Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise’s latest exploits have taken him to the skies with Top Gun: Maverick, which features practical effects as part of the film’s pilot-based story. Critics are loving the characters’ bold risk-taking up in the air, with the movie receiving an incredible 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating and praise for the flying scenes.
Whether it was the cavalier attitude of Maverick or the creative technique employed by Rooster, the Top Gun squad all had skills to showcase. Since some were more vital to the mission’s success than others, it’s time to assess who the best pilots were, based both on general flying and combat-based flying.
Fanboy
Fanboy never got time to shine during the movie and was primarily seen flying during the sequence where everyone in the team couldn’t match up to the mission’s requirements. He was established as an elite flier just by being part of the group, which confirms that he did have good skills.
Fanboy had a difficult time keeping up with the extreme pressure that came with attempting to reach Mach 10 speed, much like the rest. Maverick ended up choosing him for the main mission, where Fanboy held his own despite the pressure on him, although his function was as a Weapons Systems Operator.
Bob
There are usually meek characters who have to prove themselves in movies similar to Top Gun, with Bob taking up this role. He was initially belittled for his lack of confidence, only to rise up to the occasion as Phoenix’s WSO in the final mission.
Bob also had difficulties reaching the Mach 10 limit during training, with his shy attitude not enabling him to be more daring. Still, Maverick saw a determination in Bob that manifested during the climax, where he provided valuable support to Phoenix.
Phoenix
The long gap between Top Gun Maverick and the original film didn’t matter when it came to the inclusion of hardworking characters. This time around, it was Phoenix who took up this part, being a resilient pilot that came the closest to understanding Maverick’s mindset out of all the candidates.
Phoenix’s flying style was a mixture of defensiveness and aggression, as she took on the bold approach Maverick wanted in the climax but knew when to back off. She didn’t have as much conviction in her attacks as some of the others, but Phoenix also voiced the least doubts in the team.
Payback
Payback was part of the initially antagonistic duo comprising of him and Hangman when the film began. He had good reason to be full of himself, as he carried himself with great confidence under Maverick’s orders. During training, Payback wasn’t inclined to show fear as most of the others.
His worth was proven when he was selected by Maverick for the final mission. Payback kept a cool head during the flying sequence while Bob and Phoenix became worried. Payback didn’t have as much creativity in his flight-based attacks as Rooster or Hangman, but he didn’t have difficulties either.
Hangman
It’s common to find someone who’s brash and arrogant in Tom Cruise’s best action movies because they are the perfect setups to showcase character development. Hangman was easily the best flier during the training segment of the movie, being the one person who actually enjoyed the challenge of the seemingly impossible mission.
He was surprisingly grounded by Maverick for the final mission, although that didn’t keep Hangman out of the action. Hangman’s flying was so impressive that he somehow managed to rescue Rooster and Maverick from the enemy without having his jet sighted. He was both agile and aggressive, which helped the protagonists big time in the climax.
Rooster
Rooster brought one of the most memorable quotes in Top Gun: Maverick when he repeated the titular character’s assertion of doing and not thinking. Rooster had earlier been bogged down by doubts and made a few blunders while flying, second-guessing himself when the jet picked up too much speed.
However, he came around in a big way during the final mission, where he outperformed every other pilot other than Maverick. Rooster’s flying prowess included being imaginative and by-the-book, as seen when he initially stuck with the plan but later broke away from the team to find Maverick. His stealth-based flying was evident when he saved Maverick seemingly out of nowhere.
Maverick
The protagonist was very easily head and shoulders above the rest in the flying department. The first scene itself showed how he could not only break the Mach 10 barrier but go a few units above it as well. While he did destroy the prototype jet, Maverick was able to save himself when anyone else would have perished.
Moreover, he stole a jet to prove to Cyclone that the seemingly impossible mission could be completed, going all on his own to demonstrate how he could both attack and fly through twists and turns at extreme speed. Maverick’s quick thinking in the air showed up when he protected Rooster from gunfire and then manned the enemy’s stolen aircraft to return to base. He was even capable of landing a jet that didn’t have wheels.