Maverick That son of a bitch cut me off!
Played by Tom Cruise 
Top Gun (1986) · 60 quotes
Top Gun (1986) · 60 quotes
Most-quoted character in Top Gun (1986): in 34 of its 60 quotes
Most scenes with: Goose (11), Charlie (7), Iceman (6)
Maverick is supersonic. I'll be there in thirty seconds.
More lines from Maverick
8 quotes Maverick Maverick I think I'll go embarrass myself with Goose
Maverick You don't have time to think up there. If you think, you're dead.
Maverick Too close for missiles, I'm switching to guns.
Maverick Talk to me Goose!
Maverick [to Cougar and Merlin while flying alongside them]
Any of you boys seen an aircraft carrier around here?
Maverick I'll hit the brakes, he'll fly right by.
Maverick Come on lock up baby. Lock up baby. Lock up. I got him locked!
Scenes with Maverick
25 scenes
Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane, the taxpayers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. You've been busted, you've lost your qualifications as section leader three times, put in hack twice by me, with a history of high speed passes over five air control towers - and one admiral's daughter!
Penny Benjamin? [Maverick shrugs]
Thank you, sir.
And let's not bullshit, Maverick. Your family name ain't the best in the Navy. You need to be doing it better and cleaner than the other guy. Now what is it with you?
Maverick Just want to serve my country and be the best fighter pilot in the Navy, sir!
Don't screw around with me, Maverick. You're one hell of an instinctive pilot. Maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butt but I can't. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters, are going to Top Gun. For five weeks, you'll be flying against the best fighter pilots in the Navy. You guys were number two, Cougar was number one. Cougar lost it-turned in his wings. You guys are number one. But you remember one thing: if you screw up, just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!
Maverick Yes sir!
Maverick Just wondering who's the best.
In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they're up here on this plaque on the wall. The best driver and his RIO from each class has his name on it, and they have the option to come back here to be Top Gun instructors.[turns to Maverick]
Do you think your name's gonna be on that plaque, Lieutenant?
Maverick Yes, sir.
That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in.
Maverick [pauses]
Yes, sir.
[smiles]
I like that in a pilot. Just remember, when it's over out there, we're all on the same team.
Maverick [as they enter the bar]
This is what I call a target rich environment.
You live your life between your legs Mav.
Maverick Goose, even you could get laid in a place like this.
Hell, I'd be happy to just find a girl that would talk dirty to me.
The bet is $20.
Maverick $20.
You have to have carnal knowledge -- of a lady this time -- on the premises.
Maverick On the premises. [sees Charlie]
Come on, Mav, a bet's a bet.
Maverick It just doesn't seem fair...to you I mean. But, uh, she's lost that loving feeling. [starts walking toward Charlie]
She's lo... [catches up] No she hasn't.
Maverick Yes she has.
Maverick Goose, she's lost it man. [walks off]
Come on! Aw, shit. I hate it when she does that.
Maverick No, actually I had this counter in mind.
Great, that would be very, very comfortable, yeah.
Maverick It could be.
Listen, can I ask you a personal question?
Maverick That depends.
Are you a good pilot?
Maverick I can hold my own.
Great, then I won't have to worry about you making your living as a singer. [walks away]
Maverick I'm going to need a beer to put these flames out. Yo! Great Mav, real slick.
Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?
Maverick Yes ma'am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.
How's that, Lieutenant?
Maverick Well, I just happened to see a MiG 28 do a...
We!
Maverick Uh, sorry Goose. WE happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4G negative dive.
Where did you see this?
Maverick Uh, that's classified.
It's what?
Maverick It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
So, lieutenant, where exactly were you?
Maverick Well, WE...
Thank you.
Maverick Started up on his six, when he pulled in through the clouds, and then I moved in above him.
Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?
Maverick Because I was inverted.
No, he was, man, it was a really great move.
You were in a 4G inverted dive with a Mig 28?
Maverick Yes, ma'am.
At what range?
Maverick Um, about two meters.
