How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Top Gun.
Quote #1
VIPER: You think your name is gonna be on that plaque?
MAVERICK: Yes sir.
Maverick bursts out of the gun with an immensely competitive attitude. In a classroom full of A-list pilots, he basically says: "I'm gonna win guys." Viper even calls him arrogant as a result, and he loves it that Maverick is arrogant.
Quote #2
VIPER: Gentlemen this school is about combat. There are no points for second place.
There is only one place at Top Gun, and that's first. How much more competitive could it be? The competitive ethos of Top Gun is simple: you either win the trophy, or you join the hundreds of others in the also-rans category.
Quote #3
VIPER: Remember, when it's over out there, we're all on the same team.
Competition is only so important, says Viper. He wants his pilots to do their best to win the trophy, but he doesn't want the competitive spirit of Top Gun to ruin their team unity.
Quote #4
GOOSE: No, no, no, no, there's two O's in Goose, boys.
Goose's first words to his Top Gun class, and they're unforgettable. This is his way of being competitive: implying that his name is already on the trophy, implying that he and Maverick are so good the trophy is as good as theirs.
Quote #5
GOOSE: Wanna know who the best is? That's him, Iceman, that's the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes.
In the early days of Top Gun, the pilots are obsessed with the question of who the best pilot is. Viper talks about it, Iceman mentions it in the nightclub, and Goose points out Iceman, their main competitive rival for the trophy.
Quote #6
CHARLIE: Is that why you're always second best up there?
Charlie taps into Maverick's competitiveness, and suggests that maybe he can't be number one because he's too obsessed with his father's legacy. To be truly competitive, she implies, he'll need to get over it, and quick.
Quote #7
GOOSE: Well it's the bottom of the 9th, the score is tied. It's time for the big one.
Iceman and Maverick are neck and neck for the trophy. Goose says it best. Iceman and Maverick are locked in an intense battle for the win, and it's coming down to the wire. Sadly, Goose's death causes Maverick to lose his edge.
Quote #8
JESTER: He can't get back in the saddle, won't engage
VIPER: It's only been a few days
JESTER: You know he just might not make it back.
After Goose's death, Maverick loses his competitive edge—he "won't engage." If he were playing basketball and grabbed a rebound, he'd just drop the ball. Maverick never regains his competitive edge, and effectively gives Iceman the trophy. He does, however, get "back in the saddle" when it counts.
Quote #9
CHARLIE: You're one of the best pilots in the Navy… you've got to go on.
Charlie's comments to Maverick after Goose's death mean two things. One, he needs to stay in the Navy. He's too good. Two, he needs to get back in the game at Top Gun, and remain competitive. Again, he's too good to quit.