Top Gun spoilers explained

What is the main twist in Top Gun?

Maverick (Tom Cruise) is not the one who dies in the final mission. His best friend and rival, Goose (Anthony Edwards), dies earlier in a training accident when their F-14 Tomcat goes into a flat spin and crashes into the ocean. Goose is killed on impact, and Maverick blames himself for the accident.

What happens in Top Gun?

The film opens with Maverick and Goose flying their F-14 Tomcat off the deck of the USS Enterprise. They engage in a dangerous dogfight with an unidentified enemy aircraft, which Maverick aggressively pursues and eventually forces to crash. This reckless behavior catches the attention of their commanding officer, Viper (Tom Skerritt), and the admiral, who decide to send Maverick and Goose to the Navy's elite fighter weapons school, Top Gun, at Naval Air Station Miramar.

At Top Gun, Maverick and Goose meet the other pilots, including the cool and calculated Iceman, his Radar Intercept Officer Slider (Rick Rossovich), and the cocky but skilled Cougar (John Stockwell). Maverick's aggressive flying style immediately clashes with the more disciplined approach of Iceman. Maverick also meets Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood (Kelly McGillis), a civilian instructor and astrophysicist who is initially dismissive of his bravado but is impressed by his flying skills. They begin a romantic relationship.

The training at Top Gun is intense, with dogfighting exercises and classroom lectures. Maverick consistently outperforms his peers, but his recklessness concerns his instructors. During a training mission, Maverick and Goose engage in a dogfight with Iceman and Slider. Maverick gets into a flat spin, a dangerous condition where the aircraft spirals uncontrollably. He and Goose eject from the plane, but Goose is killed when he hits the canopy during the ejection. Maverick survives, but is devastated by Goose's death.

The accident is investigated, and Maverick is cleared of any wrongdoing, but he is deeply shaken. He loses his confidence and his edge. He considers quitting Top Gun, but is encouraged by Viper, who reveals that he was Maverick's father's wingman. Viper tells Maverick that his father was a hero who died in combat, not a coward as Maverick had believed. This revelation helps Maverick begin to heal.

Maverick returns to Top Gun and graduates, but his performance is still affected by his guilt. He is assigned to a new mission, a combat patrol over the Indian Ocean. His new Radar Intercept Officer is Merlin. During the mission, they encounter enemy MiGs. Maverick initially hesitates, but then engages the enemy with skill and aggression, shooting down three MiGs. He also saves Iceman's life by shooting down a MiG that was about to attack him. The mission is a success, and Maverick is hailed as a hero.

The film ends with Maverick being offered a position as an instructor at Top Gun. He accepts, and he and Iceman share a moment of mutual respect. Maverick also reconciles with Charlie, who has been transferred to a new post. The final scene shows Maverick walking across the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, ready to begin his new role.

Quick, non-spoiler context

For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.