It was actually about one and a half I think. It was one and a half. I've got a great Polaroid of it, and he's right there, must be one and a half.
Maverick It was a nice picture.
Thanks.
Eh, lieutenant, what were you doing there?
Communicating.
Maverick Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving him the bird?
Yes, I know the finger, Goose.
Sorry. I hate when it does that.
Maverick Yes, ma'am.
Maverick Requesting permission for flyby.
Air Boss Johnson
That's a negative Ghostrider, the pattern is full.
No. No, Mav, this is not a good idea.
Maverick Sorry Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower.
Maverick I can see it's dangerous for you, but if the government trusts me, maybe you could.
It takes a lot more than just fancy flying.
Yeeha, Jester's dead!
Won? That's bullshit!
Didn't everybody?
Hell no, man. We got our butts kicked.
Thirty seconds. We went like this, he went like that. I said to Hollywood, "Where'd he go?" Hollywood says, "Where'd who go?"
Yeah, and he's laughing at us, right on the radio, he's laughing at us.
No, it's me laughing, dickhead. We won!
Pilots
All right! [Handshakes exchanged]
They won too, man. [points to Maverick and Goose]
That's not what I heard.
We did man. We got Jester-
No, no, below the hard deck does not count.
Maverick Hard deck my ass. We nailed that son of a bitch. [gives Goose a high five]
Wow, you guys really are cowboys.
Maverick [Suddenly faces Iceman]
What's your problem, Kazanski?
[Slams helmet locker's door and faces Maverick]
You're everyone's problem. That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous.
Maverick That's right! Ice...man. I am dangerous. [Iceman bites]
Maverick. [Maverick and Goose look at him], you and Goose get your butts outta that flight gear and up to Viper's office now. [Heads out of the locker room]
Remember, boys, no points for second place.
You're a lot brighter than you look-
Oh, you shut up.
Good morning, gentlemen, the temperature is 110 degrees.
Holy shit, it's Viper!
Viper's up here, great...oh shit...
Maverick Great, he's probably saying, "Holy shit, it's Maverick and Goose."
Yeah, I'm sure he's saying that.
It's the bottom of the 9th, the score is tied its time for the big one.
You think you can handle that Maverick?
Maverick It's just a walk in the park Kazanski.
[Charlie has just given Maverick her address while pretending to turn down his date offer]
Crashed and burned! Huh, Mav?
Maverick Hey, Slider. [sniffs] You stink!
[Slider sniffs his armpit, while Sundown laughs]
Maverick [as Charlie screeches to a halt after chasing Maverick on his motorcycle]
JESUS CHRIST, AND YOU THINK I'M RECKLESS? WHEN I FLY, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT MY CREW, AND MY PLANE COME FIRST!
Well, I am going to [bangs the car's door] FINISH MY SENTENCE, LIEUTENANT! My review of your flight performance was RIGHT ON!
Maverick Is that right?
That's right, but I held something back. I see some real genius in your flying, Maverick, but I can't say that in there. I was afraid that everyone in the tax trailer would see right through me, and I just don't want anyone to know that I've fallen for you.
Maverick I feel the need...
Maverick, Goose
...the need for speed!
Note: ranked #94 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema.
Maverick I'm all right.
Goose is dead.
Maverick I know.
You fly jets long enough, something like this happens.
Maverick He was my RIO, my responsibility.
My squadron in Vietnam lost eight of 18 aircraft. Ten men. First one dies you die too, but there will be others. You can count on that. You gotta let him go. You gotta let him go.
[At Viper's house, Viper and Maverick take a stroll]
I flew with your old man. VF-51, the Oriskany. You're a lot like he was. Only better... and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch that one.
Maverick So he DID do it right.
Yeah, he did right. Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified and it could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I could've dreamed of. There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit; he was wounded, but he could've made it back. He stayed in it; saved three planes before he bought it.
Maverick How come I never heard that before?
Well that's not something the State Department tells its dependants when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.
