continues to follow his passion instead of seeking promotions to live a comfortable life.
He’s also pretty smart-mouthed, leading to a tense exchange with Admiral Cain in which the latter gives him a stern warning that his kind is dying out. Maverick acknowledges his comment, but says in as few words as possible that there’s still a place in the military for him before heading to Top Gun and educating a bunch of new recruits.
12"Alright, I Won’t Tell You That."
The snappy one-liners inTop Gun: Maverickare pretty clever, and do a great job of adding some levity to a movie where stakes can get really high really fast. After getting stranded with the son of his deceased best friend, Maverick and Rooster must see past their animosities to team up and escape from a scenario where their death is imminent without corrective action.
While in the fighter jet, one of the engines blows up. Rooster notices this and laments the loss, frustrated as he says, “Please don’t tell me we lost an engine.” Maverick’s retort is pretty clever and completely in line with the composed demeanor he’s known for.
11"This Is A Nice Moment, Let’s Not Ruin It."
Iceman and Maverick had an excellent rivalry, pushing each other to new heights as they strove to become the best of the best. Despite some bitter moments, there’s no denying that both characters form a sense of mutual respect in the original movie, with the two meeting in a poignant scene inTop Gun: Maverick.
After a rather wholesome conversation, Iceman does what he does best and adds some levity to their serious conversation by asking Maverick who the better fighter pilot was all along. As one would expect, Tom Cruise’s delivery is as smooth as can be as he playfully writes off this question.
10"The Navy Calls It Fighter Weapons School. The Pilots Call It Top Gun."
Opening Narration
The nameTop Gunhas a pretty interesting history of its own, with one of the best pilot schools in America picking a group of esteemed pilots to take this course and make a name for themselves. This school is unofficially called Top Gun by the pilots, with a bunch of competitive pilots putting it all on the line to secure the highest rank in this course and come out with flying colors. Of course, in such a landscape, there are times when tempers flare and rivalries form… but most people would argue that this is precisely what makesTop Guncompelling as both a film and an academy.
ThisTop Gunquotetechnically isn’t a piece of spoken dialogue but is rather a part of the iconic narration thatappears at the start of both films. It’s a simple yet effective way to hammer in the importance of Top Gun early on, establishing the allure of this academy and why so many fighter pilots try their hardest to get into this course.
9"Mach 10? Let’s Give Them Mach 10."
Top Gun: Maverickstarts out with the revelation that Pete “Maverick” Mitchell hasn’t progressed past the rank of Captain through a combination of his relentless insubordination and his insistence to remain at the ground level and actually fly aircraft instead of ordering other people to do the same. His rebellious nature can be seen in the very first flight scene in the movie, where he decides to show his supervisor who’s boss byflying a prototype aircraft at Mach 10instead of the Mach 9 that was decided beforehand.
This proves to be a success, but it is clear that Maverick’s thrill for danger and speed transcended his better judgment at this point. As a result, he tried to push this prototype even further, causing it to crash and for him to get into trouble. If not for the intervention of his friend and rival Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, he would’ve been stuck at a boring desk role for the foreseeable future.
8"You Got Some Balls, Stick Jockey."
Admiral Cain
This is something Admiral Cain says to Maverick as Maverick is trying to break Mach 10 even further. Ed Harris was the perfect actor to cast in this small role. He can deliver a line like that like no other. Cain’s whole plan is to scrap Maverick’s stealth jet program.
He doesn’t want to endanger any more men during air fights. That’s a noble goal in pursuit of a robotic future but Maverick is having none of that inTop Gun: Maverick.
7"Earth."
The Kid At The Diner
Maverick pushes his boundaries too far as he did inTop Gun, and crash lands his experimental jet far off base. Where is never explained inTop Gun: Maverick. Because the Gs were so intense in that prototype jet, Maverick practically had to wear a spacesuit just to survive the force.
That’s why everyone stops dead in their tracks when Maverick walks into a local diner, stunned and thirsty. He asks where he is and a random little kid responds with, “Earth.” In this little kid’s head, Maverickis from space.
6"See You In The Afterlife, Bagman."
Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd
Bob is the only officer inTop Gun: Maverickthat doesn’t get a callsign. This is played offas a jokewhen Hangman asks him what his callsign is. “Bob” is his response.
He’s made fun of in that awkward moment but Bob gets the upper hand later on in training. Hangman’s whole thing is that he leaves allies out to dry. Bob and Phoenix go down hypothetically in training because of Hangman. When Maverick is about to close in on Hangman next, he pleads for help from Bob and Phoenix. As they are dead, Bob had that great Bagman line in response. It’s always great when smug characters in films get their comeuppance.
5"It’s Time To Let Go."
Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky
Val Kilmer hasvery few lines inTop Gun: Maverick. For viewers confused, it’s not because he was too busy to shoot more scenes. Kilmer had throat cancer, leaving him unable to speak for long which is why he has primarily retired from acting.
That’s why he communicates through text mostly throughout this sequel. Whether he voiced this line or not is unimportant. It’s still a powerful moment wherein Iceman is trying to help Maverick get over the death of Goose. Maverick’s response, “I don’t know how” is just as powerful.
4"It’s The Only One I Got."
Maverick says this line a few times throughoutTop Gun: Maverick. The best one in the movie is when Maverick is about to head out on the final mission. Hondo is worried that Maverick is going out on a suicide run. He can see it on his face which is why Hondo is so concerned.
Maverick reassuring Hondo with that line may not have been enough at the moment. However, when Maverick returns with Rooster at the end, it seems like all is forgiven.Tom Cruise doeshis best throughout the film to convey a lot of emotion through his small facial ticks. He’s a pro at it.