Maverick So you were there?
I was there. What's on your mind?
Maverick My options, Sir.
Simple. First you've acquired enough points to show up and graduate with your Top Gun class, or you can quit. There'll be no disgrace. That spin was hell; it would've shook me up.
Maverick So you think I should quit?
I didn't say that. The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. Now I'm not gonna sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Lieutenant. A good pilot is compelled to always evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned. Up there, we gotta push it...that's our job. It's your option Lieutenant. All yours.
Maverick Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, Sir, but thank you very much for your time.
No problem. Good luck.
[as they are being chased by a MiG]
What are you doing? You're slowing down, you're slowing down!
Maverick I'm bringing the MiG closer, Merlin.
You're gonna do WHAT?
You! You are still dangerous. [smiles] You can be my wingman any time.
Maverick Bullshit! You can be mine.
They gave you your choice of duty son, anything, anywhere. Do you believe that shit? Where do you think you wanna go?
Maverick I thought of being an instructor, sir.
Maverick [coughs slightly]
Yes, sir.
God help us. [starts chuckling]
Hello, Pete Mitchell. I heard the best of the best were going to be back here, so uh...
Maverick This could be complicated. You know on the first one I crashed and burned.
And the second.
Maverick I don't know, but uh, it's looking good so far.
Sorry to hear about Cougar. He and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man.
Maverick Still is a good man.
Yeah, that's what I meant. [pause] You need any help?
Maverick With what?
You figured it out yet?
Maverick What's that?
Who's the best pilot.
Maverick You know, I think I can figure that one out on my own.
I heard that about you. You like to work alone.
Mav, you must've sold under a lucky star, huh? I mean, first the MiG, and then you guys slide into Cougar's spot.
We didn't slide into Cougar's spot. It was ours, okay?
Yeah, well, some pilots wait their whole career just to see a MiG up close. Guess you guys are lucky and famous, huh?
No, you mean notorious. See you later.
Maverick You can count on it.
[At the preflight briefing, Charlie talks about what is currently known about the MiG-28]
We will be dealing with F-5s and A-4s as our MiG simulators. Now then, as most of you know, the F-5 doesn’t have the thrust to weight ratio that the MiG-28 has and it doesn’t bleed energy below 300 knots like the MiG-28. However the MiG-28 does have a problem with its inverted flight tank, it won’t do a Negative G push-over. The latest intelligence tells us that the most it will do is 1 Negative- [notices Goose and Maverick are whispering to each other] [to Maverick] Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?
Maverick Yes ma’am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.
How’s that, Lieutenant?
Maverick Well I just happened to see a MiG-28—
We!
Maverick Sorry, Goose. We happened to see a MiG-28 do a 4G Negative dive.
Where did you see this?
Maverick That’s classified.
Maverick It’s classified. I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.
Lieutenant, I have Top Secret clearance. The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you.
Maverick Well ma’am, it doesn’t seem so in this case, now does it?
So, Lieutenant, where exactly were you?
Maverick Well, [glances to Goose] we..
Maverick Started up on his 6 when he pulled through the clouds then I moved in above him.
Well if you were directly above him, how could you see him?
Maverick Because I was inverted.
You were in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28?
Maverick Yes, ma’am.
At what range?
Maverick Um [turns to Goose] about 2 metres?
Well it’s actually about 1 1/2, I think. I’ve got a great Polaroid of it, he’s right there. Must be 1 1/2.
Uh, Lieutenant, what were you doing there?
Communicating.
Maverick Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. I was, you know, giving him the bird.
Yes, I know the finger, Goose.
I’m sorry, I hate it when it does that. [Embarrassed] Excuse me.
Maverick Yes, ma'am.
Maverick I feel the need...
Maverick and Goose
...the need for speed! [Maverick and Goose high five]
Note: Bolded lines are ranked No. 94 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.
Mav, what're doin', you're slowin' down!
Maverick Gonna let him get a little closer.
Merlin (incredulous): You're gonna do what?!
